When I was a young man, NASCAR was far more about the manufacturers hardware than the drivers.
The old saying, "What wins on Sunday, sells on Monday". was the Big 3's motto.
Sure everybody had their favorite driver, but usually that decission was made strictly by what car they drove.
Nascar racing reached it's pinnacle for me with the Charger Daytona/Plymouth Superbirds. To do something that outrageous just to win a race speaks volumns of Chryslers dedication and willingness to take chances. Sure we laughed at them on the streets, and dealers had to practically give em away, but now they are the "Darlings" of the collector car hobby.
I never did figure out how Ford got away with using the Boss 429 in Nascar Racing when the only car you could get it in was a Stang.
I had high hopes for the revival of TransAM racing to make a comeback, what with the Mustang/Camaro/Challenger but it never happened.
I think the IROC series is what really got the whole "It's all about the drivers" attitude started, because that's about the time I lost interest.
I fully agree with Dan's statement. Because as far as I know, that aint no Hemi in those Dodges, or a Shelby GT500 motor in the Fords, or a ZL1 in those Chevys, and certainly no Tacoma V8 in those Camarys. Sure they may be "manufacturer specific" but so what, the average buyer can't get their hands on anything remotely similar.