History Question

John DiBartolomeo · 10-16-2008, 10:14 AM

When did Super Stock/Stk eliminator change from just class winners to class winners and low qualifiers? Any ideas?

John DiBartolomeo
johnd@dragracingaction.com

vic guilmino · 10-16-2008, 10:31 AM

1980???????????????

Chuck Norton · 10-16-2008, 01:02 PM

I believe that it occurred at about the same time that they began to stage "National" events without running Stock, Super Stock, and Modified class eliminations. I know that the 1972 U.S. Nationals required the winning of class to race in Super Stock Eliminator. By 1978 or so, they ran up to 128 cars. In about 1975, there was a mercifully brief period of time when cars dialed off the record or the index and there was no breakout. Buck Jednak and Buddy Ingersoll were pretty dominant in Stock and Super Stock respectively during that era. Seems like that disasterous experiment and 128 car qualified fields came at about the same time. John, I know you're looking for the exact date but I don't have the material at hand to tell you for sure but I'm betting that someone still has the National Dragsters with the information you're looking for.

Tony Janes · 10-16-2008, 01:37 PM

1978 was the first year. Quote from National Dragster on 1978 Winternationals "Field of 48 was made up of 30 class winners and 18 low qualifiers. The winner was Ron Zolle in a 1964 Chevelle Wagon SS/MA, got to love Chevelles.

Pistol Pete · 10-16-2008, 07:21 PM

1978 sounds right & at that time they had an index for every class & if you could run under the index
then naturally you could dial down.

I ran SS/JA and the index was 11.38 at that time.

I'm not sure, once you dialed faster you couldn't dial slower .

So if you went down to 11.30 one round you couldn't dial 11.32 the next.

Rich Biebel · 10-16-2008, 08:00 PM

1970 SummerNationals was the first year for that race and it was held at York Dragway. There were no class runoffs and the eliminator was made up of low qualifiers compared to their class records. My partner and I raced in H/S and we never made a decent run and did not make the show on Sunday. I don't recall the number of cars that made up the field but vaguely remember needing to run somewhere close to the record to get in and the record was in the 12.30's at the time. I can distinctly recall some of the good runs made.... Bobby Warren in his brown Chevy II in J/S running in the 12.2's and that was amazing to me at the time. I think the winner on Sunday was Dave Boertman in a full size Impala or Caprice with a 350/255 and that is also what Bobby Warren was running in his Chevy II...........The first round of SS was full of red lights in the right lane......Word got spread back to the racers that something wasn't right up there so a lot of racers that came up in that lane and cars that could easily have won that day were out early......one was Ray Allen in the Chevelle.......well that's how I remember it......

art leong · 10-16-2008, 08:14 PM

It was in the late 70's or 1980. Can't remember exactly.
There were 50 stock classes And at Indy they had a 64 car field Class winners and the rest made up by the fastest losers. And thats the way it was till this year (except for the change to 128 cars).
I was at the first race with that format. (we won the class B/SA)

You were allowed one dial under it had to be in the tower no later than one hour before first round, and thats what you ran all day. If the meet got postponed to another day you could change your dial

JRyan · 10-16-2008, 08:22 PM

At Indy, it was 1979.

Jerry

Paul Dilcher · 10-16-2008, 08:45 PM

1972 Grandnational S/S was all qualify off the record. If you went under the record, you had to run off it. Fast as you wanted in the final, but it was a new record .

John DiBartolomeo · 10-17-2008, 06:56 AM

Thanks to everyone for the input. Needed to get my facts straight (or at least kind of) for a future article.

John DiBartolomeo
http://www.dragracingaction.com

10-16-2008, 10:14 AM	#1
John DiBartolomeo Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Beaver Springs, PA Posts: 494 Likes: 1 Liked 1,282 Times in 159 Posts	History Question When did Super Stock/Stk eliminator change from just class winners to class winners and low qualifiers? Any ideas? John DiBartolomeo johnd@dragracingaction.com

10-16-2008, 10:31 AM	#2
vic guilmino Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: wv Posts: 884 Likes: 42 Liked 56 Times in 21 Posts	Re: History Question 1980??????????????? __________________ Vic Guilmino 1129 STK

10-16-2008, 01:02 PM	#3
Chuck Norton Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Covina, CA Posts: 474 Likes: 108 Liked 89 Times in 19 Posts	Re: History Question I believe that it occurred at about the same time that they began to stage "National" events without running Stock, Super Stock, and Modified class eliminations. I know that the 1972 U.S. Nationals required the winning of class to race in Super Stock Eliminator. By 1978 or so, they ran up to 128 cars. In about 1975, there was a mercifully brief period of time when cars dialed off the record or the index and there was no breakout. Buck Jednak and Buddy Ingersoll were pretty dominant in Stock and Super Stock respectively during that era. Seems like that disasterous experiment and 128 car qualified fields came at about the same time. John, I know you're looking for the exact date but I don't have the material at hand to tell you for sure but I'm betting that someone still has the National Dragsters with the information you're looking for.

10-16-2008, 01:37 PM	#4
Tony Janes Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Whittier, Ca Posts: 830 Likes: 94 Liked 3 Times in 3 Posts	Re: History Question 1978 was the first year. Quote from National Dragster on 1978 Winternationals "Field of 48 was made up of 30 class winners and 18 low qualifiers. The winner was Ron Zolle in a 1964 Chevelle Wagon SS/MA, got to love Chevelles. __________________ Tony Janes 7941 STK, SS Last edited by Tony Janes; 10-16-2008 at 01:48 PM.

10-16-2008, 07:21 PM	#5
Pistol Pete VIP Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Punta Gorda Isles, Fl. Posts: 1,627 Likes: 3,408 Liked 779 Times in 209 Posts	Re: History Question 1978 sounds right & at that time they had an index for every class & if you could run under the index then naturally you could dial down. I ran SS/JA and the index was 11.38 at that time. I'm not sure, once you dialed faster you couldn't dial slower . So if you went down to 11.30 one round you couldn't dial 11.32 the next.

10-16-2008, 08:00 PM	#6
Rich Biebel VIP Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Northern New Jersey suburbs Posts: 2,314 Likes: 25 Liked 544 Times in 213 Posts	Re: History Question 1970 SummerNationals was the first year for that race and it was held at York Dragway. There were no class runoffs and the eliminator was made up of low qualifiers compared to their class records. My partner and I raced in H/S and we never made a decent run and did not make the show on Sunday. I don't recall the number of cars that made up the field but vaguely remember needing to run somewhere close to the record to get in and the record was in the 12.30's at the time. I can distinctly recall some of the good runs made.... Bobby Warren in his brown Chevy II in J/S running in the 12.2's and that was amazing to me at the time. I think the winner on Sunday was Dave Boertman in a full size Impala or Caprice with a 350/255 and that is also what Bobby Warren was running in his Chevy II...........The first round of SS was full of red lights in the right lane......Word got spread back to the racers that something wasn't right up there so a lot of racers that came up in that lane and cars that could easily have won that day were out early......one was Ray Allen in the Chevelle.......well that's how I remember it...... __________________ Rich Biebel S/C 1479 Stock 147R

10-16-2008, 08:14 PM	#7
art leong VIP Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Richmond Hill, Georgia Posts: 2,003 Likes: 0 Liked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: History Question It was in the late 70's or 1980. Can't remember exactly. There were 50 stock classes And at Indy they had a 64 car field Class winners and the rest made up by the fastest losers. And thats the way it was till this year (except for the change to 128 cars). I was at the first race with that format. (we won the class B/SA) You were allowed one dial under it had to be in the tower no later than one hour before first round, and thats what you ran all day. If the meet got postponed to another day you could change your dial __________________ Art Leong 2095 SS Last edited by art leong; 10-16-2008 at 08:18 PM.

10-16-2008, 08:22 PM	#8
JRyan Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Aberdeen SD Posts: 645 Likes: 30 Liked 112 Times in 31 Posts	Re: History Question At Indy, it was 1979. Jerry

10-16-2008, 08:45 PM	#9
Paul Dilcher Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: brockport newyork Posts: 97 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: History Question 1972 Grandnational S/S was all qualify off the record. If you went under the record, you had to run off it. Fast as you wanted in the final, but it was a new record . __________________ Paul Dilcher 1037 STK

10-17-2008, 06:56 AM	#10
John DiBartolomeo Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Beaver Springs, PA Posts: 494 Likes: 1 Liked 1,282 Times in 159 Posts	Re: History Question Thanks to everyone for the input. Needed to get my facts straight (or at least kind of) for a future article. John DiBartolomeo http://www.dragracingaction.com