NASCAR Cup Series Viva Mexico 250 A NASCAR star once rented a car, raced it, and returned it all in the same night.NASCAR was founded in February 1948, with stock car racing in the United States evolving numerous times before it morphed into what is now known as the Cup Series. Throughout the years, NASCAR expanded throughout the country, with the sport making a stop in California.In 1951, NASCAR held its first race in California, which featured Frank Mundy, though his inclusion came about through an interesting set of circumstances. Now, some 70 years later, NASCAR will be debuting another race in California, this time in San Diego.Vanessa Trump 'furious' after Tiger Woods has 'insulting' response to DUIPhil Mickelson's caddie spotted his emotional behavior with Masters staffOn April 8, 1951, Mundy, born Francisco Eduardo Menedez, was a star in NASCAR, driving in four races and winning three in the same year. Mundy also was part of the field at Carrell Speedway in Gardena, California, marking the first time NASCAR had raced west of the Mississippi river.NASCAR is the premier stock car racing organization and as such, drivers at the time had to drive stock cars. The issue for Mundy, however, was that he did not have a car to drive for the race. Frank Mundy - NASCAR Convertible 1956 As a result, Mundy was forced to rent a car from Hertz, hand-painted the numbers on its sides, installed a seat belt, and raced, according to the Los Angeles Times. After the race, the star returned the car at night to avoid any suspicion for what he used it for.Considering the time, there have been conflicting reports on just what car Mundy drove and how much it cost him to rent the car and how much he made that day. Speaking to the LA Times, the star stated: "I collected $100 for finishing ninth or 10th and the car rental was $37, so I cleared $63, which was a pretty good payday back then."Driver Averages claims the star drove a Chevrolet, while the LA Times reported that he drove a Plymouth. What's more, while Mundy claims he made a profit of $63, there has been debate over just how much he spent and how much he made. Despite having the distinction of being perhaps the only NASCAR driver to rent a car, race it and return it the same day, Mundy's career lasted less than a decade. In all, his racing career spanned from 1949 to 1956, with appearances in NASCAR, the American Automobile Association (AAA), and USAC Stock Car.He won two AAA Stock Car championships in 1953 and 1955, during which he was active from 1952 to 1955. In NASCAR, he accrued three wins, four poles and had 10 top-10 finishes.After his racing career, he worked for Penske Racing as a pit crew member. Mundy died in 2009 at age 90.
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