how was stock/super stock ran in the 60's and 70's?

[Tom keedle]

i can't remember.
i sorta remember class runoffs being heads-up and the 1st guy to the finish line won and eliminations were ran but without a breakout.
i was just wondering about the handicap part of it, how was it determined?

[Urraco]

National records

[chris3racing]

Those were the days. When I saw this post I thought man how I would like to be back racing in those days. The races were all based on the national record. You showed up at the track, put a "shoe polish" class on your windshield and waited for your class to be called. Whatever class you were in, you might be the only one in your class. If there was only one car in the class then maybe a B/S and a D/S would run with a head start given the the slower car based on there respective national record. Both cars were still class winners. All the class winners were called back at the end of the day for "Stock" and "Super Stock" Eliminator. Again run-offs were based on the national record for each class car. You could forget looking at the weather, figure out what can I run this time do I want to dial faster or slower, run the record and win. It was that simple. Run to fast you broke out. Run too fast the second time you have moved the national record.

Any East Coast racers remember the name Bobby Warren and Haywood Register from Clinton, North Carolina. Find yourself a few National Dragster and East Coast Drag Times, from those days and look at how many different national records Bobby held in different stock classes at any one time. If you have the papers look at the cars which held the record. Some times the same car possibly held as many as three or four record at any one time. Bobby was the National Record man in stock eliminator in those days.

When Modified Production class came along was some of the most fun class racing around. On a given week-end a track would have a Gas and Modified race. Man was that soom good racing in C/MP, D/MP, E/MP and F/MP. I can hear those 10,000 rpm, winding small blocks with tunnel ram, two four barrel Holley Carbs through Stahl headers right now while I am typing this.

And I don't know when or how it all changed. As I have said in other posts on here, we quit racing in 1973. At that time, we were Super Stock racing and a lot of match races. Local Super Stock racers were paid to fill in a Match race show. A track would book the big names to draw the crowd, Ronnie Sox, Dyno Don, Bill Jenkins, Don Carlton and local Super Stock cars were the fill-in for the show. These races would be a lead in to a two out of three match race between the "Big Boys." This spread to local tracks, they would have match races with the local fill-in cars being match up for a big Sunday afternoon race. These Super Stock races would be EVERY night of the week, up and down the East Coast. There was always a crowd of spectators, many of them with cameras that used the big large metal flashes with these big plug in flash bulbs.

We are back racing now and the thing I don't see is the spectators in the stands.

[Rusty Gillis]

You ran off National records and were allowed a .10 under until the final and than you could go as far under as you needed to win. I won the Miami National Open December 1971 beating Roger England's SS/DA with my SS/GA Mustang winning with an 11.24 on a 11.45 record. If I remember correctly it was 1975 when NHRA went to the index system.

[rickkolber]

I believe same class racing was always first to the finish wins. Up to a centain time everbody ran off the national record for eliminations TOP STOCK/JR STOCK etc. The biggest change that I remember is class racing went on every weekend at your local track up in till bracket racing became popular and everything became a national or divisional thing. I know some of the reasons brackets overtook class racing on a local level(cheating and no qualified personel).....maybe sound like DEJAVU. Loved the days when you could go out and class race and come home same day. Have asked why in my division we can't get a program going ( like so. cal s/g s/c) but was told you can't get these guys together. Case in point is we have two local s/ss races 6 months apart at a local track and can only get maybe 10-15 cars max to show up. I know there are probably maybe 30 cars local that dont show up. Why.... is my question.... I would put mine back on track if others would...and I know these other cars run divisionals etc?

[Ed Fernandez]

Wasn't there a breakout if you went more than.10 under the record?

[JRyan]

Correct Ed!

You could run .10 sec under the class record and not break out. The National Record was the dial-in for you class. The V/Stock '50 Olds was "killer" under those rules.

Jerry

[hadtobethere]

Originally Posted by JRyan

Correct Ed!

You could run .10 sec under the class record and not break out. The National Record was the dial-in for you class. The V/Stock '50 Olds was "killer" under those rules.

Jerry

...yup and then you waited for the Nat'l digger every week to see if your record took a hit, so you could find a 4 door/convertible/wagon or some other body to throw your stuff into to change to a better class......oh, how I remember

[Tom Goldman]

Originally Posted by hadtobethere

...yup and then you waited for the Nat'l digger every week to see if your record took a hit, so you could find a 4 door/convertible/wagon or some other body to throw your stuff into to change to a better class......oh, how I remember

I can remember one of the local hitters used to have a pair of oversize swing sets behind his Sunoco station he used to change bodies on the '56 Chevy combo he ran. ...Just lifted off one body, and swapped out to another! ....Tom

[Rich Erickson]