Best Pontiac Powered Stockers

[Stock4106]

Originally Posted by oldskool

This year, there was a driver named Wayne Larsen, listed as driving a '77 Pontiac, in div 4. I assume that since his last name is Larsen, he's driving the same car that has been listed in prior years as belonging to Jack Larsen. Assuming the 2 are kin, & it's the same car. Anybody know, for sure ? Wayne was #27 on this Q-list.ID=349415&Filter=30#indextop[/url]

I'll help shine some light on this car. If I remember the story correctly, Kyle Riley bought a running '77 Lemans and had a towing accident which damaged the car. He found a clean body and used parts from the damaged car to build this car. He did well with the car for a few years, including a RU at the Allstar race in '03 or '04.

At some point Kyle passed it to Marion Stephenson and it was one of many cars that Marion raced. Jack Larsen got it from Marion and has raced it in rotation with other cars he has. Wayne, Jack's brother, recently put is C/SA Mustang on the bench and races this car.

[oldskool]

OK, so we're talkin about one car that has been passed around.

Thanks for the info !

I've noticed more & more that many, if not most, of these old Pontiacs have been raced by many different owners. I'd like to see 'em all keep racing as long as possible.

[Adam Strang]

Can't believe nobody has mentioned Harry Axemaker. Didn't he win a couple of National events in the '80s? Believe he had a '72 Firebird.

[Lyn Smith]

My vote goes to Todd Hoven's G/SA 72 GTOs performance at the 2008 US Nationals. Todd qualified in the top 10,but there was 4 other G/SA Barracudas right there with him. He took them out one by one,and put away Chuck Beach in the final. As the story goes he had one of those special metric transmissions shipped into Indy from California to help him. Quite a sight seeing his big old boat run down the Mopars that day.

[oldskool]

Originally Posted by Lyn Smith

My vote goes to Todd Hoven's G/SA 72 GTOs performance at the 2008 US Nationals. Todd qualified in the top 10,but there was 4 other G/SA Barracudas right there with him. He took them out one by one,and put away Chuck Beach in the final. As the story goes he had one of those special metric transmissions shipped into Indy from California to help him. Quite a sight seeing his big old boat run down the Mopars that day.

OK, I count 15 cars in G/SA. Here's the class elims, round by round.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2008#indextop

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2008#indextop

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2008#indextop

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2008#indextop

Thanks for mentioning that. It was very interesting. The highest qualifier took himself out with a red light. The next highest qualifier took himself out with a slow light. And, thankfully, Todd's GTO had his final round opponent covered by a hair, @ 1.278 under. Very exciting stuff ! Great job Todd ! I know that is an experience of a lifetime, you'll never forget !

[oldskool]

OK, continuing with '68 Bird Stockers. Right now, I suppose Chris Stephenson has the hottest '68 Stocker. It's quick & he has won several big races. Usually qualifies strong.

There's a lot I don't understand about qualifying. It seems that some love to qualify near the top. But some really sandbag during qualifying, at certain races. I suppose some don't wanna call any attention to their car's performance, for fear of a hit. I don't fully understand the whole system, other than the 1.2 under deal.

Anyhow, I'll just point out a few of this car's achievements. The first time I noticed his name on a qualifying sheet, he was #18, at the '17 Southern Nats. Had never heard the name & didn't know the car. So, does anybody know the history of this car, before Chris got it ?

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...UMMIT#indextop

I suppose it was at Norwalk, in 2017 that I 1st saw Chris as the highest qualified Pontiac Stocker.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...er=30#indextop

The 1st big win I have recorded for him was at a div 3 race in Aug, '17.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...UMMIT#indextop

He made the Indy field @ #85 with a .997 under 10.553.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...er=30#indextop

He won the NMCA Stock/SS combo class at this race.

https://www.nmcadigital.com/2017/09/...-lsx-shootout/

And here's a little treat. It's a video of the final.

https://www.facebook.com/Gary.West.7...4863431408187/

At the last Pomona race of '17, he qualified #8 @ .969 under.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...er=30#indextop

And, he made it to the final, but had to settle for RU. But hey, he had a great year, I'd say.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2017#indextop

At the '18 Virginia Nats, he qualified #3 @ .981 under.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...UMMIT#indextop

At Norwalk, he was #3 @ 1.027 under.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...UMMIT#indextop

He was .937 under @ the '18 US Nats.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...er=30#indextop

He won the big fall race at Vegas !

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...er=30#indextop

Hey, if you can run a sec under & win a Nat event, I suppose you can say you had a pretty good year.

[oldskool]

Chris had another good year in 2019.

He qualified #3 at the gators @ .982 under. It was the quickest carb car on the list. Randi Lyn was 2nd quickest, and won the race !

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2019#indextop

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...UMMIT#indextop

He ran .942 under & got the F/SA win, at the 4-wide Nats.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...er=30#indextop

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...er=30#indextop

Was #4 at theTopeka race @ .840 under.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2019#indextop

Ran 1.055 under @ Indy !

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...er=30#indextop

Also made it to the 4th round, where his opponent made a near perfect pass.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...er=30#indextop

He was 1.004 under at this Vegas race.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...UMMIT#indextop

Also won the D/SA class, over Randi Lyn. There's no doubt about it, they're the top Pontiac Stockers in the country, today. They go to a lot of big races. They go rounds. And they occasionally win a big one.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r=100#indextop

How 'bout this for a way to finish up the season. At the Pomona finals race, he was #1 qualifier @ 1.174 under !

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...UMMIT#indextop

I don't understand all about how the hp factoring system works. But, from what little I've read, you don't wanna have many 1 sec under runs, in a certain time period. So, I assume that's why Chris(and LOTS of others) was so slow on so many Q-lists this year. I suppose that's why the 330hp engine got 5hp removed, instead of them adding some.

It seems that some wanna go fast & set records, and some just wanna keep their combo competitive. I suppose it's been that way for a long time.

[oldskool]

Originally Posted by Adam Strang

Can't believe nobody has mentioned Harry Axemaker. Didn't he win a couple of National events in the '80s? Believe he had a '72 Firebird.

Thought that name sounded familiar. I posted a congrats to Sam Reuland for winning a race with Pontiac power, because his car was listed as a '71 Pontiac, & the pic I had matched the perm # of the winning driver.

But somebody posted that he was NOT driving a Pontiac. I should have suspected that something was wrong, when I saw a '71 Bird listed in B/SA, since I've never seen a '71 in B/SA. But, I suppose, at the time, I just figured NHRA had added some hp & they could now make B. Didn't take time to reason it out. Hey, it showed that a '71 Pontiac had won the race, so that was good enuff for me.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2019#indextop

Anyhow, I've got these pics with the names Axemaker & Reuland on 'em. There's a '71 Formy & a '72 Goat. Sam Reuland is the name on the windows.

Don't have a clue what either car did. Who knows more details ?

The number is from div 5. So, The Warlings or Scott Burton may know these guys & cars. Any of you guys friends with them, or know anyone who might have more info on the guys and/or the cars ?

Here's bit more info.

https://classracer.com/classforum/sh...3&postcount=12

How 'bout this ya'll. Harry Axemaker got his 1st Nat event win at the '87 Winter Nats, in the '71 Bird !

"...The Stock final matched Norm Rollings (of Pomona, in a Corvette (his first national event) lost to Harry Axemaker, in a G/SA 1971 Firebird; it would be his first class win in eighteen years of trying..."

https://www.wikiwand.com/en/1987_NHRA_Winternationals

Discovered that they entered the Brainerd nat event, with the Bird, most of the years from 2008 thru 2016. David Reuland was listed as the driver in the earlier years. Sam was the driver the last couple of years. The times varied mostly from a half sec under to about 1/4 sec under. Not quick. But quick enuff to win. Haven't checked to see what was the most round wins they got at those races.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2012#indextop

Found this that shows Dennis Axemaker in a '72 Lemans, & David Reuland in a '72 Pontiac. Don't know what year.

https://us.motorsport.com/nhra/news/...stock/1727331/

[Alan Nyhus]

Originally Posted by oldskool

Thought that name sounded familiar. I posted a congrats to Sam Reuland for winning a race with Pontiac power, because his car was listed as a '71 Pontiac, & the pic I had matched the perm # of the winning driver.

But somebody posted that he was NOT driving a Pontiac. I should have suspected that something was wrong, when I saw a '71 Bird listed in B/SA, since I've never seen a '71 in B/SA. But, I suppose, at the time, I just figured NHRA had added some hp & they could now make B. Didn't take time to reason it out. Hey, it showed that a '71 Pontiac had won the race, so that was good enuff for me.

Anyhow, I've got these pics with the names Axemaker & Reuland on 'em. There's a '71 Formy & a '72 Goat. Sam Reuland is the name on the windows.

Don't have a clue what either car did. Who knows more details ?

The number is from div 5. So, The Warlings or Scott Burton may know these guys & cars. Any of you guys friends with them, or know anyone who might have more info on the guys and/or the cars ?

I posted previously the info on the Axemaker Firebird. Here it is:

Here's the history on the white '71 Firebird:

Car was ordered through Schoon Motors in Luverne, Minnesota. Schoon Motors was owned by Arnie Toftland, a pretty successful Pontiac racer in his day. The car was ordered and purchased by Don Breen of Sioux Falls, S.D. specifically to race. It had very few options: 455 H.O. engine, heavy duty suspension and TH400 trans. It's also a radio delete car and came with a column shift, no console. The window sticker for the car still exists. Don and partners Daryl Vanderploeg and Greg White raced the car in SS/JA with engine work by Larry Nagel's Precision Engineering in Sioux Falls.

After racing it, the car was sold to Dennis Kohler from Sioux Falls and was driven on the street for several years before being parked. Don was looking to build another Firebird for Stock Eliminator and I told him that I knew where his original Firebird was sitting. Don bought it and did a beautiful job of turning it into a Stocker, running the low h.p. 455.

Don sold the car to John Spry, who was originally from Mitchell, S.D. John was living in Montana or Wyoming...not sure which. John repainted the car grey and raced it as a Stocker for several years. Harry Axemaker, also from Mitchell, S.D. and a friend of John's, brought the car back to Mitchell after it was purchased by Harry's brother Ken, who lives in Alaska. The car was repainted to it's original white by Dennis Axemaker, a brother of Harry and Ken. Harry raced the car for quite a while. When he was done racing it, the car was turned over to their good friend Dave Reuland from the Mitchell area. Dave also raced the GTO pictured with Axemaker and Reuland on the door. Dave and son Sam raced the Firebird for several years before deciding to do the silver Challenger.

Unfortunately, Harry passed away in late January of 2018. Ken Axemaker, the brother that owned the car, sold the car to Dan Johnson of Mitchell, who was a long time friend of Harry's. Dan and his grandson are now racing the car in F/SA with the low h.p. 455. Plans are to do a 455 H.O. engine in the future.

I may have missed a few details, but that's a pretty good over view.

Here's the car as it now looks:

[oldskool]

"... Harry raced the car for quite a while. When he was done racing it, the car was turned over to their good friend Dave Reuland from the Mitchell area. Dave also raced the GTO pictured with Axemaker and Reuland on the door. Dave and son Sam raced the Firebird for several years..."

So, who would be the best contact to tell us what races, if any, these cars won, other than the one I mentioned, and their best ET, with different engines ? Or, to ask it another way, who can give us the best account of both car's performance & accomplishments.

:...Dan Johnson of Mitchell,...and his grandson are now racing the car in F/SA with the low h.p. 455. Plans are to do a 455 H.O. engine in the future..."

Anybody have contact info for them, or know where they may have raced it, where I might could see race results online ?