Pontiac Race Winners - Pontiac Fall Nationals

Running a mail order business, I get to talk to many Pontiac nuts like myself. The phone calls reach our office from all across our great nation and even overseas. During some of our brutal Pennsylvania winters (this past one especially), some of my fair weather customers and friends love to rub it in about their 70-degree days, while I'm looking outside at sub-zero temps and snow. Well their grass may be greener weatherwise, but I'm always told how lucky I am to be living on the right coast because we have plenty of fast drag strips, like Atco and Englishtown. And of course, we have events like the Pontiac Fall Nationals.

Well before the tonnage of snow fell and frigid temperatures cracked water filled engine blocks, November 2, 2002 gave us just a taste of what was to come. The year before allowed T-shirts and shorts. This year, the event should have been called "Pontiac Winter Nationals". With rain in the forecast and a high in the 40s, many show goers and racers alike stayed home. But the 220 something diehard participants who traveled to Atco Dragway's southern New Jersey facility, bundled up, drank hot chocolate, and got to see and enjoy an impressive bunch of GTO's, Firebirds, full-sizes, and so on show and go just prior to a long winter's nap.

This year's event placed the show cars, sponsored by the wonderful folks of the Delaware Valley Old Goat Club, on one side of the track, while the racers occupied the other. A motorcycle race was also scheduled and was the down side due to timing as it forced the Spotts Performance-sponsored race into the later evening hours. The plus side was the excellent track preparation by Atco, which still allowed Pontiacs to hook up even with temps sinking into the 30s.

The Pontiac Fall Nationals is one of the country's events where nasty, fast-metal Indians get to flex their muscles. This year, Jim Yanoski's 7.98 run in his D-port, nitrous-fed, Lenco-shifted Firebird took home the Outlaw Pontiac Racers Association 3-foot tall trophy and an Eagle stroker crankshaft donated by Indian Adventures.

"Practically Pro Stock" man Jack Gaydosh impressed all by running a string of 8.00s to win Bracket I. His efforts netted him a $100 gift certificate from Spotts Performance, $100 cash from Performance Years, a Mega Brace from SD Performance, a $100 gift certificate from Comp Cams, a $100 gift certificate from Dynamic Converters, and a 1 year subscription from HPP (so he can keep reading about himself!).

Other race and show winners received prizes from Spotts Performance, Jim Wangers, Performance Years, Dynamic Converters, Comp Cams, Ferrea Racing and Percy's Pontiac Parts. The usual super-cool trophies from the DVOGC were dispersed to all winners and runners up in the race and First, Second, and Third places for the show. Ken's Speed and Machine donated a $100 gift certificate to the best foot brake reaction time during eliminations and Neil Danks of Philly cut a perfect .500 light grabbing the prize-then Neil went on to win Bracket II.

The show side had the usual awesome GTO's in attendance, but has become a place for the other Pontiac models to make their presence known. So much so that Jeff Dickson won best of show with his '71 Trans Am. Each year the show has some new entries and some usual entries that step up their rides. Franks Balsama's '61 Super Duty was also a standout on the show side and it received a special recognition award.

For 2003, the event will be held at Atco Dragway in Atco, New Jersy on November 8 and promises not to include any motorcycles or bad weather. So make your plans now to end the Pontiac show and go season right with great people and great cars.