List of all Hot Car Drag Tests 1960-72 Follow up Horsepower Wars

[DanE1]

I can't remember if it was 59 or 60, I was sitting in the grandstands at Detroit Dragway for the US Nationals, and an A Stock Pontiac went a little over 100 MPH in the quarter. The grandstands went silent for a second and then went wild. We could not believe it. A doorslammer went over 100 MPH in the quarter. That was a groundbreaker.

1960 Pontiac Catalina (ML)
389ci/348hp, 3spd manual, 4.55, 1/4 mile - 14.55 @ 94.53mph

They took "stock" pretty seriously at the better NHRA tracks. To pick up 5.47 MPH and still certify as stock would take some tricks. The above test car was making 246hp and your 100 MPH car would need 308hp, so another 25% to get there. Would have been interesting to know how they did it. Pontiac did offer some "McKellar" cam grinds for NASCAR and other race series.

My brother was an engineer at Pontiac Motors and he ordered the GTO package on a 64 LeMans. One option which was tinted glass. He drove it off the line and into the engineering building. When the car emerged from engineering, the car had a 421 tri-power, McKellar #7 cam, 4 speed, Buick finned aluminum brake drums, ect. He drove it to Ubly Dragway and the car turned a 13.06 quarter. That car was a scooter for it's day.

[DanE1]

In 1959, Pontiac had 2 tri-power options of 330HP and 345HP. And I believe the 100 MPH run I refereed to was in 1959.

[Truckedup]

I believe it was around 1949 before any 4 wheel vehicle hit 100 mph in the 1/4....Maybe the Bean Bandits in an early "dragster" ?

[DrillDawg]

1961 ford 390 375hp setup for nascar by Lenord Woods with stock blueprinted engine (stock interior with rollbar) lapped daytona @ +153 in testing, 1 mph faster than the record setting nascar pontiac.

[Truckedup]

1961 ford 390 375hp setup for nascar by Lenord Woods with stock blueprinted engine (stock interior with rollbar) lapped daytona @ +153 in testing, 1 mph faster than the record setting nascar pontiac.

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But the Pontiac did win at an average race lap speed of 149 .6 MPH.The first three finishers were Pontiacs, a Ford in fourth....The winning Pontiac built by Yunick was the last time his cars won a race I believe..

[DrillDawg]

Joe Littlejohn and his 1950 Olds 88 set a new American strictly stock car record of 100.28 at Daytona Beach in 1950, the new car had 1000 miles on it and was driven to the beach.

[DrillDawg]

I think Ford is someones trigger word, lol, 1964 Sebring 24 hours, Shelby's cars took 1,2 and 3, left the new Ferrari burning on the side of the track.

[DrillDawg]

64 Atlanta 500 won by Fred Lorenzen using Fords new 7000rpm valve train for the 410hp FE, the Dodge hemi finished 4th.

[grandsport51]

Dawg ,
I’m a die hard FOMOCO guy , editorially speaking Shelby did not win Sebring 12 hour in 64 but GT 103
Did win in 65 in GT prototype class behind Jim Hall
In the Chapparal in Sports class after the famous deluge in the middle of the race.
This vehicle had earlier won the Daytona Continental.
This vehicle was purchased from Shelby when they started using the MKII by William M. Wonder RIP ( Sportsman Racer) and raced Not too successfully . I met Mr Wonder at IIRC SAAC 3 in Stanford Ct . He asked if he could drive my ‘65 Griffith 400 for some reason . After a quick blast in my Griffith he offered driving privileges in GT103 which
I accepted with some trepidation. That was a fun drive
RHD , 327 Gurney Weslake with 58 mm Weber’s and 5 speed ZF!
BILL was a hell of a guy and racer!!

0F8BFEC1-7E1D-4548-A880-D1FB4E1384CD.jpeg

[DrillDawg]

Dawg ,
I’m a die hard FOMOCO guy , editorially speaking Shelby did not win Sebring 12 hour in 64 but GT 103
Did win in 65 in GT prototype class behind Jim Hall
In the Chapparal in Sports class after the famous deluge in the middle of the race.
This vehicle had earlier won the Daytona Continental.
This vehicle was purchased from Shelby when they started using the MKII by William M. Wonder RIP ( Sportsman Racer) and raced Not too successfully . I met Mr Wonder at IIRC SAAC 3 in Stanford Ct . He asked if he could drive my ‘65 Griffith 400 for some reason . After a quick blast in my Griffith he offered driving privileges in GT103 which
I accepted with some trepidation. That was a fun drive
RHD , 327 Gurney Weslake with 58 mm Weber’s and 5 speed ZF!
BILL was a hell of a guy and racer!!0F8BFEC1-7E1D-4548-A880-D1FB4E1384CD.jpeg

It would of been 1,2,3,4 ford if Johnson had not rearended a wounded Alfa Romeo at 125 down pit lane in the 12 hour race.

[Truckedup]

Ford was flush with money to spend in those days...They weren't spending it on new car designs...

[grandsport51]

I worked for FOMOCO as. A line tech etc. and it's certainly true that the Motor Companies street cars were not generally
Street Screamers before the '68 CJ mustangs from that point on they were more than competitive!
But as Ford car and more generally American Car enthusiasts I believe that Henry Ford IIs decision after being scammed by Ferrari to Kick his Ass whether driven driven by his ego or not gave US auto enthusiasts the greatest period in the 20th Century.
Certainly Chevy made great cars and dogs also , Mopar made very fast Tin Cans .
So for me it was FoMoCo.
And I had some Specials also 1965 Griffith 400, 1972 Pantera Pre-L that were cooler IMHO than any Chivaly.