Lennie Pond

Lennie Wayne Pond (August 11, 1940 – February 10, 2016) was an American NASCAR driver. He won NASCAR Winston Cup Rookie of the Year honors in 1973, and won his only race at Talladega Superspeedway in 1978 for Ronnie Elder and Harry Ranier. Pond set a then world record speed of in winning the 500-mile race.

Career

Lennie W. Pond grew up in the Village of Ettrick, Virginia, racing on his parents' farm, which Ettrick was home to Pond all his life. In the mid-1950s. Pond started racing modifieds on dirt tracks, then went to asphalt tracks, then to late-model tracks. In 1973, Pond started to run Winston Cup races; his last race with Winston Cup was in 1989 at Richmond International Raceway for Junie Donlavey. Pond got to run all three tracks here—dirt, asphalt and the new track.

Pond's career totals include 234 career starts, one win, 39 top-fives, 88 top-tens, five poles, and a best championship finish of fifth in 1976. He beat out Darrell Waltrip for rookie of the year honors in 1973. Five years later, Pond won his first career race at Talladega Superspeedway. Before retiring Pond raced his last race on September 10, 1989, at Richmond International Raceway in the Miller High Life 400 where he finished in eleventh place.

Pond later became a car salesman at Heritage Chevrolet in Chester, Virginia.

Pond died February 10, 2016, from complications of cancer.

Motorsports career results

NASCAR (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Grand National Series NASCAR Grand National Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 Pts Ref 1969 Giachetti Brothers 44 Chevy MGR MGY RSD DAY DAY DAY CAR AUG BRI ATL CLB HCY GPS RCH NWS MAR AWS DAR BLV LGY CLT MGR SMR MCH KPT GPS NCF DAY DOV TPN TRN BLV BRI NSV SMR ATL MCH SBO BGS AWS DAR HCY RCH TAL CLB MAR NWS CLT SVH AUG CAR JFC MGR TWS 83rd 51 1970 Joe Phipps 65 Chevy RSD DAY DAY DAY RCH CAR SVH ATL BRI TAL NWS CLB DAR BLV LGY CLT SMR MAR MCH RSD HCY KPT GPS DAY AST TPN TRN BRI SMR NSV ATL CLB ONA MCH TAL BGS SBO DAR HCY RCH DOV NCF NWS CLT MAR MGR CAR LGY NA 0

Winston Cup Series NASCAR Winston Cup Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Pts Ref 1973 Elder-Ranier 54 Chevy RSD DAY RCH CAR BRI ATL NWS DAR MAR TAL46 NSV CLT DOV TWS RSD MCH DAY BRI ATL TAL47 NSV DAR RCH DOV NWS MAR CLT CAR 23rd 4013.85 1974 RSD DAY RCH CAR BRI ATL DAR NWS MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT RSD MCH DAY BRI NSV ATL POC TAL MCH DAR RCH DOV NWS MAR CLT CAR ONT 18th 723.25 1975 RSD DAY RCH CAR BRI ATL NWS DAR MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT RSD MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH DAR DOV NWS MAR CLT RCH CAR BRI ATL ONT 21st 2540 1976 RSD DAY CAR RCH BRI ATL NWS DAR MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT RSD MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR ATL ONT 5th 3930 1977 RSD DAY RCH CAR ATL NWS DAR BRI MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT RSD MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR ATL ONT 30th 1193 1978 Ranier Racing RSD RCH CAR ATL BRI NWS MAR TAL DOV NSV RSD DAY NSV POC DAR RCH MAR NWS CLT CAR ATL ONT 7th 3794 Olds DAY DAR CLT MCH TAL MCH BRI DOV 1979 Al Rudd Auto 54 Chevy RSD DAY CAR RCH ATL NWS BRI 29th 1415 Gray Racing 19 Chevy DAR MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR CLT NWS CAR ATL ONT Kennie Childers Racing 12 Chevy MAR DOV CLT TWS RSD MCH Olds TAL NSV DAY NSV POC TAL 1980 RahMoc Enterprises 75 Buick RSD DAY RCH CAR 30th 1558 Chevy ATL BRI Testa Racing 68 Chevy DAR NWS MAR DAR RCH DOV NWS MAR CLT CAR ATL ONT Olds TAL NSV DOV TAL MCH BRI Kennie Childers Racing 12 Chevy CLT TWS RSD MCH Ulrich Racing 40 Buick DAY NSV POC 1981 Testa Racing 68 Buick RSD DAY RCH CAR ATL BRI NWS DAR MAR TAL NSV DOV 34th 1100 Gordon Racing 24 Buick CLT TWS RSD MCH Lennie Pond 68 Buick DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR ATL RSD 1982 Gordon Racing 24 Buick DAY RCH BRI ATL CAR DAR NWS MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT POC RSD MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV NWS 33rd 756 Hylton Motorsports 48 Chevy CLT MAR CAR ATL RSD 1983 Tom Beck 51 Buick DAY RCH DAY NSV POC TAL RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT 34th 887 Hylton Motorsports 48 Pontiac CAR ATL DAR Buick NWS Chevy MAR TAL NSV DOV BRI CLT RSD POC MCH Jimmy Means Racing 52 Chevy MCH BRI Billy Matthews Racing 42 Buick DAR CAR ATL RSD 1984 Morgan-McClure Motorsports 4 Chevy DAY RCH CAR ATL BRI NWS 38th 923 Testa Racing 78 Buick DAR MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT RSD POC MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR Marcis Auto Racing 71 Olds RCH DOV MAR CLT NWS CAR ATL RSD 1985 Hylton Motorsports 48 Chevy DAY RCH CAR ATL BRI DAR NWS MAR TAL DOV 33rd 1107 Hamby Motorsports 17 Chevy CLT RSD POC MCH DAY POC TAL MCH BRI DAR CLT CAR ATL RSD Hylton Motorsports 49 Chevy RCH DOV MAR NWS 1988 Hamby Motorsports 22 Chevy DAY RCH CAR ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL CLT DOV RSD POC MCH DAY POC TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR NA 0 Gray Racing 54 Chevy RCH DOV MAR CLT NWS CAR PHO ATL 1989 Donlavey Racing 90 Ford DAY CAR ATL RCH DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL CLT DOV SON POC MCH DAY POC TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR CLT NWS CAR PHO ATL 64th 130

Daytona 500 Year Team Manufacturer Start Finish 1973 Elder-Ranier Chevrolet DNQ 1974 21 23 1975 7 19 1976 11 4 1978 Ranier Racing Oldsmobile 28 10 1979 Al Rudd Auto Chevrolet 40 30 1980 RahMoc Enterprises Buick 12 9 1981 Testa Racing Buick 32 27 1983 Tom Beck Buick 39 12 1984 Morgan-McClure Motorsports Chevrolet 24 13 1985 Hylton Motorsports Chevrolet 27 19