The ponycars have a lasting legacy, but why? Mustang appealed to the up-and-coming Boomers who had the cash to spend, but that wouldn’t be enough. The bright colors and the spats and spoilers helped, but that’s gingerbread. No, what the ponycar got that sold, that captured the minds, hearts and wallets of the buyers was racing prowess. The reputation of the racer translated into the reputation of the street…you didn’t want to own the loser. The manufacturers knew this well. Racing wins bought bragging rights, which brought sales. The racing wasn’t bad, either…cars that were for sale at dealerships were kicking each other in the teeth on race tracks across the country. Yeah, the cars were worked over, but you could pay for an AAR ‘Cuda or a Mark Donohue Javelin and that’d be like touching the hand of a god, right?

Well, watching the drivers in action certainly would make you think so. Watching Parnelli Jones whip through the grass instead of dealing with lap traffic or seeing a field of dream machines battle it out at Watkins Glen during a rainstorm. With pitstops turning into scrambles, the track turning into a skidpad and a Ford/AMC battle taking place, it’s a great view to the past and a soundtrack that sounds as sweet as it did fifty years ago.