Evolution of Stock Eliminator tire rules

[GTOMayhem]

What was the timeline concerning the change in tire rules from 7 inch to the current 9 inches? I am considering a nostalgia Jr Stocker build and it seems none of the 7 inch tires that are currently available are as tall as the ones from the late 60s.

Rick Thomason
GTO Mayhem

[impstocker]

I believe that change came in 1972 when they created new rules for a real "pure stock" Stock Eliminator and put the then Stockers into a new Super Stock Eliminator. So the Stocke Eliminator that we have today evolved from those new "pure stocks"

I was only 10-12 then but I think I am pretty good with this stuff

Today I am building a 1965 Impala Stocker I/SA 396/325 It would seem to be a Modified car from 1971 with all tha stuff we are allowed to do (or get away with?)

I gave the car a Nostalgia paint job since i will also be racing in a Nostalgia Program too.
( N.E.T.O. ) Northeast Timing Organization

All metalflake too!

Will Lamprecht

[impstocker]

PIcture of the car are in my Class Racer Build section.

http://classracer.com/classforum/showthread.php?t=48228

Will

[Charlie A]

[Jeff Teuton]

I remember stock factory tires in the late 50's, then the hot setup was the Atlas Bucron which was part of now Exxon (Standard Oil, ESSO, etc) and it worked but was only 4 inches wide and had a life of about 2 races. It was butyl rubber if I remember. Then the 7 inch tires and M & H was the hot setup, and they had different combos, and we actually got a pair of unmarked and unnumbered and the burnout made noticeably darker marks. That was on a 67 El Camino 396/375 B/S. And there were several recap slicks, I think Casler slicks were caps. And along the 70's came the 9 in tires till today I think. But my memory is a little weak.

[Mark Yacavone]

7 '" tires went away in 1972 , with the new "pure" Stock classes and the revamped SS.
Stock had to run DOT tires. (any size that fit under the quarter panel)
That lasted from 72 through 74, I believe.
9" slicks were allowed in 1975. Some guys had 7 inchers stashed away and continued to use the until they were gone.
Untubbed SS cars used 9 or 10.5s until about the late 70's when 14 x32's were allowed ,with tubs.

[oldskool]

"...Stock had to run DOT tires. (any size that fit under the quarter panel)
That lasted from 72 through 74, I believe..."

Continuing to comb back thru the Nostalgia section. Since I started racin Stock, @ local tracks, in '73, I MAY be able to add something to this.

In '73, we had to run the DOT tires, as mentioned. Now we're not talkin about the soft compound DOT tires of recent years. I ran M&H Racemaster DOT tires. But they were HARD.

BUT, for '74, we were allowed some M&H tires which I called "cheater slicks". They were basically soft compound wrinkle wall slicks, but with 2 very small grooves. They ended my traction problems & instantly dropped my ET 1/2 sec.

Below are pics of the hard tires I ran in '73, and some pics I pulled up of tires that look exactly like what I remember running in '74. They were a 1-year item only, IIRC. Ran 9" slicks after that. Ran wheel screws in all of 'em. Probably didn't need any with the hard tires.

Notice in the last pic there is a piece of channel iron between 2 trees. That was my engine pullin rig. Borrowed my Dad's chain falls & hooked to the channel. I'd pulled the engine out of my Goat & put it in a '68 Bird, for my girlfriend to get started racing.

Dad also let me use one small section of our covered carport, which had a nice slab. Had to crawl in the dirt to pull & install engines, but could roll around on a creeper after the engine was in. Hey, you gotta start somewhere.

Later that year Dad signed for a loan to build me a nice shop. That was MUCH better !