Conclusion
Cubic inches don't always translate into the lowest e.t.'s. Case in point: this Shootout. Jeff Sawruk's 350 H.O. was the quickest of the group. Each of this month's participants had a mechanical malady with which to contend, yet all still ran well.
Despite loosening rocker arms, Paul Aragona's '74 SD-455 T/A still ran very respectably and it bested the '73 road test e.t. of 13.75 by nearly 0.35 second with less cam. Proper prep in other areas and the 3.90 gears contributed to its good showing.
Carb issues were worked through with judicious tuning on Doug's '67 400 H.O. GTO, which enabled him to run low e.t.'s. A fading limited-slip unit certainly didn't limit the performance of Jeff Sawruk's 350 H.O.-powered '69 Custom S. Twenty years of experience and tweaking with the same car has certainly paid dividends. All in all, it was a good day for our competitors.
HPP would like to thank Mark Weymouth, Dan Jensen, Jody Traylor, and the management and crew of Mid-Michigan Motorplex for their assistance in making this Shootout possible.
 At The Track Paul Aragona/Dan...  At The Track
Paul Aragona/Dan Jensen
Dan says, "The SD could have run better. We found out afterwards that a number of rocker arm crimp nuts had backed off-the engine was clattering all during the Pavement Pounders' session. Regardless, it ran 13.31 at 103.54 on a 1.94 60-foot after some tire pressure adjustments and removal of the air cleaner. "We had an ideal day weather-wise, and the track was hooking well," Dan recalls. "Had I not been setting up for the Pure Stock Drags, which was held the following two days, I may have gotten better times and mph out of the T/A." |  Doug Mesman Doug felt his...  Doug Mesman
Doug felt his '67 GTO wasn't pulling as well as it should have on the top end all day, which he attributed to a possible carb issue. He swapped metering rods, bumped timing and steadily increased launch rpm, while keeping wheelspin at bay, to be rewarded with a 13.35 at 105.11 mph best pass on a 2.02 60-foot, also his best of the day. This is just a touch off his best e.t. and mph ever-13.32 at 105.6. |  Jeff Sawruk "My Custom S...  Jeff Sawruk
"My Custom S ran its best 60-foot time ever [1.97], but the track conditions were inconsistent," Jeff tells HPP. "There was no groove evident and the surface was slick just past the 60-foot where most PS cars are hitting Second gear." Regardless, he posted his best e.t. and mph to date at the Shootout-a 13.01 at 108.12 mph on a soft 2.06 60-foot time. The Custom S goes through the traps at 6,000-6,100 rpm. Jeff liked the fact that "the track rental provided a low-pressure environment so that the participants could get the best out of their Pontiacs. On another note, he has since replaced the factory Safe-T-Track unit with an Eaton Posi and ran 12.88 at 107.65 mph at Milan Dragway. |