Best Pontiac Powered Super Stockers

[oldskool]

We'll look a lot deeper into the GT cars, later.

We looked at quite a few '74 Birds. Right now, I can't think of a single '75 or '76 SS Bird. But, there have been quite a few '77 & '78 SS Birds.

The quickest '77 I've ever heard of is now raced by Mike Morgan. And it uses the low compression 350 engine, with 6X heads. He gives credit to Parsons & Myers for the engine's power. They have built some quick Pontiac engines, for Stock & SS.

I know Mike won his class at Indy one year. And, Bill Rink & Mike got winner/RU in class there. An all Pontiac 350 powered SS class final is really cool to me.

Anyhow, I'll look up some of his best results, & post 'em.

For the cars quick enuff to make the field, Indy is a good measure of a car's performance. So, lets look at what Mike has done there.

In 2015, he ran .920 under, for the #41 position. He was higher on the list than Bill Rink, Peter Biondo, & Scott Burton.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2015#indextop

He was also RU in SS/MA. Bill Rink won SS/LA.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2015#indextop

In 2016, he went 1.006 under, for the #47 position.

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

He also won the SS/MA class.

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

In 2017, he went 1.098 under, for #23 position. Had a good shot at the class win, but left .006 too soon in the 1st round.

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

In 2018, he went 1.233 under, for #11 position. 10.617 is pretty quick for a 350 Pontiac.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2018#indextop

For class, he had the field covered.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2018#indextop

BUT, in the final, against Bill Rink, he played it a little too safe, cut a REALLY bad light, & lost.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2018#indextop

In 2019, he slowed a little, but still went 1.126 under, for #22 position.

Left too soon in the class final & had to settle for RU to Bill Rink, again.

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

Read somewhere that he'd turned some 10.40's. Will see if I can find that info.

OK, in the 3rd round of this race, he ran a 10.414, to beat Bill Rink's 10.555, in a heads-up SS/LA 3rd round match-up.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2018#indextop

Don't know what his best ET has been. But 10.40's from a low CR Pontiac 350, in a legal weight '77 Bird, sounds pretty darn good, to me !

These 2 Pontiac 350 powered cars are very competitive.

[Mike Jones]

Sal originally built that car in a tiny one car garage in Bridgeport, Ct. Did the chassis himself. He was a sharp dude, who put together a Chevy powered Top Fuel dragster for himself, before the Super Stocker.
MJ

[oldskool]

Originally Posted by Mike Jones

Sal originally built that car in a tiny one car garage in Bridgeport, Ct. Did the chassis himself. He was a sharp dude, who put together a Chevy powered Top Fuel dragster for himself, before the Super Stocker.
MJ

Are you talkin about Sal Biondo, OR ?

[Mike Jones]

Originally Posted by oldskool

Are you talkin about Sal Biondo, OR ?

Sal Piacentini. Some guy named Phillip Monteith was his friend and might have had some influence on the project

[oldskool]

OK, from what I've recently found online, The Ken Shawver '78 SS Bird may have been the most competitive Pontiac SS Bird, over a long period of time.

Don't know how many wins it had. But it won class at Indy, many times. Monte Howard was the driver for some of those years.

I mentioned some of this earlier. But I think this car deserves a closer look. Maybe some of you guys can post about races you know that the car won.

So, Ken made the Indy field in '98, '99, & 2000. But he was in the lower half of the field. Didn't see him on the list in '01. But, in '02, he'd apparently come up with more power. He was #38, @ 1.014 under.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2002#indextop

In '03 he was 1.089 under for spot #14.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2003#indextop

In '04, he was #25 @ 1.102 under.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2004#indextop

He was also the SS/LA winner.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2004#indextop

AND, how 'bout this. In '05, he was #1 qualifier at Indy ! Let that sink in ! A 1978 Pontiac powered Firebird was the #1 qualifier at Indy. WOW !

He was 1.254 under.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2005#indextop

And of course, he won his class.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2005#indextop

In '06 he was #4 @ 1.192 under.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2006#indextop

Won SS/KA, again.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2006#indextop

In '07, Monte Howard was driving. he was #29 @ 1.118 under.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2007#indextop

Got the SS/KA win.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2007#indextop

In '08, Monte was #24 @ 1.100 under.

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

In '09 he was #92 @ 1.075 under.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2009#indextop

In both '08 & '09 there were 2 quicker cars in his class. But here's a quote fro this year's 1st round loss:

"Big, long wheelstand for Howard. Hodge runs him down on the big end."

In 2010, he was #95, @ only .765 under.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2010#indextop

But he won SS/KA.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2010#indextop

In 2011, he was #98 @ .718 under.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2011#indextop

In 2012, he was #103 @ .794 under.

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

So, over a 15 year period, the car made the field at almost every US Nats, had 5 class wins, and was #1 qualifier once.

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

Until this thread, I'd never even heard of this car. Now, it MAY end up being on the top of my list, as the #1 hall of fame SS Pontiac. Hey, I'm glad I came !

Of course, there are other cars to consider. But if this car won lots of races & qualified near the top of lots of qualifying lists, it may be #1. Peter Biondo was a very good driver, & won lots of races. But, the Shawver/Howard car ran for a long time. May still be running. Don't know. Also don't know if it qualified at Indy before 1998.

So, I'd like you guys to help me dig up all the info you can on this car. Lets try to give it the recognition it deserves.

The pic below is what I have for Monte Howard. If this is not the car I've been talkin about in this post, somebody let me know.

[coolcanman]

Same car Jack Good has it now still running div3

[oldskool]

Originally Posted by coolcanman

Same car Jack Good has it now still running div3

Thanks !

[oldskool]

OK, I said I'd try to dig up some more info on the Ken Shawver '78 T/A. Since we found from the Indy files that the performance really improved in '02, I decided to start there.

1st race I pulled up was the nat event near Chicago. And, there he was, at #28 on the Q-list @ .789 under.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2002#indextop

How 'bout the Pontiac Excitement Nats ? !!!

Ken was #32 @ .689 under. Peter Biondo was #41. I assume he was in the Hatari 4th gen, when it still had a 400. And Sal Biondo was listed #35, in a '91 GT car . I assume it also had Pontiac power, or did it ?

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2002#indextop

At the Craftsman Nats, he was #24 @ .913 under. Peter Biondo was #28 @ .881 under, & was RU at the race. At the time, it said Peter had won 19 nat events. Don't know how many were with Pontiac power, or in what classes.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2002#indextop

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2002#indextop

Ken had his new found power for this race. He was #16 @ 1.055 under. Peter Biondo was #65 @ .868 under.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2003#indextop

At the '04 Pontiac Excitment nats, he was #11 @ 1.040 under. Peter Biondo was #33 @ .853 under.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2004#indextop

Also noticed that there were 6 Pontiac Stockers at this race, & Sal Biondo was RU.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2004#indextop

Peter Biondo got RU in SS.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2004#indextop

That's all I could find for Ken in '04.