Best Pontiac Powered Stockers

[oldskool]

Anybody have any info on this car ? Appears to be E/SA #3425, with OLSON on the door.

[oldskool]

If the numbers on the Live Timing site are correct, a Pontiac powered car was #1 on the Q-3 list. The car is Rick Unterseh's 301T Bird. Ryan & John Schloe have Pontiacs in the #20 & #32 positions.

https://www.nhra.com/results/2020/lu...ock-eliminator

Now, I have a question for you guys who know. I have always been VERY confused about what will get a combo NHRA hp & what won't.

I've read that 1.20 sec under, will get automatic hp, but only at certain races. At other races you can go as quick as you want, without getting hp. Then there is the "mine shaft" situation.

I think this 1st race of the doubleheader is a National Open. Don't know how that plays in.

So, without trying to explain every detail of the entire system, somebody please tell me if the cars in this race that went 1.20 & more under will get automatic hp, & if not, why ?

Thanks !

http://www.nhraracer.com/content/gen...633&zoneid=132

[Billy Nees]

They will NOT get HP because Natl. Opens don't count towards the AHFS.

[Mark Yacavone]

Originally Posted by Billy Nees

They will NOT get HP because Natl. Opens don't count towards the AHFS.

Ditto, but thanks for the link.
A turbo car at altitude, with no penalty..hmmm ;-)

[oldskool]

THANKS for the quick reply guys !

Next question.

I'm real interested in Ryan Schloe's car. He was once claiming a '71 Bird, with a #66 head 455.

Lots of guys on some of the Pontiac forums really badmouth those #66 heads. But since Ryan ran below 11.50 with his #66 head 455, maybe they're not that bad.

I know that Adam Davis' '71 Bird was switched over to a '73, so it could run a 4X head 455. At Indy 2017, he was #74 @ 1.023 under.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCStory.asp?ID=331361

Most all the numbers look better for the '73 4X head 455. Especially the 306hp factor. Means Ryan can run a lighter car.

Just did some checking. It seems that Ryan switched over to the 4X head '73, a few years back. Best ET I could find was an 11.04. So, if he hasn't dipped into the 10's yet, he's come close.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCStory.asp?ID=349366

[oldskool]

Well, this DRC list answers some of my questions.

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

(1) Apparently the live timing numbers were bogus. Rick Unterseh was NOT the #1 qualifier, & only one car ran 1.20 under, IF the DRC numbers are correct.

Does anybody know how the live timing numbers can be so wrong, so often ?

(2) DRC clearly shows that Ryan Schloe is claiming a '73 Bird now. So, he's running a 4X head 455, which has much better numbers than the #66 head '71 455 engine.

The DRC list also shows that Ryan was #18 @ .950 under. Same ET as on the live timing list. So, MAYBE live timing had his numbers correct.

[Mark Yacavone]

Originally Posted by oldskool

Well, this DRC list answers some of my questions.

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

(1) Apparently the live timing numbers were bogus. Rick Unterseh was NOT the #1 qualifier, & only one car ran 1.20 under, IF the DRC numbers are correct.

Does anybody know how the live timing numbers can be so wrong, so often ?

(

Stock is usually out first. Tech cards may not be turned in yet. The computer has a long, and sometimes faulty memory.

[oldskool]

Well, since the live timing info is not reliable, at all sometimes, I almost hesitate to post any of their info.

But, when there is no online live streaming, & DRC won't have any results 'til late night, I suppose live timing is about the only source there is, for the latest race results.

With all that in mind, live timing is showing that all 3 Pontiacs I mentioned lost in the 1st round of Stock elims.

That's the bad news. The good news is that apparently another Pontiac joined the party, for the 4th qualifying round, this morning. The driver's name is C.W. Hoefer. He has(or at least had) the '73 4X head 455 powered Formula, that I mentioned, which belonged to Adam Davis.

https://www.nhra.com/results/2020/lu...ock-eliminator

IF C.W. is indeed driving that '73 Bird, he had the only Pontiac powered car to survive Stock E-1.

https://www.nhra.com/results/2020/lu...ock-eliminator

One additional note from Q-4 is that IF the numbers for Ryan Schloe are correct, he ran a little quicker, going .969 under, in his '73 Bird.

Right now, the only other car I can think of that ran this engine is the '73 Formy owned by Michael Brand. Michael even pulled off a holeshot F/SA class win @ Indy.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2016#indextop

But, last season he ran the SD455 engine, and moved the car from F/SA to D/SA.

[Tom Olson]

Originally Posted by oldskool

Anybody have any info on this car ? Appears to be E/SA #3425, with OLSON on the door.

Wow, what a blast from the past!
The car is a 1972 455HO that I built and raced until the cost of a competitive stocker became too much for my budget. I used to race with Truman D. Fields when he was located in Reading, Ohio and helped him turn the firebird that was traded to him by Roy and Mike McKinney into the stocker that went faster than the one he sold them. When Truman moved, I started building the 72 Bird for E/SA with a lot of help from Tom Ellison / Ellison Engine Service. The car is long gone now, as it was sold to a Pontiac guy here in town. I still race today, but that is with a 1986 Firebird built for super gas and as you can guess it's power is a big 455 Pontiac with HO heads. It was nice to see the old car and I will have to see if i can find any of my old racing pictures that I can post.

[oldskool]

Originally Posted by Tom Olson

Wow, what a blast from the past!
The car is a 1972 455HO that I built and raced until the cost of a competitive stocker became too much for my budget. I used to race with Truman D. Fields when he was located in Reading, Ohio and helped him turn the firebird that was traded to him by Roy and Mike McKinney into the stocker that went faster than the one he sold them. When Truman moved, I started building the 72 Bird for E/SA with a lot of help from Tom Ellison / Ellison Engine Service. The car is long gone now, as it was sold to a Pontiac guy here in town. I still race today, but that is with a 1986 Firebird built for super gas and as you can guess it's power is a big 455 Pontiac with HO heads. It was nice to see the old car and I will have to see if i can find any of my old racing pictures that I can post.

WOW ! What a great Pontiac story !!!

THANKS for sharing that !

And please do share all the old Pontiac racing pics you have. Truman was my 1st Pontiac hero, after he won the US Nats, back in '73.