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Mark Yacavone · 11-04-2021, 12:45 PM

I'll start this list off and pause for one of my favorites, for now.

63 Pontiac GP, J/S .G/S. No NHRA but first towed race car.

61 Corvette, (Joe Santangelo's ) L/SA 283

1959 Impala conv. ( mine and Joe's) 283 FI O/SA

61 Impala SS/X 283

69 Chevelle wagon (Joe's ) SS/PA

68 Chevy II (Bob Johnson's) 350 SS/JA

70 Camaro (Johnson's) SS/FA

71 ? Mustang (Johnson's trade in) 351 C D/S ?

66 Impala 4 dr. 283 SS/R .
I built this car after seeing Jimmy Parker's at Gainesville.
It looked great on paper. Apparently everybody else thought this too.
Joe DeLorenzo (unofficial team captain) came up with some old 283 Forgedtrue Jr Stock pistons. I had John Hoffman cut a narrow top ring groove for a 2 ringer with 4 grooves. Tony Feil did the heads and block. Added a TM 1 box stock intake and one of Mark's Cam Dynamics flat tappets. Full size 12 bolt , and a slick shifted 2.52 Muncie from Joe D. A brand new 4 GC for $ 32.50 ! No roll bar required

First week out, it ran 12.89 on a 13.00 record at Ct, which was a slow track.
A few weeks later some good ol' boys down at Suffolk battled the record down to 12.70.. Now I had to get to work. By mid year, I could barely run on the new record and managed a few wins, locally.

Dwight Cox won Indy with a 2 dr. HT, lowering the record some more.
For 1974, I decided to modernize this combo with a roller cam, prepped crank and rods, etc.
Now, being able to safely run on the record, I won a bunch of eliminators in the Northeast..CD, Lebanon, Island, Dover, Atco , Englishtown.

This all was in reach for a working, single guy, with an open homemade trailer at that time, if you knew the right people.
NHRA put an end to this in 75 with the "par" system so I had to go another direction, but easily one of my favorite cars.
To be continued...

11-04-2021, 12:45 PM	#10
Mark Yacavone Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Miles From Nowhere Posts: 7,820 Likes: 2,910 Liked 5,127 Times in 1,955 Posts	Re: This Is For Mark Yacavone! I'll start this list off and pause for one of my favorites, for now. 63 Pontiac GP, J/S .G/S. No NHRA but first towed race car. 61 Corvette, (Joe Santangelo's ) L/SA 283 1959 Impala conv. ( mine and Joe's) 283 FI O/SA 61 Impala SS/X 283 69 Chevelle wagon (Joe's ) SS/PA 68 Chevy II (Bob Johnson's) 350 SS/JA 70 Camaro (Johnson's) SS/FA 71 ? Mustang (Johnson's trade in) 351 C D/S ? 66 Impala 4 dr. 283 SS/R . I built this car after seeing Jimmy Parker's at Gainesville. It looked great on paper. Apparently everybody else thought this too. Joe DeLorenzo (unofficial team captain) came up with some old 283 Forgedtrue Jr Stock pistons. I had John Hoffman cut a narrow top ring groove for a 2 ringer with 4 grooves. Tony Feil did the heads and block. Added a TM 1 box stock intake and one of Mark's Cam Dynamics flat tappets. Full size 12 bolt , and a slick shifted 2.52 Muncie from Joe D. A brand new 4 GC for $ 32.50 ! No roll bar required First week out, it ran 12.89 on a 13.00 record at Ct, which was a slow track. A few weeks later some good ol' boys down at Suffolk battled the record down to 12.70.. Now I had to get to work. By mid year, I could barely run on the new record and managed a few wins, locally. Dwight Cox won Indy with a 2 dr. HT, lowering the record some more. For 1974, I decided to modernize this combo with a roller cam, prepped crank and rods, etc. Now, being able to safely run on the record, I won a bunch of eliminators in the Northeast..CD, Lebanon, Island, Dover, Atco , Englishtown. This all was in reach for a working, single guy, with an open homemade trailer at that time, if you knew the right people. NHRA put an end to this in 75 with the "par" system so I had to go another direction, but easily one of my favorite cars. To be continued... __________________ "We are lucky we don't get as much Government as we pay for." Will Rogers Last edited by Mark Yacavone; 11-04-2021 at 12:49 PM.