Ray Allen versus Jack Werst '1970 SS/EA Showdown'

[Bobby Zlatkin]

Paul, I see you're a real historian of the 60's (and early 70's) factory's top offerings.

I was at the Gator's one year in the early 70's and saw the blue '71 Corvette LS6 (can't believe I can't remember his name) in SS/DA class elim. Also a Truppi-Kling car. There was a bunch of Chyrsler engineers there and a bunch of Mopar street hemi entries there. The Corvette pulled away from every Chrysler that he ran and won class. SS/DA was one of the most popular classes back then.

Right after that the Corvette was moved into SS/CA.

Gosh, I wish we could go back to those times. But I guess the new factory entries are where it's at now.

[Bobby DiDomenico]

[QUOTE=Bobby Zlatkin;272542]Paul, I see you're a real historian of the 60's (and early 70's) factory's top offerings.

I was at the Gator's one year in the early 70's and saw the blue '71 Corvette LS6 (can't believe I can't remember his name) in SS/DA class elim. Also a Truppi-Kling car. There was a bunch of Chyrsler engineers there and a bunch of Mopar street hemi entries there. The Corvette pulled away from every Chrysler that he ran and won class. SS/DA was one of the most popular classes back then.

Right after that the Corvette was moved into SS/CA.QUOTE]

I recall Bernie Agaman breaking half shafts a lot and getting bigger tubes each time, same guy?

[Dennis P Chapman]

Originally Posted by Bobby Zlatkin

Paul, I see you're a real historian of the 60's (and early 70's) factory's top offerings.

I was at the Gator's one year in the early 70's and saw the blue '71 Corvette LS6 (can't believe I can't remember his name) in SS/DA class elim. Also a Truppi-Kling car. There was a bunch of Chyrsler engineers there and a bunch of Mopar street hemi entries there. The Corvette pulled away from every Chrysler that he ran and won class. SS/DA was one of the most popular classes back then.

Right after that the Corvette was moved into SS/CA.

Gosh, I wish we could go back to those times. But I guess the new factory entries are where it's at now.

That was Bernie Agaman at the gators in 1976 he broke a half shaft. He was running SS/CA by then that was a fast car.

[Bobby Zlatkin]

Yes, Bernie Agaman. I drew a blank on that.

I'm sure that had a lot to do with NHRA finally allowing Corvettes to use solid axles.

We had a customer with a '79 stock Corvette that we installed a crate LS6 into (You used to be able to buy them in the late '80's for around $2,500). Turbo 350 trans, stock torque converter & 3.55 gears. Every couple of weeks he'd bring by his lastest half shaft failure, that he'd twisted like a pretzel, to show us. Of course he drove it like an animal.

[Rich Biebel]

Ralph used to dig thru the class guide book looking for combos that sat right on the class weight break.....

The Chevelle was an example......and it had some favorable engine specs..... and I think the LS-6's still do....

I can't recall ever seeing an open chamber head with the CC's they are listed at form the factory.....

( We machined a number of sets for Ralph some years after the Chevelle where I worked)


Those early days of SS racing were great

[Geerhead55]

I wonder how long Bernie ran that Corvette? I recall seeing it at the 1975 NHRA World Finals at Ontario Motor Speedway in California, so I know he ran it for a few seasons. It was an impressive piece alright.
Danny Durham

[Jess Suter]

So, who drove the superbird since Jack drove a A Cuda at Indy?

[FINESPLINE]

I believe another Corvette out of the Truppi-Kling barn was driven by Claude Urevig. May have been the same 71.

[BadBanana]

Ray's Chevelle was a great class car. Of course, that weight brake later got put into SS/FA and the 427 Camaro's became Chevy's entry in SS/EA,
Ray was a good friend, as well as the whole Truppi-Kling group, Ralph Truppi, who I considered a best friend, past a couple of years ago, and I didn't find out about it until the Gators in 2010.
I first met them, Ralph, Tommy Kling and Ray when they ran in F/S class against the original Bad Banana, owned by Ted Hartman (which I drove). They had a 58 Chevy 348 that ran in the class and we ran against them and Gere Stahl, in his 56 Chevy from Cordia Chev. in East Haddem, CT in 1964 when we set the class record. Ralph, Tommy and ray then built a car just like the Bad Banana and called it the terrible Tangerine.
Those were the greatest days for Stock ans Super Stock in my opinion.
Dave Colbert

[Dennis P Chapman]

Originally Posted by Geerhead55

I wonder how long Bernie ran that Corvette? I recall seeing it at the 1975 NHRA World Finals at Ontario Motor Speedway in California, so I know he ran it for a few seasons. It was an impressive piece alright.
Danny Durham

I know after he sold the vette he ran a monza in pro stock then ran it in comp for sometime. The monza was 79 or 80 if I remember after that I thing he retire may be of on the year was a long time ago. But Rich was right S/S was the best back then glad I was there to see it.