At The Track
As you can see by the comments of our racers, the reviews of the starting-line stick are somewhat mixed. Admittedly, a few racers were getting used to new tires as well. Given the weather, the starting line was as good as it could be thanks to the diligent efforts of the Speedworld Motorplex staff.
Alan Monroe
For Alan, it was a battle of the belts and traction on this race day. The T/A spit its accessory belts on every pass, and Alan even had to make an auto parts store run for new ones. A ruptured heater core only added to the pressure (pun intended). After two aborted runs and a third pass with a poor 60-foot, it all finally came together, and the T/A posted an 11.85 at 114.16 on a 1.67 60-foot for its final pass of the day.
Alan said of the track conditions, "It was hard for me to get traction, possibly because it was a warm day. It took a while for me to figure out my drag radials, but once I did, the T/A hooked fine. Speedworld did a great job." Alan says he enjoyed the shootout, liked the single-lane format, and had plenty of time to work on the car between passes.
Mike Ciraolo
"It's great to be in a magazine that I have been reading for so many years," Mike tells HPP regarding the shootout. "The event was very exciting but very hectic for me-racing and taking pictures for the shootout-but I loved it!"
Of track conditions, Mike says, "It was unseasonably warm, even for Phoenix. The altitude was 3,400 feet and as high as 3,800 feet. The track was not as good as usual due to a few oil downs the week before. Nevertheless, it was my first time out with new M/T drag radials, and with them, I got my best e.t. of 12.28 [on the seventh pass] and best 60-foot to date, a 1.66."
Les Iden
"With the tall gears, good traction at the track, and the weight of the GP, it wouldn't take full throttle on launch without bogging," Les explains. "The track prep was top flight-very good traction." Despite the bog, Les made his best pass of 14.13 at 97.36 on his fifth run on a 2.12 short time. (Incidentally, with the 2.93 gears, rpm in top gear is just 4,700 at the traps.) The best 60-foot was on the fourth pass at 2.07, but overshifting to Neutral on the 2-3 manual upshift resulted in a 14.28 e.t. at 94.82 mph. Les enjoyed "single passes and time to tune between rounds." He tells HPP that his GP achieved its best e.t.'s to date at the shootout.
Matthew Luster
"My posi unit seemed to be slipping all day [see photo above], it needs to be repaired or rebuilt," Matthew laments. "Considering the posi problem, my 60-foot times were not all that bad. They are usually 1.82." On this day, the best 60-foot was a 1.85 on the third pass. Adjusting tire pressures and launch rpm to compensate for the posi, Matthew's best pass was his second, posting a 12.78 at 107 mph on a 1.87 short time. "The car did slow down in the afternoon," he notes, "Nevertheless, I thought the shootout was a neat experience. I've been a longtime fan of it and wanted to participate in one." Despite the failing posi and the heat of the battle, Matt still managed to runner-up in Bracket 3 of the Pontiac Heaven Drags & More VIII program. The GTO has since been fitted with a Detroit Locker differential.
Matthew Luster
"My posi unit seemed to be slipping all day [see photo above], it needs to be repaired or rebuilt," Matthew laments. "Considering the posi problem, my 60-foot times were not all that bad. They are usually 1.82." On this day, the best 60-foot was a 1.85 on the third pass. Adjusting tire pressures and launch rpm to compensate for the posi, Matthew's best pass was his second, posting a 12.78 at 107 mph on a 1.87 short time. "The car did slow down in the afternoon," he notes, "Nevertheless, I thought the shootout was a neat experience. I've been a longtime fan of it and wanted to participate in one." Despite the failing posi and the heat of the battle, Matt still managed to runner-up in Bracket 3 of the Pontiac Heaven Drags & More VIII program. The GTO has since been fitted with a Detroit Locker differential.
Conclusion
How about these Big Cars? When was the last time you saw a '66 GP and a '68 GP run as well as these two? The T/A and GTO, of course, kept up their end of the performance bargain as well.
Alan's '78 T/A showed us that 11s aren't mutually exclusive to stripped-down race cars: Full-weight street cars can run quick, too. Mike's '66 GP is very fast with just 396 cubes, on motor or on squeeze. This is a full-sized B-body, and it's street-driven despite the loose converter and spool. Les' '68 GP is truly the king of the highway, traversing the country while providing spa-like comfort on the road, yet still knocking down low 14s on the strip. Finally, Matthew's story is about more than just the mechanics of his '69 GTO. As a cancer survivor, he has realized the importance of living each day wisely, and he has chosen to spend this time building his GTO into a weekend racer to enjoy with his family. Isn't that what this hobby is all about?
Special thanks to Steve Barcak for hosting Pontiac Heaven Drags & More and for helping HPP round up this year's participants, and thanks again to Steve and the staff of Speedworld Motorplex for letting HPP have the run of the place during the Pontiac Heaven event.