Just a litttle Bench Racing

[Bench Racer]

I was sitting around thinking about some of the old cars you never see anymore and the little Pontiac T-1000 that ran in SS/FC back in the day with a Iron Duke was one of my favorites. I used to get a kick of of watching it get chased to the finish line and always pulled for it to win. The car ran an automatic and sounded like a jar full of mad hornets going down the track. Does anyone have any information on the car, or if it is still being campained. It was the only "chevette" I saw running in a class but I didn't get to any NHRA races till the 1990's. Looks like it the the stock weight break for for a 1979 Chevette 97ci rated at 80hp is on the W/Stock weight break. Did anyone ever try one as a stocker? Thanks in advance for any info. Don Jackson

[Terry Cain]

Yep, The guy who owns that is Larry Nelson. I spoke with him a little while back. He still has the car.

[Tom keedle]

I THINK I know where one is sitting....should go check sometime BUT an iron duke in a chevette/t-1000?
not OEM if I remember correctly...could you transplant one in legally?

[Nitro Joe Jackson]

Bob Wollett's son still has Bob's Olds that he raced in SS/FC
RIP Bob

[Bench Racer]

Tom, if my memory is correct it ran a Holly 2 bbl and I think a glide. It had to be leaving "way up there" on a 7" converter and the rpm note sounded pretty much the same all the way down the track.The slicks looked pretty narrow like something off a dragbike. The car would run in the 110mph range and got some serious spots. I can't remember if back then IHRA had the car in Superstock or Modified Production but im leaning toward Modified because it got chased by some very quick cars.

[Nitro Joe Jackson]

I know Wollett had a weber fuel injection setup on his iron duke motor setup

[Bench Racer]

CLASSES LBS. PER CUBIC INCH Class AC .............15.00 to 16.49 Ibs. Per cubic inch, includes rotary engines.

Class BC .............16.50 or more pounds per cubic inch Class CC .............18.50 or more Ibs. Per cubic inch, American production, front engine.

Class DC .............15.00 to 17.99 Ibs. Per cubic inch, 4-or 6-cyl. Front wheel drive only.

Class EC .............18.00 or more Ibs. Per cubic inch, 4-cyl. Front wheel drive only.

Class FC ..............For 4-cyl. American built cars with a maximum displacement of 165 cu. In. Minimum weight with driver is 2,400 Ibs. For automatic and 2,500 for manual transmissions.

ENGINE

CARBURETION: A through F: Any carburetion or fuel injection may be used; 6-cylinder in D class limited to 4-bbl American production carb, 600 cfm maximum accepted by IHRA.

ENGINE: Must be same engine as originally equipped; 155 or less in A, B, C, 230 c.i. or less (original production) in D and E with stock production head for original engine; D and E limited to steel valves. May have two camshafts in original location, maximum four valves per cylinder. Any other internal modifications allowed; D and E limited to stock stroke and flat tappet or stock cam followers only. Dry sump oil system permitted. Dualport VW heads permitted on any year VW engine. Rotaries are classified at 2.2 times advertised cubic inches. Displacement determined by rotor housing width. No peripheral port engines. Class F Corporate engines permitted. Balancing, porting, polishing and sleeving of engines allowed. Engine block and cylinder heads must be OEM or over-thecounter items offered by the original manufacturer with unaltered casting numbers and accepted by IHRA. The use of a cast iron harmonic balancer is prohibited. Units meeting SFI Spec 18.1 mandatory.

Just found this from the IHRA rule book. SS/FC corporate engines permitted. The original engine was 97ci, think the Duke was 151. I didn't think that 97 incher would run that good with a bottle hid somewhere lol. IHRA list the SS/FC index as a 12.55. I remember hearing rumors in the pits that he had a block of wood under the throttle to slow it down, don't know if that was true or not. Don Jackson

[Bench Racer]

Nitro didn't NHRA move the "compact" classes into altered or gas??

[Jim Caughlin]

Modified Compact classes were eliminated a few years ago and three of the classes were absorbed in Modified Stock. With a few minor exceptions SS/ES is pretty much what what was SS/FC. SS/FS is what was SS/BC, The front wheel drive class that was SS/GC is now SS/GS.

[Terry Witzel]

Originally Posted by Nitro Joe Jackson

Bob Wollett's son still has Bob's Olds that he raced in SS/FC
RIP Bob

Before the Olds, Bob had the old Ray Stover 'Kathy's Clown' firebird with the iron duke. I believe Stover was winner or runner-up at the Springnationals one year with it.