Holy crap! It’s happening, it’s happening! Oldsmobile, which has been dead for the past 20 years, seems to be resurrecting itself just for the purpose of racing in NASCAR’s 19th Annual Love’s RV Stop 225 NASCAR Craftsman truck series at Talladega Superspeedway on October 4th. At least, that’s what it seems like based on the entry list, which puts Grant Enfinger, who usually races the number 9 Chevrolet Silverado, behind the wheel of an Oldsmobile truck.
Also, this could just be some hilarious mistake on NASCAR’s part. But I’d rather believe Enfinger and his team have convinced GM to take the old Oldsmobile factory out of the self-storage unit they crammed it into, set everything back up, and build the man a nice new racing truck.
That would be a hell of an achievement, especially since Oldsmobile hasn’t been around as a company since 2004, hasn’t raced in NASCAR since 1992, and hasn’t built a truck since 1939. They did build trucks, though, however briefly, in a few periods, from 1919 to 1924 and then again from 1936 to 1939, but only in non-US markets.
So, sure, it seems like a long shot, but come on, the Official NASCAR Entry List doesn’t lie, right? Look for yourself!
I mean, it says “Oldsmobile” right there.
Okay, assuming this is a mistake – and, again, I’m very much hoping it isn’t – how does this happen, exactly? Are these entry lists made on some sort of automated system, where the truck’s manufacturer is selected from some sort of pull-down menu? I’d expect something like that to be the case – if they had to type those names in manually we’d see “Chevy” instead of “Chevrolet,” I’m pretty damn sure of that.
So, if these are names selected from a pull-down menu, is it possible that NASCAR hasn’t updated this software for 32 years since Oldsmobile left NASCAR? Or at least in the past 20 years since Oldsmobile has ceased to exist?
Can that be possible? I think it has to be, otherwise, how would a mistake like this happen? You don’t just slip and accidentally type “Oldsmobile.” At least I haven’t, yet.
Anyway, NASCAR you have a choice right now: either update your software or do everything you can to help Grant Enfinger run an Oldsmobile truck at this race. The Enfinger team should at least put an Oldsmobile logo on the hood, right?
REO (& Speedwagon) was after RE Olds left Oldsmobile so it is not part of GM history.
We’ll just keep on rollin’ with the changes.
Disappointed in all of you. 14 comments so far and NOT ONE of person has yet made the connection between Ransom Olds, Oldsmobile, and REO trucks. A f****ing Speedwagon would be the absolute best model name to ever run on an oval or a road course.
This is definitely a case of a database started before there were GUIs just being carried over. And over. And over.
Why not? I mean, how difficult is it to design a new set of headlight decals?
This, any NASCAR car/truck can be any brand with a few minutes of scraping with Goo Gone
Why not? I read that next year the Cup Series Camaros will just say “Chevrolet” on the rear, so no reason why other series can’t go even further. Oh to see a Pontiac Xfinity racer.
Please be a Bravada.
The trademark Oldsmobile is canceled for automobiles (was owned by GM) but GM continues to maintain the mark for clothing and other promotional type items.
They’ve probably updated their computer system a few times since 1992, but likely they just keep copying over the same manufacturer data for the menu options without bothering to purge the obsolete names.
Makes me wonder if Renault is in there, they were supposed to join NASCAR for either 1989 or 1990, but the plans were obviously killed in 1987 when they sold AMC to Chrysler.
Here’s hoping it’s a souped-up Bravada.
The Braphoon
Yeah, and maybe Baron Samedi will resurrect Buddy Baker to drive it.
I’ve always suspected NASCAR was run by monkeys and the Infinite Monkey Theorem seems at play here. Eventually, one of them was bound to type Oldsmobile.
So, are they digging up the 1976-78 slogan?
’Can We Build One For You?’
Grant Enfinger is from the town I live in. Good luck Grant.
But racing an Oldsmobile truck?
Is Brian France back, and eating mass quantities of drugs again?
Talladega is a fantastic track to attend a race, been there many times.
But the races there are much more enjoyable to watch on the TV.
Doesn’t Toyota technically own the name Oldsmobile?
You misspelled Avalon
That’s a Buick.
Yup, Avalon = Buick, Camry XLE V6 = Oldsmobile