Most drag racers know that it's a big deal to win your class at the US Nats. As I was lookin thru the Indy SS class winners, on the Drag Race Central site, I noticed that there are a few Pontiacs that have won class and/or RU, several times.

One of these cars is the Phil Monteith 4th gen Bird, which has an alum head 428 engine. It has been driven mostly by Peter Biondo. He has won some NHRA championships with it.

Don Kennedy won his GT/EA class, with a 9.177, in his 428 Sunfire.

Todd Frantz won his GT/FA class, with a 9.188, in his 428 powered Cobalt.

Robert Cruzen got at least 2 GT/AA class wins in a row, in his 428 powered Cobalt. He turned an 8.900 for one of those wins !

Ken Shawver won his class 4 years in a row, from 2003 thru 2006, in his '78 400 powered T/A.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2003#indextop

In '07, Monte Howard took over the driving duties, doing quite well, winning the Indy Fall Classic that year.

http://www.nhradiv3.com/apcm/APCMvie...4918&print=yes

He won the SS/KA class at Indy, in 2010.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2010#indextop

Bill Rink won his class several times, with his '74 GTO. In both '18 & '19, Mike Morgan was RU to Bill, makin it an all Pontiac 350 class final !

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2018#indextop

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2019#indextop

Mike had won his SS/MA class in '16. That's the same year Robert Cruzen turned the 8.900, in GT/AA.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2016#indextop

Another SS class winner was Carroll Warling, in his record holding '74 GA.

As mentioned, the posted DRC records only go back to 1998. So, I don't know know how to locate any older class winner records.

Well, in the last few weeks, I've been doing a LOT of research about Pontiac powered Stock & SS racing, thru the years.

One thing I learned about the early '60's cars is that I thought the cars which ran classes like, S/S, S/SA, OS/S, & even the very early FX classes were all run in Super Stock.

Not so. Back then, A/S & A/SA were the lowest classes in what was called "Top Stock". B/S & below was called "Junior Stock".

Best I can tell, the Super Stock class was not run, officially, in NHRA, 'til either the '66 or '67 seasons. After that, all Stockers ran together, & all Super Stockers ran together.

Don't know who was running SS, with a Pontiac, in the late '60's. I do know that Mopar was dominating the class. The 1st Pontiac powered SS car I knew anything about, which I've already mentioned in this thread, was the Jack Mullins 389 4-speed wagon, with which he won the Sportsnationals & the US Nats, in '75.

There was also another big wagon that was a nat record holder for a lot of years. Don't know who the owner was, or anything else about the car. Just going by the pics, it must have done a lot of racing. This is the earliest Pontiac powered SS record holder I know of.

I assume that, in the late '60's, lots of Pontiac dealerships were running Pontiacs, in SS. Gay Pontiac had a '67 Bird.

As a wagon racer myself, I love this car! (needs Cragar SS's though)

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...8&d=1580303943

We've already mentioned that Truman Fields ran a '72 GTO in SS. I think it was a factory sponsored deal.

Gary Moore also ran SS in '72, with a '72 Formy. He set the speed record, at Amarillo, in '72.

Don Breen was running a '71 Formy in SS. He was mentioned as winning a SS race, in a Lunati ad.

Also have a pic of another '72 SS Formy, with Burnett Pontiac on the side. You can tell this was back before the big tire SS cars. I think the tire rule was that you could run the biggest tire that would fit in the stock wheel well.

Assuming all these cars were running the 455HO engine.

As mentioned, there were quite a few Pontiac dealerships sponsoring drag cars.

Stan Long Pontiac & Gratiot Auto Supply sponsored a '67 SS Bird, that was driven by Tony Knieper. The car set a SS/FA record. Tony & a younger brother were killed in a towing accident, on the way to a div points race.

Not sure how many Pontiac dealers sponsored SS cars. But there were probably quite a few independent racers running SS Pontiacs. Have a pic of one named Yellow Bird. Gary Moore must have got a little help from a Pontiac dealer, on his '68 Acre Maker II Bird, since there is the name of a Pontiac dealer over the rear tire. All these 1st gen Birds were the early, small tire version.

Just as there were lots of 455HO cars run in Stock & SS, their were quite a few '73 SD455 cars run in Stock & SS.

John Clegg bought one new, and won his Stock class at Indy with it, that same year. He later switched it over to SS. They have restored & updated it, and J.B. ran well into the 9 sec zone, with it.

Bob Michael ran one. Don Kennedy later bought & raced it. A few other names associated with one of these are, Phil Szupka, Bill Foder, Hershlow & Morlock, Glen Tinsley, & Russ Abrams.

How about Russ Abrams? This car used to come to Milan in the 80’s running mid 10’s

Also some SD455 '74 Birds run in SS.

I suppose the most famous, and the 1st one I ever knew of, was the nat record holder raced by H-O Racing Specialties. We saw it at the '78 Cajun Nats. John Clegg bought it. Glen Tinsley drove it some. Then J.B. Clegg drove it for several years. They eventually put a 4-speed in it, & J.B. ran it well into the 9's.

It has already been mentioned that Johnny Duncan ran one.

Another guy associated with one was Tony Reiter.

Yeah, I mentioned his name, but could only post 5 pics with that post.

Thanks for posting the pics !

The only pic I have of the car Phil Szupka raced is very small. I'll go ahead & post it. Maybe I can get TJ to see if she can make it a little bigger, without makin it too blurred.

If some of you guys have a good way to make a larger, good quality pic of it, please do so.

I think Phil was RU at the US Nats, one year.

Phil Szupka raced a number of different cars over the years. SS/JA car

Stan

Before we leave the SD455 cars, I'll mention that there have been at least one, for sure(don't know how many others), '73 GP that ran an SD455.

I realize that most say that engine only came in Birds. BUT, others have posted that they know of a GP that actually came from the factory with the SD455 engine in it. Don't know if it actually happened or not.

NHRA allows it in the the GP, Lemans, GTO, & GA.

http://www.classracerinfo.com/Engine...px?ENGINE=2080

John Clegg ran a GP with the SD455, one year at Indy. It was the feature car on the front of the H-O newsletter one month.

Anyone know what happened to the Wilford Blue SS T/A? I have a picture of it at home I will scan tonight.

Went looking for a picture of Phil's what I will call gold colored car. That is the one I remember seeing at ATCO when I used to race there back then.

Phil Szupka honored last night
https://www.classracer.com/classforu...ad.php?t=60911

Stan

Thanks for that pic ! It's one I didn't have.

TJ's photo program couldn't do much with the little pic I had. Must have been at Indy, since there appear to be lots of fans in the grandstands.

The 2nd pic is a better one from the Class Racer Forum.

Thanks for that ! I didn't know he was in the Hall of Fame.

The car in the 2nd pic is obviously a '72 GTO.

Sonny Ray ran a 455HO. Couple more but names I cant think of. Arnold Hines did machine work.ohh shoot cant think right now.

Yeah, that Sonny Ray car was a nat record holder, & is the winningest GTO SS car I know of. Mentioned it earlier in this thread. Here's the link.

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...0&postcount=18

I had it wrong, the guys name was Wilbert Thornton.
Anyone know this car?
What happened to the pic???

Are you talkin about the Ken Shawver '78 T/A, that first he, then Monte Howard drove ? The car won class at Indy several times, & qualified at over a sec under it's index, lots of times.

Jack Good has the car now.