At The Track
As Always, the Norwalk Raceway Park staff did a great job keeping up with the starting-line prep. None of these competitors related traction problems due to the starting line, despite the weather conditions. Two tuned their way to low e.t.'s late in the day, and two got their best runs early on. See how they fared.
Rick and Walter Lucas
Rick and Walter basically limited tuning to timing changes and a few launch- and shift-point variations to dial-in their combination. It all came together on the final pass when the T/A posted its best 60-ft at 1.60, its best e.t. at 11.69, and its highest trap speed at 114.75. Rick said, "The starting line conditions were good, and the T/A started to get better toward the end of the day despite the heat. The event itself was a lot of fun."
Rick Holladay
"All changes were made toward leaning the car out since the tune was setup for racing on the coast, and I didn't have any jets with me," Rick says regarding his '65 GTO ragtop. And change he did, from launch rpm to each shift point for each gear to bumping timing, opening up the exhaust, and removing the air cleaners, Rick was a busy participant. All of his tinkering rewarded him with a precipitous drop in e.t. and increase in trap speed through the day. By the fifth run, he and his GTO were dialed-in, posting a 12.45 e.t. at 111.6 mph on a 1.85 60-ft to mark his best pass of the outing.
Rick relates, "The starting line conditions were very good considering the heat. I feel that Norwalk is the best run track in the nation, and I've been to plenty of them. The weather made the car about 0.2-0.3 off what I run on the coast, but the shootout was great overall."
Larry Vartanian
Feeling his tune was on, Larry kept the hood closed and dialed in shift rpm throughout the day. The result was seven passes, six of which were deadly consistent. His best pass for e.t. was his second, posting an 11.93. The best 60-ft came on the fourth pass at 1.63, and the GP cracked 112.20 mph on the final pass.
Larry describes the track conditions: "Hotter than hell but the line was pretty good, as shown in 60-fts. Though the heat made my car a bit slower, it was normal for Norwalk with that combination. I was satisfied with the shootout; it was a good time."
Michael Leech
Michael was chasing traction all day. He adjusted the shocks and the suspension settings and made a jet change in the afternoon, but when all was said and done, his lowest 60-ft and e.t., at 1.34 and 9.29 respectively, came on the first pass. Trap speed did increase slightly as the day wore on, resulting in a high of 145.88 on the fifth and sixth passes.
He tells HPP, "My car was off so much, I couldn't really tell how good or bad the starting line was. My struggle with 60-fts was my problem, not the track prep. I tried to soften up chassis during the shootout to lessen the hit on the tires, but I didn't go far enough. Since the event, my Firebird has run 9.09 on a 1.28 60-ft at 150.8 mph in 2.200-ft air after I moved the top bar up two holes in the rear suspension.
Conclusion
After seeing all these Pontiacs in action, we agree that green can be mean. From 9-second to 12-second e.t.'s, all of these participants worked to maximize their combos under less than perfect weather conditions. Some learned tuning lessons at the track that day, others realized them later, but all were diligent in their efforts and we thank them for that.
Speaking of thanks, the HPP staff would also like to thank Bill Bader, Jr. from Norwalk Raceway Park and Pete and Andrea Woodruff of Super Duty Promotions for their help in coordinating this shootout.