FANTASY NASCAR Racin

a former NASCAR Sprint cup Series race car owner whose career spanned from 1963 to 1968. Maynard Bondy Long II was the step-son of Lammot DuPont Jr; a member of one of the world's richest families. DuPont married Long's Mother Mary in 1950 six years after Long's Father was killed in actionin World War II. The company the DuPont family now built is best known in NASCAR circles as Jeff Gordon's long time sponsor. Long had spent his youth in Camden where kids would go bare foot from spring to fall and lived the lifestyle of kids in a small southern town. But when Long's Mother remarried; they moved to a huge house outside Wilmington and suddenly was going to a private school, and wore a coat and tie and shoes!!. He had left his friends and was mostly isolated in a new strange home. When he turned 16 he got his drivers license and packed up his

car. Against his mothers objections he went back to Camden living with several uncles and aunts in that area. He had always loved tinkering and that soon led to he racing around in the Carolinas. Then, in February 1963, Longs life took an abrupt left turn. He was drag racing in Bunnell, Fla., north of Daytona Beach, and was invited by a friend of a friend to visit Daytona International Speedway during Daytona 500 week. Long and his group got garage passes. He had never seen an oval-track race and, flipping through a race program, was surprised at the prize money NASCAR events awarded. He called his mother in Wilmington and told her that "She had to see this", he said. He told her, "These people actually win a lot of money if they win races". She said, "Well, I might have to check

into that". Long said, "You need to come down here to the track". Two days later, to Longs surprise, she did. With an escort Bill France Sr. She called down to the track and asked, Who's in charge? Somebody told her it was Bill France. She said, Well, can I talk to him? Evidently, she talked to him and made arrangements to fly down and for him to pick her up at the airport. Bill France picked her up at the airport and drove her around the track a few times and told her what was going on. Then Long heard his name over the garage loudspeaker, telling him to come to the garage office. There she was with Bill France. She said, I think you're right there is something to this. It's a great thing". Bill France, the founder of NASCAR, was a busy man in those days, and its reasonable to conclude that he didn't return every

was suddenly a team owner, a racing mechanic and an engine builder. He learned quickly. It was not a good year for Plymouths they typically were 10 miles per hour behind Fords at the circuits big tracks, and Long soon switched to Fords and received factory support from Ford Motor Company. He has employed notable and talented drivers like: Larry Frank, Bobby Isaac, James Hylton, Ned Jarrett, Marvin Panch, Mario Andretti, AJ Foyt, and Bobby Allison. The little team out of Camden SC would turn heads on NASCAR premier circuit. Long was an owner in NASCAR's top series for just six years. In that short time his drivers would make 206 starts, and post 29 wins. 27 of those with Ned Jarrett. Dick Hutcherson got the other two wins. His drivers had 114 top five finishes.

Fantasy NASCAR Racing

BONDY LONG