OK, we've talked about reg SS cars, up thru '78. And we've mentioned a few GT cars. But, GT cars now make up a large portion of the SS class. So, let's talk about GT cars for a while.
I think I mentioned that Don Kennedy(hereafter referred to as Don K.) says he came up with most of the GT class rules. He then sent his ideas to NHRA. They made a few tweaks on 'em, & the GT classes were born. So, unless I find out different, I'll give Don K. credit for the GT classes.
Don't know who the 1st guy was to enter a Pontiac powered GT car in a nat or div event. But, there have been quite a few Pontiac powered GT cars. I think it's a GREAT idea to be able to use Pontiac V8 engines in cars that never came with a Pontiac engine. The GT rules allow cars that were never considered high performance, become serious drag cars.
To me, the basic GT rules are pretty simple. You use the SS rules for the engine you choose. You can put a Pontiac engine into any NHRA approved GM Body. The NHRA hp factors are a little higher for GT class cars, for SOME engines, but not all. Just as an example: The '77 & '78 Pontiac 400 engines are 285hp for SS/auto, & 289hp for GT/auto. So, GT cars get 4 more hp than reg SS cars.
From what I've learned from others, the '74 400 engine is one of the most used GT engines. I'd say the alum head 428 is probably next. You can build one of those without a single GM part, I think. Several GT cars have used an SD455. But, considering the cost of SD455 heads now, I'd say that engine would not be a good choice.
Because of the price & availability of 6X heads, I'd say a '77-'78 400 would be a good choice for guys who'd like to build a GT car, but don't have a hundred grand to put into it. Lots of SS guys will get real mad if you say SS is just a bracket race, except for same-class heads-up runs.
But, as long as your car will run it's index or quicker, in any conditions, you have a chance to win any race. Obviously, if you build a slow car, & have to run a car in your class, you'll likely get beat. But, there are so many classes, that same-class heads-up runs do not happen that often.
I was very surprised by what I recently learned, about this. One of the top SS drivers is Dan Fletcher. He, by far, won more big races than anybody else, for the race results I checked. But the strange thing is that on most all qualifying sheets, he'd be very near the bottom, many times just barely quicker than his index.
Having read what the guys here post, I've gathered that they think the fastest car always has the best chance of winning a race. And I understand why they say it. BUT, what do you think Dan Fletcher would say, if you told him he should get a faster car ? When it's a dial-your-own race, you have to cut real good lights, consistently, & be able to run real close to you dial, consistently. There are some guys who can do both.
https://www.knfiltri.com/blog/nhra-w...on-of-winning/
https://classracer.com/magazine/?p=4936
https://wforadio.com/tag/dan-fletcher-100th-nhra-win/
http://www.dragraceresults.com/fulls..._Racing_Season