Full Throttle

Frank Mundy, a former NASCAR and AAA competitor in the late 1940 and early ’50s, has died in Atlanta from complications of a fall and related health issues was 91 and is survived by his wife, Mae.

Also known by the nickname “Rebel”, which he sometimes signed as a middle name, Mundy competed in more than 50 NASCAR events from 1949 to 1956, earning three wins - at Columbia, S.C., Martinsville, Va., and Mobile, Ala.

Mundy competed in fifty-two NASCAR Series events in his career, spanning from 1949 to 1956. He had a remarkable career, earning three victories, twenty-four top-tens and four poles finishing 5th in 1951 points.

The same year he recorded all four poles and victories at Columbia, Martinsville and Mobile. He also finished 10th in 1949 points and recorded at least two top-ten finishes in every year that he raced.

Mundy is often remembered for driving a Studebaker, but the Georgia driver was also associated with the powerful Chryslers organization of Mercury Marine owner Carl Kiekhaefer, widely regarded as NASCAR’s first big-spending, mega-team owner.

Mundy and Indianapolis 500 figure Tony Bettenhausen drove Keikhaefer’s cars in American Automobile Association races before the multimillionaire turned his attention to NASCAR in the mid-1950s. Mundy, Tim Flock, and Buck Baker were among his drivers in the growing stock car racing series.

On April 8,1951 - in the first NASCAR Grand National event on the West Coast - Mundy went to Gardena, California’s Carrell Speedway without a ride.

When no local California ride was available he took matters into his own hands and did the next best thing, he rented a car at a rental agency and qualified 17^th in what may be NASCAR’s first instance of the later day practice of “rent-a-ride.”

He finished the race 11th and waited till dark to return the car so the employees would not notice the bald tires on the car after a day of hard dirt track racing.

Marshall Teague in a Hudson won the race over Johnny Mantz in a Nash Ambassador, Slick Smith was actually driving the Nash at the finish in relief of Mantz.

Frank Mundy Facts:
52 races
3 wins (9 podiums)
4 pole positions
Wins 5.77% of participated races.

1. Frank Mundy served as a personal driver for General Patton during World War II.
2. 1955 Frank Mundy wins AAA Championship in Kiekhaefer-prepared Chrysler 300.
3. His real name is Francisco Eduardo Menendez.
4. Mundy is the only driver in NASCAR history to have won a race in car a numbered 23 thanks to victories at Columbia and Mobile in 1951. Since then, 49 different drivers have tried but failed to match Mundy’s feat.

Full Throttle sends its respects and condolences to family and friends, NASCAR has lost a true pioneer of the sport.

R.I.P. Frank Mundy