14/11/2025
Barbecue on (Dry) Ice 🍗🧊
➡️During pre-qualifying inspection for the 1986 Firecracker 400 Sterling Marlin’s no.1 Bull’s Eye Barbecue Sauce Chevrolet was pulled out of line by the NASCAR inspectors for a little closer look.
What peaked NASCAR’s interest? A little metal box mounted in the right front fender. Upon further inspection, NASCAR found that the mysterious little metal box was packed with dry ice…and wouldn’t you know, the Unocal 76 racing fuel was routed right through that little box. Had it not been caught, the delivery of cooled fuel to the engine would’ve meant a little extra horsepower to pull Sterling around the big super speedway.
After finding the incognito cooling system, NASCAR Winston Cup series director Dick Beaty forced the team to remove the box before going out to qualify and fined car Hoss Ellington $5,000 bucks. Of which Ellington lamented was entirely to steep of a fine for something he deemed as “not technically illegal” and that he knew for certain that several other cars in the Daytona garage area where fitted with a similar device.
Sterling’s troubles weren’t over. After the dry ice was removed, he then experienced ignition issues and was unable to complete a qualifying lap, forcing him to qualify on day two. At the time, NASCAR only locked in the top 20 fastest cars into the field on the first day of qualifying. Cars qualifying on day two could start no higher than 21st place, regardless if they’re were faster than any of the cars locked in on day one. Which is exactly what Sterling did. Not only did Marlin post a faster speed than pole sitter Cale Yarborough, but he set the record for the faster qualifying speed for the Firecracker 400 ever up to that point.
Even without the dry ice Sterling proved he had a really fast car, on race day he rallied from his 21st place starting position to lead a handful of laps and would ultimately finish second to Tim Richmond.
Sterling later commented on the whole dry ice ordeal by saying, with his patented Marlin shoulder shrug and grin, “They caught us, what else can you do?”🤷🏼♂️
