Best Pontiac Powered Super Stockers

[MR DERBY CITY]

So,....one more year and we are done ? Asking for a friend.....

[oldskool]

Originally Posted by MR DERBY CITY

So,....one more year and we are done ? Asking for a friend.....

Yeah, I'll be about done, UNTIL the 2020 Winter Nats !


I realize that LOTS, probably MOST, here don't give a flip about Pontiac powered race cars, or anything to do with Pontiacs or their history.

Their feelings about the subject, may be similar to mine, if somebody started a thread about the history of Chevy powered racing. There have been so many hundreds of thousands, most likely millions of Chevy powered drag cars, that I am really not interested in reading any more about 'em than I already know.

Just because I don't care to read more about Chevy power, doesn't mean I have anything against the people who race Chevy powered cars. Same goes for Ford & Mopar racers. There have been lots of famous Mopar racers. I remember one particular race we attended, where the announcer seemed to be extremely excited to have Ronnie Sox there, driving a factory Mopar, IIRC.

Over & over that day we kept hearing "Ronnie Sox" this, & "Ronnie Sox" that. Don't know how many times he said that name over the loud speaker. But. it was enuff that, thru the years, every time that name has ever come up, we both say"Ronnie Sox, Ronnie Sox, Ronnie Sox". From what I remember, Ronnie Sox was a great & famous Mopar Driver.

"...The first thing that caught my eyes was a staple of every media guide, a list of the sport's winningest drivers. Here was the score heading into 1972:

Ronnie Sox: 15
Don Garlits: 7
Gordon Collett : 7
Dave Boertman: 6
Gene Snow: 6
Don Prudhomme: 5
George Montgomery: 5
Ray Motes: 4
Don Nicholson: 4
Bill Jenkins: 4..."

I also remember "Miss Mighty Mopar", Judy Lilly. She won LOTS of races, in factory Mopars. But, since I'm a Pontiac guy, one of the best memories I have of Judy, is the fact that Jack Mullins beat her, with his Pontiac wagon, in the finals of the US Nats, in 1975 !

I suppose it's all just a matter of brand preference, for some. Then others just like drag racing & don't really care what brand the body or engine is. Different strokes.

[oldskool]

2019 contd.

@ LOS 3-3,Todd Frantz was #7 @ -.881. Don K. was #13 @ -.838. Greg Meyer was #33 @ -.768. Mike Morgan was #49 @ -.685.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2019#indextop

@ LOS 3-4, Todd Frantz was #3 @ -.944. Greg was #21 @ -.812.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2019#indextop

@ LOS 7-4, Brad was #20 @ -.807.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2019#indextop

@ LOS 7-5, Scott was #21 @ -.742. Son Brad drove his '72 Formy Stocker, in SS, & just barely ran under the SS/IA index, for the #49 position.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2019#indextop

At the Mile-high Nats, Carroll was #9 @ -.518. Billy Ingels was #10, also @ -.518.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2019#indextop

At the Sonoma Nats, Brad was #23 @ -.780.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2019#indextop

@ LOS 5-2, Robert was #16 @ -.768. Carroll was #34 @ -.647. Billy Ingels was #48 @ -.559.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2019#indextop

At the Northwest Nats, Brad was #8 @ -.748.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2019#indextop

@ LOS 1-4, John Agneta was #30 @ -.763. Bill K. Was #33 @ -.744.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2019#indextop

Bill got a 3rd place finish.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2019#indextop

@ LOS 1-5, Bill was #18 @ -.800. John was #17 @ -.795.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2019#indextop

@ LOS 3-5, Don K. was #4 @ - 1.007. Todd was #17 @ -.876. Casey McCarty was #24 @ -.849. Jack Good was #33 @ -.808.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2019#indextop

@ LOS 1-6, Bill was #16 @ -.744.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2019#indextop

At the Mopar Nats, Bill K. was #14 @ -.831.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2019#indextop

@ LOS 5-5, Robert was #8 @ -.938. Greg was #18 @ -.868. Carroll was #25 @ -.776. Bill Rink was #27 @ -.753. Scott was #32 @ -.713. Billy Ingels was #39 @ -.668.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2019#indextop

@ LOS 5-6, most of the same guys were there.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2019#indextop

At the Jegs Sports Nats, Bill Rink was #6 @ -.971. Todd was #15 @ -.894. Casey McCarty was #27 @ -.851. Jack Good was #57 @ -.646.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2019#indextop

@ LOS 1-7, Bill K. was #20 @ -.871.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2019#indextop

@ LOS 3-6, Bill Rink was #1 @ - 1.147. Todd was #9 @ -.953. Stacy McCarty was #34 @ -.696.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2019#indextop

@ LOS 7-6, Leo was #11 @ -.695. Larry was #33.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2019#indextop

@ LOS 2-6, Wilbert Thornton finished in the top half of the field, with a #31 @ -.795.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2019#indextop

At the Fall Vegas nat, Bill Rink was #4 @ - 1.142. Robert was #15 @ - 1.015. Brad was #29 @ -.923. Leo was #33 @ -.899.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2019#indextop

@ LOS 7-7, Bill Rink was #1 @ - 1.145. Robert was #6 @ -.978. Todd was #11 @ -.927. Scott was #29 @ -.861. Leo was #38 @ -.829. Larry was #85. Keri was #93.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2019#indextop

At the Pomona Finals, Robert was #7 @ -.933. Leo was #18 @ -.840. Art was #52.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2019#indextop

Well, that completes my scan of the DRC SS files, since 1998. Not even close to the total number of big races Pontiacs entered during those years. But, it does cover some of the quicker Pontiac SS cars, during the period.

And, some of 'em are still racing, as we'll soon see !

[oldskool]

Yes, I realize that MOST here are not interested, & will never look at hardly any of these results.

BUT, for those few who are, & for those who someday may be, the links are here. So, I suppose that as long as this site remains & keeps this thread, and as long as the links to the DRC files still work, anyone interested will be able to get a small glimpse into Pontiac V8 powered NHRA Super Stock drag racing, since 1998.

[oldskool]

I suppose that because I've seen so many Pontiac bodies, that came with a Pontiac engine, but were later swapped over to Chevy power, I especially like the little Cobalts, with 428 Pontiac power.

Robert Cruzen & Todd Frantz have both won class at Indy, with these little cars. The only pic I have of Todd's car even still shows it to have big Chevrolet letters on the windshield. Don't know if those letters were on the car after the Pontiac engine was installed or not.

Hey, maybe I can say it like some of the LS guys do on the car forums. It's a corporate GM engine. Hey, Pontiac V8 engines WERE used in some other GM brands. And, some 2nd gen Birds had Buick, Olds & Chevy engines as options, some years. So, maybe Buick, Olds, Pontiac & Caddy are all corporate GM engines, huh ? So, as long as it's a GM engine in a GM body, it's OK, right ?

Did a little more digging. It appears that the Todd Frantz Cobalt is the former "Indiana Johns" car, which won class at the 2014 US Nats, with a 346 engine. So, I don't know when or if Todd bought the car, nor who installed the 428, or when it was installed. Anybody have more info on this little Cobalt ? It appears that Todd may have driven one or more cars for Irvin Johns. I'm always interested in how a quick Chevy powered Chevy becomes a quick Pontiac powered Chevy !

http://mrsuperstock.blogspot.com/sea...portsNationals

[Mike Jones]

My machinist friend passed away unexpectedly over the summer. His widow sold off most of his equipment. Customers have received their parts back and the shop is almost empty. I don't know exactly what is left, but there is a cache of Pontiac stuff unclaimed. If anyone is interested, PM me.
Mike
A114

[Mark Yacavone]

Originally Posted by oldskool

Hey, Pontiac V8 engines WERE used in some other GM brands. And, some 2nd gen Birds had Buick, Olds & Chevy engines as options, some years. So, maybe Buick, Olds, Pontiac & Caddy are all corporate GM engines, huh ? So, as long as it's a GM engine in a GM body, it's OK, right ?

Somebody passed off a bunch of jive with this "corporate engine" stuff.
I'm still looking for the Chevrolets that came with real Pontiac V8's, or Buick, Olds V8's, for that matter. Also, Cads that came in anything else other than a Caddy?

[oldskool]

Originally Posted by Mark Yacavone

Somebody passed off a bunch of jive with this "corporate engine" stuff.
I'm still looking for the Chevrolets that came with real Pontiac V8's, or Buick, Olds V8's, for that matter. Also, Cads that came in anything else other than a Caddy?

Yeah, IIRC, the 1st time I heard the term was back in the early '80's, when the 301 Pontiac engine was no longer offered in a Pontiac Firebird. Instead, the 305 sbc was offered. Some would call it a "corporate engine" because it was used in several different GM brands.

But, to me & other old school Pontiac guys, the 3rd gen Birds were nothing but dolled up Camaros, that looked better. But, since there is room for a Pontiac V8, in a 3rd gen Bird, they make great Pontiac powered GT cars !

I assume that most here know about the late 2nd gen Bird engine options. Besides Pontiac engines, there were the Buick V6, Olds 403, & Chevy 305, just to name a few. Earlier Pontiacs had a Chevy inline six, and a 307 Chevy. Both Olds & Buick 350's were also used in '70's Pontiac models.

I don't have a clue about Caddy engines, except that a 472 Caddy engine pulled my GTO, by tow-bar, to the tracks, in 1973. And, my trans guy told me that the TH400 sprag I needed was a GM part designed for, but not limited to, TH400's used behind 500 cube Caddy engines.

In '79, the Pontiac 301 was used in several Buick models. I don't know ALL the different engine options in ALL GM models in ALL years. But I think I can safely say that SOME GM engines were used in several different GM brands. Is that a statement that all here can agree with ???

Well hey, many of you guys already know all this stuff. So, the term "corporate engine" has been around for a long time & obviously means different things to different people. That's all I have to say about corporate engines.