Thank you, Terry! Of course, I hope that you and the others who follow and contribute to this incredible thread are similarly blessed. c
Same here and a Merry Christmas and Happy New year to you "LoudBang" and thanks for all the great pictures you post. I check everyday to see if you have posted another one.
Well I have another question! I'm looking thru old Drag News, 1958-59, looking to see if the Ford 332/240-2v, 332/265-4v, and 352/300-4v (way overrated) won anything. Amazingly I think I found a couple. But along the way, I'm finding a 1957 Buick winning in S/SA class. What's wrong with that? Well, S/SA back then meant weight/hp < 12.60 lb/hp. The top 1957 Buick engine was the 364/300hp-4v. The lightest Buick I can find is the Century at 4081 lb, giving 4081/300=13.60 lb/hp That would land in A/SA, not S/SA class. Example, Pomona, 20 Apr 1958: SSA, Bob Whiles, 57 Buick, 14.55 at 93.00mph There's another 57 Buick, this one is where it belongs in A/SA: AA, Len Kennedy, 57 Buick, 14.92 at 89.82mph I'd consider it a misprint but the same car wins 13 Apr 58 at San Gabriel, again in S/SA class 14.62 at 93.55mph Again in the wrong class. Was there some kind of limited-production S/SA Hemi or HiRiser or MaxWedge or Paxton 1957 Buick engine that I missed out on? Or a super-light 1957 Swiss Cheese Buick Lightweight Z-11 body? (Not really a Buick guy but always liked the little Nailhead). EDIT: OK we found it on v8buick.com Even a part number for the camshaft, 1179701 Looks like an "Export Kit" (LOL), 11.0cr pistons and a solid cam kit, along with a 330hp rating which then puts the car into S/SA=00.00 break instead of A/SA=12.60 break. A HiPerf NHRA legal Combo I didn't even know existed!
Werby, For what it's worth, Lennie (Pop) Kenney is somewhat of a legendary figure in these parts (the San Gabriel Valley). He worked at Reynolds Buick in Covina (a couple of miles due south down Citrus Avenue, south of Russ Davis Ford and Clippinger Chevrolet) and he could wring a bunch of horsepower out of anything that had "BUICK" on it. (See pictures and commentary at <http://reynoldsbuickracing.com/>). Reynolds Buick is still in business (since 1915) and a few years ago held a showroom retrospective of high performance cars that carried the name "Kennedy" on the window and "Reynolds" on the fender. Terry and Kentuckian will probably recall a Stock Eliminator World Champion from about 1972 named Dave Benisek who benefitted from association with Pop while others may associate the name "Kennedy" with "Kenne-Bell" a noted part of the high-performance scene in Southern California to this day. Pop is long gone but he left an enduring mark on the sport. c
Yes I remember that Buick and the traction bars on that Buick left a lot to be desired at being legal back then. Just ask anyone who raced against it in Div. 7 back in those days !
I remember my uncle telling me about that Buick when I was growing up. It was nice to hear a little more to the story! Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I have posted a couple photos of that Buick I THINK in here but it's been awhile so they possibly be in another thread. Edit: found a few Posted by hemidav in the vintage thread posted by benchracer in here Lennie Kennedy 59 Buick 61 Buick Invicta 401-325 posted by me Being restored by The66GSNut in 2010 there were more but have the RED X from shitbucket and other hosts.
My take on the picture from the Fremont starting, it appears to be a LeMans type start for a powder puff race.
Well we are over on the FordFE.com forum, trying to face the 1958 Edsel 361/303 off against the 1958 Chev 348 in the old NHRA runs of the day. Kinda hopeless but fun. Found an Edsel in S/S turning over 96mph. Yup, an Edsel. We came across a 58 Chev in S/S, the top class, at Pomona 5 Jan 1958. Driver is Bill Pairi or Bill Palri (cant read the scroungy print that well). Car ran 15.26 at 99.00mph, pretty hot stuff for back then for a 3-on-the-tree thru the mufflers! Wondering if this car was a 348/280hp or a 348/315hp? Near as I can read, the 348/315hp came out after "a few months" into 1958, see link, so is January too early? Anybody remember this combo o know when the 348/315 first hit the drastrips? http://www.superchevy.com/how-to/project-cars/sucp-0805-chevrolet-w-engines
There is a photo in Petersen Archive (ID939634) of Bill Casler's 1959 El Camino driven by Wiley Cossey in the E/S class. 348/315 (315HP on hood) at Pomona Winternationals in 1965. I do not know it Petersen's photos can be posted here. I know Casler had many of the early performance cars.
I logged in and put 939634 in the upper right search and it came up for me?? I found it in 1965 Winternationals.
If you would go back to that photo and copy the WWW.... ... address at the top. I tried again and keep getting an error message Post that address here and if I can see the photo on my screen I CAN copy and post here.
What location is this Mike? Looks like all-new concrete and asphalt. Would love to see more pictures of this event. - EM
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