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Since we're talking about AMCs & streetracing-----one night John had his Gremlin out when I stumbled on him. We were on Utopia Parkway when I pulled alongside in my tubbed, SBC-powered Pinto. My car had a big solid lifter cam in it, quite a bit of compression, "fuelie" heads and a 40lb. flywheel hooked to an M21 trans in front of 4:30 gears. He had just gotten his new converter from Vitar Engr. and we were both anxious to see how our "mini-cars" (popular term back then) would do. When the light went green John jumped ahead, probably a car length or so as I let the clutch fly & went after him. Catching up wasn't a problem but keeping ahead, I have to admit, took a little bit of effort. We went through this ritual about three times as I recall, each run being about the same.
Though I did beat him, I have to admit he made a real believer out of me in regards to automatics for racing. His car was so much more consistent & easier on the driveline than mine I find it kind of hard to justify using a stick except they're so much fun......

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Ah, Utopia Parkway, not a bad stretch of road to run back then, still had that good concrete surface up till almost 5 years ago in some spots!
That runnin' Gremilin might have been pulling the "sandbag game" on you! If you can catch him from the light and gain a car length that quick,
but struggle to keep ahead, it's a ruse! Something is a little off, if it's just almost
every run. Chances of two cars being so closely matched is few but never impossible. So, the other
theory is that, his consistency is what kept him
at the level he was running at. Vitar Engineering
great converters and trannys, back in the day!!