Owner Bio: Dave Polichena...
Owner Bio: Dave Polichena
Dave, a 47-year-old auto repair shop owner, has been racing for 10 years. He bought his '69 Firebird in 1981 when he was still in high school. "I found it in a newspaper ad and my parents always had Pontiacs so it was a no brainer," he says. It's special to him because, "I've had it so long, I just can't let it go. Plus there are just not many out there." His favorite moments in it have been "cruising the Ft. Lauderdale strip back in the day-when you could-jamming to some Dio."
By now, we hope that you're as excited as we are about the HPP Pavement Pounders Shootout, Florida Edition, held at the NHRA-sanctioned Gainesville Raceway in Gainesville, Florida. In the past two issues, we've brought you an NHRA record-holder who participated with his original-owner '68 Ram Air GTO, followed by a 9-second '81 Grand Prix equipped with Pure Pontiac power. This month, we conclude our series with one of Florida's fastest Pontiac-powered First-Gens, a Firebird that consistently runs in the 8s. Let's meet its owner.
Dave Polichena of Lake Worth, Florida, bought his '69 Firebird in 1981. It started life with him as a weekend cruiser, progressing to a street/strip car, and now a dedicated racecar. It's equipped with an Indian Adventures 535ci block, Kauffman HP heads, a Powerglide trans, and 4.56 rear gears.
Weather Report
The temperature at Gainesville Raceway during our Shootout ranged from 53.1 to 60.1 degrees. Barometric pressure was measured at 29.92 hg and the dew point was 46 degrees. The track is 167 feet above sea level, and density altitude ranged from 83 feet below sea level to 415 feet above sea level, so no correction factor is needed to chart the theoretical best performance at sea level.
Strip Tuning Log
| Run/Tuning |
Launch RPM |
Shift Pt. |
60-ft. |
1/8-mile |
1/4-mile |
| 1. 28-deg timing, |
3,800 |
7,200 |
1.32 |
5.71/121.81 |
8.94/150.26 8.75 psi in tires |
| 2. 30-deg timing, |
3,800 |
7,200 |
1.32 |
5.70/122.29 |
8.92/151.36 9 psi in tires |
| 3. Same |
4,200 |
7,500 |
1.30 |
5.66/122.68 |
8.88/151.49 |
| 4. 31-deg timing |
4,200 |
7,500 |
1.30 |
5.65/122.82 |
8.86/151.36 |
| 5. Same |
4,200 |
7,500 |
1.30 |
5.65/123.09 |
8.85/151.71 |
Run Notes: 1) Launched good, moved a little side-to-side at half-track; 2) Launched straight, still moving at mid-track; 3) Raised launch and shift point, track was good; 4) Ran left lane, bad burnout, moved side-to-side on launch; 5) Car ran straight, starting line is going away, best time ever.
Strip Specs
| Year/Model: |
'69 Firebird |
| Race Weight With Driver: |
2,980 lbs |
| Curb Weight: |
2,805 lbs |
| Fuel Level When Weighed: |
4 gallons |
| Fuel: |
112 octane |
| Engine: |
IA |
| Cubic Inches Before/After: |
535/535 |
| Engine Built By: |
Hart Beat Racing |
| Induction System |
| Air Cleaner: |
None |
| Carburetor: |
Holley 1050-cfm, by Nickerson |
| Jets: |
#92/#92 |
| Spacer Plate: |
None |
| Intake Manifold: |
Edelbrock Victor |