1952 Hudson Hornet NASCAR

In the early days of NASCAR, to say Hudson's were dominant would be a huge understatement. Their domination of the series was truly unbelievable. What made it even more impressive is that they did it with an inline-six-cylinder engine. The 308 cubic-inch Hornets won 27 of 34 races in 1952 and 22 of 37 races in 1953.

The popularity of these cars came to light when the 'star' of the movie 'Cars' was chosen to represent these famous racers. Through Doc Hudson, the legend of the Fabulous Hudson Hornets has been carried forward to the up-and-coming generation of enthusiasts.

The National Association of Stock Car Racing (NASCAR) was founded in 1948 by Bill France Sr. It quickly grew in popularity and became the most popular motorsport body in America. The cars were true 'stock' production-based vehicles with strictly limited modifications and factory-available heavy-duty parts. The 'Fabulous Hudson Hornet' toed the line as the underdog against far better-funded teams. Defying the odds, the Hudsons immediately captured the hearts of racing fans everywhere. The best Hudson result came in June of 1949 when Bob Block put a Hudson Six on pole at Charlotte. Then the new-for-1951 models made their debut in December of 1950. In this highly competitive stock form, the Milford Brothers decided to enter a Hornet at the 160-lap 1951 Beach Race to be held on the sands of Daytona Beach. Their driver was a local named Marshall Teague, who qualified a solid 6th at 96.48 mph and ran with the leaders until Lap 28, when he overtook everyone for the win, finishing over a minute ahead of Tim Flock's Lincoln.

After his astonishing accomplishment, he walked unannounced into the Detroit offices of Hudson Motor Car Company and left with sponsorship, the first such deal in NASCAR. For 1951 and 1952, he was a member of the Hudson factory team, piloting the 'Fabulous Hudson Hornet' stock cars to impressive finishes. Although the competition was powered by V-8 engines, the Hudson Hornet was powered by a 308 cubic-inch 'flathead' straight-6 engine tuned by Henry 'Smokey' Yunick, proprietor of Daytona's 'Best Damn Garage in Town.' The engine was combined with the car's low center of gravity, low weight, and good aerodynamics. Teague won seven of his 23 NASCAR entries (1949-1952) before moving to AAA-sanctioned events in 1953 following a dispute with Bill France Sr.