[Mcronk]

Finished another stack tonight. Will post them by date. This post is info from August 1975.

[Mcronk]

September 1975.

[Mcronk]

Decenber 1975

[Mcronk]

February 1976

[Mcronk]

March 1976

[Mcronk]

April 1976

[Mcronk]

June 1976

[Mcronk]

July 1976

[Mcronk]

Class racing info for Firebirds and GTOs June 1976.

[ponyakr]

Originally Posted by Mcronk

Finished another stack tonight. Will post them by date. This post is info from August 1975.

Yeah, I definitely remember that one !

Besides winning her first 6 races in a row that year, she also won the LA State Championship race, @ our local track, near Monroe, LA.

And after that season, it was her street ride for a couple of years. Made a few cosmetic changes, as well as a 4-speed, street gears, plus 2 1/2" pipes with straight thru glass packs. She did get one ticket for loud exhaust. She said: "Hey, if you can hear the radio, it ain't a hot rod" ! Yeah, a gearhead's perfect girlfriend !

[ponyakr]

Originally Posted by Mcronk

September 1975.

That Art Peterson '69 GTO was/is really nice. It's not real fast, but it has looked good in several different paint schemes. It's the only '69 GTO I know of that still runs occasionally, in either Stock or Super Stock.

That Mick Leiferman RU @ Indy was his 1st, of 3 in a row. I suppose that's still a record he holds. Speakin of records, that car was a rec holder 5 years in a row.

[ponyakr]

Originally Posted by Mcronk

Decenber 1975

I remember reading something about that GTO with the white front bumper. IIRC, it came from the factory that way & he just never painted it. Can't remember any more details.

Really glad to see that '72 GTO. It is obviously the '72 GTO that Truman Fields ran in '72, as a Super Stocker. Have read that it was then run as a Stocker. I suppose that picture proves it. It even still has the "Motor Wheel" over the rear wheel well.

Please post the write-up under the #3 pic. Thanks !

[ponyakr]

Originally Posted by Mcronk

February 1976

As stated in the text, John Clegg won class @ Indy '73, in his new '73 SD455 Formy. It ran D/S.

Was later switched to SS. Recently updated it & ran some mid 9's with it.

[ponyakr]

Looking for someone who has either a 1972 or 1973, or both NHRA "Factor Finder" booklets.

Don't need to buy. Just need for someone to look up some Pontiac hp factors for '72 & '73.

[ponyakr]

Just got this 1st pic. Says that Red was div 4 Champ in 1965.

[ponyakr]

I know I've posted info & pics of this car here, several times. But, I just got thru preparing & organizing some pics for posting on some FB pages & another forum.

So, I'll take this opportunity to post 'em here. The wagon was built by Gary Wood & driven mostly by Charlene Wood.

Really don't know if there was just one wagon or 2. Some pics show it with a reg '72 Lemans cap, & some with a T-41 cap.

It also is sometimes marked H/SA & sometimes I/SA. Gary said that they ran both a 455HO & a D-port 455 & did good with both.

To me, it's a famous Stocker in Pontiac drag racing history !

[ponyakr]

Charlene set nat records, won div & one nat event races, & I think she was div champ at least once. She was also inducted into the div 1 Hall of Fame.

She is one of my Pontiac heroes.

[ponyakr]

Today I asked her some questions about the "Tons-a-Fun", to which she responded with some interesting info.

"...There were 2 wagons and 2 front ends interchangeable for different class combos. I remember Gary adding a third seat to change glass too. They ran in H I J and K/SA but mostly I/SA.
I think Gary played more with the second wagon for different combos.
The first wagon was sold in 1978 and the second was sold 1980 or 81. Sadly neither one exists today

we didn’t have 2 wagons at the same time. Sold the first one and Gary quickly built a second one. The first wagon is the one with the endura front end. My first NHRA number was 1235 and then 11 both on the first wagon. After that we changed my number to 1078. Gary’s number was 1076. Did that because once in a while we would switch cars. Only had to change one number.
I did come up against Gary at a couple races but he was driving the brown firebird
I think the first wagon was a 455HO and to me it had an edge over the second wagon "

That answered some questions I've had about "Ton-a-Fun". Now we all know some of the facts.

Here's a pic of the 1st wagon with #1235 on it, then one with #11 on it, both showing it with the T-41 cap. In the last 2 pics, the wagon has her last number, 1078, on it, and has a reg Lemans cap on it. The last pic shows their '72 GTO, which Charlene also drove. It also has her #1078 on it.

[ponyakr]

I'd ask the question on several sites as to exactly when NHRA began to allow 10-bolt GM cars to run 12-bolt GM rear ends.

Here's a response I got:

"...The rule as printed in 1981 reads..."Original rearend may be replaced with another from same automobile manufacturer. Distance between backing plates may not be changed. Any gear ratio may be used that fits third member case or housing. Limited slip or ratchet-type rearends are accepted. Locked rearends not permitted. Reinforcement of spring perch permitted. Spools permitted only with aftermarket axles."..."

So, if that was the 1st year that rule was in effect, then the answer to my question is 1981.

Does anybody here have a copy of a 1980 NHRA rule book, to see if the rule applied then, also ?

I ASSUME that before this rule went into effect, the only A or F-body Pontiacs allowed a 12-bolt were the 1970 models that came with a 12-bolt.

[455dan]

Originally Posted by ponyakr

'73 was a very eventful year for Pontiac. Some good & some bad. To me, the bad was the complete body style change for the A-body. That's all I'll say about that, because some here love the '73 A-body.

The big deal was the release of the SD455 engine. And, there were a few Pontiac racers that immediately got one & put it on the track. One of these guys was John Clegg. He bought one, took it to Indy, & won his D/S class !

I may have already posted this. But it needs to go right here, again.

https://www.facebook.com/NHRA/videos/2196660753953292/

I suppose one of the most famous SD455 Stockers was the Herslow & Morlock "Celluloid Hero" E/SA record holder, which made the cover of SS&DI mag.

Wasn't H-O Racing also into stock class racing with 2? SD-455 powered T/A's for a short time
I believe this was in addition to Craig's 74 SD T/A SS car

reading an old post sdbobs and Craig Hendrickson's response below from PY,

I think Kern Osterstock also may have competed for a short time with a factory SD T/A and also may have ran the 73 T/A he swapped in a 455 SD and ran it in K/SA

sdbob View Post
Fred was from Tallmadge, ohio. He brought the car to Winternationals 74,think it was G/SA at the time Someone from HO helped him get the car to run faster.it was blue.
Now I remember some more about that car (I can't ask Kern because he has passed). Kern was impressed with it at the WinterNationals and because he wanted an SD-455 he made Fred (or sons) an offer that they could not resist. That car never went much faster than at the W'Nats, but Kern had fun with it it. Later, he sold it to who I don't know and bought a 1973 T/A (non SD-455) and put a 455-SD in it. He drove that one on the street. Probably never got beat! (picture taken at the old Irwindale Drag Strip in the mid 1970's).