For this week’s A Look Back we have decided to take at one of the greatest brands that competed in NASCAR over the years. It was announced earlier this week as a part of its continued restructuring General Motors would eliminate the Pontiac brand.

From 1988 until 2003 the spring race at the Richmond International Raceway carried the Pontiac name. Neil Bonnett went to Victory Lane in the first Pontiac 400 and Joe Nemechek won the final Pontiac Excitement 400 in 2003. That same year, GM announced they would not race the Pontiac brand the following year. Now, with this week’s announcement that brand is not only gone from NASCAR, but gone as we know it.

Pontiac won its first NASCAR race on the beach course in Daytona with Cotton Owens February 17, 1957. Over the years, the Pontiac brand went on to score 155 victories and one manufacturers championship in 1962. Drivers like Richard Petty, Rusty Wallace, Bobby Labonte and Tony Stewart – among others – all had success behind the wheel of a Pontiac.

However, when the auto industry began to struggle Pontiac was one of the first brands to feel the effects. After winning the 2000 and 2002 NASCAR Cup Series titles, GM announced at the end of the 2003 season they would be consolidating their NASCAR efforts and eliminating the Pontiac brand in order to place more emphasis on Chevrolet’s efforts.

Out of the sport for six years and with GM struggling to keep from declaring bankruptcy, production of all Pontiac vehicles will cease at the end of 2009.

“You have a strategy that wins or you have to stop," GM CEO Fritz Henderson told the Wall Street Journal on Monday. "We didn't have a strategy that allowed us to win with the Pontiac brand."

The elimination of the Pontiac brand, along with the recent news that Chrysler has filed for bankruptcy has caused many in the garage to think twice about the manufacturer support. The White House has give GM until the end of this month to present a viable restructuring plan, otherwise they too may be forced into bankruptcy.

For Chevrolet driver Jeff Burton, he’s unsure of the situation, but knows the most important thing is keeping the employees at the factories at work.

“I think that our manufacturers bring an awful lot to our sport.  They have a deep history in our sport.  They were gone for a while, but their history is deep and you certainly pay attention to it,” Burton pointed out. “I’m confused – I’m not sure what to think.  The President tells me that it’s a good thing that [Chrysler’s] filing bankruptcy so I don’t understand what to think.  I really want to see all the manufacturers being able to be strong and that’s the most important thing is jobs and security for employees and all those kind of things and through that they will be able to continue their marketing efforts and their motorsports efforts.  The most important thing is the employees to be quite honest.”

Perhaps if the Pontiac brand remained in NASCAR and drivers continued to showcase the product and put the brand in Victory Lane, a winning strategy may have been found. Unfortunately, that is not the case. So, thanks for all of the years of great rides and all of the excitement Pontiac, you will be missed.

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