13's, 14's vs. 9's , 10's

[Mark Yacavone]

I wanted to bring this one up here where more folks would see it and comment.



http://classracer.com/classforum/showthread.php?t=75812

Originally Posted by Billy Nees

I can't help but notice how well a bunch of "lower class" Stockers did back then. What happened?

(personal opinion to follow)

[GTX JOHN]

My son in his High School Days did pretty fair......Finished 3rd in Div 7 AND
went to AllStars. He raced a 78 Aspen Wagon N/O/P 318 (Around 2011)

I still race it when I do not feel good enough to race the faster cars.
I got runner up at Sonoma (2018).

12 Seconds of total abject Boredom........

Then a Second of Complete Panic!

[Dave Noll]

Back then I wasn't class racing, but in 85, 86 when I was bracket racing a 68 Belvedere with a Slant 6 running 18's - 19's was when I had the most success. What I heard the most was that people couldn't stand just sitting there watching me get away & would redlight or sleep. A lot of people hated that car. Took it to the bracket finals in 86 & runner upped in the ROC to Worm.

[Alan Nyhus]

Originally Posted by Mark Yacavone

I wanted to bring this one up here where more folks would see it and comment.

http://classracer.com/classforum/showthread.php?t=75812

(personal opinion to follow)

Wasn't the one-tenth-breakout rule in effect, then? -Al

[Dwight Southerland]

Zero breakout allowed in 1974 except for heads-up run.

[Alan Nyhus]

Originally Posted by Dwight Southerland

Zero breakout allowed in 1974 except for heads-up run.

Thanks for clarifying, Dwight. Do you remember what years the one-tenth breakout was in effect? Thanks! -Al

[Dwight Southerland]

Just an observation that 1974 was before 9" slicks were allowed in Stock eliminator, so the lower class cars tended to have a traction advantage especially considering changing tracks and weather. That may have had a heavy influence on the popularity of lower classed cars. I know it did for me. Higher horsepower cars had problems being consistent.

[Bob Bender]

My 73 Z/S Vega won a lot. 16.30 average

[Billy Nees]

Originally Posted by Mark Yacavone

(personal opinion to follow)

I've been holding my breath waiting for YOU!

[Mark Yacavone]

Okay..Story time, boys and girls

Let's start with the Jr. Stock era. 13 to 16 second cars were quite popular then. Car Craft and other mags did many articles on them . The average working guy ,who couldn't afford a new muscle car, could get together with his buddies and build a lower class car in his driveway.
Some of these guys did quite well at the national events too. Names like Boertman, Hedworth, Barkley, Ripes, Neja, and Dilcher come to mind.

Starting in 1972 , NHRA threw a monkey wrench into the works. Jr Stockers were pushed into Super Stock. New indexes were created, which were to become new national records.
Still , if your lower class car got a decent break, you could do alright in eliminations.
At the 72 Summernationals, the last three remaining SS cars were Larry Nelson, winner (SS/T), Anthony Cieri , runner up (SS/Q) , and yours truly, (SS/PA) Not a traditional, fast SS car in sight.

Next, we come to the flat out era of 1975-76. With no breakout in effect, we saw lots of "index beaters" of the slower persuasion

Sometime later on, NHRA started handing out a bunch of free tech goodies. The indexes were not lowered, correspondingly . Eventually, the whole field could run under and just dial it in. I'll call this the "ET racing" era.
A few guys with 10 second cars began to do quite well, in leave second, come from behind mode. It became an unwritten rule that you had to be a chaser in this style of racing. More and more 9 and 10 second cars appeared on the scene.

It is my opinion that , if a guy can afford to go to 7-8 divisionals, that many nationals, and chase points, he can probably afford a fast car too. Why not? It's more fun, plus we know now, you can't win anything with those slow things..Right, Billy?