Looking for 1970's statistics

[oldskool]

Of course, '64 was the year of the GTO. Don't know how many were raced across the country, that year. But, "3 deuces & a 4-speed & a 389", in a mid-size A-body, had to be very inviting to a lot of young guys.

I was too young to buy one. But I sure liked 'em. Plastered GTO ads & pics all over the walls in my room. Kept adding pics of the new models up thru at least '67. It was '69 before I could buy my own GTO. I was going to college & workin all the hours I could at the Pizza Inn, for $1.50 per hour. Total price was a bit over $3400. My monthly note, including ins, was only around $125.

Once the GTO came out, I can't find evidence that there were very many '64 & later big Pontiacs raced, after that. But, there were a few.

May add more later.

[oldskool]

For '65, there were probably lots of new Goats on tracks across the country. Don't know who had the quickest ones. I figure some the dealers, such as Knafel & Packer, had the quickest.

There were also some 421 powered big Pontiacs out there. Most were probably 2+2 models. They came with either an AFB 4-barrel or Tri-Power. Guessing that most big cars & Goats that spent lots of time on the track were Tri-Power equipped. Most of the Goats probably had a 4-speed, since the only auto trans was the 2-speed. But the big car auto trans was a TH400.

[oldskool]

'66 was the last year of Pontiac Tri-Power. And the '66 Tri-Power is said to flow a bit more than in the previous years.

Lots of '66 Goats were raced. I assume the winningest was raced by Knafel Pontiac. I know it won at least 1 nat event, with Arlen Vanke driving. I call it the "Trophy Car", because of the famous pic of it, with trophies sittin all over it. They actually had 2 '66 Goats. I assume they ran the same set-up.

Royal Pontiac also ran a '66, as well as other Pontiac dealers. Right now, I can't think of a single '66 Big Pontiac drag car.

[oldskool]

Big changes for Pontiac '67 models.

(1) The new Firebird

(2) New 400 cube engine

(3) New Q-jet carb. Actually it wasn't the 1st year a Pontiac engine used a Q-jet. Some OHC Six engines had a Q-jet. Also, not every '67 Pontiac V8 used a Q-jet, if 4-barrel equipped. The 326HO had an AFB.

(4) TH400 trans in Birds & Goats. The '64-'66 Goats were limited to the 2-speed auto trans, called a Super Turbine 300, by some. But for '67, a TH400 came behind the auto equipped 400 engines. It resulted in quite a few auto trans Pontiac drag cars.

(5) New 428 engine. A 428 Pontiac engine would not be a big player in drag racing, 'til the GT classes came along & the Edelbrock heads were made legal.

For sure, the Limelighter GTO(pic #1) & the Stan Long Bird(pic #6) were nat record holders.

I suppose the biggest '67 Pontiac winner of all time is the '67 Bird that Randi Lyn Shipp has been driving for a few years. Think she has at least 7 nat event wins in it. Bryan Phillips has also been running a 10 sec '67 Bird Stocker, for quite a while. These are the 2 quickest '67 Bird Stockers I can think of. Joel Larkin runs the only '67 SS Bird I've been aware of, in recent years.

Of the pics below, I suppose the SS GTO is the most recently active. I found it on a Winter Nats Q-list early in this century.

[oldskool]

1968 @ Pontiac

(1) New round port RA2 400 engine, with 041 cam.

(2) New A-body design.

(3) Open chamber D-port heads.

(4) New 350 engine, including a 350HO.

The '68 Birds have probably been the most popular drag Pontiac body, ever. No telling how many '68 Birds have been used for Stock racing.

I suppose the most famous were driven by Truman Fields & Mike McKinney. Between them, they have several big race wins, class wins, & nat records, driving '68 Birds.

There have been several '68 Bird Stockers run mid to low 10's. Some are still active. Have also been some '68 GTO Stockers, thru the years. None active that I've seen on any Q-list, lately.

Not many big '68 Pontiac Stockers, that I'm aware of. The "Walton's Mountain" car is the only one I have a pic of.

[oldskool]

'69 @ Pontiac

(1) RA4 engine in Birds & Goats.

(2) There came the Judge !

(3) Last year of the 428.

Quite a few '69 Birds & Goats raced in their early years, especially the orange Judge models. Very few, in recent years.

Bruce Noland is the latest '69 Bird racer. He has the T/A tribute car. John Schloe still runs his Stocker. Keri Angeles still drives the '69 9 sec SS Bird.

There were quite a few '69 Pontiac nat event class winners, back in the early years.

Art Peterson has the only active '69 GTO I know of. It runs SS.

[oldskool]

'70 @ Pontiac

(1) Birds get a new body style, referred to as the 2nd gen Birds. Had new Formula & Trans Am versions available.

(2) 1st year of the 455 Pontiac engine, but not available in Birds.

(3) The GTO got a slight body style change, tho it still used the '68-'69 hood. Judge continued, but with a taller rear deck "wing".

(4) RA4 engine continued.

(5) Some hp Birds got the Chevy 12-bolt rear.

(6) Some Pontiacs got a real Powerglide trans, with a dual pattern case. They are now quite rare. I saw 2 of 'em. Bought 1. Not a high performance option, just mentioned it because it was unique, for a Pontiac.

The most famous '70 Bird had to be the RA4 powered Formula, raced by Scott Burton. Before he sold it, it was the quickest Pontiac powered Stocker, ever, having turned some real low 10's, & even dipping into the the 9's, in legal Stock trim, but at a bracket race.

When new, Knafel Pontiac did real good with a '70 GTO, running mostly in AHRA events, IIRC.

Bill Eadelis has a '70 SS Goat. I'm sure there would have been lots more '70 Bird Stockers, if the 455 had been available.

Todd Kuhn has been racing the only active '70 GTO Stocker I'm aware of, for quite a few years now. It has qualified for the US Nats.