1969,,A/SA,,63' Max Wedge vs. Street Hemi

[DeuceCoupe]

Originally Posted by Steve Stasko

They didn't vanish. If you're looking at records and results...remember, the Hemi and the lightweight Max Wedge's were both 426/425 hp...So they fell into the same class. A well tuned Hemi car should have been king over the MW cars in the same class anytime they ran.

Aluminum was banned for 1965 and later...but only on "new" production cars. 1964 and earlier cars are/were still legal with the aluminum body panels.

Steve, IIRC the Race Hemi was factored right away up to 480-505hp, somewhere in there. Otherwise, the Hemi would have run in AA/S with a wt/hp of 7.60 or so - same class as the Ford LWG Galaxie HiRiser. By factoring the Race Hemi, that put its wt/hp under 7.00, about 6.50 or so, and up into S/S class.


Now, if the MaxWedge was ALSO factored, it would be up there in S/S and lose to the Hemi. But everything I hear is, the MaxWedge was NOT factored and so its unfactored Wt/hp of 7.80-8.00 puts it into AA/S==7.00 class, right in there with the Ford LWG.


So my question stands!

[Steve Stasko]

Well, again, the Street Hemi was hitting the streets in late-'65 for 1966...those cars ran the same class as the MW cars.

As far as '64-65...a lot of focus on "match bash" stuff. Many of those cars were getting cut-up or parked. A lot of the same drivers who were running MW cars, got Hemi cars. Few drove two cars at one race.

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by Steve Stasko

They didn't vanish. If you're looking at records and results...remember, the Hemi and the lightweight Max Wedge's were both 426/425 hp...So they fell into the same class. A well tuned Hemi car should have been king over the MW cars in the same class anytime they ran.

Aluminum was banned for 1965 and later...but only on "new" production cars. 1964 and earlier cars are/were still legal with the aluminum body panels.

The 1965 Hemi Dodge and Plymouth S/S cars received thinner stamped steel front end fenders, hoods, bumpers and door metal when the Alum. parts were outlawed after 1964..

[Steve Stasko]

Max Wedge production ended when Hemi production started in 1964. It has been documented that a few people who ordered MW cars, received Hemi's...and weren't really pleased. Some soldiered on with success, others gave in early.

As far as what Paul posted above...not the best example. Jere Stahl was running mid-11's in 1966 with his Street Hemi Belvedere in A/S.

Why didn't Chrysler back the Max Wedge cars in Stock after '64? Why support something you're not selling...or even building anymore for that matter? While there were MW racers who did receive parts help from Chrysler after 1964...none were ever at the level of Sox or Landy with Chrysler support.

[DeuceCoupe]

Originally Posted by Steve Stasko

Max Wedge production ended when Hemi production started in 1964. It has been documented that a few people who ordered MW cars, received Hemi's...and weren't really pleased. Some soldiered on with success, others gave in early.

As far as what Paul posted above...not the best example. Jere Stahl was running mid-11's in 1966 with his Street Hemi Belvedere in A/S.

Why didn't Chrysler back the Max Wedge cars in Stock after '64? Why support something you're not selling...or even building anymore for that matter? While there were MW racers who did receive parts help from Chrysler after 1964...none were ever at the level of Sox or Landy with Chrysler support.

Thanks Steve it all kinda makes sense now.


Bear in mind though, A/S in 1966 was really more like SUPER stock rules - any cam, any intake - but just still on stock class tires. So Stahl's "street" hemi was quite a bit closer to a "race" hemi. Similarly, Grump's L79 Nova that "ran with" Stahl's hemi was far, far from a "stock class" L79, it was more like a full-on Super-Stock L79 and the result was a total screamer. The 1966 A/S rules were a lot more like next year's SS/BA=7.00 rules except for tires.