Re: Best Pontiac Powered Super Stockers
 

The McCarty's Lynn runs a 455 SD and Stacey runs a 428

Re: Best Pontiac Powered Super Stockers
 

Wow, that's cool ! :cool:

So, you basically wrote the rules, and had one of the 1st GT cars. I had no idea. Thanks for sharing that info ! :)

So, GT cars became legal somewhere in the early to mid '80's ? :confused:

Also noticed that you won your the GT/EA class at Indy this year, with a 9.177. And, Todd Frantz won the GT/FA class with a 9.188, in his 428 powered Cobalt.

Also, it was an all Pontiac 350 powered final, in SS/MA. Bill Rink won & Mike Morgan was RU, for the 2nd year straight. Bill Rink's little GTO has won class at Indy a BUNCH of times.

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

Robert Cruzen has also won the GT/AA class at Indy, more than once, with his 428 Cobalt. One winning time was an 8.90 ! That same year, Mike Morgan won SS/MA with his 350 powered '77 Formula.

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

Re: Best Pontiac Powered Super Stockers
 

If I remember correctly, the first of the new SS/GT cars that raced, were at the Winternationals (around 1984?), and they were Dick Henrys Camaro, and Len Schneiders Thunderbird. Len is still racing the same Tbird, I was talking to him at the Pomona Finals a few weeks ago. Schneider raced his Tbird with a 428 Cobra Jet at the beginning , but switched to a 351 Cleveland shortly afterwards, and that is the same engine he runs today. Here in Div. 6, I believe the first GT cars were Jim Gormans Malibu, and Steve Hahns Dodge Lebarron, which may have been one of the first FWD conversion Super Stockers.

Re: Best Pontiac Powered Super Stockers
 

The GT rules have probably saved lots of cars from the crusher. Without the GT rules, lots of the GT bodies would never have been used to make a drag car.

I think it was a REAL good move !

I just thought of one more Pontiac powered GT car. It ain't real quick. But it will run the index, which makes it a threat to win some races. And it's a black '68 Bird, which I've always liked. Belongs to Larry Maxwell. I think he sold his Pontiac 455 powered Lemans Stocker, & moved up to GT/NA.

I think it's powered by a low compression Pontiac 350. Looks like a small tire Stocker. I assume he built it to just barely run under the index.

Re: Best Pontiac Powered Super Stockers
 

Is Mike Morgan`s 77 Bird, Piacintini`s old car?
If so, its from the Monteith stable.
MJ

Re: Best Pontiac Powered Super Stockers
 

I don't have a clue. Never heard that name.

That reminds me. I saw the name Ken Shawver, which was listed as pickin up 4 straight class wins at Indy, in '03 thru '06, driving a '78 Firebird. A '78 could have several different engines. Assuming it had a 400 Pontiac. But I don't know that. Never heard that name before.

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

Once his name disappeared, in '07, Monte Howard is listed as driving a '78 Bird. I have heard that name, in Pontiac circles. He's listed as the SS/KA class winner, in 2010. And it's showing to have a 400 engine. Just wondering if it was the same car ? Anybody know ?

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

Well, this answers my question. It is the same car. Looks like Monte Howard took over the driving duties, in '07.

"...Monte Howard at the wheel of Ken Shawver’s ’78 Firebird captured the Super Stock title with a dead-on 10.430..."

http://www.nhradiv3.com/apcm/APCMvie...4918&print=yes

https://public.fotki.com/fwd3300/nhr...ontehowar.html

Re: Best Pontiac Powered Super Stockers
 

From DRC May2012 LODRS 1-2 Super Stock Final Order
61 1809 SS/KA Sal Piacentini, Northeast MD, '77 Firebird10.835 11.25 -0.415

Re: Best Pontiac Powered Super Stockers
 

Yup.

Re: Best Pontiac Powered Super Stockers
 

Dave Danish NHRA Tech watched my car being built by Danny Davis in California every week until it was done. Danny Davis was very creative and Dave came over a lot of times to see the car being build to make sure the car was being built to The GT rules. Danny Ran the headers out towards the front. There is some Pictures in the Pontiac Musclecar Performance Book By Pete McCarthy of the car being built..I have the book somewhere and I will post some pictures of the Pontiac Trans Am . The Car is now in Sweden being raced. The present owner has won a lot of races with the car

Re: Best Pontiac Powered Super Stockers
 

Yes.

Re: Best Pontiac Powered Super Stockers
 

9 out of the last 10 years in SS.

Re: Best Pontiac Powered Super Stockers
 

Right Now Bill Rink has most likely the quickest Pontiac in The country.


By the way, How can I post some pictures here let me know
donkennedy1@cox.net or
text the way 602 284 6240
I have the Pictures on My facebook

Re: Best Pontiac Powered Super Stockers
 

Amen to that, keep seeing Morgan show up at Indy loaded for bear (can't help but wonder if a little smaller tire would speed it up) and yet Rink keeps winning class. Bill's car is amazing, super clean too of course; as is all of his stuff.

Re: Best Pontiac Powered Super Stockers
 

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...-WQIajuK-aohWu


Not sure if this link will work??

Re: Best Pontiac Powered Super Stockers
 

How about the big yellow wagon of Div. 5's Jerry Stealy, may have been under Stealy and Hamilton, one of my favorites to watch

Re: Best Pontiac Powered Super Stockers
 

I download 'em from Facebook, or wherever I find 'em, to my laptop. They are stored there 'til I need 'em. When I wanna post 'em here, I click on manage attachments, from that box I can choose a pic from my laptop files & upload to the post.

But, on this site, if you have ever posted the same pic, since you've been a member here, it will not let you post it again. There may be some way around that. If so, I don't know about it. Also, if the pics are too big, you can't upload 'em. I've had some that were real close. For those, I just cropped a little off, then they uploaded just fine. For real big pics, I suppose you'd need to use some sort of program to resize 'em.

But, there have been some BIG pics posted here. So, there are obviously guys here who know a LOT more about the pic rules & procedures here, than me.

Re: Best Pontiac Powered Super Stockers
 

How about my Brother Carroll Warling 1974 LeMans 2005 to 2016 NHRA National Recorg holder in SS/MA Now running a 428 steel head in it. Has a 1974 GTO running the 400 in it.

Re: Best Pontiac Powered Super Stockers
 

Thanks for that info !

Didn't know about the 428. I thought everybody was running the alum heads on the 428. Do you know of anybody else running iron heads on a 428 ?

Ever know of anybody running a 428 in stock ? Or is the hp factor just too high ?

Re: Best Pontiac Powered Super Stockers
 

Roy and Mike McKinney had 2 good running super stockers a 68 firebird with a 16 head 400 and a forth gen firebird with the same combo. The 68 had the coolest pic floating around for the longest time of it straight up and bending the lic, plate.
Greg Meyer SS/GT 3592

Re: Best Pontiac Powered Super Stockers
 

About the only info I've found on the McKinney's is from this article about Truman Fields. I know that Mike later won the US Nats, in Truman's old Stocker.

http://www.risesales.com/pages/Dragr.../t_fields.html

Didn't know anything about their SS Pontiacs. Anybody have any more info or pics about those cars ?

Found this satement "...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. He's one very smart NHRA racer. You may remember his 1968 Firebird in the CompCams ad almost straight up at Indy..."

I DO know that Truman ran a '72 GTO in SS/K, for a while. The 2nd pic below says that he set a top speed record. Don't know if that was a track record or an NHRA record, or what. ?

Re: Best Pontiac Powered Super Stockers
 

I can’t figure out how to attach the photos.

Re: Best Pontiac Powered Super Stockers
 

Sorry for the dummy question, BUT, when I click on one of those links, it just opens to my computer's files.

So, what do I have to do to actually see the pics ?

I've got some pics of Art's car, with the old paint job & the new.

Re: Best Pontiac Powered Super Stockers
 

I just click on "Manage Attachments", then "Choose File", then it goes to the files in my laptop. I double-click on the one I wanna post, then click on "Upload". And, if it's not too big and you haven't used that exact pic here before, it will post.

Here's the "Packin Pancho". IHRA allowed hood scoops, as well as different carbs on some of their SS classes. The older guys that raced IHRA will remember those rules, I'm sure. We saw this car close up, at the "World Nationals", held in Amarillo, TX. I think the year was either '75 or '76.

I went to this race back in '73. I think it was still an NHRA race then, and called the World Finals, maybe. It was my very first race where there were LOTS of Nitro cars. I remember standing on the crosswalk, during the nitro time trials. It was an awesome experience I'll never forget. All the big name TF & Funny Cars were there. The crosswalk was shakin, & there was lots of noise & nitro fumes. Loved it ! :)

https://www.nhra.com/news/2018/time-machine-1973

Re: Best Pontiac Powered Super Stockers
 

While searching for GTO Stockers, I ran across some more GTO Super Stock pics. The 1st one looks to be an older pic of Art Perterson's '69. Has the same perm number & looks like it could be his name on the door.

A T-37 is almost a GTO. The 2nd pic is a '71 455HO T-37.

Last 2 are of Art's car with a different color. So I suppose the car has worn at least 3 different paint jobs.

Re: Best Pontiac Powered Super Stockers
 

Has anybody come up with any more info about any of Roy McKinney's SS cars ? :confused:

How about Bob Michael's SS stuff ? There's got to be some pics & info out there somewhere. We didn't take near all the pics of our racing that we should have. Just didn't seem that important, at the time. When you're young, you just don't realize what a few pics can mean to you, many years later.

I'll just give a couple of examples. We ran some bracket races on the front stretch, of the circle track, on the Louisiana State Fair grounds, in Shreveport, LA. TJ & I both won some of those. There were only a few races, then it was over. They soon plowed up that track, & it is only history now.

I remember going to the races there, during the fair. My favorite driver was Ernie Derr, who drove a 426 Hemi, before they outlawed 'em. Those races were never the same. The small blocks just did not shake the ground & sound like the Hemi's & 427 Fords. I recently found out that Ernie Derr had raced Pontiacs, earlier in his career, along with most other big time circle track drivers who were active in the early '60's. Before factory sponsorship was pulled from the Pontiac circle track teams, the Pontiac 389SD & 421SD engines pretty much ruled big time circle track racing. Then the 427 Ford & 426 Hemi took over, 'til the big engines were outlawed.

https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C...WSjC5AQ4dUDCAs

Anyhow, that track & the racing we saw & did on it are just memories now. I've managed to contact 2 guys who also raced with us there. Neither of them have pics either.

I also just remembered that we went to a Barbara Mandrel concert there. The stage was set up right in front of the grandstands. She was great. Sang & played every instrument on the stage. Still remember how much I Ioved those state fair corn dogs. Probably ate hundreds, thru the years. Probably never ate less than 6. I'd eat 'em while we were walkin thru the midway. When I finished one, I'd stop & buy another, 'til I was full. Yeah, I know. This has nothin to do with Pontiacs.

https://www.facebook.com/pg/ARKLATEX...d=115885772665

Re: Best Pontiac Powered Super Stockers
 

I think I still have a Nat. dragster write up on Arts car when it was painted like that somewhere

Re: Best Pontiac Powered Super Stockers
 

Been looking for McKinney pics no luck yet there use to be one on Fulper s web site

Re: Best Pontiac Powered Super Stockers
 

Yeah, I see these words, but the pic blocks are blank.

"...#1

The Very First.

Roy McKinney on the left did it in Gainsville. Fl at the Gator Nationals in 1997.

Ran 9.79 - a one time best ET..."

They're SS/IA has all other Pontiac powered SS/IA covered by more than six tenths.

That's his son Mike on the right.

DRC still has the 1998 archives on it's website. But it doesn't have 1997. Anybody know where results from the 1997 racing season can be found online ?

The McKinney name does not show up on the '97 Gator Nats SS list. Maybe they didn't go that year. Didn't see any Pontiac names on the list.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r1998#indextop

I did see some interesting names on the Stock list. #20 was Carol Yacavone, @ 1.000 under, in a '78 Bird.

Another was #29, John Rodnite, @ .944 under, in a '77 Lemans.

Another was #82, Bill Groton, in a '77 GP.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r1998#indextop

I'm guessing that some here will have info about the 1st car & driver. What about the others. Anybody know if these cars are still racing ? Can post info here or on the Pontiac Stocker thread.

Re: Best Pontiac Powered Super Stockers
 

Well, I did some more searching & found Roy McKinney's name on the 1998 Indy SS Q-list. He was driving a SS/IA '68 Bird.

He didn't quite make the 128 car field. He was #138, with a .566 under 10.434.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r1998#indextop

There is a public listing for Roy E. McKinney, in Richmond, IN. Shows a next of kin named Michael. Bound to be them. Phone & Email addresses listed. Anybody know them well enuff to contact them & get some details & possibly some pics too???

https://www.beenverified.com/people/roy-mckinney/in/

PS: Found some Mckinney '68 SS Bird pics. Posted em later in the thread.

Re: Best Pontiac Powered Super Stockers
 

Here are some of Jerry's cars. The 69 GTO was destroyed in a towing accident. I grew up watching the white LeMans at Eddyville and later the SS/IA Corvette. I never saw the Yellow wagon locally but remember it from Indy.
Bent

Re: Best Pontiac Powered Super Stockers
 

So, because of the hood scoops, I assume those cars must have been running AHRA or IHRA, or some other rules besides NHRA ?

https://www.dragzine.com/features/ca...pontiac-wagon/

Apparently the Judge set some nat records.

https://www.hemmings.com/blog/article/draggin-safari/

Any more info or pics of the white Lemans you mentioned.

Any more info on the wagon ? What was the last year it ran at Indy ? SS/KA seems like a pretty high class for a heavy wagon. So, was it 455 powered ?

Re: Best Pontiac Powered Super Stockers
 

Would really like some more info on that Stealy & Hamilton wagon. :confused:

I see several things that make this an old pic.

(1) It has Firestone slicks on it.

(2) It has solid Cragar Super Trick wheels on it.

(2) It has an H-O Racing Specialties decal on it.

(3) It has a Winston decal on it.

(4) It has a Crane decal on it. Don't think many have run any Crane stuff in a while.

(5) It has the old Competition Cams decal.

(6) Has an A-1 decal on it. Very few have used an A-1 converter in a while.

(7) Most of the other decals look old too. So, from what ya'll see, aprox what year would this have been ? My best guess would be somewhere between '75 & '85.

Re: Best Pontiac Powered Super Stockers
 

Let's talk about some SS Birds, beginning with the '67.

The only one I can think of belonged to Joel Larkin. I've also read that it was actually Pete McCarthy's car, which Joel drove. Anybody have any info about this car ?

https://www.facebook.com/SummitMotor...5869563098818/

Joel qualified for the 2013 Winter Nats at .497 under.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2013#indextop

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Jf3fJwJewo

Re: Best Pontiac Powered Super Stockers
 

Found a couple of more '67 SS Birds.

One was driven by Roy Gay. Didn't know Gay Pontiac sponsored a '67 SS Bird.

Re: Best Pontiac Powered Super Stockers
 

As with Stockers, there have probably been lots of '68 Bird Super Stockers. We've already mentioned the McKinney '68 Bird. Haven't seen any pics of it yet. But we saw that it just barely missed the 128 car Indy field.

So, who has info and/or pics of '68 Bird Super Stockers ? :confused:

I suppose this 1st one is sorta famous. It was in the Angeles & McCarthy Pontiac book. Frank Massina made an SS/AS car out of it.

http://findclassicars.com/pontiac/10...prostreet.html

Then there are 2 pics of Angeles & McCarthy '68 Birds. I assume that one of these is also in the 1st pic. The silver one may be a different car. Who knows the details of the cars in these first 3 pics ?

Found a pic of a Yellow Bird. It looks like a really old style small tire Super Stocker.

Also found a pic of a Joel Larkin '68. Assumed it was his '67, with different paint. But, a closer look revealed no vent windows.

Re: Best Pontiac Powered Super Stockers
 

I've already mentioned this one. But, since it is a '68, I'll mention it again & post more pics.

This is a rather unique combo. There are lots of earlier Pontiac engines running in later model GM bodies, under the GT rules.

But, this '68 bird is running a '74 350 Pontiac, with #46 heads.

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...5&postcount=57

So, if Larry Maxwell had Bill Rink's 350 engine, he could run it in his '68 Bird, in the same GT class he's running.

As mentioned, Larry's car is not real quick. I'm assuming that's because he doesn't wanna have to run big tires. A low power 350 should work great with 9" slicks. I just assume that his car is a former Stocker. Anybody know it's history ?

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...er=30#indextop

But, for anybody who wanted to, they could run the alum head 428, 455HO, or the popular '74 or '77 400 engines, or any other Pontiac V8. Obviously, bigger tires might be needed for the biggest engines.

Re: Best Pontiac Powered Super Stockers
 

While lookin thru my pics, I ran across this pic, of a SS/IA '68 Bird, I have labeled as Marty McKinney. Don't have a clue where I got it.

So, is this the same McKinney Bird we've been talkin about ? :confused:

Well, according to this thread, Marty is Mike's son. The poster said that Mike won SS at the '77 US Nats. But it was Stock that he won, in Truman Fields original Bird. The pics were from photobucket, so they don't work anymore(but I found it). The info is in posts #998948 & 998949. Photobucket has really messed up lots of car forums. :(

https://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads...tml#Post998948

Re: Best Pontiac Powered Super Stockers
 

Never a Stocker .Larry built it from pieces he had on hand after he sold his 455 cars.
It's just a mild combo that he foot brakes.

Don't forget about Larry's event winning 74 GTO for the other thread.

Re: Best Pontiac Powered Super Stockers
 

Larry's running GT/NA with his '68 bird, I'm running GT/QA with the '74 GTO. I have to weigh 3670 at the old rating of 250 HP. Next year the weight goes up to 3754 at 256 HP. Larry will weigh quite a bit less in GT/NA .

Re: Best Pontiac Powered Super Stockers
 

By the way, we both run 9" slicks.