Best Pontiac Powered Stockers

[ss3011]

Back in 1975 or so I used to drive over to Lebanon Valley Dragway in upstate New York . They used to attract a few really top notch Stockers , including Gary Woods , W.A. Lee , and another guy I can't remember his name , but he had a 1971 GTO 455HO named the Brown Bear . He lived , I think , in Chickopee , Mass . That got me into getting in Stock , when I graduated College . Great memories , It would be cool if anyone remembers who ran the Brown Bear !

[Mark Yacavone]

Originally Posted by ss3011

Back in 1975 or so I used to drive over to Lebanon Valley Dragway in upstate New York . They used to attract a few really top notch Stockers , including Gary Woods , W.A. Lee , and another guy I can't remember his name , but he had a 1971 GTO 455HO named the Brown Bear . He lived , I think , in Chickopee , Mass . That got me into getting in Stock , when I graduated College . Great memories , It would be cool if anyone remembers who ran the Brown Bear !

Bob Beyer. Before that, he had a 61 Chevy 'vert. 348, stick. I/Stock..Sponsored by a Sunoco in West Springfield. He used to stop at Augie and Ray's in East Hartford on the way home from Ct Dragway..That's where I met him..over 50 years ago ;-)

[oldskool]

"...top notch Stockers , including Gary Woods..."


I assume you are referring to Gary Wood, who had the famous Tons-a-Fun wagons ? Can you provide any more info about Gary, or the other Pontiac racers you mentioned ?

Use to love the Tons-a-Fun wagon. But, it wasn't 'til I got online a few years back, that I actually learned more about his racing. The only wagon I had known of had the GTO type front end. Learned that there were actually 2 wagons. The other one had a Lemans front end. They ran both the 455HO & the 455 D-port engines. Also learned about his 2nd gen Bird & his '72 GTO.

Gary & his then wife Charlene, got some big race & class wins , including the '75 Spring Nats, & a nat event in Canada, IIRC. Their story is in this article, below the Jack Mullins section.

http://www.hotrod.com/articles/0212hpp-pontiac-history/

I know these pics have probably already been posted, somewhere in this thread. But, I'm not gonna go back thru it to find 'em.

Just learned that Charlene was recently inducted into the NHRA div 1 Hall of Fame ! How cool !

https://poststar.com/sports/motor-sp...6f163d76f.html

https://www.facebook.com/charlene.j.wood

https://www.hemmings.com/blog/articl...s-alive-in-75/

[oldskool]

More Gary Wood.

1st pic is of Gary makin a little smoke with his '72 GTO. One is for his class win, with Tons. And one is for his event win at the Summers, with the 2nd gen Bird.

[oldskool]

" Bob Beyer..."

Found Running Bear & Boppin Bear Pontiacs. But no Brown Bear.

Not familiar with the name or the car. Is he any kin to Ed Beyer ? I just read on the Jalopy Journal that Ed set a nat record with a '56 Pontiac.

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...0#post-5978822

Here's an interesting/strange post I just copied from the J.J. site.

"...I raced NHRA Stock class cars from 1963 to 1973. From 1950 Oldsmobiles to a F/S Amx.
But what did it in for me was this.
In 1973 NHRA started to use the "NET" horsepower ratings that the manufacturer was advertising.
I bought a new 1973 Pontiac Ventura 350 ( pontiac engine ) that was rated at 150 horsepower. It fit in Q/SA at the time. I had a set of dual exhaust installed with cut outs,a shift kit in the 350 Turbo hydramatic and 4.11 gears. I drove it to the first points meet and set the Q/SA mph record. Did the teardown, passed, put the head back on using the same head gasket and drove the car home and sold the car 2 weeks later. I have not been to a drag strip since..."

http://www.classracerinfo.com/Engine...1&MAKE=Pontiac

[ss3011]

Bob Beyer is the name . I bought some parts from him to put my 1971 Lemans wagon together . Brown Bear was the name on the car . Thanks Mark for the info . Gary Wood had the Tons of Fun wagon and I just had to have one after I saw it run . When I moved out to Michigan in 1979 it was the first car I bought , still have it .

[Dan Fahey]

Anyone running the OHC 6 cylinder?

[Mike Jones]

In and around the gas station where I worked in the late 1970`s, people got rid of those things, and I mean got rid of them, as fast as they could. Pretty rare piece these days, I imagine.
MJ

[oldskool]

Originally Posted by Dan Fahey

Anyone running the OHC 6 cylinder?

Nobody that I know of.

But, Knafel Pontiac ran 2. One was a ragtop.

According to the lettering on the cars, they may have set some sort of NASCAR record, in '66. Don't know how many years NASCAR did drag racing.

A search reveals that NASCAR stopped their drag racing program after the 1967 season. IIRC, Arnie Beswick won something at a NASCAR event, in Florida.

https://bangshift.com/bangshift1320/...nned-for-2016/

http://wediditforlove.com/1960Winters.html

And, how about an OHC six nat record holder gasser ?

https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C...67.vmKHaZhJZnk

[oldskool]

I think the Paul Dilcher Bird has been mentioned as one that ran pretty strong. Found this race where it was more than a sec under.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCStory.asp?ID=34434

Snagged a few pics off his FB page.