Whither the 425/427 decicion....

X-TECH MAN · 05-23-2009, 10:49 AM

[QUOTE=SS Engine Guy;

X-Techman did you sleep in the truck at the mall in '78 so you wouldn't loose your place in the tech line?

.[/QUOTE]

Accually I was on my "HONEY MOON"....lol and I slept at a motel. Its been so long ago that I dont remember if the tech line was at the track or a shopping center as some of the races kind of run together after 30+ years. I do remember running Phil Hardee (a Bobby Warren preped car) in the final. We both had 350 SS/IA (P/G trans) Camaro's and the S/S cars were less radical than the stockers of today (no ported heads, water pump drives, etc.) at that time. If you were there I was in the left lane in a Candy Red 68 that was unlettered that had one of the early prototype ATI trans breaks. Jim Bettie gave it to me to try out. I used the trans break on the final run and at the green it stood up high enough to drag the bumper and rear pannel and I could not see the grand stands on the left. Had I not stood it up I Might??? have won class. We were eye ball to eye ball at the finish line. I believe he ran a 10.97 and I ran a 10.99 ? Pretty good for 1978. That is just one of the fun memories I have of racing back then. Even though I lost class I had a fun time (winning isnt the only good thing about drag racing) and Phil and myself became pretty good friends through the years when we met at the races when he went comp racing and I was working for IHRA we always took time to talk about the good ole days. . Locally I ran pretty good but nationally I got beat up pretty bad....LOL. The Gators that year was not a good race as I was whipped in the first round....lol. I did OK at the "little Guy Nationals" in Va. the year (1977) before. Had the honor of knowing Div. 2 tech director John Bedenkamp(sp?) before he passed from cancer. He was one of the good guys NHRA had working for them. All in all I look back on it as a great time. Would not have missed it for anything.

Bobby DiDomenico · 06-19-2009, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by X-TECH MAN

the S/S cars were less radical than the stockers of today (no ported heads, water pump drives, etc.) at that time.

Terry, now THAT IS funny! I'm still laughing with tears in my eyes. Remember when Top Stock allowed ported heads in? Some picked up a bunch, some not at all if my memory is working. (You know we were older than than now and racing that old man's brand of car...)

05-23-2009, 10:49 AM	#1
X-TECH MAN Banned Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Lake Placid, Florida Posts: 3,203 Likes: 1,047 Liked 235 Times in 110 Posts	Re: Whither the 425/427 decicion.... [QUOTE=SS Engine Guy; X-Techman did you sleep in the truck at the mall in '78 so you wouldn't loose your place in the tech line? .[/QUOTE] Accually I was on my "HONEY MOON"....lol and I slept at a motel. Its been so long ago that I dont remember if the tech line was at the track or a shopping center as some of the races kind of run together after 30+ years. I do remember running Phil Hardee (a Bobby Warren preped car) in the final. We both had 350 SS/IA (P/G trans) Camaro's and the S/S cars were less radical than the stockers of today (no ported heads, water pump drives, etc.) at that time. If you were there I was in the left lane in a Candy Red 68 that was unlettered that had one of the early prototype ATI trans breaks. Jim Bettie gave it to me to try out. I used the trans break on the final run and at the green it stood up high enough to drag the bumper and rear pannel and I could not see the grand stands on the left. Had I not stood it up I Might??? have won class. We were eye ball to eye ball at the finish line. I believe he ran a 10.97 and I ran a 10.99 ? Pretty good for 1978. That is just one of the fun memories I have of racing back then. Even though I lost class I had a fun time (winning isnt the only good thing about drag racing) and Phil and myself became pretty good friends through the years when we met at the races when he went comp racing and I was working for IHRA we always took time to talk about the good ole days. . Locally I ran pretty good but nationally I got beat up pretty bad....LOL. The Gators that year was not a good race as I was whipped in the first round....lol. I did OK at the "little Guy Nationals" in Va. the year (1977) before. Had the honor of knowing Div. 2 tech director John Bedenkamp(sp?) before he passed from cancer. He was one of the good guys NHRA had working for them. All in all I look back on it as a great time. Would not have missed it for anything.