The tragic death of the 1992 Winston Cup champion, Alan Kulwicki, will never be forgotten. His racing legacy is recognized by the iconic Hooters 500 and today’s development driver program. However, the #7 Thunderbird lived on in an unlikely way.
After Kulwicki died in 1993, his racing equipment went up for auction. Many notable drivers took interest in the assets, but Geoff Bodine won the bid. He eventually turned that bid into a winning car by 1994.
The main sponsor of that car was Exide Batteries located in Reading, PA. The same city that hosted the 1990 NASCAR vs. NHRA charity softball game in honor of Darrell Gwynn.
Exide sponsored Geoff Bodine Racing in 1994 and 1995. In 94’ Bodine won 3 races in his Ford Thunderbird.
In 1996, Exide moved to Roush Racing and was seen on the hood of Jeff Burton’s #99 car. Burton won 12 times over 5 seasons with Exide.
Exide was dismantled in the early 2000s due to financial difficulties, but it left a lasting impression on NASCAR fans through its 90s racing success.
The header image features Geoff Bodine doing a meet-and-greet at the Fairgrounds Square Mall. The mall was built on top of the Reading Fairgrounds, which was a famous dirt track from 1929 to 1979.
Reading is the headquarters of Stockcararchive.com, and it has a rather unique racing history.