Lower Class Stockers

[GarysZ24]

Originally Posted by Bret Kepner

Yacavone is, indeed, the only FWD NHRA National Event winner. I believe the first IHRA FWD winner was Ed O'Riley at Darlington '77; he's still the only human ever to win a National Event in a rental car.

My National Open wins don't count for much and I've never entered a National Event.

Bret, who was the guy that piloted a similar version to my '86 Chevy Cavalier Z24 to a Stock Eliminator finish back in '86 at an I.H.R.A. national event. I remembered watching it on ESPN, and it was my inspiration for buying/racing a similar type of car (same original body color and type..notchback/coupe)? I digress that I taped over the video footage I once had of that car, because I think only a red-light start kept that driver from the winners circle, and it ran in the mid-16's...any help in rekindling that info would be greatly appreciated!

[Mark Yacavone]

Originally Posted by GarysZ24

Bret, who was the guy that piloted a similar version to my '86 Chevy Cavalier Z24 to a Stock Eliminator finish back in '86 at an I.H.R.A. national event. I remembered watching it on ESPN, and it was my inspiration for buying/racing a similar type of car (same original body color and type..notchback/coupe)? I digress that I taped over the video footage I once had of that car, because I think only a red-light start kept that driver from the winners circle, and it ran in the mid-16's...any help in rekindling that info would be greatly appreciated!

Gary, Probably was the late Steve Taylor, out of North Carolina

[Mark Yacavone]

Bill Drevo won the 1985 Suffolk Div 2 race with his X-11 Citation

[Michael Beard]

The Turismo is for sale, in case anyone is looking to get started with one of these cars. It's in the classifieds section, at http://classracer.com/classforum/showthread.php?t=14375

[GarysZ24]

Originally Posted by Mark Yacavone

Bill Drevo won the 1985 Suffolk Div 2 race with his X-11 Citation

Thanks Mark,

Wow, so he's the only fwd divisional Stock Eliminator, and you the only fwd national winner...I guess those of us who're still racing those cars are going to have to get our stuff together, because no one has done either so far this century, although there's been several close calls...Steve Polhill & Stan Kopejtka being the most easily known.

You two are of a very elite (small) group that I'm determined to join...perhaps in 2009???

[Mark Yacavone]

Originally Posted by Ross Family Racing

When was the last time that a Stocker running 13.00 or slower won a national event? Has a front wheel drive stocker ever won a national or divisional event? Should the lower class cars be in a seperate eliminator (like there would ever be a seperate eliminator)? I've always liked the uniqueness of all the slower cars/trucks. Jeff Ross

Getting back to the original question, we have , in this century , Neil Smedley in April '01, running 13 teens.
Kevin Fogerty, Sept 02, running 13.0's til the final ,where he runs 12.98 . We'll give you that one ,Kev.

Who else?

[GarysZ24]

Originally Posted by Ross Family Racing

When was the last time that a Stocker running 13.00 or slower won a national event? Has a front wheel drive stocker ever won a national or divisional event? Should the lower class cars be in a seperate eliminator (like there would ever be a seperate eliminator)? I've always liked the uniqueness of all the slower cars/trucks. Jeff Ross

Hi Jeff,

Since us fwd racers are such a small (but growing) collection of all stockers, and racers who's cars run 13.00 and slower are against the norm (in the winners circle that is), I find myself rooting for them as well as my own slower stocker. Here's what my memory has recanted that I haven't already mentioned:

1. Stan Kopejtka, nearly won the '05 (?) LODRS Bandimere race with his Dodge Omni.

2. Steve Pohill's been in at least 2 final rnd's at divisional pts races back east with his Ford Escort.

3. Linda Sherman ru'd back in about '95 at an Div. 1 Federal Mogul series race with the Chevy Citation that's currently campaigned by one Mr. Randy Hyman...

4. Randy joined an elite group of fwd racers who went late into elim's at the US Nat's.

5. I came close to winning the '06 Mile High's (quarters), and went 4rnds at this yrs Div 7 (race 1), and last years (race 2). with my Z24.

Hope that helps....

[GarysZ24]

Originally Posted by Kevin Zaskowski

My dad, Jim Zaskowski drove his '69 Camaro F/S to beat Tom Kasch's FWD stocker at the Indy points meet in the final round I think in 1988 or 1989 (have all 7 rounds on VHS video tape)! The very next year my dad R/U in the 7th round to MJ Quinn at Indy points meet, who I think was driving the kingswood wagon now driven by "The Captain". Oh yeah, lets not forget about the famous Q/SA shaggin' wagon driven by Charlie Downing who won an IHRA Nat'l event a couple years ago.

Kevin, if you have a copy of that you can make for me, I'll buy it from you. That's all I really like to watch on tv now that the '08 racing season is over...I could care less about those nitro blasters, and alcoholic (so-called) sportsman cars, I want to see more cars like ours (yes even the 12.99 & quicker types, as long as they're stockers or super stockers). Let me know if you can do that and I'll pm you my contact info? Thanks

[Jimmy D. Hyink]

As someone who works as a starter for a dragstrip, I do think that the loss of deep staging has hurt the racers with slower class cars. This is one of the few downsides of autostart, not so much the fault of the system, just need to let NHRA@IHRA approve it again. For a good line crew deep staging with autostart is not a problem. just an opinion.

Jimmy D. Hyink

[Ed Fernandez]

Originally Posted by Jimmy D. Hyink

As someone who works as a starter for a dragstrip, I do think that the loss of deep staging has hurt the racers with slower class cars. This is one of the few downsides of autostart, not so much the fault of the system, just need to let NHRA@IHRA approve it again. For a good line crew deep staging with autostart is not a problem. just an opinion.

Jimmy D. Hyink

I dont know about that.I know I've adjusted very well,and Toby's kind of figured it out LOL.Mike Meiers here in Div. 1 was killer with Billy Nees's fwd car.And he's even better with the Spirit.It's just a matter of
adjusting to the situation.Going deep was actually a pain in the *** when it was allowed.Us slow leavers thought we needed it but we've been proven wrong.

Ed F.