Pontiac Pavement Pounders Shootout - Atlanta Dragway, Part 4

For our last installment of this shootout series, we've assembled a group that will appeal to readers who live for Pure Pontiac power in various forms. Big car fans can enjoy the exploits of Norris, South Carolina's Brian Cook and his 10-second '62 Catalina with its 14.5:1 compression poked and stroked 421, a Turbo 400, and 4.56 rear. From Woodstock, Georgia, street car mavens can revel in Tim Simpson's 48,000-mile '66 GTO that features a 455, an M20 four-speed, and a 3.55 rear to put down 13s on the strip and drive anywhere. For early F-body aficionados, Bryant Denning brought his '69 Firebird all the way from Santa Clara, California. Featuring a bored and stroked 428 backed by a Turbo 400 and a 3.73 rear gear, it posts mid 11-second time slips. And last but certainly not least, Newland, North Carolina's own Bill Franklin brought his overbored 455, Turbo 400, 3.73-geared combo and will demonstrate how to put a lightened '67 Tempest in GTO clothes into mid 10s.

While the racers were willing and their Pontiacs were prepped, the weather was not so conducive to low e.t.'s. Ultimately, 3,800 feet was used for our density altitude as most of the afternoon was near that reading. Thus the correction factor to get a theoretical sea level number for the e.t. is .9536 and 1.0493 for mph. As you know by now, HPP has the correction for the best pass only (based on e.t.) in the Strip Tuning Log. To convert the other runs on your own, multiply the e.t. or mph by its factor to arrive at the corrected figures. The Atlanta Dragway personnel worked diligently to maintain stick at the starting line, but the weather still had the final say on how the racers hooked up.

With cameras at the ready, the HPP staff was prepared for the festivities, while YearOne provided sponsorship, lunch, and announcements, and POCI and DAPA members came through with behind the scenes support. So pop open a cold one, sink into a comfortable chair, and see how they run!