I got an idea for a thread back when we were posting in the Pavement Pounders section. Who inspired you to take up Pure Stock Racing? Mine were the early racers at the Muscle Car Review Supercar Shoot Outs in the 1980's and early 1990's. I am heavy in Pontiac racers as that is what I drove in the era. Namely: Jim Mino: He put the RA II on the map and as I recall was the first person to go in the 12's with any brand. Such a nice influence that Larry and I own the car now. Bob K: He and Jim always had great duels and his lift off hood Bee is still inspirational. Dan Jensen: T-37/455 HO Wheels up on a mag cover. Nuff said. Dennis Jensen: Beautiful RA IV Judge and flogging it down the track. Fortunately I have been able to meet each of these guys over the years and race with them also. They all live up to the hype I had built in my mind. Great people one and all. They made many a H.S. and College class pass quicker as I day dreamed of joining the fun one day. Mark
As soon as I read about the PSMCDR in Muscle Car Review, I knew that I wanted to do it. As far as inspiration, I would have to say Copo Pete, Casey, Brian Stefina, and Dave H/Ram Rod! As soon as I hopped my car in the trailer with Rob Clary to go to Martin in '03, I knew that I was going to meet a great group of guys (and gals!). Not that I need continuing motivation, but Dave H and Donny Brass come to mind. Donny, why did he say Donny? I have to remember to whip up on his little small block and I can't let him catch me!:moonu:
As far as I know my red 68 1/2 Mustang coupe was the first pure stock 12 second car. In NMCA legal trim in 1992 I ran 12.74 on Polyglas tires and a 1.84 60 ft time.The fastest car in up till that time in 91 was a Hemi car that ren 13.19. I have never been able to beat Dan Jensen though even when I had a faster car he outdrove me.He and Dennis are fast and good drivers.:3gears:
what got my brother wanting another w-31 and also getting me cranked up in pure stocking was meeting daveh and seeing his ramrod at the Dick Miller Olds nationals in 2001..:TU: also,years ago,i was at the musclecar nationals in 89 in Atlanta,and saw a 70 Cyclone running 12.20's with street tires,and thought.. man is that cool..:3gears:
I would say that Pete and JJ because they were out beating on their valuable chevy stuff. Talk to them a couple of times and it seems like family. Always positive about the Pure Stock Drags. And then Dan Jensen, Bob Boden, and Scott Tiemann. The guys were having soo much fun it just rubbed off. The guys make an event that have changed lives. I don't think they know it yet but it's true! As an example, ask Stafina about his investment in the Pure Stock Drag Racing. 99% of the guys with trailers that go to the events have the disease because of these 3 guys.:laugh: If you made it in a magazine in the last 15 years and it deals with the Pure Stock Drags, you were an influence,:beer Jim
That's it, Jim; right there.:TU: I would also add that the TV race footage on American Musclecar helped as well. That's the stuff that got me there the first time, but it's the people that bring me back again and again. :3gears:
Oddly, my first expirience dates back to the 80's ,with some tapes that I got ,of what I think was a race sponsored by the NMCA. I'm sure if I look hard enough I'll find them but if memory serves,it had the race on it that started the whole Stage 1 /HEMI rivalry. It's probably been about 15yrs since I've watched the tapes,but I remember the Mopar guy calling the GTX a gitix. Anyhow, at that time ,I remember how cool I thought those cars looked and that's when I started to catch the bug. Fast forward to 1998 and I meet Dr. DJ while looking at a car that he had for sale.We discuss various things ,but it is at this time that I find out about the Pure Stock Race,which re- ignites that interest to see it. As time passes ,I meet the infectious Bob Boden who further fires me up . I decide that this is way too much fun ,and I will not miss out anymore. Took me a while to get there,but it was worth the wait! More recently my knowledge ,standards ,and appreciation have been tweeked by MW,LW ,CM ,DB, etc. etc. . Good bunch despised only by my wife.:laugh: If you were to ask my son Trevor (9yrs old) he would not hesitate ,and would say that it was Bob Boden and Dan Jensen! It's already passing down through the generations! Rich C.
I don't know if I can name one person who inspired me? I guess I would have to give personal thanks to Darrel Detwiler for dragging my butt down to Quaker for the first 2 Factory Stock Drags put on by Brad "Bad Moon" Rising. I had listened to Darrel rant and rave over these races for a couple years prior to actually seeing an event in the flesh. When I heard about these races,I remember telling Darrel that it sounded like about as much fun as kissing your sister, I wasn't impressed at all listening to stories about guy's racing "stock" cars with full exhaust systems, and MANIFOLDSou: But..... I finally went and watched, and was tossed the keys to Darrels Gold 71 442 4spd, WOW, after making 2 passes side by side with another car, I was questioning why anyone would want to bracket race. Playing catchup or being chased down,slamming on the brakes,etc.ou: ou: ou: No, heads-up door handle to door handle racing is where it's at.:TU: I would have to give credit to Dan and Bob for coming up with the best of 3 mini shootout's, brilliant:beer I too remember reading many names of some of these people in my old Musclecar Magazines back in the mid 80's. Dan,Bob K,Jim Mino,Bill Wills,Barry Poole, I even remember some dude named Casey in a Mopar?:shock: I guess I would have to say that you all have inspired me,and continue to inspire me to keep coming back for more,Thank You All!!!!!!!!!:TU: Today I consider many of you some of the best friends I've ever had, I truly enjoy your company, and Cherish the memories from every race.
I would have to say ,for me ;Copo Pete ,JJ and Dan Jensen.some good people;who know how to fine tune a car;who have helped me alot along the way.as with everybody in the pure stock drags ;a group of musclecar guys having a good time with same interest.Chris teed FS 68 396/350 hp nova ss best et13;28 at 102 mph with a 3;42 gear.other 68 nova ss396/375 hp muncie 4speed /4;10 gear .motor at machine shop in North Carolina; coming soon
You guys have MCR to blame for my presence :moonu: There I was a long long time owner of a 'numbers matching' 300 horse 327 vette...... a nice car but not anything to special, and I had bought into that 'too nice to drive' and 'gotta keep it original' bs, even though the wrong hood and wheels had been on it since 1970. So, when I started reading the event coverage, and then found the old Pure Stock site, I had an epiphany: "Either these guys are stupid, or they are having way more fun than the law should allow beating on all those beautiful cars." So, I got all excited about actually doing something with my car, and stopped obsessing about the first rock chip in the paint, and I have been hooked ever since.... I remember showing up with a car that I thought was 'ready' and promptly earning a 15 high stack of 15 second time slips...... a few of the guys whom I had talked to on the net came by to lend a hand, and I was sooon running low 14's. Guys like Casey Marks, Tim Clary, Brian Stefina, Dave Heilia, Ken Riebel, Paul and Bob Richards and so many more have been so helpful with advice, I can't ever imagine missing an event.
It was the coverage in MCR in 97 that got me to go,and the great new friends i met that kept me coming back ever since.
When Car Review magazine did coverage of the '85 Supercar Showdown in Bowling Green, KY and I saw the pictures of Dan's T-37, I KNEW that was for me. I was in 11th grade at the time. I was driving my first car. A 1970 Dodge Charger 383. Even in high school, I never put headers or aftermarket wheels or anything on that car. It was always "pure stock". That Stefina guy would ride my ass to "cut it up". We see where he ended up ....... :bglasses: Two buddies and I attended(watched) the second Supercar Showdown in 1986. I was hooked. I took my Charger to the race in '87. And in 1988, I won the "Middle Block" shootout at what was now known as the Musclecar Nationals - sponsored by Car Review. Back then, they use to have three classes. Small block - Middle block (383,396,390,etc), and Big Block. Coincidentally enough, my Biscayne was at the very first Showdown in 1985 ! Fast forward 20 years and it's now in my garage. How's THAT for karma. My inspiration comes from the beginnings of these kinds of events. Those were some good times back then. Who the hell knew what a ZL-1 ANYTHING was then ? And to see a Hemi car was awe-inspiring. We tend to take them for granted now, but in those days, as a teenager, it was very memorable. What continues to "inspire" me is all of the new participants and spectators, readers, etc. that bolster "the cause". To see Eric Simpson and Jim Maher's boy getting into the thick of things brings a smile to my face. That was me 20 some-odd years ago...... :beer
I can relate: I'm such a purist I bought a "USA-1" license plate back in the day and couldn't bring myself to put it on the car :laugh: ...still has the original steel wheels on it, too...
Ron Tuttle (orange 1970 Cyclone) told me about the PSMCDR in Stanton 4 or 5 years ago. I finally went to the race in 2003 as a spectator. I only went for the qualifying on Friday because of work. I went again in 2004, as a spectator, and stayed for both days of racing. After that race I realized how much fun everyone was having and decided to start preparing my Torino for the 2005 PSMCDR. I had to find the correct Holley carb and change the intake back to a stock cast iron. There were a few other small things I had to change, too. Mike "McFord" McPhillips helped me with swapping parts and getting the carb ready to run. After that long wait in the rain in 2005 I was hooked.
Still a newbie at these events as I have only raced in 3 of them and attended about 5 before that . Muscle car review showed the pure stock racing around 1999 in an issue which kinda got my brother-in-law and me curious how these cars with no slicks and headers were going into the 12 secong range. Just like all you guys we have had our share of muscle cars through High school and on up. Our first attendace (watching) was Norwalk in 2003 I believe. It was when Brian sliced and diced his hand in the his car trailer. You guys opened up your little clump at the motel parking lot and took us in like we were your long lost step children. Then later we drove down to Atlanta for thr Year One bash and watched Dave H drive down the quarter with a loose gas cap and race fuel spilling out. It hit me right then that you did'nt need to be real smart to hang out and drive with these guys:Brow: Now you guys are great friends that I look forward to seeing 2 or 3 times a year. I hope we can all continue on and I can now help to make our little piece of heaven grow each year. Don:TU:
Take a ridalin, Brian, it's a long one... Inspiration: Pete & JJ, from Canada, eh?! Motivation: Dave & Mike from Redbud! 1999, standing in a parking lot in Springfield, MO, after the 2nd Supercar Reunion...we had just returned from a 45 minute cruise from the drag strip where we'd been running our Camaro, and up drove Dave & Mike in the now infamous green '70 SS396 Chevelle. We get to talking about how it's a shame more owners of these 427 cars don't drive, or even race them...but like Divine Intervention, Dave suggests I make the haul to Stanton in 2 weeks for a cool little event where the guys actually put the cars to use. I can still remember it like it was yesterday, I looked directly at dad, and he said "sounds like a good idea to me, you'd better get directions!" Dave or Mike mentioned a past article in MCR, so when I get home I dig up my back issues and take a gander...and there on the pages is a certain COPO Camaro from north of the border, and I thought "if he can do it, then why can't I?" So, a 23 year old Hillbilly in myself, my wife of 1 year, and my son of less than 3 months drive 750+ miles to Michigan...those of you there in '99 remember it was very cool & windy that year, so my wife & newborn son spent the entire weekend in the truck! She was already unhappy, because we'd had to put 2 tires on the dually and 3 tires on the trailer after something in the road in MiddleOfNowhere, MI, in the middle of the night, blew them out! Anyway, I took every issue of MCR that had any previous racing or Pure Stock coverage in it, and carried around the entire weekend a Dec/Jan '98 issue that had the "Killer COPO" shootout in it...looking back, I guess I thought I was among celebrities or something, and was gonna have Pete & JJ sign it! LOL!! My wife still gives me crap about that trip...:TU:
Rob Thomas was my inspiration. We were at Woodward Dream Cruise in 1999 and Dan and Bob were there recruiting cars. They walked through our Oldsmobile Street Rockets display and spotted the Ramrod decals on the fenders. Rob knew Dan from NMCA, so grabbed and introduced me to them. I was so happy that someone else had even heard of a Ramrod, that I agreed and the trio was formed. We ran the car at Pure Stocks that year after a few T n T sessions at Milan. First time ever on a dragstrip for it. Rob drove, Gary Rubrich tuned it. Went from a 16.25 first run down to a 15.0 something that first night blowing rust out of the factory exhaust system all the way down. Ran a best of 14.50 something at Stanton, but retired with a broken driveshaft in the last time trial. Fixed that, but the bellhousing was also broken. Refreshed the drive train over the winter fior the first time that engine had been touched in 31 years. Don H: I'm surprised you didn't mention the first time we told you about Pure Stock at the Poderosa at Norwalk where we had that gourmet steak dinner and sat met you and Chris. My brother Rick was with me. Atlanta Year One meet would have been a total disaster for me had it not been for the photo shoots by Geoff Stunkard and the American Muscle Car TV interview. Got soured on the racing part of it real quick when I got matched up against Gessler in the first round in a heads up bracket. They threw the Pure Stock cars in the same bra:laugh: cket with the FAST cars. All the Pure STock cars went out first round (ofcourse). Don't know why they didn't have their 8 car braket and let us have our match races. Maddening. Besides the loose gas cap, I also got DQ'd for not wearing my pull on driving pants. Probably a good thing they didn't let me run, as Iwas going to take Rob's advice and not even stop at the tree after my burnout. He would have still beat me. :laugh: Same guy was instrumental in both that was "helping me" as my main crew chief, my brother Rick wasn't there to keep me in line. Appreciated the help filling the tank and also cleaning out the car for the photo shoots, but both got me in trouble. Rick was always my "rudder".
