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Anyone who has been to Norwalk for the Ames Performance Pontiac Nationals has no doubt seen "J.J.'s Siberian Tiger," the beautiful white '65 GTO owned by Tom and Amy Richcreek. In addition to being a tough competitor, Amy is also known around Norwalk for her special chocolate chip cookies, which she graciously brought to the Shootout as well. Amy, who up until recently was a registered nurse, has been racing for four years. She goes on to say that Tom built his GTO in memory of his dad; his dad taught him everything he knows about wrenching and passed on at the too-young age of 46. Amy is certainly a trooper, having endured a number of physical ailments recently, including the installation of a pacemaker. She even postponed gall bladder surgery to attend the shootout--talk about dedication! She adds that, "If you're not living your passions, you aren't living. I race despite asthma, a pacemaker, and a heart that beats way too fast for its own good. I may not be able to control what happens to me, but I can certainly make choices about how I will handle it. I am learning to take things at a different pace and work with things on a different level. As long as I remain positive, this thing can never beat me." Those are hard-earned words of wisdom... | Strip Specs | | Year/Model: | '65 GTO | | Race Weight: | 3,460 lbs | | Engine: | '74 YA-code 400 | | Cubic Inches Before/After: | 400/406 | | Compression Ratio: | 9.58:1 | | Built By: | Tom Richcreek | | Fuel: | 93-octane | | Carburetor: | 750 Holley, #78/84 jets | | Spacer Plate: | 2" | | Intake Manifold: | Edelbrock Torker I | | Fuel System: | Holley Blue 110 gph, 3/8" fuel line from fuel cell to Holley regulator, set at 6 psi | | Heads: | '67 670s, ported by Mark Kauffman, 2.11/1.77 Ferrea stainless valves, 5.1" length | | Flow Numbers: | 257-cfm intake, 219-cfm exhaust at 28" of water | | Pistons: | TRW forged, 4.15" bore (400 + .030) | | Rings: | Speed-Pro | | Rods: | Crower Sportsman forged steel 6.625 length | | Crankshaft: | Stock Pontiac cast, polished and balanced by KRE | | Rotating Assembly Balanced: | Yes by KRE | | Camshaft: | Comp Cams hydraulic roller, 236/242º duration, .520/.540 lift with 1.52:1 Comp roller rockers, LSA 110º, centerline 106º | | Installed Position: | Straight up | | Distributor: | GM HEI | | Total Timing: | 36º at 2,400 | | Exhaust: | Hooker headers, 1.75" primaries, 3" collectors | | Power Adder: | None | | Transmission Type: | Turbo 400, shift kit | | Converter: | 9", 4,500-stall by Jason Brock at Multiperformance Specialties | | Shifter: | B&M | | Rear Type, Ratio: | 12-bolt spool, 4.11 gears, built by owner | | Wheels/Tires, Fr: | Centerline Telstar 15x4/Cornell 195R15 radials | | Wheels/Tires, Rr: | Centerline Telstar 15x8/M/T ET Drag slicks, 28x10.5x15 | | Tire Pressure: | 45 psi/15 psi | | Suspension Fr: | Stock sway bar removed, adjustable Summit drag shocks set on 70/30 driver and 90/10 on passenger | | Suspension Rr: | Ladder bars, stock coil springs, KYB gas shocks | | Chassis Modifications: | 8-point rollcage | | Interior Modifications: | Summit racing seats, AutoGauge instrument panel | | Exterior Modifications: | Painted bumpers, graphics by S&K Vinyl Graphics | | Safety Modifications: | 8-point cage, 2 driveshaft loops, RJS 5-point belts dated 12/03, SFI-approved drivetrain components | | Launch Technique: | Foot brake, rpm varied but best results came with 2,000 rpm launch | | Best e.t./mph Prior to Event (1/4-Mile): | 1.72 at 117 | | Strip Tuning Log | | Run | Tuning | Launch RPM | Shift Point | 60-FT | 1/8-Mile | 1/4-Mile | | 1. | As stated in Strip Specs | 1,600 | 6,000 | 2.16 | 8.11/90.57 | 12.47/112.4 | | 3. | Same | 1,600 | 6,000 | 1.79 | 7.59/91.59 | 11.89/113.97 | | 4. | Plugs, jets, & timing checked | 2,000 | 6,000 | 1.77 | 7.72/91.27 | 12.04/113.35 | | 5. | Same | 2,000 | 6,000 | 1.65 | 7.46/92.22 | 11.74/114.40 | | 7. | Same | 2,000 | 6,000 | 1.62 | 7.42/92.6 | 11.69/115.10 | | Five most important passes are listed here in the order that they occurred | | Notes | | Run 1: Bad bog offline; is it too cold?; Run 3: Still some hesitation; Run 5: That's better!; Run 7: Personal best e.t., best e.t. for car | Owner Bio: Vanessa Heckaman With two seasons of racing under her belt, Vanessa is quickly honing her skills as a driver and also isn't afraid to get her hands dirty. She was with her boyfriend Uzoma "Zoomer" Iwuagwu of ZZPerformance running a very strong '99 Grand Prix GT with a special ZZP 3800 stroker motor. "My boyfriend wanted to build a naturally aspirated car, so I was a good candidate to race it," Vanessa explained. "I wanted to be involved in racing, but I didn't want my car to be too fast and out of control. I must say, though, that I like getting faster every time I race." Her car is getting faster and is currently the quickest and fastest normally aspirated Grand Prix GT in the country. She said that her favorite moment in this car was when she was at an event and she raced what was the fastest GT in the country at the time and she beat it. That's the spirit! | Strip Specs | | Year/Model: | '97 Grand Prix GT | | Race Weight: | 3,200 lbs | | Engine: | '99 L36 3800 naturally aspirated | | Cubic Inches Before/After: | 231/252 | | Compression Ratio: | 10.6:1 | | Built By: | ZZ Performance | | Fuel: | 93-octane Shell | | Air Box: | WhizAir- 9" cone | | MAF/Throttle Body: | Stock GM 68mm | | Injectors: | 24 lb-hr | | Intake Manifold: | Stock thermoplastic L36 | | Fuel System: | Stock GM | | Heads: | '99 L36, ported by ZZPerformance, GM 1.87/1.57 valves | | Flow Numbers: | N/A | | Pistons: | Stock GM hypereutectic | | Rings: | Stock GM | | Rods: | ZZP forged steel | | Crankshaft: | ZZP stroker crank based on stock GM nodular-iron unit, stroked from 3.4 to 3.7" | | Rotating Assembly Balanced: | Yes | | Camshaft: | Comp Cams hydraulic roller 212º/218º duration at .050, .560/.528 lift with stock 1.6:1 rockers, 112º LSA | | Installed Position: | Straight up | | Distributor: | Stock GM crank trigger unit | | Total Timing: | Computer controlled | | Exhaust: | The Other Guys headers, 1 5/8" primaries, 2.25" crossover, 3" collectors, remaining exhaust system is stock | | Power Adder: | None | | Transaxle: | 4T65-E, 3.69:1 final drive ratio | | Converter: | ZZP 4,000 rpm stall | | Shifter: | Stock | | Brakes F/R: | Production 10.9" | | Wheels/Tires, Fr: | Konig Villan 17x8/ 245/45-17 Nitto drag radials | | Wheels/Tires, Rr: | Konig Villan 17x8/245/45ZR-17 Yokohoma radials | | Tire Pressure: | 20 psi/44 psi | | Suspension F/R: | GM Performance Parts suspension kit, Eibach springs | | Chassis Modifications: | None | | Interior Modifications: | None | | Exterior Modifications: | Removed left headlamp for the event | | Safety Modifications: | Stock GM seatbelts | | Custom Computer Programming: | By Digital Horsepower, raised shift points, trans pressure, etc. | | Launch Technique: | Foot brake to 2,000 rpm | | Best e.t./mph Prior to Event (1/4-Mile): | 13.52 at 100 mph | | Strip Tuning Log | | Run | Tuning | Launch RPM | Shift Point | 60-FT | 1/8-Mile | 1/4-Mile | | 1. | See Specs | 2,000 | 5,200 | 2.74 | 9.3/80 | 14.25/99.64 | | 3. | Same | 2,200 | 6,000 | 1.93 | 8.54/81.11 | 13.4/100.8 | | 4. | Same | 2,200 | 6,000 | 2.02 | 8.63/81.2 | 13.48/101.3 | | 5. | Same | 2,000 | 6,400 | 1.83 | 8.3/81.48 | 13.24/101.37 | | 6. | Same | 2,000 | 6,400 | 1.94 | 8.48/82.23 | 13.29/102.21 | | Five most important passes are listed here in the order that they occurred | | Notes | | Run 1: Auto shift; Run 3: Good traction; Run 4: Can't hook; Run 5: Personal best e.t.; | | Run 6: Personal best mph |
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