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yankeeracer


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R.I.P. Frank Mundy
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From The Charlotte Observer:

Frank Mundy, early NASCAR racer, dies at 91

Frank Mundy, a former NASCAR and AAA competitor in the late 1940 and early '50s, has died in Atlanta.

Mundy, born Francisco Eduardo Menendez, was 91 and is survived by his wife, Mae.

Also known by the nickname "Rebel", which he sometimes signed as a middle name, Mundy competed in more than 50 NASCAR events from 1949 to 1956, earning three wins - at Columbia, S.C., Martinsville, Va., and Mobile, Ala. He also won four poles and recorded 24 top-10 finishes. He was the 1955 champion in the American Automobile Association.

Mundy is often remembered for driving a Studebaker, but the Georgia driver was also associated with the powerful Chryslers organization of Mercury Marine owner Carl Kiekhaefer, widely regarded as NASCAR's first big-spending, mega-team owner.

Mundy and Indianapolis 500 figure Tony Bettenhausen drove Keikhaefer's cars in American Automobile Association races before the multimillionaire turned his attention to NASCAR in the mid-1950s. Mundy, Tim Flock, and Buck Baker were among his drivers in the growing stock car racing series.



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yankeeracer


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For more of a local perspective, Frank Mundy won at Stafford in July 1949. If I remember correctly, he raced at the Kingston Fairgrounds and Lonsdale Sports Arena in Rhode Island as well.

Here's a photo and article I found mentioning Frank from 1954 on NewspaperArchive.com.
It is from pg. 7 of the March 13, 1954 Long Beach Press Telegram in California.

100-Lap Event Tops Sunday Carrell Card

A six-event card labeled as the AAA national stock car championships to be climaxed by a 100-lap main event, is set for 2:30 p.m.  Qualifying hjeats get under way at 1, with the gates being opened at 11 a.m.

The entry list includes 22 of the nations top stock car drivers, as Frank Mundy, Marshall Teague, Johnny Mantz, Chuck Stevenson, Bob Christle, Lou Figaro, Dempsey Wilson and George Fleming.  They will be driving nine different makes in one of the greatest assortments of late model stock cars ever to start in a championship race.

The 100-lap main event as well as the heats will be from the European standing LeMans start.

3533337427_83e67d6db4.jpg

The caption:"'Rebel' Confers with Big Chief
One of the leading stock car drivers in the nation, Frank "Rebel" Mundy (left) chats with promoter J.C. Agahanian as both discuss Sunday's 100-lap national stock car race at Carrell Speedway, Gardena.  Mundy will face opposition from such renowned drivers as Lynwood's Troy Ruttman, Chuck Stevenson, Marshall Teague and Johnny Mantz."



-- Edited by yankeeracer on Friday 15th of May 2009 01:45:39 PM

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openwheelracer


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Yankee, thank you for posting the unfortunate news of one of the sports early pioneers passing.

Condolences from everyone here at Making Laps to the Mundy family.

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