At The Track
Lou Greco
Lou is a seasoned Pro class winner at Pontiac events over the years, so his goal was to acclimate himself to the Summit Motorsports track and test his T/A's performance in preparation for a weekend of payout drag racing. He regularly runs in the mid-10s and he proved it on his first pass, a 10.48 at 127.87 mph. His third pass was his best of the day, another 10.48 at 128.14 mph. Lou went on to make the semi-finals of the Pro class on Saturday at the Ames Performance Pontiac Tri-Power Nationals with a 10.42 before it was rained out. Of the event, Lou said he enjoyed the "hospitality and a chance to showcase his Trans Am in HPP." Of the track, he recalled, "It was a perfect day. The Trans Am hooked well."
Jim Flees
Jim had been waiting to get into a Pavement Pounders Shootout for over a year, so he was very excited to get onto the Summit track. His first pass was an 11.71 at 113 mph, proving that his street-driven GTO had some track capability as well. His second pass, using identical tuning, was an 11.90. His change in e.t.'s could be attributed to a slower 60-foot time on his second pass, a 1.72 vs. an earlier 1.57. Afterwards, Jim noticed oil leaking from his rear main seal and retired the GTO for the day. Two things can be said of Jim's actions. First, he checked his vehicle after each pass for safety reasons as every drag racer should do and second, he decided to stop racing when he saw there was damage that could have led to a blown engine and an oildown. Of the event, Jim said, "It was great that it was all Pontiacs and everybody was extremely friendly and helpful. It was neat to see everyone's stuff." Of the track, Jim commented, "The conditions were good for the two passes that I made." Happily, they were two solid passes that enabled him to be included in this Shootout.
Conclusion
Both of these racers put their best foot forward at the event. Lou showed us that a stroked 400 can consistently run in the mid-10s, and effectively compete in cash award drag racing (as he did over the weekend). Lou says the secret to his Trans Am's success is 15 years of Pontiac race car building, much of which he learned from his dad, Dom, also a Pontiac drag racer.
Jim showed us a positive attitude makes you and your Pontiac a winner even if a mechanical failure prevents you from competing to an event's completion. Although disappointed in his GTO's inability to last the day, he stayed at the event for the duration, and cheered on other drivers.
The two drivers and their Pontiacs featured in this Shootout showed the performance differences between a potent 461 combo in a lightened race car and a potent yet milder and streetable 461 in a dual-purpose car. Lou's Trans Am ran in mid-10s and Jim's GTO ran in the mid-to-high 11s. What can account for the gap between the two vehicles' performance? "My Pontiac is 400 pounds lighter than Jim's and has two more points of compression. In addition, I've got extensive porting in my heads," Lou told us. His T/A also has more cam and carb.
Jim agreed, "My GTO is a street/strip car. It runs on pump gas and has a full interior. I can race on Sunday and take the family to the grocery store on Monday. With the rear main seal fixed, now I'll be out racing this year trying to catch up to Lou and his T/A."
What can you learn from the two racers featured this month in Pavement Pounders Shootout? Although engine combos may appear similar (both Pontiacs featured this month are stroked 400/461s), weight, compression, airflow, and suspension all contribute to your best e.t. If you're planning to build a Pro class T/A like Lou's or a street/strip GTO like Jim, we're sure the combos discussed in this article can give you plenty of ideas for your next project.
HPP would like to thank the management and crew at Summit Motorsports Park for their assistance in making this Shootout possible.