autoevolution
 

2000 NASCAR Ford Taurus Comes as Brand-New Restoration With Correct Livery

A lot of nasty things happen to NASCAR vehicles once they are no longer in use. Even if they are few, some of them manage to somehow survive and become real collectibles, thanks to the passionate among us who set out to restore them to their former glory.
Yates Racing 2000 NASCAR Ford Taurus 9 photos
Photo: Avant Garde
Yates Racing 2000 NASCAR Ford TaurusYates Racing 2000 NASCAR Ford TaurusYates Racing 2000 NASCAR Ford TaurusYates Racing 2000 NASCAR Ford TaurusYates Racing 2000 NASCAR Ford TaurusYates Racing 2000 NASCAR Ford TaurusYates Racing 2000 NASCAR Ford TaurusYates Racing 2000 NASCAR Ford Taurus
What you’re looking at here is a Ford Taurus that was raced in the 2000 NASCAR season by Robert Yates Racing’s Ricky Rudd. It’s car number 28, and it was on pole position at the start of the Brickyard 400 race at the Indianapolis Speedway that year.

The car and driver’s story in 2000 is not that successful, though, as the duo was unable to score any memorable wins. That doesn’t make this racer any less spectacular in itself, and possibly someone's prize car for a well-suited garage.

The Taurus, as we see it now, wearing all the correct Texaco/Havoline livery and additional graphics, is the result of extensive restoration work performed both on the engine and body. We’re told it wasn't driven since work on it was completed.

The car is presently for sale on Avant Garde going for an undisclosed price, complete with the 750-hp engine, a 4-speed transmission, and a race exhaust system. Brembo brakes, a dry-sump oil system, and a dyno sheet are also included in the deal.

As for the adventures of the Taurus bloodline in NASCAR, the model started being used for this in 1998, when it came into the scene as a replacement for the Thunderbird.

At the time of its introduction, it was the first four-door sedan to be allowed entry in the series and soon proved itself in the hands of another of Yates’s drivers, Dale Jarrett, who drove No. 88 to the Taurus’s first win in what was then the Winston Cup, in 1999.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Daniel Patrascu
Daniel Patrascu profile photo

Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories