| Marshall Teague and the Hudson Hornet | | | | record for the mosts wins-27- in a single season. His |
| February 11 was a big day for the car and the driver. | | | | license plate was 51HHMD. |
| On that day in 1951, NASCAR driver Marshall Teague | | | | Marshall Teague, who was known as the "King of the |
| drove a Hudson Hornet to victory in the 160-mile | | | | Beach" for his races at his hometown track, won |
| Daytona Grand National at Daytona Beach, Florida. It | | | | seven NASCAR Grand National Races between 1949 |
| was a preview of things to come for both. The | | | | and 1952. Before the 1951 season, he traveled to |
| Hornet had an innovative "step down" chassis design, | | | | Michigan to Hudson, where he showed up without an |
| and lower center of gravity which improved handling. | | | | appointment. By the end of the visit, he had laid the |
| In 1951, the manufacturer outfitted the car with a | | | | foundation for a relationship with the company that |
| bigger engine. The Hornet was a powerhouse on the | | | | would make the car and driver dominant in the circuit |
| NASCAR circuit until 1955, when rule changes | | | | until 1953. Teague left NASCAR that year, in a |
| emphasized horsepower over handling. | | | | dispute with the circuit founder, Bill France, Sr. He |
| The Hudson Motor Company | | | | went on to drive in the AAA and USAC circuits. |
| - Founded on February 24, 1909 by eight Detroit | | | | Nine years to the day after his historic race in the |
| businessmen | | | | Hudson Hornet, on February 11, 1959, he was back at |
| - Company was named after J.L.Hudson, a Detroit | | | | Daytona. It would be his last run. Teague was killed |
| department store entrepreneur and one of the | | | | trying to set a closed court record in a reconfigured |
| original founders. | | | | Indy car at the newly opened Dayton Interantional |
| - Roy Chapin, Sr., the investor with the industry | | | | Speedway. The test session was just prior to the |
| experience, had been a young executive with | | | | April debut of the USAC championship in Indy-styled |
| Ransom E. Olds. | | | | roadsters, and eleven days before the first Daytona |
| - In 1929, Hudson produced 300,000 cars, making it | | | | 500. Marshall's death bothered Bill France so much |
| the third largest car maker in the U.S | | | | that he never again held Indy-style racing at the |
| - On January 14, 1954, Hudson Merged with | | | | Daytona Speedway. |
| Nash-Kelvinator to become American Motors. | | | | Marshall Teague's career highlights |
| - In the 2006 animated feature, "Cars", Paul Newman | | | | - NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Statistics |
| provided the voice for the character, "Doc Hudson". | | | | - 23 races run over 4 years. |
| Doc was once known as the Fabulous Hornet, with a | | | | |