1966 Pontiac GTO - The Learning Curve

"Honey, I think I can do that." Famous words spoken by Ava Thompson to her husband, Tommy, after he had made a quarter-mile run in his 455-powered '68 GTO. After one pass at North Carolina's Fayetteville Motorsports drag strip, Ava was hooked. Unfortunately a problem existed for her, "He loves his '68 hardtop, and it really made him nervous for me to drive it." The solution? Find a GTO to call her own.

In November, 2000, Tommy found a '66 GTO from Indiana in "horrible condition" needing a complete restoration." Because the teal-under-black vinyl GTO was so rusty in the roof--among other places--an "intense restoration" commenced using a lot of Year One and Ames parts. In Clayton, North Carolina, USA Auto Body painted the red hardtop PPG Vermillion Red. After adding fiberglass bumpers and an OPG glass hood, the couple was racing by June 2001.

Ava's first time at the track behind the stout 400-powered (525 rwhp) GTO is best described in her own words. "The first time I drove the GTO after watching the engine builder and my husband make test runs, I did nothing right, and it scared me to death. It was nothing like the '68 GTO street car I had been driving. I got out of the car, cried for a while, and got no sympathy from anyone, so I clenched my teeth, got back in the Pontiac and tried again and again and again! As I improved in my handling of the car, it made me angry that my husband Tommy, and John West, the engine builder, could still drive it faster than I could. With great determination, I pulled out all the stops, and now I am pleased to say I have mastered my Pontiac. I can get everything the GTO has to give and can drive it faster and do higher wheel stands than the 2 dudes who maintain it, Tommy and John. They concede that I have made her truly mine!"

Don't think for a minute that Ava is only a point-and-click racer as she can roll with the punches and handle whatever the risks drag racing throws her way. She has and will push her red GTO hard, stressing parts to the limit if necessary to get the win light--just as anybody else should be prepared to do when venturing onto the track. Weak rod bearings and ring gears have learned harsh lessons by standing in Ava's path to victory.

Her experiences paid off when she became a finalist during her first ever participation in the NMCA event at Maple Grove Raceway in 2001. However, the true test of her driving skills occurred October 2002, in Bristol, Tennessee. Ava describes the disaster, "My confidence was growing and my skills were improving when I broke the stock crankshaft victoriously crossing the finish line at 120 mph. As the engine block was disintegrating and 8 quarts of synthetic oil were spilling onto the track, the Pontiac instantly filled with smoke so thick I could not see through the windshield. The vibration was so bad I could barely hold onto the steering wheel and my glasses fell onto my lap. Finding my location on the track through the driver's side glass, steering the car out of the lane, and gradually and gently applying the brakes, I finally managed to stop it without skidding in my own oil.

Tommy didn't allow me any margin for doubt. He fixed the engine with an aftermarket Eagle stroker crankshaft that picked up the e.t. by over a half second, and insisted I get right back in the seat. With great trepidation, I did and turned a 10.23 quarter-mile at Coastal Plains Dragway in Jacksonville, North Carolina."

Now that you know its capabilities, let's talk about the setup of this GTO. Tommy and John West of John West Auto Service (Raleigh, North Carolina) school us on their special formula for this '66 warrior. Take one 400 block of not-so-special 2-bolt '68 GTO vintage, pour in some block filler, then bore (4.150 inch) and stroke it (4.25 inch Eagle crank) for a total 460 ci. Fit the block with Ross forged aluminum, flat-top pistons wrapped in Total-Seal rings on Eagle 6.8-inch rods with Clevite bearings. Install a custom Comp Cams featuring a 278/292-degree duration at .050 with .630/.630 lift installed at 112 intake centerline. Add a set of matching Comp Cams stick roller tappets. Then port, polish and match a set of 87cc Edelbrock heads. Harland Sharp forged aluminum 1.50:1 roller rockers take direction from the cam via chrome-moly pushrods. Bolt on a Performer RPM intake and an 850-cfm Q-Jet carb on top for proper induction and on the exhaust side, install Hedman 2-inch primary diameter race Hedders with 3-1/2-inch collectors and turn out pipes. Tommy claims the Edelbrock Q-Jet has stock .073 jets and AX metering rods that haven't been touched since putting it on.

Down under, a Melling oil pump resides in an 8-quart Moroso stamped-steel oil pan with an Indian Adventures crank scraper and homemade windage tray. Rounding out the combination are a Mallory Comp 250 fuel pump, MSD ignition set (distributor, Blaster II coil, and 8.5mm wires), and Autolite #3923 spark plugs gapped at .045. Total timing advance is 36 degrees at 3,000 rpm and keeping the "Red Hot & Rollin'" GTO (Ava and Tommy's nickname) from getting too hot are a Meziere 25-gpm electric water pump and a Be-Cool electric fan and aluminum radiator. John West freshens the engine after each racing season.

ATI prepared a Turbo 350 transmission with its own brand flexplate and an 8-inch converter with a stall speed of 4,500. Tommy added a Cheetah shifter and B&M transmission cooler. A chrome-moly driveshaft by Fleetpride (Raleigh, North Carolina) twists back to a '70 A-body 12-bolt housing with Moser axles, spool, and 4.56 Richmond Pro gears. Mike's Transmission (Garner, North Carolina) checks the tranny twice a year.

As the big horsepower Goat is only as quick as its suspension will allow the power to be transmitted to the ground, these ol' boys did their homework and got the rear suspension setup down to a science--allowing Ava to do some jaw-dropping and wheel-pulling launches. Because it sees as much airtime as a playground flagpole, the front suspension was left to do its primary unassisted steering duties with the use of stock components--save fully adjustable QA1 shocks.

Moog springs and stock replacement shocks are the only bit of standard hardware you'll see in back. Beyond that, Tommy installed Metco's billet aluminum upper control arm kit and added South Side Machine's lower control arms. At this point things get a little bit tricky as Tommy fabricated a rear stabilizer bar. Bringing all of this Pontiac excitement to a halt are 11-inch solid Wilwood brake rotors up front and standard drums in the rear, all behind Weld Pro Star wheels (15x6-inch front/15x8-inch rear) on Goodyears (28-inch front and 9x30 slicks rear).

Inside the cockpit at the line with Ava is described as so, "I launch at 1,600-1,800 rpm and shift at 6,000. We are around 7,000 rpm through the traps with a 7,200 rpm chip on the engine."

"I also love the reaction of spectators and fellow racers when they see an 'older' woman is driving the GTO. It is always, 'Were you driving that car?' Once folks get over the shock of my age and gender, they are most accepting. Tommy and I have made some wonderful racing friends, and we are dedicated to the sport."

Having retired in spring of 2002, Ava, 53 years young, reflects on her passion for racing, "The fact of the matter is boy toys are the most fun! I love anything with wheels and the faster the wheels turn, the better! My peers thought I was nuts and couldn't reconcile my professional and social life with my racing. Occasionally, I see kids (now grown up) that were students in my English classes or students in the schools where I was principal. They are usually hesitant to approach me because of their disbelief, but when they finally come over to speak with me, they always begin with, "Mrs. Thompson is that really you driving that car?" I just absolutely love it.