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The REAL skill was in the negotiating. Unlike "pinks", there was no yelling, figet-pointing or name calling. It was more like playing Poker. You talked money, location MAYBE owned up to about 5-10% of what you really had & what the car could do & run 'em. Hopefully no data would leak out & you could win. That goes on today I know in every type of racing (just TRY to get specs on a S/S racer's set-up for example) but the serious street-rats had it down to a science which back then was rare.
Of course if you were unlucky your opponent would have access to some guys who actually worked at gathering intel on your opponent & would have car specs, perhaps pictures of your opponent that could tell you just how fast he really was or what latest modifiction he made . He may help you or you'd bribe him for the info and get an edge on negotiating the race. That stuff hasn't changed but I'm sure modern streetracers are even more secretive.

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Yes it is like Poker, in a sense. I often saw it as that old military card game called "pinoncle".
It is where you can trump any ones books or winnings. Same as in street racing, the better combo wins consecutively!!
Those days of having "spies" at the strip or, perhaps the "candy store" where you got your
speed fixin's for your ride, are still around. The
only ways that you can get around the problem is to effectively DO your own engine/drivetrain building (minimal but EFFECTIVE machine work excluded)or go to a 3/4 long block (no intake, exhaust, cam, intake, timing set, water pump etc.) with just heads, machined block and balanced
rotating assembly and STIR in your own RECIPE of
parts!! Then for the HARDCORE, there is the foolproof, warranteed "crate motor/drivetrain" assembilies. They don't really care who does know their combo, they just keep "turning the wick up"
as the competition gets tougher!! Bribes are still in use, but the costs has gone up as our economy has gone DOWN!! Talk about supply and the demand for racing information, H-cop! Good post!!