After a one-issue hiatus, we now continue with our Pure Stock Shootout Series. To briefly review, HPP hosted a large Shootout at Mid-Michigan Motorplex in Stanton, which featured a group of Pontiac Pure Stock racers who compete each year in the Pure Stock Muscle Car Drag Race (PSMCDR or PS).
The rules and setups have been provided in the past few issues and are available on www.highperformancepontiac.com, but in short, these Pontiacs have to be very close to factory stock, even the wheels and tires. However, NHRA legal-for-stock-class engine specs, aftermarket clutches, more modern exhaust systems with H- or X-type crossovers (but no headers), and mild suspension tweaking are legal.
For this installment, an SD-455 spec. '73 Formula will compete against a Ram Air III '69 Trans Am and a '69 GTO with a Ram Air IV transplant.
Chuck Lombardi
Chuck Lombardi rolled in from Providence with his '73 Formula 455. Though this F-body isn't a factory SD-455, it was built to emulate one to compete in the Pure Stock Drags. The D-port 455 block remains, but a combination of SD-455 components and aftermarket parts deemed legal by the series have been added. With an M21 trans and 3.73 gears putting the twist through F60-15 Wide Ovals, it will be interesting to see how all that torque hooks up.
Larry Weymouth
Larry Weymouth had a relatively shorter commute, trailering his '69 Trans Am from Washington, Michigan. This real T/A also has a powerful Ram Air III engine that was about to be put to the test for the first time after a precise rebuild by Dan Jensen. Feeding the power through a Turbo 400 to a 10-bolt with mild 3.23 gears, will the T/A keep up with its competitors on this day?
John Glasgo
John Glasgo's '69 GTO is no stranger to powerful engine swaps, having run a Ram Air V engine in the past. The Uniontown, Ohio-based racer currently has the GTO set up for PS competition with a Ram Air IV, an M20 four-speed and 4.10 gears. John's father, Thomas, and brother, Paul, were featured in earlier installments of this series and their Pontiacs ran very well. Will John's do the same?
Weather Report
Ambient temperature rose from 55 to 71 degrees at Mid-Michigan Motorplex. The barometric pressure reading was 30.01 hg and humidity ranged from 41 to 100 percent. A 1,599 feet density altitude reading will require a factor of 0.9822 for e.t. and 1.0185 for mph to chart the theoretical best performance at sea level (done on the best pass only, based on e.t.). Now let's go racing.