27 In-Your-Face Muscle Car Launches
Evan J. Smith
27 In-Your-Face Muscle Car Launches
Stock and Super Stock cars went wheels-up at the recent NHRA Amalie Gatornationals
East coast race fans got a taste of the hard-charging Stock and Super Stock cars that invaded Gainesville Raceway March 17-20 for the 2016 NHRA Amalie Gatornationals. The famed Florida track was packed with over 150 Class cars, including the new-generation Ford Mustang Cobra Jets, Dodge Drag Pak Challengers and Chevrolet COPO Camaros running in the SAM Tech Factory Stock Showdown. Two dozen racers battled for a spot in the heads-up quick 8 showdown, which was ultimately won by David Barton in a COPO Camaro.
Stock and Super Stock at Gainesville showcased a wide variety factory Muscle Cars, from the classics, to a few odd-ball combos. The search for horsepower is never ending, and the on-track results are always thrilling. It’s common to see loud burnouts, extreme launches and insanely quick elapsed times. Extracting maximum power from predominately stock small-and big-block engines is the name of the game, and racers constantly refine and test to improve performance.
It’s not uncommon to see engines making 200 (or more) horsepower over the factory rating, be it an old 327, or a modern supercharged LS. You’ll see all your favorites from the 1960s and 1970s, plus you’ll catch a bunch of popular 1980s machines like the Fox-body Mustang, G-body GM cars, and F-body Camaros and Firebirds to name a few. In addition, Stock and Super Stock is packed with the factory Super Cars such as the aforementioned supercharged COPO Camaros, CJ Mustangs, and Drag Pak Challengers, all of which utilize EFI technology to produce over 1,000 horsepower.
Whether it’s a ’69 Camaro, late-model Mustang or a classic Mopar, Stock and Super Stock entries are first-class race cars, accentuated by fantastic paint schemes, the latest in lightweight wheels and a big cackle from the pipes. They also accelerate like crazy, blast off serious wheelies and rocket to quick elapsed times—some as quick as mid-8s at 160 mph. So hold on, and check out our wild gallery of fantastic flyers.