All it takes is one disgruntled, stubborn NHRA tech guy to ruin what you've worked so hard to accomplish. It's been that way for years!
Having actively competed in NHRA Stock Eliminator for a tad over 40 years, I'd have to disagree. It's that sort of adherence to the rules that has been needed to make and keep (Junior) Stock a viable platform and mostly level playing field over the years. What Farmer Dismuke wrote into the rules regarding carburetors, "No further modifications allowed," it meant exactly that. I've seen screws with heads ground down until the screwdriver slot was barely visible, screws that were trimmed to reduce disruption of air flow, throttle blades thinned, throttle shafts that were turned down in O.D., and even polished throttle blades. All that and I've never been a tech inspector. I can only imagine what Terry Bell and The Kentuckian have seen through the years! When NHRA began to reduce the number of teardown inspections, the effects were noticeable very quickly. Most legitimate racers prefer a thorough, even-handed, strict interpretation of the rules. As a final observation, the unsworn testimony of any factory field rep of any company in a teardown circumstance would not be enough to change my mind if I were wearing the blue shirt. Among some truly fine salesmen and the few scoundrels that I've encountered, it's important to keep in mind that they make a living at selling their product. A part of the sales pitch is typically something like, "Thirteen out of fifteen class winners at Indy were using our product!" A Junior Stock class win at Indy or Pomona was good advertising. I would rely on the expertise and experience of Terry Bell, Travis Miller, Wesley Roberson, or Cloy Fitzgerald when it comes to details of such things as valve job angles, carb plate screws, or related fine points of the rule book. They've looked at hundreds of cylinder heads, intake manifolds, carburetors, etc. and they always taken the responsibility seriously and made the calls that had to be made, even when the outcomes stung a little. c
Thank you Chuck. Back in the early 70' when I first started working for Div. 1 with Greg X. and I had several sets of heads out there I ALWAYS got Greg to check the heads that I had done for guys. Like Dick Estivez, Jim Morgan, and others so there was no whining going on. When I started with IHRA it was just me until I taught a few guys what to look for like the late Hank Blakenship and a any others who was interested to learn. Some names escape me now as age has not be kind to me. It was time consuming to say the least but I had been doing cylinder heads at home since 1969 when I got out of the Army and started racing my 1969 Corvette 300 HP Coupe in H/S which is F/S today. I have probably forgot most I learned from good and dedicated guys like Greg X. who taught me how to check stocker cam shafts when we used to check duration and overlap. Todays stocker is more Super Stocker than yesterdays Super Stock.
My first teardown at a national event was conducted by Marty B. and Greg X. It wasn't for several years and a few teardowns later that I realized how special that experience had been. Brings back memories of the old masking tape duration/overlap checking procedure and a few other cold chills even on a warm summer day. Especially, I was glad that neither of those guys had decided to sit on the fender of my '57 Corvette. Stay healthy down there, big guy! c
So far so good no Coronavirus here. My wife and myself were able to get out and go to a good steak house yesterday and it was not crowded ! Lots of places were open. This area I'm in there seems to be less of that Chinese flue floating around. Marty Barrett of Div. 3 was a name I was having a hard time to remember for a moment. Guys like Marty and Greg along with the late Div. 2 tech director who passed away from cancer (Bad day for me at remembering names) were what made NHRA great during that time frame. I remember seeing Marty test the front springs on a lot of cars.....LOL. Take care.
You are talking about John (Beetle). Cannot remember how to spell last name. He was a great guy and always willing answer any dumb question I had. Funny story. Going though tech at Suffolk, and he asked me where my horn was, not sure why I took it off. Took one off my truck and plugged it in. Drove up to head of tech right behind him and blew horn and leaned out and asked if that was ok. Yes I was a smart aleck 20 year old back then. My wife says not much better at 71 now.
LOL.....Sounds like me also as I always clown around these days ! Yes he was a great guy. I remembered his name a couple of nights ago. It was Beadenkamp (SP?). I raced my 69 Corvette Coupe at Suffolk in 1970 It was Marina Blue with Cragars on the front and the OEM rally wheels on the rear.
Thanks Terry I knew of that one also but looked at where Don Kirkland lives and thought the mid west I didn't know where you were from. Pat
I used to live in Southern, Maryland near the Potomac River off of Rt 301. I live in the Sebring area of Fla. for the last 11 years. I wished I had NEVER moved. I hated the Md. Govt. also !
I remember one drag racer who set a National Record at a drag strip in Maine one year and when I asked why they went all the way to Maine from PA. the answer was because of reduced amount of tech. True story! Jimbo
You can go back and forth all day long. NHRA has always made arbitrary decisions. In 1964, after running all season and passing tech, we flat towed to Indy only to have tech say " no" to the car passing. Very frustrating.
When I went to Suffolk, I was based out of Alabama and was one of Busters Rebels Division 2. One other thing about Suffolk. There was a sign somewhere near the return road that posted elevation was I believe was 10 feet. No wonder there were so many records.
Chuck.....I love the flag painted on the roof of your Corvette. Its just like the 5' x 9' flag I have flying over the entrance to my home.
I would love to have the 1960 Pont Catalina rag top like this to play in the NMCA nostalgia muscle car class with a low compression 455 with the tri power carbs on it and a 400 Turbo. I could use it as a street ride also.
Mary Ann Jackson nee Voss ran super gas until just a few years ago and her husband lost in the semis yesterday of super comp at the sportsnationals at the ripe old age of 81, he made a very competitive run but the numbers didn't fall his way. Mary Ann's son is Nitro Joe Jackson who publishes the Stock/Superstock stats.
I'm pretty sure I have posted more of her and her story in here some time back. I think it was a Mag article.
It might be but I have some doubts. Pop Kennedy was an enthusiastic user of shoe polish lettering but he typically spelled out "Reynolds Buick" down the side of the car. There were multiple Kennedy Buicks beginning as far back as 1955 and adding Reynolds to the equation in 1961. <http://reynolds1915.blogspot.com/2013/01/lennie-pop-kennedy-and-buicks.html> I can't find any pictures that come close to matching this one. I can't make out this picture beyond the E/SA class designation and what appears to be "Bomber" on the quarter panel? c