GM Certified Service

GM Certified Service is an auto repair service for General Motors. In 2011, GM replaced the Goodwrench brand in the US with Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC Certified Service brands (Canada followed in 2014).

Background

Goodwrench took to the airwaves in 1977 as a way to market General Motors franchised dealers' service departments, replacing a patchwork of separate GM-divisional offerings. At the time, GM marketed vehicles in the US under the Chevrolet, Buick, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Cadillac, and GMC brands. Television commercials in the United States used actor Barry Coe as a spokesman.

The Mr. Goodwrench program, as originally conceived, required each dealer to adhere to a set of service delivery standards: requiring high levels of factory training, parts on hand, and service department amenities. The program was backed with a national advertising campaign which featured the iconic Mr. Goodwrench, as the helpful mechanic who could fix whatever ailed your vehicle.

1986 Goodwrench 500

The 1986 Goodwrench 500 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing event that took place on March 2, 1986, at North Carolina Motor Speedway in the American community of Rockingham, North Carolina.

A souvenir magazine of this race was handed out to the spectators at a cost of $5 USD per copy ($10.79 when adjusted for inflation). A companion race known as the ProTecta Truck Bed Liner 200 was done the previous day while a pit crew challenge was done the morning before the companion race. Pit crew members had to put tires and fuel on the vehicle in the fastest time possible in order to win a championship.

Summary

It took four hours and nine minutes to resolve 492 laps of racing on a paved track spanning 1.017 miles (1.637 km). The race started at noon and ended approximately at 4:09 P.M.. Terry Labonte defeated Harry Gant by a time of 0.63 seconds in front of 47,500 live spectators with his 1986 Oldsmobile Delta 88 machine; becoming the first front-wheel drive vehicle to win a NASCAR Cup Series racing event. Labonte would earn $44,550 in prize winnings for this race ($96,173.36 when adjusted for inflation). Nine cautions were given out for 50 laps; the average speed of the race was 120.488 miles per hour (193.907 km/h). Labonte would earn the pole position with a qualifying speed of 146.348 miles per hour (235.524 km/h).

Goody's Headache Powder 200

The Goody's Headache Powder 200 was a NASCAR Busch Series stock car race held at North Carolina Speedway. It was last run in 2004, after which Rockingham was removed from both the Busch as well as Nextel Cup Series schedules.

Mark Martin has the most wins in the spring race with 5. Jamie McMurray was the only other driver to win multiple times, with two wins back to back in 2003 and 2004. Combined with his 2002 and 2003 wins in the Target House 200, McMurray won each of the last four Busch Series races held at Rockingham, driving for three teams.

Past winners

References