80’s/90’s Stock and Super Stock pics
 

Anyone have some old photos of back in the day racing Stock/Super Stock? 80’s and 90’s?

Re: 80’s/90’s Stock and Super Stock pics
 

What are you looking for?

Re: 80’s/90’s Stock and Super Stock pics
 

Yeah, there are probably thousands of Stock/SS pics posted on this site. And, between all the members here, they probably have 10's of thousands of pics. So, you may need to be a little more specific.

I have mostly just pics of Pontiac powered cars. Have hundreds, total. But probably several dozen, at least, were active Stock/SS cars, during the '80's & 90's. Some were active in the '60's and/or '70's & are still active today.

I'd be glad to post pics of any of these Pontiacs you'd like to see. But you'll have to give me an idea of exactly what you'd prefer. Like maybe: National event winners, division event winners, national record setters, US Nationals class winners, Firebirds, A-bodies, X-bodies, big cars.

Re: 80’s/90’s Stock and Super Stock pics
 

80’s/90’s cars in general, that were new in that time period. Grand nationals, Foxbody’s, Firebirds, Thunderbirds, Iroc’s, etc.

Re: 80’s/90’s Stock and Super Stock pics
 

" 80’s/90’s cars...that were new in that time period..."

OK, that REALLY narrows it down for me. The only new Pontiac V8 powered cars during those years came in '80 & '81. All those that I am aware of, were 301 Turbo Firebirds. Billy Nees may know of some '80-'81 301 non-turbo powered Pontiacs that ran back then. But, right now, I can't think of any.

There were some really strong 301 Turbo Birds, for their class. Some qualified well & some set national records. I haven't been able to find real good sources for finding out EXACTLY when some of the Pontiacs were running. Many of the cars that were running in the early 2000's were also running in the last century.

DRC has pretty good records back thru 1998. But I've had to do LOTS of searching to find info about many of the Pontiac Stock/SS cars that ran before that time.

Now, if you wanna include the Super Stock GT cars, that will include some Pontiac powered '80's & '90's cars.

With this in mind, I'll begin with Don Kennedy. Just saw him listed at the '98 Winter Nats, with his '92 Bird. I think it had SD455 power, at that time. We can include 9 pics per post. So, in order to save space on this site, I'll edit & add pics as I determine which ones meet your criteria.

Another really good Pontiac powered GT car was Phil Monteith's '82 "Hatari" Fiirebird. Peter Biondo won his first SS World Championship driving that car.

One of the successful 301T cars belonged to Neil Smedley.

While still in the '90's, Phil Monteith built a 4th gen Pontiac powered GT Bird. Peter Biondo also drove this one, & would later win more SS Championships with it.

Lynn McCarty has been running a couple of GT cars for a while. Just found his son Stacy listed in the late '90's driving a '92 Bird.

Another nice 3rd gen GT Bird that was running in the late '90's belonged to Victor Santos.

Nat record holder Carroll Warling had a 3rd gen GT Bird, back when Don Kennedy had his.

Steve Smith had a real strong Pontiac powered 3rd gen Bird, which Scott Burton now has & still races. Not sure exactly when Steve 1st raced it. But I did find him on the SS Q-list @ Indy, in 2001.

Most currently active '80's & '90's model Stock & SS cars were also racing back in the last part of the 20th century. Some still have the original owners. Some have had 2 or more owners who raced them. This 301T Stocker has been raced by Rick Unterseh, for quite a few years now. Can't remember it's history, before Rick got it. IIRC, Rick posted somewhere that he has bought another former 301T Stocker, & is gonna rig it up for his wife to race. His car has been painted a different color, since this pic was made.

Re: 80’s/90’s Stock and Super Stock pics
 

Take a look at the Auto Imagery site. They have Sportsman galleries under the 1976 through 1985 Events links. Then they skip to 1999 & later. Also look at the Way It Was link.

www.autoimagery.com/index

Re: 80’s/90’s Stock and Super Stock pics
 

You need to "friend" Tom Kasch here and on Facebook. He has it all.

Re: 80’s/90’s Stock and Super Stock pics
 

I have tons in my Facebook photo albums, just send me a FR!!

Re: 80’s/90’s Stock and Super Stock pics
 

I dont have a Facebook anymore, I deleted all that crap. I have an Email though!

Re: 80’s/90’s Stock and Super Stock pics
 

Looks like Welds and Cragar Super Tricks ruled that era in terms of wheels! Interesting to see.

Re: 80’s/90’s Stock and Super Stock pics
 

"Looks like Welds and Cragar Super Tricks ruled that era in terms of wheels! Interesting to see."

Yeah, as I remember it, The Tricks were the 1st mass produced lightweight drag wheels, which were widely used by Stock/SS cars.

Just did a search & found this.

"...1970: New Super Trick Wheel is introduced..."

They were quite a bit more expensive than regular steel wheels & street legal "mag" type wheels. So, I had to stick with cheaper wheels. Bought my 1st pair of S/T front wheels in '78. Probably found a good deal on 'em, used. All the other wheels I ran that year were Cragar S/S wheels.

To save $$, I bought some Appliance brand wheels, which looked sorta similar to the S/S, from a distance, but were cheaper. On my 1st Stockers, I ran alum slot wheels on the front, & painted steel wheels on the rear. Yeah, my operation was low budget. But, the cars won quite a few area races, back then.

These pics are not of '80's-'90's cars, but show some of the different wheels that I & others used, back in the mid to late '70's & '80's. Some here may be interested - others not.

(1) I started in '73, with my '69 GTO. Had alum slots on the front & black painted steel wheels on the rear. At our local tracks, slicks were not legal. Had to be DOT legal street tires with stock type grooves. If there were any soft compound street tires, back then, I was not aware of them. But, M&H Racemaster did sell some hard rubber street legal tires. So, that's what I used.

(2) In '74, we were allowed to use a new M&H "cheater" tire. They were just like a soft compound slick, but had a couple of small grooves. These tires knocked a half sec off my ET, instantly. That season, I ran alum slot wheels front & rear.

(3) Here's a close up pic of how I remember those "cheater" tires lookin. Only used 'em in '74. They let us run 9" slicks in '75.

(4) For my girlfriend's E/SA '68 Bird, in '75, I used alum slot fronts, & black painted steel wheels with 9" slicks on the rear.

(5) For her bracket Bird, in '77, I used Appliance spoke wheels on the front & alum slots on the rear.

(6) In '78 I switched her car & mine over to all Cragar S/S wheels.

(7) Also in '78 I built another '69 GTO for another guy to drive. It used my 1st pair of Cragar Tricks, on the front.

(8] My wife's last bracket car was in '88. IIRC, it has Tricks in the rear. On the front, it had the American Racing brand version of a Trick. It was just a solid center alum wheel with no holes or slots. It had decorative rivets, so it would look similar to a Trick. Was much cheaper than a real Trick.The car had drum brakes. So, I bought 14" wheels, & the shortest tires I could find, locally.

(9) I think most competitive Stock/SS cars in the '80's had Tricks, all around, & probably ran Moroso brand front tires. This '72 GTO Super Stocker belonged to Sonny Ray. It was a nat record holder & won several national events, including the Cajuns Nats, in the '70's & '80's. My wife took this pic at the '78 Cajuns.

As for the Weld 8-hole wheels, I found this. Can't confirm.

"...weld drag lites came out in 1979 as a factory option on the fox mustang...There was also a change in design around the mid 80's. The first sets were thin in the center and the holes appeared closer together. Then the later sets had a thicker "hub" and the holes looked farther out..."

Re: 80’s/90’s Stock and Super Stock pics
 

Just the resale value of those M&H tires alone today would be high. I was looking on Ebay earlier and saw some old 60’s Firestone drag slicks for almost $10,000!

Unbelievable pictures, thats really interesting. I hear some guys who raced Stock/Super Stock back in those days ran stock drum brakes, stock suspension, everything because there wasnt much around at the time.

If I had more money the first thing I’d buy a 1962 Dodge Polara! Id make it a period-correct Super Stock car. Those are what I remember my grandfather telling me about, then the 70’s came around and Hemis kicked everyones asses and got banned. My car that im building now is my dads old Ford Mustang from 1992.

I get inspired by the discontinued, old school stuff, hearing all the stories. I find a ton of old parts online and I buy them. Just last week I bought original Cragar Super Tricks, the guy I bought them off of said they came off of his 68 Camaro that he had in ‘72. He said they will break and bend if I drive them on the street though, apparently Super Tricks are notoriously weak, but light weight? I dont know, those are just the rumours I heard, dont want to take a chance at destroying original Cragars.

Re: 80’s/90’s Stock and Super Stock pics
 

"...apparently Super Tricks are notoriously weak, but light weight?..."


Cragar also made "Street Super Tricks"(SST). Those would have obviously been stronger & heavier.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/17471529745...sAAOSw-IlgShJc

IMO, those would not have been as good as the alum "fake" tricks I bought. Definitely not as light.

Those I bought for our '67 Bird were American Racing brand "Outlaw 1" wheels. They're still available.

https://www.jegs.com/p/American-Raci...32551/10002/-1

I'd posted that those wheels were Appliance brand. That was wrong. The wheels I bought in '77 were Appliance brand. But those showing on the front of the '67 Bird, in '88, were the American Racing Outlaw 1 wheels. I edited that post & made the correction.

Re: 80’s/90’s Stock and Super Stock pics
 

I didnt know the Outlaw 1 wheels have been around for so long. What Id really like to find are Cragar’s old Weld Draglite knock-off wheel, theyre called Cragar Street Lite wheels. I think they stopped making them late 90’s or early 2000’s, im not sure. They arent even on Ebay, I think theres 1 but its too wide for my application. Never seen them in person, stuff like that.

Stuff thats crazy rare, you just never see anymore that brings people back to those memories is what I love buying for my car, its a very nostalgic time. Most I guess are lost to history, sitting on the side of Paradise Drag Strip, rotting away.

Re: 80’s/90’s Stock and Super Stock pics
 

"...Stuff thats crazy rare, you just never see anymore that brings people back to those memories is what I love buying for my car, its a very nostalgic time. Most I guess are lost to history, sitting on the side of Paradise Drag Strip, rotting away."

If you are really serious about buying some of the old stuff, I'd inquire in this thread, AND post ads here, in the classified section.

There are guys here that began racing back in the '50's, & have seen & lived thru it all. Most of 'em know LOTS of other long time racers. Some guys get rid of their old stuff. But, some keep stuff for a long time. Many probably have decent stuff they haven't even thought about, for years.

So, if you ask, you may be able to find exactly what you want. I think Nostalgia racing classes have been quite popular, for quite a while now. So, it may surprise you what you can find out there.

https://www.nmcadigital.com/dl/rules/nss.pdf

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1778047672226082/

Re: 80’s/90’s Stock and Super Stock pics
 

"...it's important to point out that Roy McKinney was the VERY first NHRA Super Stocker running in a GT class of Super Stock with a 400 cubic inch engine to run in the nines back in 1997. Roy deserves that mention..."


I've probably read that several times. But I suppose it just didn't register. I first heard of Mike & Roy McKinney, back when Mike won Stock at the '77 US Nats, in the same car that Truman Fields had won with, in '73.

And, I've had pics of the McKinney Pontiacs on my computer for several years. But, just a few minutes ago, I realized that I have a pic of that McKinney GT car that broke into the 9's, back in '97.

The 1st pic I have is from the 40th anniversary of the US Nats. From what I can find, that was in 1994 ? The car was running low 10's at that race.

The 2nd pic looks to be the same car, but with a different hood, maybe.

There have now been several 400 Pontiac powered GT cars run in the 9's. But, if that info is correct, the McKinney car was the 1st to do it. And they did it 3 years before Keri Angeles did it with a 400 powered reg SS class '69 Bird.

Re: 80’s/90’s Stock and Super Stock pics
 

Just started checkin YouTube for some US Nats videos.

Here's one I thought you might enjoy. It's only about 3 min long. It shows some SS qualifying from the 1983 US Nats.

Since I'm a Pontiac guy, I noticed a couple of Birds. I think the white one was driven by long time Pontiac racer Bob Michael. Couldn't ID the red one. Looked like a '74. So, it may be the H-O Racing Specialties record holder, later, when either Glen Tinsley or John Clegg owned it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQ_S1rNFzeU

Re: 80’s/90’s Stock and Super Stock pics
 

2 more '74 Birds in this one. Can't ID either. Would love to see a qualifying list of that race. Anybody here have one or know where to find one ? :confused:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-Rd6M20MCE

Re: 80’s/90’s Stock and Super Stock pics
 

John Clegg's '73 bird is in this one, when he was still running the SD455/stick combo. Also a white early '70's T/A I can't ID.

Most of the SS cars at that race were the popular Chevy models. But, there was a sprinklin of not so common cars. One I noticed in the 1st video I linked looked like a Comet rag top. Probably have not been too many of those run at Indy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98jrkD25DN0

Re: 80’s/90’s Stock and Super Stock pics
 

Several Birds on this video. One looks to be the blue '68 Bird that belonged to Roy & Mike McKinney.

One was very interesting. It had Russ Abrams on the door. The front cap & trunk lid was a sort of red color. The rest was white. It looked to have a '74 nose, with a twin-scoop Formula hood. The reason it's interesting to me, is because Russ Abrams had & I think still has a '73 SD455 Bird. But, a '73 SD455 Formula came with a T/A shaker hood & scoop. So, I don't know what engine he was running in this car.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnGP9SYBhYY

Re: 80’s/90’s Stock and Super Stock pics
 

Here's some close-up sites & sounds from the SS staging lanes at the 1990 US Nats.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BO3V9Z45N2U

Re: 80’s/90’s Stock and Super Stock pics
 

Here's some Stock qualifying from that '83 US Nats race. The Axemaker & Reuland '72 GTO is on it, probably with Sam Reuland driving.

The blue Mckinney '68 Bird is also on it. Looks like they had their Stock & SS Birds painted to look alike.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swCABMJ1vvc&t=49s

Re: 80’s/90’s Stock and Super Stock pics
 

More Pontiacs on this one I can't ID.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1YjZWEG0kk&t=10s

Re: 80’s/90’s Stock and Super Stock pics
 

I watched that one a couple days ago actually, its really weird to not see a sports car be turned into a drag car, some of those Chevy’s and Oldsmobile’s turned into purpose built race cars looks really cool but its odd too, those are cars you bring your kids to soccer practice in.

And those newer Firebirds are nice, mid, to late 70’s models. Another good one are the 2000’s Firebirds, I think 1996-2002. Ive always been a fan of those, I get excited just seeing one on the road. As long as its the 5.7L V8.

Re: 80’s/90’s Stock and Super Stock pics
 

Mckinneys have that car back in their possession again.

Re: 80’s/90’s Stock and Super Stock pics
 

"...Firebirds, I think 1996-2002. Ive always been a fan of those, I get excited just seeing one on the road. As long as its the 5.7L V8."

Yeah, those bodies look pretty good, especially the black ones with the scooped hood.

BUT, since I'm a self proclaimed "Pontiac Freek", I only get excited about one that is a Pontiac powered drag car. :)

Otherwise, to me, it's just another Chevy powered Pontiac body.

I think Phil Monteith's 4th gen Hatari Bird took Peter Biondo to at least 2 SS Championships. Won lots of big races.

" Mckinneys have that car back in their possession again."

Is this it in pic 4 ?

Leo Glasbrenner also ran a Pontiac powered 4th gen, for a few years.

I think John Peneta has been driving the red car in recent years. IIRC, it was a Johnny Duncan car. I think maybe Phil Monteith built the motor for it, as well as his Hatari Cars, since it has "Hatari" on the door. I think maybe Sam Biondo drove it some, among others. As always, I could be wrong on some of these details. If so, I'll stand corrected.

Re: 80’s/90’s Stock and Super Stock pics
 

"...And those newer Firebirds are nice, mid, to late 70’s models..."

Yeah, & there have been some very competitive '74 & '77/'78 model Birds, thru the years, & even into this century.

The first '74 that comes to my mind was driven by Bob Mulry. IIRC, Pontiac racer Bob Aceves had a hand in it. I've mentioned here that the car set the nat record, in 3 different classes. They had to change it into a T/A, for the heaviest class. It was also #1 qualifier at LOTS of races, out West, running more than a sec & a half under, at some races. Obviously, this kind of performance got some hp added. Same for the '77/'78 Birds.

The '74's could run a 400 4-barrel, 455 D-port, & the SD455. Those SD455 heads are now so valuable that VERY few guys will race 'em.

Right now, Ryan Warter, up in Wash state, runs the only competitive '75 Bird that I'm aware of. I know he's won at least one nat event, for sure.

Only '76 I'm aware of belongs to Kevin Love, in Canada. It was a class winner at Indy, back when Mike Morgan had it.

'77 seems to be the most popular year for 2nd gen Bird Stockers. I can think of lots of 'em. They were very competitive for quite a while. Most choose to run the Formula hood, so they won't have to deal with the T/A shaker scoop & the wheel flairs.

NHRA has kept bumping the hp up to the point where, the same '77 400 engine is more competitive in any '77 body, OTHER THAN a Bird. For example: Bob Michael has built & raced a '77 Lemans & currently has a '77 Catalina. That Cat is the only '77 Cat Stocker I've ever heard of.

There are still some guys running the 400 powered '77 Bird. But, IIRC, when asked, former record holder Dave Ribeiro, said that, with the current hp factors, the '77 Bird might be more competitive with a 350 Pontiac engine.

There are too many '77/'78 Bird Stockers to mention here, But a few I'll mention were raced by: Mark Yacavone, Bill Edgeworth, Dave Ribeiro, Rob Holmes, & the Biondo family. Others have also raced these cars.

Re: 80’s/90’s Stock and Super Stock pics
 

Yes Marty drives it. #4

Re: 80’s/90’s Stock and Super Stock pics
 

"...And those newer Firebirds are nice, mid, to late 70’s models..."

Can't leave this without mentioning some of the '74 & '77/'78 Birds that have run Super Stock.

For me, the first '74 that comes to mind is the original H-O Racing Specialties SD455 T/A. It was a record holder in '77 & is was probably one of the quickest reg SS class Pontiac powered cars ever, having run mid 9's, while the Cleggs owned it & J.B was driving.

Also have a pic of a black one, with H-O on the door.

Johnny Duncan run strong in a '74 SS Bird.

Wilbert Thornton also has a '74.

Mike Morgan now has one of the 2 quickest 350 Pontiac powered SS cars ever. It's a '77 Formy. He didn't build it, but has had it now for several years. Won class at Indy & has been RU several times, to fellow 350 Pontiac racer, Bill Rink. Sal Piacentini ran it before Mike got it.

One of the winningest SS Pontiacs is a '78 T/A. It was driven for years by Ken Shawver. Then Monte Howard drove for a while. Jack Good now owns it. Couldn't list all it's wins, but I know it won class at Indy multiple times. Also qualified near the top of the Q-list many times.

Re: 80’s/90’s Stock and Super Stock pics
 

" Yes Marty drives it..."


Marty McKinney is doin pretty good in bracket racing. There are pics of some of the McKinney Pontiacs on his FB page.

https://www.facebook.com/mckinneymarty88

Re: 80’s/90’s Stock and Super Stock pics
 

Found some more pics of Don Kennedy cars, some might be interested in.

Hey, being the Pontiac Freek that I am, I just can't let this go, without mentioning this. Aw, I COULD. I just don't want to. :D

In this list of SS class winners, notice that right under Don's 428 Pontiac powered GT/EA class win, you'll see that Todd Frantz won GT/FA, also using 428 Pontiac power. I Love it ! :)

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

Re: 80’s/90’s Stock and Super Stock pics
 

Love those 1st gen Camaros too. Reminds me of Bill “Grumpy” Jenkins’ cars. Hes one of my inspirations for taking on my own project. Without him and Herb McCandless (you actually kind of looked like him back then by the way) I would probably not be building a drag car right now.

Re: 80’s/90’s Stock and Super Stock pics
 

As much as I would like to say it was me, I was not born yet haha. 5751 would have been one of the Axemaker brothers, not dad or I. Back then, whoever was available to race the car took it. Still waiting on it to come out of the paint/body shop…

Re: 80’s/90’s Stock and Super Stock pics
 

"...Love those 1st gen Camaros too. Reminds me of Bill “Grumpy” Jenkins’ cars..."

Yeah, the Grump had some quick & famous 1st gen Camaros.

But, there have probably been hundreds of thousands, or more, 1st gen Camaro drag cars. And there are still LOTS of 'em, all over the country.

For that reason, and mostly because I'm a Pontiac Freek, I've always preferred a 1st gen Bird to a 1st gen Camaro. :)

Truman Fields was my first Pontiac hero. So, the 1st 4 Pontiac pics are of a couple of his '68 Birds.

The next 3 pics are small tire SS cars from back in the day.

The last pic is an Angeles & McCarthy "big tire" '68 SS Bird. Those guys had a popular Pontiac book out, back in that era.

https://www.amazon.com/Pontiac-Racer.../dp/B0006YSIDQ

Re: 80’s/90’s Stock and Super Stock pics
 

"...I was not born yet haha. 5751 would have been one of the Axemaker brothers, not dad or I..."

OK.

Here are 2 more pics. Perm #5759. I have you listed driving them. Is this correct ? :confused:

Re: 80’s/90’s Stock and Super Stock pics
 

That is correct. I have held 5759 since 2012, dad (Dave) is 5750, Denny was 5757, and I believe it was Harry who had 5751. I am not sure what number Ken held.

Re: 80’s/90’s Stock and Super Stock pics
 

Of course, these are not the "80's/90's" cars in the heading of your thread.

BUT: These that I'll mention now WERE racing in the '80's & '90's, were raced back when they were new, & are still being raced today.

As we can see from the videos I posted, there were LOTS of the Chevy Nova/Chevy II bodies being raced. They have always been very popular.

They were part of what GM called their X-Platform cars, which most call the X-body cars. They include '62 thru '79 models.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genera...platform_(1962)

A '62-'67 model, I call a "Box Nova". For '68, the body was changed & the wheelbase made longer. Both body styles are very popular in drag racing.

In the '70's, Pontiac, Olds, & Buick also built cars on this platform. And, there have been some of all these used as Stock/SS drag cars. There are plenty of pics available for all the GM X-body cars. But, since I'm a Pontiac guy, I'll only mention the Pontiac X-body race cars I have pics of.

The 1st Pontiac X-body was in '71. But, by far the most popular, was the '74 GTO. It had a Pontiac 350 engine, with a Q-jet carb. But, since that same basic engine is legal for a regular '74 Ventura II body, both have been raced.

The 1st successful Pontiac X-bodies I'm aware of competed in the 1974 US Nats. A guy named Al Vanis won Stock, in a Ventura II. And a guy named Rock Running got his class win, in a GTO.

Since then, there have been lots of these '74 Pontiac X-body cars win races, set nat records, win class at Indy, & qualify at or near the top of qualifying lists.

Below are 9 pics of Pontiac X-bodies that have done well.