HPP was invited by Jim Zeek of Chief Pontiac Productions and Virginia Motorsports Park (VMP) to use its NHRA-sanctioned track in Petersburg, Virginia, the day before the Fifth Annual Pontiacs in the Park event. In this segment, we'll focus on two drivers whose Pontiac race cars, timeslips, and driving techniques may appear to have little in common. Even though one completes the quarter-mile in the low 10s, and the other in the low 8s, both share a common bond in that they each run traditional Pontiac engine combos.
John Labuda John Labuda of...
John Labuda
John Labuda of Herminie, Pennsylvania, arrived with his '70 GTO, which has improved from a 15-second stocker to a 10-second screamer over the last 18 years. It features a 0.060-over 455/469 combo, a Turbo 400 trans, and 4.10 gears.
Tom Kilroy Tom Kilroy of...
Tom Kilroy
Tom Kilroy of West Milford, New Jersey, brought his '01 Grand Am that, under previous ownership, won the NHRA Pro Stock Championship in 2001 for Warren Johnson. It packs an IA-II block displacing 510 cubes, a Powerglide trans, and a 4.30-geared rear.
Weather Report
The temperature at VMP rose from the low 60s to 75.2 degrees throughout the day. Barometric pressure was 30.24 and the dew point was 46.4 degrees. The track sits at 98 feet above sea level and density altitude ranged from 995-1,784, so we use a factor of 0.9809 for e.t. and 1.0199 for mph for 1,700 feet to chart the theoretical best performance at sea level. This will be done on the best pass only based on e.t.