At The Track
J.B. Mattisont
J.B.'s first pass in his '67 Ram Air 400 Firebird was a respectable 13.06, but the Firestone F70-14s had a tendency to spin, even on the sticky Summit track. His second pass was near-perfect with his best-of-the-day timeslip of 12.80 at 108.86 mph on a 2.03 60-ft. He stayed consistently in the 12s for the remainder of the event. Of his Firebird's performance, J.B. says, "It hooked up great with only minor tire spin." He described the Shootout as "great fun" and said it was "good to see other Pontiac Pure Stocks run." His best pass since the shootout is a 12.65 at 110.12 with a 1.94 60-ft. at the Pure Stock Drag Races in September 2007.
Jim Minot
Jim's first pass was to acclimate his '68 R/A-II Firebird to the track, and he ran a preliminary 13.24. He knew that he could shave nearly a full second off that time with a full attack. Jim greatly reduced his e.t. with his second pass, a 12.66. His fourth run improved upon this at 12.59 at 111.42 mph on a 2.00 60-ft. time. Jim says, "It's hard to get a good start off the line with this four-speed Firebird and street tires, but once I found an rpm the tires could manage, I could feed power quickly and the car hooked up well." Of the event, Jim says he liked, "the opportunity to be in a Shootout, competing with other factory stock Pontiacs on an equal basis."
He has improved his Firebird's performance since the event as well, at the final '07 YearOne F.A.S.T/Factory Stock race at Virginia Motorsports Park in Petersburg, Virginia, on October 13, 2007. The Firebird qualified No. 3 in Factory Stock with a 12.10 at 114.97 mph! Jim says, "This time currently stands as the quickest and fastest run for a Pontiac in Factory Stock competition. My 60-ft. time on this run was 1.89, my best so far. The engine in the Firebird is still basically 'Pure Stock' (stock bore, stroke and components) and hasn't been optimized to 'NHRA specs' as many serious Factory Stock competitors are today."
Bruno Beltramet
Bruno fought hard in his '69 Ram Air IV GTO throughout the day to beat Jim's best time. His best run was his fifth at 12.80 at 110.81 mph on a 2.08 60-ft. time and his worst was his fourth at 13.03. After his passes, he told us that his jets were wrong for the event, and proved it by changing them out and running a very competitive 12.60-12.67 the next day (after the event).
When asked about his performance, Bruno says, "The new clutch didn't help me make the most of the sticky starting line. I either bogged or smoked the tires." Of the event, he comments, "I love the concept. It adds reality to the magazine." Since the event, Bruno has turned 12.23 at 113.89 at Virginia Motorsports Park at the October Fall Throwdown Pure Stock race.
Mario DiMontet
Mario took three passes to hit his stride in his '701/2 Trans Am. His first was a 13.90, dropping to a 14.23 on his second outing. He hit his best pass of the day at 13.77 at 104.29 mph on a 2.35 60-ft. time. He says his Pure Stock T/A has since run a 13.40 at 106 mph on a 2.16 60-ft. at Mid-Michigan due to better air and smarter driving.
He also said that his Trans Am "hooked very well," but comments that the 3.55 factory gears held him back. That was seen in his Fourth gear rpm at the traps, which was only 4,600. He described the Shootout as "well-organized and the HPP staff was very nice."
Conclusion
Driving 12-second and 13-second drag cars is a lot of fun, but watching these rare and classic Pontiacs rip it up by optimizing the combinations as they were originally engineered is a treat we don't get at every shootout.
Our participating Pontiacs are all concours-quality, high-dollar collectibles in today's vintage car market and their owners could have just as easily kept them at home. Instead, they were willing to come to the track and allow HPP readers to see and learn about them. For that, they are to be commended.
As for the results, these Pure Stock Pontiacs proved that the quest for quarter-mile supremacy didn't end for the Division with the racing ban of 1963. Low e.t., high-trap speed performance continued into the late '60s and early '70s with Ram Air programs targeting both the Firebird and the GTO.
The next time you take your Fourth-Gen Firebird, late-model GTO or FWD Grand Prix to the track, remember that these vintage Pontiacs paved the way for the Division's performance entries in the modern era as well. And for that, they should always have our respect.
Next month, we will feature more Pure Stock combos but the venue will change to Mid-Michigan Motorplex in Stanton, Michigan.
HPP would like to thank Super Duty Promotions and the management and crew of Summit Motorsports Park for their assistance in making this shootout possible.