Since last sitting in the winner’s circle with Rusty Wallace in 1989, the Pontiac Grand Prix had gone through more than a few changes. The 1990 model year saw the introduction of a 205-horsepower Turbo coupe and an STE model, ’91 brought us the GT coupe, and 1992 marked the first freshening of the Grand Prix. That particular style lasted until 1996, during which time the lineup was cut to the SE coupe and sedan and up to 215 horsepower became available. The next-generation Grand Prix lasted from 1997 until 2003, accented by more aggressive styling, a new wide-track chassis setup, and up to 240 horsepower. It was this version on which Bobby Labonte’s 2000 NASCAR championship Grand Prix was based, as well as the 2002 model driven to the top of the points ladder by Tony Stewart.

A new version of the Pontiac Grand Prix was yet again released for the 2004 model year, at which time much of the production car’s plastic body cladding was removed, the overall design was made even more aggressive, and available power peaked at 260 ponies. Finally, the 2005 model offered a 5.7-liter V8 with 303 horsepower, much to the pleasure of NASCAR fans everywhere. For 2008, the Grand Prix will be replaced by the Australian-bred G8, a rear-drive tire shredder slated to be available with a 362-horsepower Corvette engine.