HAMPTON, GA — August 7, 1966: As Ford was ending its boycott of NASCAR Cup racing, Fred Lorenzen was tapped to drive retired driver Junior Johnson’s No. 26 Ford Galaxie in the Dixie 400 Cup race at Atlanta International Raceway. The car is still one of the most talked-about vehicles to run in NASCAR Grand National competition to this day. The front end of the car was sloped downward, the roofline was lowered, the side windows were narrowed and the windshield was lowered in an aerodynamic position, plus the tail was raised up. Rival drivers referred to it as "The Yellow Banana.” Even though it was against the rules, NASCAR allowed the car to compete, and Lorenzen crashed while leading on the 139th lap. NASCAR let Johnson run his car in just this one race in order to boost attendance that had suffered due to Ford’s boycott. (Photo by ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)
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