NHRA Finals Super Stock

I was looking at some pics of the Stock/Super stock action from Pomona, and something unusual caught my eye. A red 70 Hemi Challenger (TA hood) running with SS/CA on the window. However, the car is clearly running a 9" tire. This has me confused on a couple levels. A Hemi e-body is a natural SS/D, so it makes for a "soft" "C" car. It's more natural to drop down to "E." Then the 9" tire is a kink. In stock, a Hemi e-body is an "A" or "B" car, with C/S being the more natural home for six-barrel cars. Anyone able to illuminate me on this?

Most likely a stocker just running in SuperStock.

That’s Don Little, a living Mopar legend. He frequently runs his Hemi Stocker in Super Stock.

If it can be hooked on a 9" tire, it would be slower on the bigger tire.

At one time I know that John Calvert raced his Super Stock Cobra Jet 428 Mustang on 9" tires... with a clutch car. That was his development platform for CalTracs, too.

Looking at the qualifying sheet, based on the ET’s....... I’d say there were several Mopar Stockers running in SS.

I"ve seen stockers cross over to super, such as John Calvert with his Mustang. Darcy Clark has a H/SA 340 Duster that will run SS/JA with an intake change. Even given Don Little's vast experience, I'm surprised at that car going all the way to SS/CA. That's what threw me off; my assumption that it would be a better fit in "E." That's a wow, then.

You don't have to change intakes to make the switch to Super Stock. A few people do it at the national event at Brainerd, just because there are less cars in SS, and if the car fits into a class no one else runs, it's a simple deal.

Probably chose ss/ca to stay away from another ss/da car. Remember they race heads up in eliminations when paired with another car in the same class.

Not many SS/CA cars around these days
I've known Don for a lot of years, I didn't realized that he was still racing

CA is over all lighter than EA? He Sometimes runs DA, too. Maybe he wanted a heads up shot at Rizzoli in CA??

Little knows what he's doing when it comes to what class at what event, believe me.

That’s correct about Calvert.
If you can get it to hook at the start (with today’s tire tech) no reason to drag a large tire at the big end.
And smaller slicks cost less too

I know that the superstock cars are pulling timing at the hit to manage power. I would be willing to bet on a 9" tire the higher hp combinations are doing the same. Tire technology helps.... but when you run a national event and are in the rotation after the nitro cars who dump a bunch of clutch dust on the track and you are told to run right after them.... you better have more than tire technology to rely on. Haha

Forget NHRA SS cars hooking on 9 inch drag slicks, look at the all out go fast small tire cars of today like the 275x60x15 radials cars