Did anyone catch the guest announcer for the first round of A/SA Thursday???

Rich, that class must have been really, really, interesting.

It's like the 60's, all over again.

David Hakim!! And he did a great job.

Steve, A great class run off. There were a LOT of diffrent cars. Besides Warford's Challenger, there was a GTX that ran as good as it looked!! My two favorites!!!!!

Yeah, Rich, I followed it on the internet. It is the closest I have followed a stock eliminator class for a long, long, time.

The combo that intrigues me is the single four barrell Hemi NASCAR offering that David Barton runs. I know there was an NASCAR single four barrell package car, but I thought they were all hard tops.

Another one that intrigues me is Jason McCormack's Hemi four speed 66 Belvedere. The only question I have about those cars is that I don't remember a Hemi hood scoop being offered on anything in 1966. We owned a 66 package car, just like Jere Stahl's, (I think they built 56 or so), and I never saw any with a hood scoop.

But, I am sure they are not guilty of working the rule book any more than anyone else....in fact, I pull for both of them. I am partial to those old MoPars. And also partial to the Drag Pak Challengers.

That, plus the SS/AH shootout, is the only thing that could draw me to an NHRA National event anymore.

Steve, Have you looked over the McCormack real close ? That is a very interesting car. And like you, I have wondered about the hood scoop on a 66 car.
Oh well, drag racing is not what it used to be - Now I even just heard - that Todd Werner got one of the Drag Paq cars and will race it under the Landy colors ??? Wonders never cease ?

Buddy Martin had a new car on display. Not sure who will drive or what class it will be in.

Stewart, I am glad someone else has picked up on that. I've probably seen all 56 or so of those cars, plus some clones, and I don't recall their being a scoop on any of them. Same with the NASCAR package.....I remember the package, but they were all hardtops, as far as I can recall.

You and I both know what happened is that someone "found" an old, obscure, Chrysler book that listed those options....so....WALLA!...instant legalization.

You know what? I don't care. If it helps them whip some GM and Ford butt I think it's OK if nitrous was found to be an "option".

McCormack has ran the car as a 1967 model.When he first ran it he did as a 1966,but later changed the trim to the 1967.

Even so, if it is a 67, it's still a sedan. The RO and WO cars were all hardtops, and as far as I know they were the only ones with Hemi scoops. But, if it is in the books.....(wink, wink).

Like Steve says - RO/WO 23 67 cars had that scoop. And you can bet your B-tt that if they were legal/available in 66, Jere Stahl would have had one on his car.
BUT - SS has become such a conglomeration of unknown cars and unavailable parts, that it no longer represents the era.

StewartP

Judy Lilly's 67 was a sedan and had the same setup.

Is the RO/WO now legal in Stock? They used to be SS only.
So McCormmacks A/SA '66 sedan is now upgraged to a '67 and is sporting an RO scoop?

I've been active in Stock Eliminator for the better part of 30 years and it has changed for the worse. I remember when, for example, they would check that a cuda had the fog lights. Make you take off spoilers that did not come on the model. Now just in Div. 1 there are a ton of non stock "options" on cars. Jasons car should not have a scoop but until an official tells him different he is going to run it. 440+6 cudas with AAR hoods. Holiday Coupe Cutlass with the W30 fiberglass hood on a 350 car. Dart Sport scopps on Dusters. The worse is the FE Fords allowed to have Edelbrock aluminum heads. Bad enough that a Shelby never even came with them but a 390 wagon can run them too. These paper cars have ruined Stock. Rant off.

All the manufacturers are guilty of "bending the rules" and submitting bogus combinations to NHRA for Stock and Super Stock Eliminator.

The Chrysler Crew (Maxwell, Hoover, Cahill) were the worst offenders back in the day (and God Bless them for their creativity).

How many "real" 1966-67 B-Body Street Hemi wagons have you seen at shows and events over the past 40 years? Heck, according to the sales brochures, the biggest engine available in 66-67 B-Body wagon was a 383 4BBL.

Regardless, you can run one of these combinations in Stock and Super Stock as they are listed in the current NHRA Classification Guide (just like the 64-65 single 4BBL. HEMI NASCAR Package).

Detroit’s big three wanted did whatever it took to provide their racers an advantage over the competition.

So let's not get too fired up over Ford 390 and 428 engines with aluminum heads.

The NHRA has been very “favorable” to the Mopar camp by accepting some “unique” combinations….

No arguement over what Chrysler pulled. NHRA should go through and axe all the bogus combos. It'll never happen because we are not worth the time to them. Point being class racing sure isn't what is used to be.

That's a true statement.

I really don't think stock is "ruined" because some scoops are allowed that weren't common, but may have been available. The FE Ford deal is a little more complex, but as Dave mentioned it really isn't worth pursuing.

I agree that stock eliminator should be kept as genuine as possible, but no class is perfect. If that's your A-body stocker on your site, good luck and tear them Fords and Chevys up!!

Dave, you are right. The two Hemi wagons were built by Lee Smith and Gary Ostrich, not by Chrysler. The rules bending was widespread, and was fun.

The big difference is that we were/are the good guys. The Ford and Chevy guys are the bad guys. That justifies it all.

Only kidding. (Well, sort of)

Steve and others - I kinda remember that the Lee Smith car and Ostrich car - ran in SS as SS/G cars - they also ran in the now gone Modified Eliminator as C/MP or D/G -- as SS cars, they were designed to take out the CJ Mustangs. I also believe that Dave Koffel had a lot to do with those cars - and they would break some serious parts. Very HEAVY !

StewartP

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Somewhere along the line I had an e-mail from Jerry Valentine talking about the '66-'67 B-body cars that NHRA killed off since there were only a few documented. Maybe Judy's was one of those. I tried to find that e-mail but couldn't find it. I was talking to him about the steel nosed 1964 Belvedere hardtops but they never built the 50 minimum for SS. There was a period where the steel noses weren't legal, only the aluminum. Makes no sense when it isn't a performance advantage, just more cost effective.

That is one area where I think allowing modern components is a good idea. Yeah, the aluminum Edelbrock heads don't look right, but they are easy to find and cost effective compared to old 1960s heads that are hard to find and expensive. I just wish they would allow fiberglass in place of aluminum body panels on the lightweight cars for the same reason. $20k for an aluminum front end is crazy when $2k worth of fiberglass could be a legal replacement. Just make them weigh the same, heavy duty fiberglass vs. delicate aluminum fenders and hood.

I actually have a copy of the original correspondence between Maxwell and NHRA over Judy Lilly's hood scoop on her '67 Plymouth.

To say the tone of the letter is a bit terse is an understatement as Farmer (NHRA National Tech Director at the time) was not too happy with the fact her Street HEMI Belvedere I (post) had the RO/WO fresh air hood/scoop.

I'll try to scan the letter and throw it on Moparts for our viewing pleasure.

Jason runs it as a 66 because he gets a weight break of 6 or 7 HP over the 67,And the scoop is allowed as per nhra's classification guide for a 66

BOB
not jeff

Yep, NHRA left the 1967 Street Hemi at 430 HP with the air scoop and the 1966 Street Hemi at 425 HP that was without the scoop, but now has it. Wesley missed that one didn't he?