Indy 62 Pics

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by BadBanana

At the '62 Nationals the 409s, 413s and 406 (Fords - was it 406s or 390s with 401 hp, at that time?) and Big Pontiacs (389 tri-power???) ran in Super Super /Stock (SS/S). While the 413 (Ramchargers, Golden Commandos, Flying Dutchman, etc. ) might have been faster, the 409s took SS/S and Top Stock Eliminator as well as B/FX (in a '62 BelAir) version of the '63 Z-11) Hayden Proffitt, Dave Strickler, Dyno Don and Butch Leal were the fast 409s. I was also there with mine but was a young kid and way out to lunch at that time. If my memory serves me, I believe Hayden won SS/S with a 12.82; Dave Strickler won Top Stock and Dyno Don won B/FX - but don't hold me to it.
The Super Stockers; Gas Coupe and Sedans; and Top Fuelers were about equal in fan appeal at that time. There were no Funny Cars yet. The normally aspirated Gassers all ran Isky 505 Magnum cams ( I believe that was for .505 valve lift). Then Isky introduced the 555Magnum.
The Top Fuelers were, of course all front engined and the slicks were only about 11" wide and burned (smoked) almost the entire 1/4 mile. At that time, the "Engineers" predicted the Fuelers would never exceed 175 MPH because of the maximum possible tire to ashphalt coefficient of friction - but then " what do engineers know?" Flag starts, of course......... there was a way to trick most flagmen into lifting the flag but not the good ones !!!
The real reason the 409s beat the 413s (even though I am a Chevy man) was because they decided to run SS/S round-robin. Once the Class runoffs started they kept coming back to the line until it was over and noone was allowed to open their hood. The 413s were affected more than the 409s. "And THAT'S the rest of the story" !!!

The Fords were 406's, the Pontiacs were dual quad 421 SD's at 405 HP, Strickler won SS/S class and Hayden won the overall eliminator on Monday with a 12.83 ET running against Jim Thortons 413 Dodge. Hayden paid Strickler back during the mondays run offs and flipped him "The Bird" in the traps. Pay backs for beating Hayden for class.....LOL. Hayden told me himself about the bird flpping incident.

[BadBanana]

OK, I guess I got those two backwards - but I knew they both won one of those categories and I even got the e.t. within .01. I was going off my memory from almost 50 years ago.
Dave Strickler was not very mechanical, but a great driver - in the mold of Ray Allen; or visa versa, as Dave was there first. Dave used to like to lay on the beach and tan while Jenkins was the mastermind. My favorite of all those guys was Dyno Don Nicholson, even after he switched over to the Comets. I almost bought his Comet Wagon from him; but I was in the service at the time and wouldn't have had the time - he eventually let "Fast" Ed Schartman drive it.

Those were the very BEST days in Super Stock - and the fans loved it !!!

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by BadBanana

OK, I guess I got those two backwards - but I knew they both won one of those categories and I even got the e.t. within .01. I was going off my memory from almost 50 years ago.
Dave Strickler was not very mechanical, but a great driver - in the mold of Ray Allen; or visa versa, as Dave was there first. Dave used to like to lay on the beach and tan while Jenkins was the mastermind. My favorite of all those guys was Dyno Don Nicholson, even after he switched over to the Comets. I almost bought his Comet Wagon from him; but I was in the service at the time and wouldn't have had the time - he eventually let "Fast" Ed Schartman drive it.

Those were the very BEST days in Super Stock - and the fans loved it !!!

I agree....It WAS the best of times to be racing (super Stock) SS/S. It was the last year ever for all of the factories to be racing HEADS UP with a car you could buy right off the show room floor. 1963 was a Dodge, Plymouth, and Ford only show. The Dodge and Plymouths were approx 200 to 300 pounds liter than the fiberglass front end Fords yet still ran in the same wt. break for S/S so guess who won. The Z-11 Chevy's were pushed into A/FX and the Pontiacs ran B/FX.

[Geerhead55]

Originally Posted by BadBanana

At the '62 Nationals the 409s, 413s and 406 (Fords - was it 406s or 390s with 401 hp, at that time?) and Big Pontiacs (389 tri-power???) ran in Super Super /Stock (SS/S). While the 413 (Ramchargers, Golden Commandos, Flying Dutchman, etc. ) might have been faster, the 409s took SS/S and Top Stock Eliminator as well as B/FX (in a '62 BelAir) version of the '63 Z-11) Hayden Proffitt, Dave Strickler, Dyno Don and Butch Leal were the fast 409s. I was also there with mine but was a young kid and way out to lunch at that time. If my memory serves me, I believe Hayden won SS/S with a 12.82; Dave Strickler won Top Stock and Dyno Don won B/FX - but don't hold me to it.
The Super Stockers; Gas Coupe and Sedans; and Top Fuelers were about equal in fan appeal at that time. There were no Funny Cars yet. The normally aspirated Gassers all ran Isky 505 Magnum cams ( I believe that was for .505 valve lift). Then Isky introduced the 555Magnum.
The Top Fuelers were, of course all front engined and the slicks were only about 11" wide and burned (smoked) almost the entire 1/4 mile. At that time, the "Engineers" predicted the Fuelers would never exceed 175 MPH because of the maximum possible tire to ashphalt coefficient of friction - but then " what do engineers know?" Flag starts, of course......... there was a way to trick most flagmen into lifting the flag but not the good ones !!!
The real reason the 409s beat the 413s (even though I am a Chevy man) was because they decided to run SS/S round-robin. Once the Class runoffs started they kept coming back to the line until it was over and noone was allowed to open their hood. The 413s were affected more than the 409s. "And THAT'S the rest of the story" !!!

I'm thinking those "engineers" must've been living in the backwoods far away from civilization, and certainly any race tracks in '62, because the Greek had already posted his controversial 200mph run in'60,, and Kalitta and Garlits also had such runs by then, which they even talked about a couple weeks back during the US Nationals coverage that was on ESPN2. By '62 I believe, 180 was commanplace among the top runners around the country. Good thread by the way, fellas.
Danny Durham