![]() ![]() In 2001, Dodge made its return to the sport with the Intrepid. The notion of "stock cars" was completely thrown out the window in 1998 when Ford replaced the discontinued Thunderbird with the Taurus, a four-door sedan whose NASCAR counterpart couldn't be more divorced from its showroom counterpart. Unlike the night-and-day difference between the second and third generations, the transition from Generation 3 to Generation 4 was more gradual. 1995 was the year the new Chevrolet Monte Carlo replaced the Lumina, and 1996 saw the introduction of a radically-different Pontiac Grand Prix body. The bumpers, nose and tail were composed to mullet fiber glass based off production counterparts. After this, NASCAR's insurers told them to "bring these flying missiles under control" or lose their coverage, to which NASCAR responded by mandating restrictor plates at Daytona and Talladega in 1988. On race day, though, Bobby Allison blew a tire at over 200 MPH and went flying into the catchfence, tearing a 100-foot section out and sending debris flying into the grandstands amazingly, the car did not go into the grandstands due to be deflected back onto the track by a tension cable, and Allison was uninjured, the worst injury being a female fan who lost an eye. Most notably of all, this generation saw a massive uptick in speed, culminating in Bill Elliott setting the stock car speed record of 212 MPH at Talladega in 1987. This generation also saw Chrysler exit the sport due to a series of terrible decisions, with the Dodge Mirada and Chrysler Imperial disappearing after 1985 Chrysler made an attempt to return in the late 80s with the new Chrysler LeBaron, but GM and Ford had, by this point, built support bases that would not be swayed nevertheless, the LeBaron ran in ARCA until 1998, and found great success. Generation 3 saw a second Aero War, when Ford introduced a new nose for the Ford Thunderbird in 1986 that did not resemble any showroom model, marking the beginning of the end for the notion of stock cars GM responded by putting bubble-back windows on the Chevrolet Monte Carlo and Pontiac Grand Prix, creating limited-run models in order to satisfy NASCAR's homologation rules. Because of the energy crisis, manufacturers were downsizing their cars to be more fuel-efficient, which NASCAR reflected by mandating a 110-inch wheelbase that still exists today. The era officially ended in 1980, but the car had one last hurrah in the 1981 season opener at Riverside, as the new third-generation cars weren't ready yet (this was an era where the season began on the last weekend of January at Riverside). ![]() Other cars of this era included the Chevrolet Monte Carlo (which launched an era of Chevy dominance that lasted until 2018), the AMC Matador (a model that took everyone by surprise), and the Dodge Magnum (a model so aero-unfriendly, it caused Richard Petty to defect to GM). This generation also heralded the Aero Wars, in which Ford and Chrysler were engaged in a pissing contest to see who could make the most-aerodynamic car Ford produced the Ford Torino Talladega and Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II, while Chrysler produced the iconic Dodge Charger Daytona and Plymouth Superbird NASCAR reined them in in 1971 by introducing new rules that made the Aero Warriors uncompetitive. It is by far the greatest generation, in which stock bodies on modified chassis became the rule, with Holman-Moody, Banjo Matthews and Hutchenson-Pagan building chassis for teams. Manufacturers of this era were wide and varied, including now-defunct makes such as Hudson (which dominated in the first half of the 1950s), DeSoto, and Willys, and international makes such as Jaguar (which managed to get a win), Aston Martin, and Porsche. This generation quietly went into the night in 1964 without fanfare. ![]() It was the only generation with out aerodynamics and a modified frame, and some cars were convertibles (with an entire Convertible Division existing at one point). It had a strictly-stock frame and body, doors strapped shut, seat belts required, and heavy-duty rear axle required to keep cars from flipping during the race. The year that NASCAR was established was also the year the first-generation cars hit the track. 6 Generation 6 (Return to Stock Appearance).
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