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[Ed Wright]

But, Bill you don't race with us now. So don't worry about it.
I raced at Catlisle a lot, I don't remember you. Gordon Holloway teched me several times.

[Run to Rund]

In part due to popularity, Chevy HP factors are competitive. Now, take the 400 Olds that Sam Murray held the D/S record with, back in 2006. He had to use all the tricks that others are now using to get competitive, and hasn't been since. . .his friend Jerry MacNeish holds it with a Z28 Camaro. After Sam, Curtis Coulter held D/S with his big and heavy 69 Mercury, closer in HP factor to being competitive today, but probably still not close enough. Moral of the story is that if you run an "oddball" or less popular combination, there won't be the data or the incentive for NHRA to help you out. The natural result is that "everyone" will run a "popular" combination so their investment will have a chance of paying off with wins.

[Jeff Lee]

When I was in D/S running 10.50's and out running all the GM / Ford's that are popular in the class, it was a blast. I love being the underdog. But as I said, it sure takes a lot more patience and money to beat those "common" cars. I'm still putting as much pressure on the shop that has spider webs growing on my AMX to get it done. Jeff Colvert needs some competition!
My AMX is a SS/G-H-I combination.

[Bill Grubbs]

Alan,
You do not even have to scrounge for the front subframe. You can also buy a new one of those.

Bill

http://www.autometaldirect.com/ListI...0Assembly.aspx

[Alan Roehrich]

Originally Posted by Bill Grubbs

Alan,
You do not even have to scrounge for the front subframe. You can also buy a new one of those.

Bill

http://www.autometaldirect.com/ListI...0Assembly.aspx

Bill,
Thanks for catching that, I'm sure I spend too much time on the engine, transmission, and rear end. So I don't get to keep up with the rest. Hopefully I'll see you guys in Reynolds, not sure if I'll make it but Kevin will be there.

[Alan Roehrich]

Originally Posted by Run to Rund

In part due to popularity, Chevy HP factors are competitive. Now, take the 400 Olds that Sam Murray held the D/S record with, back in 2006. He had to use all the tricks that others are now using to get competitive, and hasn't been since. . .his friend Jerry MacNeish holds it with a Z28 Camaro. After Sam, Curtis Coulter held D/S with his big and heavy 69 Mercury, closer in HP factor to being competitive today, but probably still not close enough. Moral of the story is that if you run an "oddball" or less popular combination, there won't be the data or the incentive for NHRA to help you out. The natural result is that "everyone" will run a "popular" combination so their investment will have a chance of paying off with wins.

Actually, popularity does as much or more to hurt a combination. These cars, the first generation Camaros, can be a good example. Look at what "popularity" has done to the 396/375 combinations, most of them have been hit pretty hard. The 350/255 has been hit pretty hard as well. I'm not saying those combinations are ruined, I am saying there are other combinations that are in the same classes, that have lower numbers, that are stronger, but are less likely to get hit, because they are being protected more by having fewer people running them.

If you have a rare combination, at least you can exert some control over your "destiny". You don't have to worry about 40 other cars any number of which can go out and either get you instant HP, or get you an adjustment. If you have one of a kind, or one of a very few, there's a lot less chance of it getting bombed, and you can always keep providing data of your own and writing letters asking for a break.

[Ed Wright]

Guess the grass is always greener. Guys with other brands sem to think the GMs are softer because there are more fast ones. There are more GMs running, so the odds are much greater of more fast ones, and more winning. Like Alan said, the more guys running them the chances of getting your combo hit are much greater.

[bill dedman]

Originally Posted by Ed Wright

But, Bill you don't race with us now. So don't worry about it.
I raced at Catlisle a lot, I don't remember you. Gordon Holloway teched me several times.

Ed,

I'm not "worried about it," except to the extent that I have been somewhat involved with Stock Eliminator (as posted) all my adult life, and don't enjoy seeing it become less popular as is has been, and look ffor ways to stop its decline because I don't want to see it lose even more popularity or go away. I love Stock and Super Stock class racing; it's the only TRUE drag racing left, for sportsmen. Everything else is just a Bracket race.

I think that's worth saving!!!! Big time!

Just because I don't campaign a class-legal car, now, doesn't mean I'm blind, deaf, and dumb, and brain-dead. My old brain still works (after a fashion) and tries hard to analyze what could be changed to make our favorite sport better.

Ken specifically set this forum up for non class racers to post their ideas on, and has another forum for people currently campaigning a car with a permanent number.

I think I have the right forum, don't you?

I'm not advocating a wholesale desertion of generation one Camaros... just posted a question as to whether having such a large percentage of ONE CAR in Stock Eliminator at a race was a good thing, and what reasons existed for its anomalous popularity.

Given the circumstances, I don't understand your objection to that.

Dunno when you raced at Carlisle, but I had three periods of time when I was absent from there; from February of '61 through August, I lived in St. Louis (MO.) Then, in 1962, I was in the Army on active duty from Feb. to September, then, in 1964, I was in Texas at East Texas State Teachers' College from Feb. to June... and then I moved to Colorado Spgs. CO for 6 months, and then on to Des Moines, where I stayed for 16 years.

Sorry for the impromptu travellog/story of my life...

Bob Ayers took over for me in the Stocker line at Carlisle when I left Arkansas for good in 1964. You might remember him; super nice guy who always wore a pith helmet... His son, Rob Ayers, posts on ClassRacer, sometimes. Bob raced a succession of Stockers, then a Super Stock car in about 1971.

[Mike Pearson]

Bill,

I own and race a 1968 camaro in super stock. I have raced this car since 1978. I think the reason you see alot of these cars is there were alot of them built. They were a quality built car so there is still alot of them around. They are extremely popular for street and race cars. They offered a lot of different versions and engine combo's. Right now the early camaro's dont have any soft combos. Any of these cars that you see at the top of the qualifying order are ones that have been worked and tested to the limit. Congrats to this group of racers

[bill dedman]

Thanks for your comments, Mike. You make a lot of sense.