Best Pontiac Powered Stockers

[oldskool]

Bob Michael just won his L/SA class @ Indy ! It's not his 1st class win, by any means. BUT, I think I'd be safe in saying that it's the first time a 1977 Catalina has ever won a Stock class, anywhere in the world ! It's the only '77 Cat race car I've ever seen.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...er=30#indextop

Bob has built & raced LOTS of competitive Pontiacs. Glad to see he's still doin it. Yeah, he's one of my Pontiac heroes !

[oldskool]

Randi Lyn Shipp was RU in the Stock Jegs All Star race. She left a hair too soon.

Even tho Bruce Noland's car is listed as a Vette, he was actually driving his '69 Bird.

The only way I know is because somebody posted a pic of it in the staging lanes.

It ran a 10.706, which was good enuff to get him safely in the show, @ .694 under.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2021#indextop

[oldskool]

Today at the Mopar Nats, Bruce Noland ran a 10.684, with his '69 T/A, which is .716 under & good enuff for #40, on the Stock Q-3 list. Adam Strang is at #6, with his '68 stick Bird, & Lauren Kanuik is #24, with her '77 GP.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...er=30#indextop

[oldskool]

Anybody wanna build a one-of-a-kind competitive Pontiac Stocker ?

Here's a '77 Lemans wagon. Should be a good candidate for O/SA, with the small cam 400 engine @ 260hp. 13.15 index.

https://inlandempire.craigslist.org/...381160289.html

http://www.classracerinfo.com/Engine...spx?ENGINE=764

http://www.classracerinfo.com/NHRA_Classes.aspx

Gary Riley won the '19 Mile-High Nats in a '74 Lemans wagon, in an All-Pontiac final.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2019#indextop

There have been several very competitive Pontiac Stocker wagons thru the years. The 1st that always come to my mind are the 2 that Gary & Charlene Wood raced. They got event wins, class wins, & set records with 'em. And there were others, before them, many of which have already been mentioned in this thread.

https://www.motortrend.com/features/...ontiac-history

[oldskool]

Was lookin back over this thread, from earlier this year & realized that I made no mention of a Michael Brand Stock win.

The race took place at South GA Motorsports Park, in March. It was called the "Southern Sportsman Showdown".

One thing that stands out, to me, from the Q-list is that Brad Koivisto ran a 10.821, in his '74 GTO Stocker. That's quick, ya'll. By far, the quickest ET I've ever seen a '74 GTO Stocker run. I'm adding a pic of the car at this race, with the flat hood it's running this year.

Anyhow, Michael Brand won the Stock portion of the race, but lost in the Stock vs SS $40,000 final.

His Bird is running an SD455 engine. Ran a 10.529. They had some really good, cool air at that race. Everybody appeared be wearing a jacket, or at least long sleeves.

https://dragchamp.com/2021/nhra/stoc...sman-showdown/

[DeuceCoupe]

Originally Posted by oldskool

And here's a little more. These are the class winners at the '71 Indy race.

The guy posting said he had to guess at some of the cars. Anyhow, it shows that Truman Fields won D/S, in his '68 Bird, & Arnie Toftland
won I/SA in a '71 Lemans.

NHRA Junior Stock

In '65, Leroy Stutzman picked right where Don Gay had left off in '64, winning the A/S class.

NHRA Junior Stock

I'm revisiting my Pontiac NHRA Factoring.
Making a chart of the 400cid and 455cid factoring (mostly 400cid)

re Arnie Toftland:
Do you know for sure it was a 71 LeMans?
I can get 2 cars to fit that I/SA=11.00 class:
71 LeMans hardtop 455/325 auto only (non-ram-air?)
3575/325=11.00
71 GTO convertible 455/335HO ram air
3717/335=11.10

It looks like Wheeler was the runner-up in I/SA=11.00 at 71 Indy, here's a picture, looks like a ram air convertible ie GTO:
https://archive.petersen.org/pages/p...php?ref=429361


But, are you sure which combo Arnie Toftland ran?

[oldskool]

Originally Posted by DeuceCoupe

I'm revisiting my Pontiac NHRA Factoring.
Making a chart of the 400cid and 455cid factoring (mostly 400cid)

re Arnie Toftland:
Do you know for sure it was a 71 LeMans?
I can get 2 cars to fit that I/SA=11.00 class:
71 LeMans hardtop 455/325 auto only (non-ram-air?)
3575/325=11.00
71 GTO convertible 455/335HO ram air
3717/335=11.10

It looks like Wheeler was the runner-up in I/SA=11.00 at 71 Indy, here's a picture, looks like a ram air convertible ie GTO:
https://archive.petersen.org/pages/p...php?ref=429361


But, are you sure which combo Arnie Toftland ran?

I don't have a clue. Lots of '71 racers used a 455HO T-37. Rock Running ran the 1st one I was aware of. Don Turk has it now. Scott Underhill held the E/SA nat record with his, a few years back.

The car in that pic is not a Pontiac. Looks like maybe an Olds. I suppose it could be a Buick. I'm not that familiar with either.

Just Googled it. A '71 Cutlass Supreme SX has the long scoops.

https://www.google.com/search?q=1971...X_enUS964US964

442 also has the long scoops, but looks to have deeply recessed grills.

https://www.google.com/search?q=1971...4n6noa2rjaNk1M

[DeuceCoupe]

Originally Posted by oldskool

I don't have a clue. Lots of '71 racers used a 455HO T-37. Rock Running ran the 1st one I was aware of. Don Turk has it now. Scott Underhill held the E/SA nat record with his, a few years back.

The car in that pic is not a Pontiac. Looks like maybe an Olds. I suppose it could be a Buick. I'm not that familiar with either.

Just Googled it. A '71 Cutlass Supreme SX has the long scoops.

https://www.google.com/search?q=1971...X_enUS964US964

442 also has the long scoops, but looks to have deeply recessed grills.

https://www.google.com/search?q=1971...4n6noa2rjaNk1M

Thanks I dont know where I got Pontiac for the Wheeler car.
I thought that picture was a funny looking GTO.

The 1971 Indy narrative I have says I/SA=11.00
Toftland Pontiac win
Wheeler Olds R/U
No car years given.

From the picture & other info it looks like Wheeler is a
71 Olds 442 Convert, 455/340hp, W-25 OAI hood.
3744/340=11.01

For the winning Toftland Pontiac:
71 LeMans hardtop 455/325hp 3575/325=11.00 perfect fit to class

But the 455ho is a stronger engine, more underrated.
But to fit, the car has to be a heavy GTO Convert:
71 GTO Convert 455/335HO 3737/335=11.10

Without a picture or other info I'll just leave both of these guesses in.

[oldskool]

Bruce Noland just ran a 10.591, with his '69 T/A, which is .809 under, & good enuff for #25 div 1 Q-1 list.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...UMMIT#indextop

Chad Smith was #14, on that list, @ .832 under. He was driving a '77 Bird, which I think we have established use to belong to Paul Dilcher.

[oldskool]

At the Midwest Nats, Julie Biermann ran an .872 under, 10.678, which was good enuff for the #26 position. Randi Lyn Shipp was #35.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...er=30#indextop

Julie's 10.678 is a pretty respectable number. Don't know what her best time is, running in D/SA. Nowadays, you never know when/if a car is running all-out, or sandbaggin to protect their combo, by preventing an NHRA hp factor increase. No good reason to make your combo less competitive, just to see your name higher up on a Q-list.

She went 10.554 @ Indy 2020.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2020#indextop

Don't know Randi Lyn's quickest time, in D/SA. But, she turned a 10.502, @ Indy 2019, which was 1.048 under. She's won at least 7 national events

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2019#indextop

They're 2 of the quickest D-port 1st gen Birds, ever. Mid 10's is quicker than similar Super Stockers ran back in the '70's.