In the late 1960s, auto racing sanctioning bodies like NASCAR and NHRA required automakers to sell street-legal versions of their intended racecar entrants under a process known as homologation. While the specific rules vary among organizations and year to year, there’s little doubt that the Oldsmobile Ram Rod 350 W-31 F-85 was produced and sold to the general public to allow its inclusion at NHRA events.
According to Britannica, organized automobile racing began as early as 1894 in France and 1895 in the United States. Newspapers initially used the events to sell more papers, but automakers soon saw the promotional value of winning races. The New York Times says the racecars used in early Nascar events “were practically driven straight from dealer’s lots to the track.”
Automakers soon began producing purpose-built cars for racing, but racing organizers set homologation rules to keep the “Stock Car” in stock car racing. Luckily for muscle car enthusiasts, that meant practically anyone could buy what was essentially a factory racecar right off the showroom floor.
