What better way to wake up from a cold-winter Northeast nap than to travel down to Phoenix where the sun is warm and the Pontiacs are hot? This past April 1, 2006, HPP did just that. Opening the show season, Pontiac Heaven, an event dedicated to all Pontiacs produced up to '81, has been a stop on this magazine's must-attend list for the last four years. And with each trek to Speedworld Motorplex just outside Phoenix, we have noticed that this show has improved every year thanks to the diligent efforts of the show staff, the track staff, and the event owner, Steve Barcak.
We weren't disappointed this year either when we arrived at Steve's Pontiac slugfest in the desert to find many arrowhead-crested models racing and showing and flaunting those rust-free southwestern bodies that we in the Rustbelt drool over. As was true last year, an HPP "Pavement Pounders" shootout became part of the event as well. You can see Les Iden's '68 428 GP, Alan Monroe's '78 Trans Am, Matthew Luster's '69 GTO, and Mike Ciraolo's '66 GP run against the Speedworld timers in next month's issue.
Other event attractions included Robin Roberts' 8-second pump-gas '76 T/A, which put on a great show, piloted by racer John Langer on this day since Robin was away on business. Kauffman Racing Equipment (KRE) brought its door-slammer Firebird that made a few 11/42-track passes, marking the first time a heavy-hitter car like this has traveled this far to attend Pontiac Heaven. KRE came onboard as an event sponsor as well.
In the show area, anxious Pontiac hobbyists polished and primped their rides and awaited the decisions of the judges. Everything from a '69 Trans Am to a pink '59 Bonne could be found. Later in the day, Steve handed out the trophies at the starting line, and the recipients made a parade lap down the track so spectators could see for themselves why each Pontiac is worthy of its accolade.
After hotly contested drag racing, Alex Kadar's '64 GTO won it all in Bracket 1 and the Quick 16. Bruce Meyer's '67 GTO, Mark Batson's '68 Firebird, and Raul Meza's '70 GTO won Brackets 2, 3, and 4 respectively.
Mike Cundiff's 400 ci, Turbo...
Mike Cundiff's 400 ci, Turbo 350-equipped '78 Trans Am wowed the crowd and the editor of HPP with its intense hue and quality restification, so much so that it earned HPP's Editor's Choice trophy. Mike's T/A was featured in "Flyboy Firebird" in the Dec. '06 issue.
Dave Campbell's '69 LeMans,...
Dave Campbell's '69 LeMans, sporting an all-black GTO countenance and a trick ram-air system, appears ready for clandestine desert dueling.
Pontiac Heaven had a small...
Pontiac Heaven had a small but well-stocked group of vendors on hand to provide parts and services to both restorers and racers.
Nick Anderson's '62 Tempest...
Nick Anderson's '62 Tempest has been a mainstay of the event since HPP has attended. He competed without incident in Phoenix but was recently involved in a crash at Bowling Green. Nick is fine, but the car will need substantial repair work.
Steve Barcak holds court and...
Steve Barcak holds court and explains the attributes and rarity of Hemi heads for Pontiacs to spectators and staff alike.