[gmeyer]

Originally Posted by ponyakr

Now we'll look at the 3rd gen GT Bird driven by Greg Meyer. It's sometimes listed as a '91 model, sometimes as a '92. Greg runs a 400 engine. I think he uses 6X heads, but MAY have experimented with others. He's a member here. So, I invite him to correct anything I get wrong and/or add any info he'd like to share. MOST of what I know is what's posted on DRC. So, there is a LOT about these cars I DON'T know.

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...8&postcount=25

6/4/09 - Route 66 Nats - #29 - 1.006 under.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCStory.asp?ID=182963

9/4/09 - US Nats - #85 - 1.091 under.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2009#indextop

4/30/10 - Midwest Nats - #7 - .899 under.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCStory.asp?ID=203026

8/15/14 - Lucas Oil Nats - #6 - .861 under - GT/HA Class Win.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCStory.asp?ID=289379

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCStory.asp?ID=289462

7/10/15 - Route 66 Nats - #17 - .829 under.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCStory.asp?ID=301612

8/21/15 - Lucas Oil Nats - #3 - .969 under - GT/HA Class Win.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCStory.asp?ID=303796

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCStory.asp?ID=303795

5/29/16 - Jegs Sports Nats - #12 - .962 under.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCStory.asp?ID=312681

7/7/16 - Route 66 Nats - #5 - .915 under.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCStory.asp?ID=314918

8/18/16 - Lucas Oil Nats - #2 - .878 under - GT/HA Class Win.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCStory.asp?ID=316975

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCStory.asp?ID=316978

8/17/17 - Lucas Oil Nats - #3 - .904 under - GT/LA Class Winner.

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

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2017#indextop

7/7/18 - div 3-3 - #13 - .896 under.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2017#indextop

7/15/18 - div 3-4 - #9 - .833 under - Got R/U.

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

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

10/20/18 - div 3-6 - #8 - 9.986 - .914 under.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...er=30#indextop

5/30/19 - Route 66 Nats - #20 - .836 under.

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

Ran across a LOT more lists where Greg was .800 or more under his index. Too many to list. I think the car could easily run more than a sec under at lots of tracks. But, when you run a sec or more under, you sometimes catch the eye of NHRA officials. So, most Q-lists in recent years do not show many cars a sec or more under, at races where the NHRA officials check it. There are some races where the hp police are not on duty. I think the US Nats is one of those races, as well as maybe some of the national open races. There are also special allowances made for what are called "mineshaft" conditions. That occurs occasionally when the temp is cool & the pressure & humidity is at a certain level. I think the upper half of the field must run a sec or more under, for "mineshaft" conditions to be declared. At least that's my understanding of what I've read about it. May not be EXACTLY accurate. Hope somebody will clarify that rule.

Mine shaft condition is when 50% of the field is .850 under the index or faster This week at St Louis was Mine shaft conditions.I think also if you go 1.20 at a race with mine shaft condition you will still get horse power !!!

The US nats for the last few years is a race you could go as fast as you want and no horse power was given out . But not anymore .

[ponyakr]

Originally Posted by gmeyer

Mine shaft condition is when 50% of the field is .850 under the index or faster This week at St Louis was Mine shaft conditions.I think also if you go 1.20 at a race with mine shaft condition you will still get horse power !!!

The US nats for the last few years is a race you could go as fast as you want and no horse power was given out . But not anymore .

Thanks a LOT for that info !

Didn't know about the change at Indy.

Last year, the top 10 SS cars were more than 1.20 under. So, I suppose that will change under the new rules.

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

[ponyakr]

Here's more info I just found on the Class Racer forum. Posted it on the Stocker thread. Thought I'd also post it here.

Under certain conditions, it will be determined that there are "mineshaft" conditions, at a race. When this happens, I assume that the NHRA hp factor police will not use the qualifying times, in order to add hp to the quick cars.

There are several guys here who know all about this. But, here's what is said to be a quote from the rulebook, which describes what constitutes mineshaft conditions.

"To decrease the potential for horsepower/index adjustments when favorable atmospheric (i.e. “mineshaft”) and/or track conditions may have contributed to extraordinary performance the NHRA has developed a system to protect the racers’ horsepower/indexes. If at the conclusion of qualifying the first competitor in the bottom half of the field is -.850 seconds or faster under the class index."

Note: This is just something I found on the Class Racer forum & copied. I can't vouch for how accurate the info is. The complete mineshaft details may include more than is mentioned in this post.

[ponyakr]

This was one of the videos posted in the Stock/SS section, on the Class Racer forum. .

@ the 10:16 point is Keri Angeles driving the John Angeles '69 SS Bird. This car & driver are said to be the 1st regular SS Pontiac 400 powered car to break into the 9's, back in 2000.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d24NRIQkjCI&t=34s

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2001#indextop

[ponyakr]

Well, I may have already posted this. But if so, I don't remember it. Did a quick search & didn't find it.

I've probably mentioned that the John Angeles '69 SS BIrd, with daughter Keri driving, was the first reg SS class 400 Pontiac powered car to run in the 9's, back in 2000.

Well, I assume I'd read this, but if I did, I suppose it didn't register.

"...it's important to point out that Roy McKinney was the VERY first NHRA Super Stocker running in a GT class of Super Stock with a 400 cubic inch engine to run in the nines back in 1997. Roy deserves that mention..."

Just read this yesterday. If it's correct, that means that the McKinney GT car got into the 9's about 3 years before the reg SS class Angeles car did it.

I say " If ", because I read about both, on Bruce Fulper's site. Can anybody here verify the info presented about these 2 cars ?

There are other 400 Pontiac powered GT cars that have run 9's. But, if this info is correct, The McKinney car was the 1st to do it.

The McKinney family has had lots of success racing Pontiacs, beginning with that Stock win at the '77 US Nats. I'd say they earned hero status, in the Pontiac drag racing world !

Anyhow, here are the 2 pics I have of the McKinney GT BIrd. The 1st pic was at the 40th US Nats race. I think that was in 1994, 3 years before the car supposedly got into the 9's. I assume the car in the 2nd pic is the same car, but with a different hood. Not positive. In case some here are not familiar with the McKinney cars, I'll add a couple of pics of one of their SS Birds, when it was red.

[ponyakr]

I did some posts about Don Kennedy. For those who are not aware & have not read what I posted, Don proposed most of the original rules for the GT category of the Super Stock class.

He was racing a '73 Bird as an SD455 powered Super Stocker. After NHRA adopted the GT rules, Don switched over to an SD455 powered 3rd gen Bird, to run in GT Super Stock.

After running it for several years, he put it up for sale in around '09. I don't think I posted this - can't remember. Just run across the thread he posted here in the For Sale section.

https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...35&postcount=1

As most know, he switched over to the 428 powered Sunfire, he still races. Some will remember that he got the GT/EA class win, at Indy, in 2019 ! That's also the year that Todd Frantz got the GT/FA class win, also with 428 Pontiac power.

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

Anyhow, Don Kennedy is a long time Pontiac Super Stock drag racer.

[ponyakr]

I'll add this update. Driving that same 428 powered Cobalt that Todd Frantz drove to the 2019 US Nats GT/FA class win, at this year's US Nats, Irvin Johns drove to the GT/EA win. It was an All-Pontiac final, against Stacy McCarty's 3rd gen GT Bird.

Johns qualified #20, with a 9.144.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2021#indextop

Also, here's a short video interview of Don Kennedy, with his 428 Pontiac powered GT/EA Sunfire.

http://classracer.com/classforum/sho...98&postcount=6