You might try putting a 'wanted' ad in the National Corvette Restorers Society's publication. An interesting bunch of guys they are, and there is lot of history captured there. I am a member since their second year, but find that I apparently didn't pay enough attention when growing up with Vets. Could only afford them after the rich kids got done with them. I still have an outstanding RPO '57, that has all its attaboys. Life is Too Short for aggrevation or nasty people for this 80 yr old. Good Luck with your search, Tom
I wonder all the time alphabet, probably because I have so much time. But really some of these cars are among us and the current owner may not know anything about it. Pat
1965 NHRA Nationals - Indianapolis. A handshake and a check for winner Jon Callender. He accepts it with Miss Nationals 1965 by his side in front of the 1959 Chevrolet Biscayne he campaigned for Chevair Racing
When setting up a Jr Stocker the entire body was usually cleaned of all undercoating, sealer and sound deadener. That was great for removing unwanted pounds. However if the car was retired and either shoved out behind the garage or put back on the street, that lack of sealer allowed water to creep into places the factory did not mean it to go. Years of sitting around even under cover can take its toll on unprotected body panels. There were many former race cars that met their demise at the hands of rust that crept into unseen areas.
Had fender well headers and a manual trans. I can’t remember any other history. I’m looking for a picture of the engine. I should have it some where. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
One of the truly "nice guys" I came to know and respect throughout 55+ years around this sport. He was a tech man at San Gabriel and later at Irwindale who allowed us open access to the "Classification Guide" so that we could do in-depth searches for likely combinations for class racing. As far as I know, he was also the first racer to win Stock Eliminator titles at both the U.S. Nationals and the Winternationals after the advent of the christmas tree starting line system. RIP, Dave Kempton
Sure that's not a "Canadian Pontiac"? Looks like it has the "Chevrolet" firewall, and would have had a SBC 265. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
Jimmy Waibel from Lakeland, Florida ruled a few junior stock classes in the 60's and he was a master engine builder with small block Chevrolets and later raced Oldsmobiles for the Smothers Bros. Jimbo
What class were they racing in? I can’t quite read the window? Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
The photo was taken at the 1960 NHRA Nationals at Detroit Dragway. The two Pontiacs were in S/S which was the top class back then in Stock.
You nailed it. They didn't run C/S until a couple years after the picture was taken using the Super Duty engine combo. Several years later the SD engine combo was out lawed in stock because the combo was an over the parts counter deal only used in NASCAR. After that the highest HP combo allowed was 348 HP with a hydraulic lifters which was factory ordered and delivered installed in the car when new.
Based on a few obscure clues, I'd guess that picture was taken a couple of years after the preceding one featuring Pontiac stockers. "Kentuckian" has I.D'd the first picture as taken at Detroit during the1960 U.S. Nationals. The background of the later picture looks very much like the west-side pits at Indy and that would place it a little later in the evolution of Stock racing. The "Doug's Headers" decal is another indication that the picture is a little more recent. The Catalina appears to be a twin to Ronnie Broadhead's car that was the record holder in C/S when I first began making plans to put together a Stocker, around 1963 or '64. Same combination in both pictures, just a little more water under the bridge, more factory hot rods appearing, and more fun for everyone! c
I ended up buying the Crockagator from Dempsey Hardy in Ft. Lauderdale,I bought everything for $1,000.00 and Dempsey delivered it to my house in Coral Springs Fl. this was in the 1980,s I got it running and had a good time with it at Miami Hollywood Drag Strip,the original builders of that Car were 3 guys Hardy,Weeks, and Dinsmore and it was a N.H.R.A. record holder in V/S,my name is Gerald Berry.
Good to hear the car is still around, too bad there's no class for it now. Bob Dwyer did the engines and usually drove the car when we used to race against it. Dwyer was S Florida's answer to Smokey Yunick with the rule book and the spring loaded tilting carburetor. He used to do all our machine work too
Rod Kister (R.I.P.) His obituary (https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/wheat-ridge-co/rodney-kister-8075500) mentions his participation in NHRA racing. c