1951 Hudson Hornet Series 7A Club Coupe

Not only did the 1950s mark the first decade in NASCAR's illustrious history, but the decade also saw NASCAR's pioneers emerge as champions and then as legends. The point contenders were every bit as special then as the Jeff Gordons and Dale Jarretts of today; only true contenders found themselves in the thick of the race for the championship at season's end.

The 1950s brought the sport drivers like Tim Flock, Red Byron, Lee Petty, and Fireball Roberts. All three names would be forever linked with Stock Car racing into the next decade and beyond.

As one of the most notable years in NASCAR history, 1959 saw the running of the first Daytona 500, a rookie named Richard Petty established himself as a future champion, and the crowning of the first three-time NASCAR Grand National (now NASCAR Sprint Cup Series) champion.

Marshall Teague (1922-1959) drove his fabulous Hudson Hornet in selected NASCAR events during the 1951 and 1952 seasons. Teague approached the Hudson Motor Car Company by traveling to Michigan and visiting their plant without an appointment. By the end of the visit, Hudson virtually assured Teague of corporate support and cars; the relationship was formalized shortly thereafter. Teague was also instrumental in helping Hudson tune the inline six-cylinder-powered Hudson Hornet to its maximum stock capability.

He nicknamed his Hudson Hornet the 'Fabulous Hudson Hornet.' When combined with the car's lightweight and low center of gravity (because of its monocoque body), the Hornet allowed Teague and the other Hudson drivers to dominate various stock car racing series from 1951 through 1954, consistently beating other drivers in cars powered by larger, more modern engines. Teague and his crew chief Smokey Yunick won 27 of 34 major stock car events, including seven NASCAR races. Teague left NASCAR during the 1952 season in a dispute with NASCAR's owner Bill France, Sr.

Teague was awarded the 1951 AAA Stock Car Driver of the Year and the 1952 and 1954 AAA National Stock Car Champion while driving in the Fabulous Hudson Hornet.

Source - Gilmore Museum