At the Track
Traction was an issue for some this time out, but the headwind proved to be an e.t.-increasing endeavor as well.
Don Roberts
Driving was split between Don and friend, Tony Groff. Despite spinning at the line and the engine bouncing off the rev limiter, it was the very first pass of the day that was the best for Don's '64 GTO-11.51 at 113.54 mph on a 1.54 60-foot. Timing, tire pressure, and shift points were changed over the next three passes, and the Pontiac picked up over a half-mile-per hour by the last two passes, posting a 114.38 and 114.18 so the engine was putting out more power, but the 60-foot and elapsed time were off due to tire spin on launch.
Don says of the track conditions: "My GTO hooked and slipped alternately, but it's a cool track that is well maintained." Don says he enjoyed the camaraderie at the event and appreciated the work coordinating the photo shoot and racing.
Rick Underwood
Rick was testing the worth of the open exhaust and was tweaking timing, jets, and shift points. He describes the track conditions: "Fair-my LeMans was not hooking as well as I would like. It spun on about a third of the passes." By the end of testing, his fifth pass provided his best e.t. and mph of the day-13.17 at 102.28 mph. This was achieved despite a 1.99 60-foot when his best had been 1.88 on the second run. Rick made a sixth and seventh pass, but e.t. and mph dropped off after another minor jet change and letting the air out of the airbag. As he sees it, the positive moves were jet, timing, and shift-point adjustments, and negative results came from the open exhaust and the headwind.
In closing, Rick says he appreciates the professionalism of the staff at the shootout but could have done without that headwind. Rick recently reported that his LeMans has since run 12.74 at 105 mph at VMP on a 60-foot 1.89 with just some carb tuning.
Darin Stine
"I broke my trans!" Darin tells HPP. After a very promising start with a new engine combination, his transmission gave up the ghost.
Regardless, Darin managed a 10.82 at 122.12 on a 1.57 60-foot before things went bad. He reports that his LeMans has run 10.74 at 126 mph since the event at Cecil County on a 1.54 60-foot.
Despite the outcome, Darin was still upbeat about participating, saying, "My car was hooking well. I have no complaints. Even though the photos took quite a while, it was a great event with great people-very laid back, no need to rush."
John Blaha
John spent his time concentrating on dialing in timing for the most part. After losing traction on the fourth pass, a slight reduction in tire pressure resulted in the quickest e.t. of the day-9.81 at 135.44 mph on a 1.38 60-foot.
Despite the one loose pass, John remarks, "The track was very good, better than some of our bracket races. I hooked well on all passes but the fourth." Regarding the event as a whole, John says, "Everything was great all day long!"
Conclusion
Each of our competitors' Pontiacs is special in its own way, as is almost always the case with our shootouts.
Don Roberts' '64 GTO is quite simply a gorgeous automobile. The fact that it runs 11s with a stroked 428 while breathing though a cast-iron '66 Tri-Power setup just adds to the attraction.
In case you skimmed this story and missed it, Rick Underwood's '71 LeMans Sport convertible drags 4,070 pounds down the strip on each pass. Before you consider dismissing 13-teens as not very quick, let's remember that this is a 0.040-over-400 engine in this car-not a torque monster 455. And it's a fairly mild 400 at that, with its 224-/234-degree Summit cam. I guess we should never underestimate the potential of a good, old Pontiac 400.
Darin Stine's '69 LeMans had a rough time thanks to the trans failure, but the 400/455 car succeeded in offering a glimpse at its potential with the new engine. Sure enough, with the trans fixed, the A-body ran faster and will probably continue to improve as Darin tinkers with the combo.
If you need a reminder regarding the benefits of an advantageous power-to-weight ratio, look no further than John Blaha's '77 Astre. It's a 9-second Pontiac powered by an engine that isn't radical when compared to many other race cars out there. But a 2,320 curb weight and a well-setup tube chassis ensure those 9-second time slips and hero status for its 455.
Tune in next issue as our series continues.
Special thanks to Jim Zeek and his family for hosting Pontiacs in the Park and for helping HPP round up this year's participants. And thanks again to Jim, his family, and the staff of VMP for aiding in completing this shootout.