In 1962, the Beach Boys released their hit song titled “409”. The song praised the newly released Chevrolet 409 cubic-inch V-8 engine. The Chevy 409 engine was released in four versions. At the bottom of the list was a 340 horsepower version which became a popular option in all full-sized Chevrolets. It was quiet, smooth, and reliable. The most powerful version of the 409 was a beefed-up 425 horsepower monster topped with two huge four-barrel carburetors. Its 11:1 compression ratio required 100 octane fuel, which was readily available in those days. In fact, Sunoco stations advertised 106 octane gasoline. In 1962, the Chevrolet Impala 409 sports coupe was the car to have. The 409 was Chevrolet’s most powerful engine until it was discontinued in 1965.
Competitors abounded. Ford had a 406. Dodge/Plymouth had a 413. Pontiac had a 421 featuring an aluminum front end to make the car 200 lbs lighter. The 409 remained the drag strip king and usually left on Sunday afternoon with the Super Stock Trophy. In NASCAR oval track long-distance racing, the 409 was less successful. The tremendous torque it produced was more tailored to the drag strip and lightning-fast acceleration. The Chevy 409 was a “muscle car”. The term muscle car was first used in automotive magazines in 1964 when Pontiac dropped a 389 V-8 into a lightweight Tempest 2-door coupe. They sold it with a 4-speed stick shift and a drag racing rear end ratio. It came with Firestone’s new Wide Oval tires labeled “Tiger Paws”. They sold the new car as the “GTO”.
In the early 60s, the popularity of NASCAR racing exploded. The factories began to sponsor their brand. The phrase was “win on Sunday, sell on Monday”. In those days, NASCAR demanded that any manufacturer who raced had to offer a minimum of 500 of the exact same cars they were racing for sale to the general public. The stock cars in the race really were genuine stock cars. NASCAR dropped its strict stock car rules in 1966. After that date, a car with FORD written on the hood bore little resemblance to a Ford under the paint job. The last true stock car was the 1966 Ford Galaxy.
The early NASCAR drivers were as colorful as the cars they drove. Junior Johnson had served 11 months in federal prison for running moonshine in 1956. He was pardoned by President Ronald Reagan on 26 December, 1985. Junior preferred to drive a Chevy. In 1963, Chevrolet built 18 special 427 racing engines. Although Chevrolet had dropped out of factory sponsorship, Junior managed to get seven of those engines. The engines were amazing. Though no specifications were released, they produced well over 500 horsepower. Junior qualified at Daytona with a lap speed of 165 mph in a stock Chevrolet Impala. Barring mechanical breakdowns, it was never a race the rest of the year. Junior won seven major races that year with his 427.
Richard Petty usually drove a Plymouth. His favorite was the Plymouth Superbird. In 1970, he drove a Superbird to 18 NASCAR victories. Fireball Roberts preferred a Pontiac. In 1962 he drove one to a win at the Daytona 500. Two years later he was killed in a crash at the Charlotte 600 while driving a Ford Galaxy.
With the 1966 NASCAR decision to drop stock car rules while retaining the name, some of the excitement faded. Fans still attended and rooted for their brand, but they knew full well that the Chevy they saw racing was not really a Chevy and they could never hope to own one like it.
NASCAR is now testing two fully electric race cars. Electric racing is in our future. It remains to be seen how the fans will react when a car flies by at 200 mph with no thundering exhaust. Maybe with a robot driver?
By Paul Warrick: July 22, 2026 – Great Falls, Mt
