Shirley Muldowney 'Early Stocker'

[Paul Ceasrine]

Rico,

1963 Indy Nationals,,,,,

Shirley Muldowney ran in 'C/SP' in 1962 with her 62' Corvette 327/300 HP.

She also ran in 'C/SP' in 1963 with the same 62' Corvette 327/300 HP.

By mid-1963, the 'C/SP' National Record was down to ........13.24...

[Paul Ceasrine]

Rico,

In 'Chronological Order'

The 1958 Chevrolet Biscayne.

* Color;....'Rio Red'

* It was purchased from 'Mohawk Chevrolet in the the 'Spring of 1958'

* Offered by Chevrolet as a 1958 'mid-year' Performance Package.

* Also called the 'Street Racer Special'

* Ordered with a 'Police Package' and 'Super Turbo-Thrust' Engine.

* 348/315 HP... '3 x 2 Barrel' 'Tri-Power'
* Solid Camshaft - 'Special High-Lift'..........(.406" /.412" Lift ~ 287* / 290* Duration ~ 110* Centerline ~ 66* Overlap )
* Special Option - 4-Speed Transmission - Floor Shifter
* 4.11 Gears, w/ Posi-Traction - { Code #AL - Option #678 }
* Heavy-Duty Clutch - { Code #227 }
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* Added Tachometer........................................ .................................................. .........{ 1958 }
* Added 'trick' Rochester Carburetors and 'Performance-Curve' Distributor........{ 1959 }
* Added 7" Wide 'Cheater Slicks' and Traction Devices........................................{ 1960 }
* Installed a 'Special Heavy-Duty Clutch Package'.......................................... .........{ 1960 }
* Changed to 4.56 Gears............................................. ...............................................{ 1960 }
* Cylinder Heads (Competition Valve Job) and Iskendarian Camshaft..................{ 1960 }
* Added 'Exhaust By-Pass Cut-Outs' (Approved by NHRA for Stock Classes).....{ 1961 }
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Raced and Classed in 'SS/S' from.....1958 thru 1960.
Raced and Classed in 'B/S' in.............1961

Car Weight..... #3570 lbs. ~ 315 HP = { 11.33 Wt/Hp }

By the end of 1961, the Biscyane was running 14.10's @ 99 MPH.

Mark out of Pittsfield, Massachussets - stated that the Muldowney's 58' Biscayne had won
approximately '80' Class Trophy's from 1958 thru 1961.

Drag Strips
* Fonda Speedway Dragstrip.................1958 thru 1961
* Montgomery Airport/Dragstrip..............1958 thru 1960
* Pittsfield Airport/Dragstrip.....................1960 thru 1961
* South Glens Falls Dragway...................1961

They sold this car at the end of 1961.

Mark's 'Father' bought it and raced it.
* 1962... B/S
* 1963... D/S
* 1964... D/S
* 1965... D/S
* 1966... E/S
* 1967... D/S
* 1968... G/S

Then put it in 'The Barn'.

[Paul Ceasrine]

Rico,

This is the Intake Manifold and "3 x 2-Barrel" Carburetor' set up off of that 1958 Biscyane 348/315 HP.

The Rochester Carburetors were rated at 225 CFM.

Mark said that the 'port runners' were;
A) Gasket matched
B) Mildly ported

Camshaft was an Iskendarian (Mechanical) - (1960 Stamping)
A) .439 / .439 Lift ~ 317* / 317* Duration ~ 70* Overlap
B) High-Rate Valve Springs

Note; This Camshaft was significantly more 'aggressive' than the 1958 '348/315 HP' stock 'mechanical camshaft'.

Note; Also, somewhere along the line, the 'Cast' {11.00 - 1} Factory Pistons were replaced by a set of TRW Forged
{11.0 - 1} Pistons, and Grant Piston Rings.

[ss wannabee]

Paul, is there a "Shirley" museum somewhere?

Not to get on another subject, but you seem to have a knack of digging up the obscure!

Wondering if you could (dig up)... a few photos...or start a short post...about that Milton Drag Strip in Vermont...that she ran sometimes?

One would think...that's a strange place to have a dragstrip....never heard of it?

[Paul Ceasrine]

Mr. SS Wannabee,

Milton Speedway (Milton, Vermont), just North of Burlington, Vermont.

This was an Eastern Drag News Track.

1/4 Mile Dragstrip {1961 thru 1972}

Excellent Track and Facilities for it's time period.

Did very well in the 'Summer Season'..... (early-June.... thru.........late-September)

Big Cash 'pay-outs', and got many - Super/Stock, A/FX and AWB Match Races in the early-and-mid 1960's.

Usually '250+' 'car counts' during its 'Hey-Day' (1962 thru 1968)

Attendance and Racer participation started to fade in 1969, and by 1970 'car counts' were down to 150 or so.

Shirley Muldowney ran her;
62' Corvette "C/SP' car there in........ 1962 and 1963
63' Corvette "C/SP" car there in........ 1963 and 1964
63' Plymouth Fury 'Steel-Nose' 426 Max-Wedge 'non Ram-Air' "AA/SA" car there in 1964 and 1965.
64' Corvette "A/SP' car there in.......... 1964
65' Corvette "A/SP"car there in.......... 1965

She never ran any of her Dragsters at Milton Speedway.

[Paul Ceasrine]

Mr. SS Wannabee,

May 1965........Milton Speedway

The Muldowneys always went up to Vermont with other... 'North East Central New York'...Mopar Racers
from....{ Albany, Troy and Schenectady }......., which was part of the 'Northeast Speed Shop Gang'.

* Bill Rubin..................1965 Plymouth Belvedere ..................'Super Stock '426 Race Hemi'............................................. ..........4-Speed......... A/FX

* Stan Newman...........1963 Plymouth Sport Fury.................'426/415 HP Max-Wedge'.........'Steel Nose' 'non Ram-Air'.........3-Speed.........AA/S
* Stan Newman.......... 1963 Plymouth Fury...........................'426/415 HPMax-Wedge'...........'Steel Nose' 'non Ram-Air'.......Automatic........AA/SA
* Stan Newman...........1964 Plymouth Belvedere Hardtop ..'Super Stock 426 Race Hemi'...'Steel Nose'................................4-Speed..........S/S

* Shirley Muldowney...1963 Plymouth Fury......................... '426/415 HP Max-Wedge'..............'Steel Nose' 'non Ram-Air'.......Automatic...... AA/SA

* Charlie Lendrum.......1962 Dodge Dart...........................'413/420 HP Ramcharger'....................................... ...........................3-Speed ..........AA/S
* Charlie Lendrum.......1963 Dodge 330............................'426/425 HP Max Wedge'..............'Aluminum-Nose Ram-Air'.........3-Speed..........AA/S
* Charlie Lendrum.......1964 Dodge 330............................. '426/425 HP Max Wedge'.............'Aluminum-Nose Ram-Air'.........4-Speed..........AA/S
..
* Ron Oliver..................1964 Plymouth Belvedere........ ....'426/425 HP Max-Wedge'...............'Ram Air'...................................4-Speed........... AA/S

* Jim Van Voorhis.......1964 Plymouth Belvedere............ '426/425 HP Max-Wedge'................'Ram Air'..................................4-Speed.............AA/S

[Paul Ceasrine]

June 27, 1965

Lebanon Valley Dragstrip - Lebanon Valley, New York

Shirley Muldowney was there with the 'Tri-City Flwheelers', a Drag Racing Club out of Schenectady.

Shirley raced a 65' Corvette 327/375 HP 'Fuel Injected' car in 'A/SP'

Won Class Trophy with a 12.73 @ 109.10 MPH

[ss wannabee]

Amazing! Thanks for the Milton stuff, Paul!

[Paul Ceasrine]

Mr. SS,

Northeast Central New York -------

Big Racer Participation in the early 1960's

* Montgomery Air/Dragstrip
* Fonda Speedway/Dragstrip
* South Glens Falls Dragway
* North Hudson Dragstrip
* Utica-Rome Dragway
* Tri-Cities Dragstrip...............(Endicott-Binghamton)
* Lebanon Valley Dragstrip
* Dover Drag Strip

* Milton Speedway....................(Vermont)
* Pittsfield Airport/Dragstrip.... (Western Massachussets)
* Orange Dragstrip....................(North Central Massachussets)

* Connecticut Dragstrip

Throw in the fact that,

* South Glens Falls ran on both - Saturday Nights and Sunday
* Fonda Speedway ran on - Wednesday Nights
* Utica-Rome ran on - Saturday Nights
* Tri-Cities ran on - Saturday Nights
* Lebanon Valley ran on both - Friday Nights and Sunday for awhile.

This didn't even take into account the other Upstate and Western New York Drag Strips.

* Montgomery Airport/Dragstrip - Initial Racing started on July 27, 1958. Started with 'Once-a-Month' Sunday Drag races.
* Racing was halted at the end of 1960.

* Pittsfield Airport/Dragstrip - Initial Racing started in the Mid-1950's. Had 'Once-a-Month' Sunday Drag Races.
* Racing was halted in 1963.

[ss wannabee]

Originally Posted by Paul Ceasrine

Mr. SS,

Northeast Central New York -------

Big Racer Participation in the early 1960's

* Montgomery Air/Dragstrip
* Fonda Speedway/Dragstrip
* South Glens Falls Dragway
* Utica-Rome Dragway
* Tri-Cities Dragstrip...............(Endicott-Binghamton)
* Lebanon Valley Dragstrip
* Dover Drag Strip

* Milton Speedway....................(Vermont)
* Pittsfield Airport/Dragstrip.... (Western Massachussets)
* Orange Dragstrip....................(North Central Massachussets)

* Connecticut Dragstrip

Throw in the fact that,

* South Glens Falls ran on both - Saturday Nights and Sunday
* Fonda Speedway ran on - Wednesday Nights
* Utica-Rome ran on - Saturday Nights
* Tri-Cities ran on - Saturday Nights
* Lebanon Valley ran on both - Friday Nights and Sunday for awhile.

This didn't even take into account the other Upstate and Western New York Drag Strips.

* Montgomery Airport/Dragstrip - which opened on July 27, 1958 - closed in 1963.

* Pittsfield Airport/Dragstrip - which opened in the Mid-1950's was down to 'Once-a-Month' Sunday Drag Races by 1960.

Any info on a track in North Hudson, NY?