Quote:
Originally Posted by BadBanana
I don't think they ever intended the Z-11 engine for the Big NASCAR. It never breathed that well at high rpms. It is possible that it would have worked at some of the shorter tracks; and it would have needed that single 4 bbl manifold. NASCAR would not have allowed the aluminum parts to be used. They had the mystery motor ready for Daytona about the same time as the new Z-11s were being delivered around the country. As I remember, there were 4 drivers at Daytona with mystery (porcupine head) engines; Johnny Rutherford, Rex White, Junior Johnson and Ned Jarret. From what I heard at the time, GM was under intense anti monopoly scrutiny by the government, and therefore GM decided to "pull the plug" on their racing activities to reduce the spotlight on them. That included not further supporting the Z-11 program with newer development for Drag racing but also their NASCAR programs. This all came to a head about the time of the Daytona 500, and GM (Chevrolet Racing) strategically played that race. At one point or another the mystery engines driven by those four racers all took turns coming to the fron for awhile and then fading back. They proved what they could do but did not want to win that race with that engine. After that race GM was pretty much out of racing for sometime and longtime Chevy Drag racers like Sox and Martin, Dyno Don Nicholson, Dave Strickler (Bill Jenkins), Hubert Platt, Gas Rhonda, Butch Leal, etc. all had to go elsewhere for a factory ride, either with Chrysler or Ford.
Dave Colbert - original Z-11 owner
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Dave,
Ned Jarrett ran a Ford at the 63 500. He finished third, last car on the lead lap. There were 7 Chevys in the 50 car field. Rutherford finished best in 9th place, 4 laps down. Rex White finished 14th, 6 laps down and Junior only ran 26 laps before misfortune came his way. I do not know who the fourth Chevy may have been but the next best known driver in a Chevy was G.C. Spencer. Jack Smith, Wendall Scott and Bubba Farr were the other Chevy drivers. Spencer led 21 laps and White led 4.
thanks and regards, Roland