Fast Muscle Pure Stock Style
Evan J Smith
The roots of Stock Class drag racing dates back to the early 1960s, where racers tweaked factory muscle cars by blueprinting the engines and dialing in the tune for the best quarter-mile performance. Stock and Super Stock racing grew in the early 1970s and today these classes provide a home for 50 years worth of American muscle. And while the current crop of “factory stockers” provides thrilling performance with giant wheelstands and near 7-second runs, there are thousands of drivers putting the pedal to the metal with classic ’60s and ’70s muscle cars such as Road Runners, Camaros, Chevelles, Mustangs, and many other combinations.
Recently, we had the chance to watch a more pure form of Class racing at the Eastern Mopar Classic at Maryland International Raceway, where a group of Factory Appearing Stock Tire (FAST) and Pure Street racers took to the track with some of the coolest cars around.
The FAST/Pure Stock cars are comprised of 1955 to 1974 American Muscle Cars that fit the bill of appearing stock, utilizing showroom-like bodies, engine compartments, and interiors—and they run on G60 tires—but they produces times from 12s to 9s.
In fact, there are a few versions (or classes) within the FAST series, from the mild Pure Stockers to the more radical FAST cars. As you might expect, the Pure Street cars are heavily restricted to basic blueprinting of the engine, transmission and rear. In contrast, the full-blown FAST cars feature immensely modified, yet stock looking, engines with extra displacement and compression.
All these beasts wear stock carbs, intakes, and log-style exhaust manifolds, most even have a stock stance and wheels and tires. But racers have figured out how to find traction on the small G60 bias-ply tires with suspension tricks and crafty driving. We did notice most of the FAST cars were riding on shaved G60s where the Pure Street cars had much more tread.
Unlike the typical NHRA Stocker that blasts off the line at wide-open throttle with the front wheels dangling, these cars seemed to take a bit more finesse to get off the line. The suspensions allowed lift in the front and squat in the back, and most of the guys used driving techniques to keep those small street tires planted.
Elapsed times ranged from the 12s to the 9s, with Dave Dudak producing the quickest pass of the event with his 1969 Hemi Road Runner (9.90/140 mph). Another notable was Scott Tiemann, who clicked off the first 9-second pass for a Pontiac. Tiemann ran 9.99 at 136 with Rick Mahoney’s 1968 Ram Air II Firebird. No standard RA II, this one has 511 cubes, 15:1 compression and ported heads and intake. But it does use a 800 cfm Q-Jet, Turbo 400 and it tips the scale at 3,385 lbs.
Muscle car fans can check out the FAST group of muscle car racers can be at select NMCA events including the NMCA Superbowl of Drag Racing, and the All-American Muscle Car Supernationals. And you can get more information at www.nmcadigital.com and www.fastdrags.com).
great series, heads up racing ,whats better then that. yes it can be costly,and getting the car to work with in rules, and running as fast as they do and using a factory stock type and size tire,and running cast iron manifolds,with a 2.5 exhaust system, you have to do your home work,and a great challenge.