AT THE TRACK
Lucas Flanscha
Lucas and his '76 Bird were deadly consistent during the shootout with his best and worst e.t.s differing by only 0.02 of a second in the passes we listed. He recalled, "The track was good in the morning, then got slick in the afternoon, but it came back again in later rounds. My car hooked well." The best pass was his seventh, posting 12.15 at 109.94 on a 1.67 60-ft time. Of the shootout and the event Lucas said, "It was great, and lot's of fun."
Tony Valdois
Tony decided to stay with the same tune for the duration of the shootout, except for a single change in fuel, going to Torco 110-octane race gas on the sixth pass. Though he had some bogging problems at mid-day, the fuel upgrade combined with a good hooking track late in the day resulted in a 1.62 short time and a 11.86 e.t. to cap off his best run. Tony said, "My LeMans responded very well to the track, conditions were good and it hooked great." Regarding the shootout he commented, "It was very relaxed, which made my racing day more enjoyable."
Ray Baumgardner
Ray also made passes while maintaining the tune that his '78 T/A arrived with. Knowing the track as he does paid off. The T/A was very consistent-running between 11.30 and 11.37 for the passes listed. The best was 11.30 at 117.05 on a 1.52 60-ft time. Ray said, "I like a sticky track-that's what my car needs. This one was not as sticky as I would like it to be. The car reacted better than most nights that I race here, however. It hooked okay." Ray also related, "I liked the fact that I could make more passes during the shootout than a normal race day-any time I race my T/A is a perfect day!"
Conclusion
So what did we learn from our excursion to the Southwest? Lucas Flanscha taught us that just because it's free, like his '76 Firebird, it doesn't mean it's a parts car. The results of his 400 build-up and winning ways should be an inspiration to anyone who has accepted a hand-me-down Pontiac or who has been lucky enough to score one for nothing and is now looking to build it up.
Tony Valdois has carried the torch proudly for an uncle who has passed on. Not only did he save his '72 LeMans from becoming another typical Pontiac used car or worse, a parts car to restore a GTO, but he has built it into a competitive 455-powered 11-second racer and a potent street machine.
Ray Baumgardner has shown what can be accomplished in a very short time with his '78 Trans Am. He has only been racing for four years, yet he has already been an NHRA Division 7 Champion and has consistently performed well in his class, proving it's never too late to go racing a Pontiac.
HPP would like to thank the Steve Barcak and the Pontiac Heaven staff, as well as the management and crew of Speedworld Motorplex for their assistance in making this shootout possible.