OWNER BIO: Bryant Denning
"I built my '69 looking for 11s with low maintenance, and I wanted it to be consistent," Bryant told HPP. After selling his first '69 Bird in 1981 upon entering the Coast Guard, Bryant decided to buy another once finances allowed. In 1987, a few years after completing aviation structural mechanics school and landing a new job in Coast Guard aviation, the time was deemed right. After 25 years in the Guard, the 46-year-old senior chief petty officer now enjoys his '69 Firebird at the races with his wife and two children. Other Pontiacs that have been in the Denning employ include an OHC-6 '67 Bird and the aforementioned '69 400 convertible Firebird. A '98 Trans Am currently serves as daily driver.
| Strip Specs |
| Year/Model: | '69 Firebird |
| Race Weight: | 3,570 lbs. |
| Curb Weight: | 3,335 lbs. |
| Fuel Level: | 3/4-tank |
| Type of Fuel: | VP 110 octane |
| Engine: | '68 428 |
| Cubic Inches Before/After: | 428/462 |
| Built By: | Owner, machine work by Steve Hughes of Midway Engine Rebuilders in Salinas, CA |
| Carburetor: | 800-cfm Q-jet, .079 jets and .046 rods pri./.025 rods sec., tuned by Mark Maxwell |
| Spacer Plate: | None |
| Intake Manifold: | Performer RPM, water crossover separated, exhaust crossover removed |
| Fuel System: | 140-gph Holley Black pump, Holley reg. set to 6.5 psi, 1/2-in fuel pickup tube inside factory gas tank, -8 lines |
| Heads: | #62, 2.11/1.77 Ferrea stainless valves, ported by owner |
| Flow Numbers: | N/A |
| Pistons/Rings: | TRW forged, flat-top, 4.180/Sealed Power |
| Rods: | Stock cast 6.625-in |
| Compression Ratio: | 11.3:1 |
| Crankshaft: | Stock 455, 4.21 stroke, machining by Armando Ayala at Custom Crank Repair in San Mateo, CA |
| Rotating Assembly Balanced: | Yes, by Raschella Bros. Racing in King City, CA |
| Camshaft: | Comp hyd., 240/246-deg dur. at .050, .507/.510 lift, 110-deg LSA |
| Installed Position: | 105 deg. |
| Rocker Arms/Ratio: | Crower S/S / 1.5:1 |
| Ignition: | MSD Pro-Billet dist., MSD 6AL box, MSD coil, ACCEL 8.8mm wires, Autolite 86 plugs |
| Total Timing: | 35 deg. all in by 2,500 rpm |
| Exhaust: | Hooker Super Comp 1.75-in headers, 3.5-in collectors |
| Power Adder: | None |
| Transmission: | Turbo-400, perf. rebuild |
| Converter: | TCI 10-in, 3,400 stall |
| Shifter: | Cheetah Turbo Action |
| Rear: | GM 12-bolt, 3.73 gears, Eaton posi, stock repl. axles |
| Brakes F/R: | Factory 10.9-in disc/Factory 9.5-in drum |
| Wheels F/R: | Centerline Auto Drag 15x5/15x8.5 |
| Tires F/R: | Firestone 205/75R15 / Hoosier radial slicks 30x9x15 |
| Tire Pressure F/R: | 32 psi/20 psi |
| Suspension Fr: | No stabilizer bar, 90/10 shocks, Moroso springs |
| Suspension Rr: | No stabilizer bar, 70/30 shocks, Landrum monoleaf springs, CalTrac's |
| Chassis Mods: | Poly body mounts, CE bolt-in subframe connectors, 6-point Chris Alston Chassisworks rollbar |
| Interior Mods: | Summit Racing seats, aluminum package tray as per NHRA rules |
| Exterior Mods: | Ram Air from outer headlight buckets (not hooked up for Shootout) |
| Safety Mods: | Optima Battery, safety shut-off switch in trunk, owner-fabricated driveshaft loop, RCI harness, RJS SFI jacket, Bell helmet, SFI-approved drivetrain parts |
| Paint: | Goldenrod Yellow |
| Launch Technique: | Footbrake to 1,800 rpm, leave on bottom bulb, shift at 5,500 rpm |
| Best 1/4-mile ET, MPH prior to event: | 11.10 at 120 |
| STRIP TUNING LOG |
Run | Tuning | Launch RPM | Shift Point | 60-FT | 1/8 E.T./MPH | 1/4 E.T./MPH |
| 1 | .079/.046 pri., .025 Sec. rods, 94-in cir. slicks | 1,800 | 5,500 | 1.63 | 7.41/92.99 | 11.68/114.79 |
| 2 | Changed to smaller 92.5-in cir. slicks | 1,800 | 5,500 | 1.7 | 7.59/92.31 | 11.89/113.83 |
| 4 | .030 secondary rods, back to 94-in cir. slicks | 1,800 | 5,500 | 1.73 | 7.54/92.55 | 11.81/114.41 |
| 6 | Back to 92.5-in cir. slicks | 1,800 | 5,000 | 1.6 | 7.31/93.57 | 11.55/115.20 |
| BEST PASS CORRECTED | 6.97/98.18 | 11.01/120.87 |
| 7 | Same | 1,800 | 5,000 | 1.65 | 7.40/93.30 | 11.64/115.26 |
| The five most important runs are listed in the order they occurred. |
| Run Notes: 1) Ran good, seemed rich, lazy, right lane, 2) No 60-ft, right lane, 4) Spun off line, left lane, 6) Pulled front wheels, best pass, 7) Ran good, hot lapped. |