[ponyakr]

Originally Posted by ponyakr

while we were talkin at the show, i managed 2 get mb 2 relate 2 me 1 of his dirt racin tales. he said he'd tell about his best ever dirt performance. this was his 2nd dirt racer. his 1st had been a '68 bird. i bought both cars from him, when he was thru with em. he thinks this car may have been a '73--not sure tho. he ran a 400 with ra4 heads & cam, rhoads lifters, a st300 tranny, 12 bolt rear, & 2 radiators--1 behind the seat. the carb was a hawged out 650 holley 2-barrel--i think they flowed something like 890 or some rediculous #. ok he'd already won the points champ 2 years runnin at this track & the points chase was over--it was an end of the year race. he said he would have 1 the points champ at another local track, but they shut the track down with 2 races left. anyhow, back 2 this race. mb won his heat, but it was the sec heat which put him on the front row, outside. there were 12-15 cars in the feature which can be quite a crowd on a short narrow dirt track. the flagman trys 2 keep the field bunched up tite instead of spread all around the track. so there is always lots of bumping when coming towards the flag for a start or restart. this time was no exception. after the green, wb pulled ahead, but was still on the outside. the 2nd car on the inside row hit the 1st car & knocked him over into wb, cutting down a tire & bending a wheel, so wb went 2 the pits 2 change it. when something like that happens before a lap is completed, they usually give the pitting cars time 2 get back out into their original position. but mb's wheel was bent so bad they couldn't get the lug wrench on 2 of the nuts, so they had 2 use a crescent wrench 2 loosen them. so the flagman decided 2 go ahead & restart the race without wb. by the time he pulled back onto the track, the entire field had just passed him heading for the restart. all he could do was just fall in behind & play catch up. he said if he had still been runnin for points, he would not have done this. but with nothing 2 lose, he decided 2 just let it all hang out & see what the old pontiac would do. said he drove like a wild man(remember he was still known as wild bill at this time) said he passed em rite & left, hi & low, whatever it took. finally got up 2 4th behind the #2 & 3 place cars which were battling it out for 2nd. he was on such a tare, he passed both of them with 1 move, which put him in soul possession of 2nd place. so he set his sites on the leader---then he came back into his rite mind & remembered that he had a 12 bolt car rear end with stock axles(of which he'd broke several) he knew that as hard as he'd run comin 2 the front, 1 of those axles mite be just about ready 2 pop--so he reasoned that 2nd would be much better than last, with a dnf. so he just fell in line behind the leader, a safe distance ahead of the 3rd place car, & followed him 2 the checkered(about 4 laps). he said that with truck axles, or hi dollar car axles, he could have easily won, but just didn't wanna take a chance that nite. so he considers this 2nd place finish his best race ever. & it was lots of fun 2, cause all them cars he passed wuz hi winding small block chevys. i just love a good "1 pontiac beats all the chevys" story--don't ya'll?

here's a well earned trophy for a great finish in a hard fought battle!

[ponyakr]

rocker studs--you can probably get by with the stock 3/8 bottleneck studs up 2 , but no bigger than a ra4 cam w/1.5 rockers. i can say this because thats what i did--with never 1 broken stud. i ran stock rockers w/the cheapest poly locks i could find--at the time i think that was mr. g brand. i don't know if 40 year old rockers & studs will hold up or not--20 year old stuff did. but i feel safe in saying don't try using 40 year old valves--2 many heat cycles. i personally know a local pontiac man who tried 2 get by with original valves & 1 broke, causing extensive damage--& that was at fairly low, supposedly safe rpm. pushrods--i ran stock pushrods with pipe cleaners in the hole--no problems. bought some chrome moly(don't remember the brand) for the cc .525 lift cam i mentioned--stock length with stock rockers. now--with all things considered, here's what i would recommend as get by head tech for a 12 sec bracket car. an as cast 6x, 4x, 5c or similiar head 2 keep comp in the 9's. new ss valves with a common 3 angle valve job. exotic super 5 angle, hi $ jobs won't help much without a full port job. surface the head only enuff 2 make sure its flat. use the cheapest 7/16 studs you can find--new arp's are among the highest. use steel 1.52 roller tip rockers(less wear on valve tips) cc are highest, prw may be cheapest. buy stock replacement pushrods--summit sells em for under $30. put pipe cleaners in the pushrods--they worked for me--1000's of passes. these pushrods will work for a cam up 2 my gbt choice--the spc8 melling ra4. if you insist on a bigger cam that requires stronger springs, then you'd better buy the hi $ pushrods with a restricted hole. they are well over $100, but you can get any length you want. "if you want more go, it'll take more dough!" if your gonna spend more than this on heads, you should probably just try 2 find a good set of ready 2 run heads or go ahead & switch 2 alum. most good used alum i've seen aren't much cheaper than new 1's--& BUYER BEWARE of stripped threads & other damage on used alum--in case you haven't found out yet--not everyone is honest & forthcoming! 1 more thang--since the head bolts may also be 40 years old--new 1's are probably a good idea. i'm sure others on this site would do it different, but thats how i'd do it--& i have no quarrel with anyone who has a different opinion!

[ponyakr]

when i 1st discovered the py forums site thru a pontiac racer friend, i was delighted 2 find so many pontiac guys talkin about pontiacs & racin. as i went down the list of forums & subjects, the race forum caught my eye. i saw the street forum, but i thought "i don't have a street ride anymore, just race(in my mind) cars". so i started tuning in whenever possible. i thought it was great that guys could trade info about racin pontiacs. i thought about how great it would have been if i'd had this source of info when i 1st started racin. would have saved me lots of $, hard work, frustration & lost races. as i thought about this more & more, i thought, "why don't i share some of what i learned thru trial & lots of errors, with guys on the race site who may be just getting started in bracket racin or wanting 2 learn more about it". so i began 2 think of what i'd learned, that had allowed us 2 win lots of races, that i could share. i decided that there was so much info involved that it would take several small posts 2 share it all. so i decided 2 call the series "how 2 win more races"--then began 2 post em--thinkin it would help some & would be welcomed info by many--you know, like advice from somebody whose been there & done it. but what i did not realize is that i was treading on "Holy Ground". wow, i was like the lamb 2 the slaughter. i had no idea what i was about 2 encounter. 2 me, it was what i would call a tramatic experience. it definately must be included in my pontiac story about "where i came from" so i've looked back over some of those early posts for facts 2 relate in my ongoing story. if you haven't already & your interested, you can read all about it in my posting history.

[ponyakr]

i've read back over the "how 2 win more races" series at least a dozen times or more, & TJ's read it. we agree that all the info presented is accurate(except of course for all the typos & misspelled words, bad grammar, bad sentence & paragraph stucture, etc., which several on the race forum were quick 2 point out several times). the procedures & methods presented are exactly what we used racin our pontiacs--which produced the results you've read about, if you've followed my whole story. but from the very start, the negative attacks began. when i said most bracket cars run a pg tranny & that they would probably reduce traction problems & produce more consistant et's--some came on imediately saying the pg was no good for pontiacs cause they wouldn't hold up in a heavy car--said th400 was best. i told them we used th400's in all our racers, but that did not seem 2 register. when i said i thought it was better 2 be at the slow end of your bracket than the fastest car--& gave the reasons why i felt this way--several quickly gave their opinion that it was much better 2 be the quickest car(which very few can afford). they told me & everybody else tuning in, in no uncertain terms, that my info was wrong & that i was an idiot & some even suggested that i leave the pontiac site & gave me some websites of other makes i could go 2. well i reckin my mouth sorta hung open. i could not believe what i was hearing! i thought my ideas & experiences & lessons learned from racin would be gladly excepted--boy, was i ever wrong! & once a couple of guys attacked me, more began 2 join in. it reminded me of school bullys. they'll find 1 guy 2 pick on, then all join in against him. it was also similiar 2 wild animals that hunt in packs. they'll usually pick out a weak or injured animal & gang up on it--each 1 tearing at it til it's dead. i mentioned that i had once tried a th350 out of an 11sec chevy, but it would not hold up behind my 455. 1 guy questioned that i had run a chevy trans behind a pontiac motor. well, that tipped his hand about his level of expertise, because as most of you probably know, the dowel pin & bottom holes match up & adapter plates are available 2 match the others. i made my own from a piece of 1/8 sheet metal.

[ponyakr]

it seemed that several of the boys were having a hilarious time devouring me for lunch. you see, what i did not realize was that the word "race" in race forum did not include 20th century, old school, footbraker bracket racin, which is the only thing i know anything about. race, 2 them, means 21st century, non gm, aftermarket parts--except for the guys who can't afford an aftermarket block & a few others who they have let into their inner circle. they suggested that i take my nonsense 2 the street section, which i did. their race cars, for the most part, run heads-up, all out classes, using tranny brakes, hi-stall convertors, electronic everything & hd everything. a lot of them talk down 2 anybody runnin slower than 9's. they're lookin for 8's & 7's & even 6's. but, you see, i didn't know all this when i 1st tuned in--but they let me know quick! so, at their suggestion, i moved over 2 the street section. i fit in better there. my stuff is more street/strip or slow footbraker bracket racin. but, then i think it was a moderator who said i should post my stuff on the "your best pontiac stories" forum--so here i am. i don't post much on the race forum any more, but i do scan it occasionally 2 see what they're fussin about. that bully, wolfpack spirit is still alive & well in such threads as "danica haters". i read a few of those & thats all i could stand. buy now she probably don't care what anybody says--she's 2 busy racin & spending her millions. anyhow, i can look back on it now & see what i did wrong. if i would have known, i would never have posted much of anything on the race forum. but now, i can truthfully say, i'm glad it happened. it goaded me into tellin my whole story, which forced me 2 look back through our scrapbooks & pics, & search my memory for the facts of exactly how it all went down. & i can say they were mostly very fond memories, & i have enjoyed sharing my story tremendously. i can hardly imagine anybody loving pontiacs more than i do. so thanks again for the positive comments & even most of the negative!