Stan Welch - Stock Eliminator Pinto Racer

[Ellis V. Buth]

Slo stock, its nice to hear that you got out with the wagon. I hope it is running well.

As far as competitive Pinto's still in existence (outside of slo stock's car) there is one in D3 that is pretty competitive...and a stick shift to boot. It has not been in the 14's as some have suggested may be possible, but it has qualified at Indy every year since the rule changed to 128 quickest cars versus their index and some of those fields have been pretty stout.

[Pat Cook]

Originally Posted by bill dedman

If I remember right, that car was blindingly fast (for what itr was, LOL!)

He won Stck Eliminator at the NHRA Nationals back when it was a nearly new car, and if memory seves me correctly, went some 15.50's doing it.

I always wondered... with all the loosening of Stocker engine rules in the ensuing years, it seemed that almost nobody seemed to run any quicker than HE did, back in the day...

Anybody got any ideas on that???

At met Tom at the Ford Proving Grounds were I worked, pretty savy guy. When I met him he was the principal design engineer for the 2.3 engines.

[rawhide]

Originally Posted by Pat Cook

At met Tom at the Ford Proving Grounds were I worked, pretty savy guy. When I met him he was the principal design engineer for the 2.3 engines.

I talked with Tom several years ago at his business Rieder Racing. He is the main man at Precision Gear also.
regards, Roland

[Bench Racer]

Gotta love a Pinto!! I used to look at the Pinto at Indy "Brown wagon" and hoped it kicked all the stockers ***! If it is an odd ball combo or thinking out of the box I will like it !!! With NHRA's "new" INDY get in on monday set up, obscure or thinking out of the box combo don't have a chance. I used to love to see all the "odd ball combo's" in stock and super stock but that is water under the bridge. Don Jackson

[art leong]

Originally Posted by Bench Racer

Gotta love a Pinto!! I used to look at the Pinto at Indy "Brown wagon" and hoped it kicked all the stockers ***! If it is an odd ball combo or thinking out of the box I will like it !!! With NHRA's "new" INDY get in on monday set up, obscure or thinking out of the box combo don't have a chance. I used to love to see all the "odd ball combo's" in stock and super stock but that is water under the bridge. Don Jackson

There are still oddball combos out there that are giant killers. My 4 cylinder front wheel drive Neon took out a SS/AAA Cobra Jet at Belle Rose, in the first round of the combo automatic class. And he had a better light. This is a go fast race index to index, no shoe polish.

[Steve Lackey]

George always said he could hear the high revving engines catching him, then an instant squeal of tires braking.

[Jack Matyas]

I was lucky enough to be friends with Stan and "A" Welsh for about ten or so years in the Seventies when they lived near Langhorne , Pa - just outside of Philadelphia but lost track of them when they split up .Stan moved to Florida and worked at Moroso Motorsports Park and after that I lost track of him and sure would like to hear from him .

We attended many races up and down the East coast besides going to Kentucky for the Sportsnationals and then Indy - sure brings back many memories ........If you look at the picture of his Pinto SW behind it is my Dodge D600 2 car carrier that we put that wagon above the cab for long trips - plenty scary I can tell you .But his Pinto's were the best and set records many , many times .

And Stan being Stan brought his own "hot tub" to the Summernationals in 1974 .....A sure hit in July ! ! ! And the there was the "streaking " ..............we'll leave that story for another time ..................

[Hemi Moose]

Hot Tubs...so that's what those cheap plastic swimming pools were called back then.

[Hemi Moose]

Here's another pic...Buddy Ingersol's AA/MC Pinto 2.0 Turbo.

[bill dedman]

Originally Posted by Hemi Moose

Here's another pic...Buddy Ingersol's AA/MC Pinto 2.0 Turbo.

He (Buddy) acquired that car from two Ford factory engineers, one of whose name was "Arnold Corn," I believe. When the Ford guys had it, it won the 1978 or
79 Gas Coupe and Sedan Nationals at Rockford Dragway, (or, was it Cordova?) beating the vaunted "Wayne County Speed Shop" Corvette, (Modified Production car) in the Final. The crowd went wild!!!

It was turning mid elevens, then. Buddy took it to the mid-to-high nines!!! There were at least two others built, Butch Ball's car from the Pacific Northwest) and George Montgomery's similar car from Ohio, before NHRA got rid of the class.

All of those cars ran over 130 mph with a turbo'd, 2-liter motor and no water injection. I don't think they even had an intercooler, but not sure about that. Car Craft had a big (several pages) article about Buddy's car, with lots of technical information.

They ran 5-speed transmissions and pulled the wheels on every gear change! NHRA didn't do itself (or, us) any favors when thy axed the class.