Frank Mundy

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Frank "Rebel" Mundy
Frank Mundy Headshot.jpg
Official headshot of Frank Mundy (1950s)
BornFrancisco Eduardo Menendez
(1918-06-18)June 18, 1918
Atlanta, Georgia
DiedMay 15, 2009(2009-05-15) (aged 90)
Cause of deathComplications of a fall[1]
Achievements1955 AAA Stock Car national champion
NASCAR Cup Series career
52 races run over 5 years
Best finish5th (1951)
First race1949 Race No. 1 (Charlotte)
Last race1956 Old Dominion 400 (Martinsville)
First win1951 untitled race (Columbia)
Last win1951 untitled race (Lakeview)
Wins Top tens Poles
3 24 4

Frank "Rebel" Mundy (born June 18, 1918 in Atlanta, Georgia, as Francisco Eduardo Menendez – died May 15, 2009)[2] was an American stock car racer. He competed in the American Automobile Association (AAA) stock cars, winning the 1955 national championship, before the series changed to United States Auto Club (USAC) sanction.[3] He also raced in NASCAR's Grand National (now NASCAR Cup Series) and won three races under that sanction.

Mundy attempted to qualify for the 1954 Indianapolis 500 but did not make the field.

Career[]

Before starting a racing career, Mundy was a daredevil who performed at the 1939 New York World's Fair.[4] During World War II, he served as a personal driver for General George S. Patton, where he would gain valuable driving experience for NASCAR.[3]

NASCAR[]

In 1948, he moved to Daytona Beach, Florida to pursue a career in motorcycle racing. While at a gas station owned by Bill France Sr., he befriended France and was later invited to a 1947 meeting at the Streamline Hotel to form NASCAR; Mundy helped hold the flash for the photographer while taking a group photo.[4]

Mundy started at the pole position only to find himself finishing the race in 82nd place at the 1951 running of the Southern 500. His career average start would eventually become 11th while his career average finish would become 17th place.[2] Mundy would race 3,583 laps in his career – the equivalent of 3,184.6 miles (5,125.1 km).[2] Out of the 3583 laps that he completed in his career, Mundy would only lead 458 (12%) of them.[2] His career spanned 1949 to 1956.[2]

One of his accomplishments was winning the 1955 running of the Southern Illinois 100.[3] Frequently seen in rides owned by Carl Kiekhaefer, Mundy's seven-year career would involve him racing in classic races like the 1956 Southern 500 where he finished in 38th place out of 70 competitors. He would also be seen racing at Lakeview Speedway in Mobile, Alabama.

AAA/USAC Stock Cars[]

In 1952, Mundy began racing in American Automobile Association (AAA) and USAC Stock Car after disassociating with NASCAR following an argument with France; he did not return to NASCAR until 1955.[5][6]

He won the 1955 AAA national stock car championship.[7] Studebaker and Oldsmobile were Mundy's preferred manufacturers for NASCAR rides.

Personal life[]

Mundy was born Francisco Eduardo Menendez in Atlanta, where he grew up in an orphanage; he adopted the Frank Mundy name when he began racing.[5]

After his racing career ended, Mundy worked for Penske Racing as a pit crew member.[8][9]

His widow Mae Mundy would survive him after his death in 2009.[3]

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 55 56 NGNC Pts Ref
1949 4 Cadillac CLT
30 		10th 370 [10]
5 Olds DAB
3 		HBO
44 Cadillac LAN
4 		HAM MAR HEI
2 Ford NWS
22
1950 44 Cadillac DAB
37 		23rd 275.5 [11]
Olds CLT
11 		CLT
8 		HBO DSP HAM
7 		DAR
90 Lincoln LAN
6 		MAR CAN
Nash Motor Co. 37 Nash DSP
25 		MCF
44 Olds LAN
32 		NWS
Nash Motor Co. Nash
22 		MAR WIN HBO
1951 23 Studebaker DAB CLT
34 		NMO HBO
2 		ASF NWS
28 		MAR
2 		CAN
7
8 		CLB
1* 		DSP
23
7
3 		HEI
30 		AWS
4 		MCF
23 		MSF
50
33
23 		ABS
13 		DAR
82 		CLB
17 		LAN CLT
26 		DSP HBO TPN
21
5 		ATL
4 		NMO
1* 		5th 1963.5 [12]
Chevy
11
7 Olds MAR
1* 		OAK NWS HMS
1952 PBS
6 		DAB NWS MAR CLB ATL LAN
30 		DAR
10 		DSP CAN HBO CLT 209th 0 [13]
Plymouth
15
121 Hudson MSF
11 		MCF AWS DAR LAN DSP HBO MAR NWS ATL PBS
1956 Carl Kiekhaefer 30 Chrysler HCY CLT PBS ASF
2 		24th 1856 [14]
300B DAB
43 		PBS ATL
16 		NWS LAN RCH CON GPS HCY HBO MAR CLT POR NYF MAS MCF POR
500B Dodge AWS
6 		CHI
5 		MGY OKL
502 RSP
3 		PIF CSF
300 Chrysler ROA
14 		PIF POR
27 Dodge DAR
38 		LAN POR CLB HBO CLT
50 MAR
9 		HCY

Indy 500 results[]

Year Car Start Qual Rank Finish Laps Led Retired
1954 41 DNQ N/A 11 N/A 0 0 Did Not Qualify
Totals 0 0
Starts 0
Poles 0
Front Row 0
Wins 0
Top 5 0
Top 10 0
Retired 0

References[]

  1. ^ "Full Throttle Cranial Cavity - death_cause". Archived from the original on 10 December 2009. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Racing Reference". Retrieved 26 March 2010.
  3. ^ a b c d "Legends of NASCAR". Retrieved 26 March 2010.
  4. ^ a b Spencer, Reid (September 30, 2015). "NASCAR Celebrates Latino Contributions". WPTZ. Chip Ganassi Racing. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  5. ^ a b Badie, Rick (May 17, 2009). "Frank Mundy, NASCAR pioneer, dies at 90". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  6. ^ "Frank Mundy Joins Field For 150-Miler". The Arizona Republic. January 18, 1956. Retrieved January 17, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Romano, Chris (December 24, 2009). "For Auld Lang Syne, 2009". Speed Style magazine. Archived from the original on 29 November 2010. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
  8. ^ http://www.oldracingcars.com/driver/Frank_Mundy
  9. ^ "Penske Profile - Tim Lombardi". Team Penske. April 10, 2015. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  10. ^ "Frank Mundy – 1949 NASCAR Strictly Stock Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  11. ^ "Frank Mundy – 1950 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  12. ^ "Frank Mundy – 1951 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
  13. ^ "Frank Mundy – 1952 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
  14. ^ "Frank Mundy – 1956 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
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