At The Track
Rich RinkeIt was Rich's first time behind the wheel of the '69 350 H.O. Bird, and he was anxious to make a few passes. The rear gear had been upgraded to a 4.11 from a 3.55, and other tuning was done just prior to the race, so everyone wanted to see what the improvement would be. The results were promising, as the Bird went quicker than it had to date in Pure Stock trim. It posted a 13.46 at 105 on the final pass with a slightly soft 2.05 60-foot time. At the traps, 6,200 rpm was showing on the tach. "The track conditions were good and the Firebird hooked well," Rich said. Of the event he related, "it was very well run-there were pleasant people and great conditions."
Charles Lombardi Sr.
"As a first-time participant, the Shootout fulfilled all of my expectations and more," Charles said. "It was like having my own dragstrip for a day. I probably could've worn out the GTO if I wanted to." Regarding the track conditions, he recalled, "They were good for me. Being an automatic, the GTO is a little more forgiving of the track surface. The initial hook was very good. I got out of the groove once, and it spun the tires a lot on the 1-2 shift. That's to be expected when you're out of the groove, though." Experimenting with launch rpm and shift points paid off as the GTO's best pass of the day was the last, posting a 12.58 at 111.05 on a 1.90 short time, going through the traps at 5,200 rpm. According to Charles, "This car ran a best of 12.42 at 110.82 mph with a 1.82 60-foot at Englishtown Raceway Park later in the fall."
Conclusion
The track surface was good to both Pontiacs, according to their drivers. We learned the 455 H.O. GTOs are underappreciated for their performance potential. The '69 Firebird liked the gear change, chassis upgrades, and engine tuning that driver Rich Rinke performed prior to this outing, and it even won its Shootout the next day at the Pure Stock drags, besting a Corvette ragtop with a 350-horse 327 that's not known for losing. Both Pontiacs ran well at the HPP Shootout and provided a fitting end to HPP's Pure Stock Series.
HPP would like to thank Mark Weymouth, Dan Jensen, and Jody Traylor, along with the management and crew of Mid-Michigan Motorplex for their assistance in making this Shootout possible.