Pure Stock Prep School - Part I: Engine

You roll up to the burnout box in your Ram Air IV Judge. When the starter gives the signal, you blip up the throttle and snap the clutch off the floor, while immediately sliding your foot from the clutch to the brake pedal. Hold the rpm at 4,000 while smoke starts to billow out of the fenderwells. After a long 10-count, you ease off the brakes and feel the motor pull higher. Then you slowly roll out of the gas while laying down another 25 feet of rubber, finally bringing it all to a stop before the staging beams.

As you clear the motor a few times, you let the victim in the other lane pop the staging bulb first. As he becomes a bit anxious, you clear out your nasty rattling Ram Air IV one last time. Stage nice and shallow so you can ride the clutch right on the edge of engagement, while giving yourself a good long rollout. With the second staging bulb lit, you pull the motor up to 3,000 rpm, then wait for the last amber bulb to show the slightest glow.

When this happens, the clutch swings up as you raise your left foot, while your right foot dives for the pavement via the gas pedal. The tires dig in, the motor starts pulling down off the cam and you hold steady on the clutch release, letting the motor build momentum. With a burst of forward motion, you release the clutch fully, while probing for tire slip. The direct engagement from crank to differential is now complete and your backside sinks into the Morrokide as the scenery begins to blur.

Just as the engine nudges the far side of 6,000 rpm, you half-heartedly kick the clutch and violently wrench the Hurst lever back-your right foot never considers leaving the carpet.

You repeat the procedure two more times and now the 4.33s are really pulling in Fourth before the 1/8-mile has even passed. The half-track traps flash by at over 90 mph. Now you have nothing left to do but keep her dead straight and vacuum up the 440+6 this, LS6 that, or SCJ something on the big end like it was left for dead.

A certain Pure Stock Oldsmobile record holder says it's "like being crop dusted by a Pepper Green F-14." Congratulations-you just made a Pontiac record-setting pass in the low 12s at 115 or so mph, while simultaneously embarrassing another big-cube brand X wonder wagon.

If this sounds exciting, then you're the right hobbyist to come join the fun at the Pure Stock Muscle Car Drags (PSMCDR or PS). The PSMCDR was founded by Bob Boden and one of the quickest all-time Pontiac racers, Dan Jensen. Dan and Bob have created such a remarkable event over the last decade that for the last few seasons the F.A.S.T races have also adopted the PS rules for their Factory Stock class, expanding the amount of events we can all participate in. The original and granddaddy of events, though, is still the September Pure Stock event run by Bob and Dan in Stanton, Michigan.

In this story, we'll provide the engine rules with Dan and show you how to build a representative Pontiac racer. In an upcoming article, we'll cover the remainder of the drivetrain and chassis setup and their rules. Remember, all who represent the spirit of the rules are welcome and you don't have to go to the lengths to prep your Pontiac described here to have fun and be competitive.

Pure Stock Muscle Car Drags Basics
All participants are paired with the qualifier closest to their e.t., beginning with the number one qualifier who races the number two and so on. This creates incredibly close and fun best-two-out-of-three heads up shootouts. No bracket racing here!

The important thing is not worrying about setting new race records, but rather a new personal record each time you race. Year after year, improvement is what all the racers are really interested in, whether you show up in a '74 Goat or a 421 2+2 Cat.