Project - NHRA Stock and S/S results 61-68

[Stan Weiss]

The Dragster is powered by Injected Gas Pontiac 4 cyl (twins).



Stan

[Billy Nees]

and a dragster is not a car!

[oldskool]

" 69 NATIONALS Top Stock Class Winners "

"...D/SA – B Bunker – Pontiac GTO – 12.45 @ 110.97..."


Here's that D/SA class winner, driven by Bill Bunker.

The story goes that it was sponsored by Colonial Pontiac, in Florida. Has "Colonial Banshee" on the door.

The 2nd pic was taken earlier. At that time, it had "Colonial Banshee Project Car", on the door.

Had "Cam by Joe Lunati" on the rear deck spoiler. Don't know why. Maybe Joe made a super duper Stocker cam for it. Maybe he was also a partial sponsor.

[Rat Patrol]

OLD Skool

Ok, the only info I have is whats on the list of winners I posted, and DC’s tables....which you quoted.

So to answer your 1st question - So.......Not ‘made up’ - You’d have to ask DC how he arrived at the ‘likely contenders’.

I decided on the B/SA Ben Wolf Pontiac entry after discussions with DC - there were three viable 1969 Pontiacs that met class. If you think the Firebird is a better ‘fit’ - I’ll change the entry - after all, all we have is the Driver, the Brand and the year model.

[Rat Patrol]

Old Skool - “In the Spring Nats class winners lists, it shows a Ben Wolf B/SA '61 Pontiac, which ran a 12.20.

So, were BOTH the '69 GTO AND the '61 Pontiac running B/SA, in '69 ? “

DC and I decided it was a misprint as there is no 61 car that met class.


Re-Briner - Its just another conflict btwn DCs list and the results list.

UNDERSTAND - Until a week ago the only data I had was DCs list - a recent stay in hospital has prevented me from ‘tidying up’ the web page -

Believe me, prostatitis does’t leave you feeling much like talking cars!

[Rat Patrol]

Originally Posted by oldskool

" 69 NATIONALS Top Stock Class Winners "

"...D/SA – B Bunker – Pontiac GTO – 12.45 @ 110.97..."


Here's that D/SA class winner, driven by Bill Bunker.

The story goes that it was sponsored by Colonial Pontiac, in Florida. Has "Colonial Banshee" on the door.

The 2nd pic was taken earlier. At that time, it had "Colonial Banshee Project Car", on the door.

Had "Cam by Joe Lunati" on the rear deck spoiler. Don't know why. Maybe Joe made a super duper Stocker cam for it. Maybe he was also a partial sponsor.

So what motor, what HP was this car?

[Stan Weiss]

Don't know what HP. But his options may have been very good. I found that Bill Bunker was a salesman for Colonial Pontiac in Miami.


Stan

[oldskool]

Originally Posted by Rat Patrol

OLD Skool

Ok, the only info I have is whats on the list of winners I posted, and DC’s tables....which you quoted.

So to answer your 1st question - So.......Not ‘made up’ - You’d have to ask DC how he arrived at the ‘likely contenders’.

I decided on the B/SA Ben Wolf Pontiac entry after discussions with DC - there were three viable 1969 Pontiacs that met class. If you think the Firebird is a better ‘fit’ - I’ll change the entry - after all, all we have is the Driver, the Brand and the year model.

The "made up" description is a comparison. Rather than being a list that was published in the National Dragster paper, which looks official, it appears to be a list that some individual "made", therefore I used the term "made up". It was not a put down or criticism, or me saying that he just made it up out of thin air or something.

As to which car was more likely raced, if it was indeed a Pontiac, I'd go with one of the Birds. I have LOTS of pics of '69 GTO's. Can't find a single one with B/S or B/SA on it. I can't even find one with C/S or C/SA on it. They were just too heavy(3500lbs)Not saying they didn't run that class, in '69. Just saying I've never seen a pic of one running that high a class. Most have either D or E on 'em. Have one with F on it. But, I have no idea what the NHRA hp factor was, for the GTO engines, in '69.

Now, as to WHICH Bird might have been used. Could have been either. I'd have to lean towards the '69, simply because the year of the race was '69, & because lots of Pontiac dealerships raced current year model cars, to help with sales of current year models they had in stock. He may have been offered the car for one or just a few races, because they knew he was a good experienced Pontiac racer.

Then again, the car could have been a '68, which was owned by a friend, who wanted him to tune & drive the car some, in order to make it a little quicker.

Unless we could talk to someone who knew the situation, or unless we can find a pic of the car with his number or name on it, I suppose there is no way to know, for sure, exactly what he was driving. If I had to guess, I'd go with the RA4 '69 Bird, assuming he was driving a Pontiac.

May have been driving a different brand car at that race. Lots of Pontiac guys switch brands. Some drive 2 different brands at the same race. For example: Scott Burton now drives a Ford in Stock & a Pontiac in SS, at some races.

"So what motor, what HP was this car?"

Until I see a pic of a '69 GTO taken during the '69 season, with either C/S, C/SA, B/S, or B/SA, I'll say that a D/S or D/SA '69 GTO had the RA4 engine. I'll guess that the RA3 engine ran E & the std 350hp engine ran F. But I can't prove it. Don't know the NHRA hp factors for any of these engines, at the time. The only legal weight I've ever seen listed is 3500lbs.

I do have a pic of the 1968 "Rocky's Goat", with C/SA on it. But the pics I have of the '69 Rocky's Goat show it with either D/SA or E/SA. It set the E/SA nat record, in '70.

Also have a pic of a '69 Judge with F/SA on it. Assuming it had the RA3 engine, & pic was taken in '70.

[oldskool]

The D/D dragster.

Here's another pic, which shows the engines closer up. Words on it say something like "Eight the Hard Way".

[oldskool]

Just scanned back thru this video again.

Just after the 1:20 point, there is a white '66 GTO named "Catnip".

Does anyone here have pics or info on this car ?



Below is a fuzzy enlarged version of a screen shot somebody made from the video. Does anybody have a better pic ? Or, does somebody here have the equipment & ability to make a larger, clear screen shot off the video ? The top of the car looks like it may be red. Not dark enuff to be black. Anybody know this car or driver ?

Found a little more info. It was raced by Sid & Dave Warren, thus had "Warren Bros" on the rear fender. They were sorta connected to Royal Pontiac's racing team, at times, thus the "Royal Pontiac" over the door, & the "GeeTo Tiger" car behind it, in the 2nd pic. Would still like to have better pics & more info on the car's performance.

In pic #3, it appears to be in the staging lanes for the C/S class elims. I assume it was @ Indy '66. Don'r know.