At The Track
Jim Barr
Jim has enjoyed his '68 Ram Air GTO since new, and bought it specifically to go racing. "I ordered it with manual steering, manual brakes, and radio delete," he says. Though he originally campaigned it with its factory D-Port top end, he found that Pontiac cast-iron round-port heads allowed him to shave 1/10-second off his best times. He was excited to bring his GTO out after six years of racing retirement.
For his first pass, he launched the Goat at 4,000 rpm, crossed the 60-foot in 2.25 seconds, and hit the traps in 12.85 seconds at 114.37 mph. Since he felt he already had his timing perfectly dialed in at 36 degrees, he wanted to see what effect slicks would have over drag radials in today's event.
Mounting, and then setting the slicks' tire pressure to 11 psi for his second pass of the day, Jim showed their advantage over drag radials in the first 60 feet of the track with a 1.73-second time. The lower tire pressure, however, proved unsafe. "By the eighth-mile, I knew I had to abort the run," Jim says. "The tire pressure was just too low for the track and conditions."
For his third pass, he raised the rear tire pressure to 15 psi, crossed the 60-foot in 1.77 seconds, and stampeded the traps at 12.11 at 113.11 seconds for his best pass of the day. "The alternator belt kept sliding off the alternator pulley. Since I run a mechanical water pump and was not going to risk the engine, it sidelined me for the remainder of the event," Jim says.
Of his GTO's reaction to the track, he says, "It's very sensitive to track conditions and didn't react well to the Gainesville track." Of the event, Jim had a better opinion. He said it was the first time in 43 years that so many photos have been taken of his GTO at the racetrack, and it was a "neat experience to participate in the HPP Pavement Pounders Shootout."
Conclusion
Jim's history with Pontiac racing goes back to the late '50s, and by 1962, he was a sponsored-driver, racing a Catalina post-sedan with an over-the-counter 368hp 389-SD engine. By the late '60s, he was racing the highest-performance cars that Pontiac could produce, both in stock trim and with factory over-the-counter race parts. It was an honor to have a Pure Pontiac racer with his history and skills at our Shootout.
So no matter what classic-year GTO, Firebird, or other Pontiacs you plan to race in the high 11s/low 12s, the GTO presented by this former NHRA record-holder should give you plenty of good ideas on how to build, race, and win.
HPP would like to thank the management and crew at Gainesville Raceway Park for their assistance in making this Shootout possible.