At The Track
Eddie Hixson
With the goal to finally break into the 10s for our Shootout, Eddie put some heat into the rear slicks and laid down a good 60-foot time of 1.606. Unfortunately, since this was his first time at the venue, he let out of the gas before the finish line, but still managed an 11.57 at a mere 91 miles per hour. For his second run, his ultra-reliable shifter stuck on the 1-2 shift, but he recovered fast enough to put down an 11.36 at 120.9 mph. As the brutal heat started to crescendo, Eddie finally got off a clean run and tripped the lights at 11.04 at 122.82 mph.
He relates, "After the first two runs I figured I had probably lost my best opportunity to have a shot of breaking into the 10s, but amazingly the Bird had its best 60-foot time and almost knocked down a 10-second run during the hottest part of the day. For the car to run a personal best with a heat index of nearly 120 degrees indicates that just breaking into the 10s shouldn't be a problem in better air and my goals should be revised into the 10.60s."
Of his Bird's outing at Lonestar Motorsports Park, he said, "The car hooked well on all of the passes, even though for some reason I seemed to have an issue with getting a consistent burnout coming out of the water box. There was no doubt in my mind that the track was well prepared. Even more impressive was how fast the Bird ran in the hottest part of the day. My only regret is not hurrying to make one last-ditch attempt to break into the 10s."
Conclusion
This combination had the oats to yank the wheels when launched at a legitimate street car weight just shy of 3,700 pounds. Cathedral port heads may not be the latest rage in head design for the LS series of engines, but when they are top-notch castings like the 225 AFRs combined with a custom cam and high-flowing intake, then it's all about what works.
Eddie demonstrated that he is adept at understanding the concept of the total package equaling more than the sum of the parts. The suspension components were indeed top-notch, but the level of refinement in how the car planted and transformed the power into forward motion was a sight to behold. Consistent 60-foot times in a blast furnace are sure-fire signs of many an hour tweaking this and that until it's just right.
Whether you plan on building a super-fast street car, a corner-carver, or a dragstrip warrior, it's all possible by setting your goals and then optimizing your combination. Be it a classic Pontiac or the latest generation of LS wonder car, it's possible to have race-car performance with a street car without breaking the bank. With the combos detailed in this Shootout series, your F-body, GTO, or G8 is patiently waiting for you to decide to turn up the wick and unleash its split personality.
HPP would like to thank the management and crew at Late Model Racecraft and Lonestar Motorsports Park and for their assistance in making this Shootout possible, and to local Houston Pontiac hobbyists Lloyd Coulson, Larry Navarro, Dan Barton, Jimmy Braud, John Chung, Jeff Gee, Paul Kenney, and Les Newton for volunteering at the track and making the event run much more smoothly. On the hottest day of the year in Houston, it pays to have great companies to partner with, and even better friends- especially ones that have ice-cold bottles of water.