[Rich Biebel]

The National record for I/SA in 1966 was 14.78 and it was set at Half Moon Bay on the west coast IIRC. John Barkley, I think it was....'57 Chevy with a P/G. I assume he had some converters not readily available even back then. I don't know that for a fact but he was teamed up with Marv Ripes on some cars and it would make sense. Half Moon Bay was said to be a very fast track....like many here in the east....

Most P/G cars did not run as fast as the hydro equipped SD's...and once people saw the hydros run many were built to take advantage of that loophole..

My friend and I assembled a '57 Sedan Delivery with a 283/220 and a hydro. It was a project someone else started. We got it and put it together....We raced it locally mostly.....but did go to Indy that year.

I think we ran a best of around 14.80 in 1966 or just into the 14.70's....

I used to joke to my friend who mostly drove that car....If you lose to a P/G car don't come back....!

We built another car in 1969-1970 and at first planned on racing it with an automatic trans. We did not realize at the time only a P/G was legal and rather than run it with the lowly P/G we ran it with a manual trans....

By 1970 P/G converters were good enough that a 2 speed could run as fast as a 3 speed......

I always regretted NOT racing what we built with one. I would have spent a lot less time trying to fix things I think....