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Old 10-18-2008, 05:12 PM
Craig Hendrickson Craig Hendrickson is offline
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Cool What it takes to set an NHRA National Record

Answer: Some smarts, some execution and some luck.

On March 26, 1977 at Fremont Raceway, "Hendrickson - Osterstock and H-O Racing Specialties" set an NHRA National Class Record for SS/KA.

See http://www.originalho.com/images/NHRArecord19770326.jpg

The is the short story behind how this came to pass. Hopefully others will post on this thread about their own experiences in setting National Records or winning events.

The car was H-O's 1974 Trans Am 455SD set up for NHRA SS racing. It was featured in July 1977 Popular Hot Rodding article entitled "Winning Pontiac Super Stock Tips!"

See: http://www.originalho.com/images/H-O...PHRArticle.jpg

At the time (1977), I did not want to compete against my (H-O's) customers who were also running 455SDs in NHRA Super Stock. So, I put weight in my car and raced it in SS/KA or SS/LA instead of SS/IA or SS/JA where most of my customers were classed.

My T/A 455SD had two "secrets" and two bits of luck which enabled me to beat the SS/KA National Record that day and run quicker than all the Camaros extant in that class, much to their chagrin.

The first "secret" was the suspension which was shown in the above PHR article for the first time in public. It was a hybrid combination of the Chrysler "leaf-link" used in race-Hemi-powered 70 Motown Missile Dodge Challenger Pro Stocker and a 3-link varient of the later Pro Stock 4-link suspension. The NHRA SS rules of the day did not allow any suspension component to be inside the passenger compartment shell. The T/A setup was designed by Larry Torres and I, executed and installed by me. One of the most interesting aspects of the implentation was the forward heim end of the upper "wishbone" link positioned inside the driveshaft hump above the driveshaft (not in the passenger compartment, per the rules). It was a surplus part off of a Boeing jetliner! See the pictures scanned from the above article for some details (unforunately the forward upper heim joint is not shown).

See: http://www.originalho.com/images/PHR1977JulyPage34A.jpg
--and--
See: http://www.originalho.com/images/PHR1977JulyPage35B.jpg

The second "secret" was the internal design of the 3in spacer block between the stock 800CFM QJet and the early Edelbrock Torker intake manifold. Most Pontiac drag racers of the time were using Doug Nash intakes or some cobbled up varient of the Torker. Most observers probably thought that it was just one big hollow spacer in there. Nope. It was a design evolved by me from rocket exhaust nozzle techology compensated for the four throttle bores of two different sizes flowing into the Edelbrock "volu-step" plenum. It was worth at least 25HP, IIRC. Sorry, only a picture of the outside is available.

See: http://www.originalho.com/images/PHR1977JulyPage33A.jpg

First "bit of luck" was after I had set what turned out to be both ends of the National Record at 11.31sec @118.73mph. A backup run within 1% was of course required during a later time trial. Unfortunately, on the way back to my pit, a really bad misfire developed. I quickly chased the problem to a broken distributor rotor. Due to the magnetic crank trigger I was using and the lack (at the time) of an accurate electronic tachometer to read the MSD-7 signal, I was using a 1962 421SD mechanical tach drive distributor with a S-W mechanical tach. The rotor in that distributor was unique. I'm pretty sure that no one else in the pits had a spare rotor. After frantically digging through every parts drawer on my trailer, I found a spare rotor in the back of the last drawer, which had probably been tossed in there a year before. Spare rotor installed -- back up run made within 1% -- whew, dodged that one!

Second "bit of luck" was during the NHRA tech inspection after removing one cylinder head. The tech guy knew me and H-O, but had never seen the inside of a Pontiac 455SD engine before. The CID and CCs checked out fine. BUT, as you may know about 455SD intake ports, there is a pushrod tube pressed into the head in order to maximize the intake port width. Sometimes this tube breaks through the cast iron into the intake port. This was the case on my head. During manufacture, Pontiac simply ground the cast iron flashing away to make the port smooth again. NHRA tech went ballistic upon seeing the intake port grinding, which was strictly verboten in those days. After some heated arguing back and forth: NHRA: "Craig, you cannot grind on the intake port!", ME: "It came that way from the factory!", NHRA: "I'm not sure I believe you!", ME: "Well, it's true, I did not touch them!". Then, Art Peterson and John Angeles, who were helping with the teardown effort, intervened and both stated: "Craig's right, they came that way from the factory." NHRA: "OK, I'll let it go this time until I see another 455SD. If it is not the same, you'll have your record rescinded." Of course, the record stood until it was finally beaten later in the year.

And now you know the rest of the story.

Craig

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  #2  
Old 10-19-2008, 12:55 PM
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1971WARBIRD 1971WARBIRD is offline
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remember reading that back in the day.need to hunt up that issue again and read the whole story.there were not that many people doing things for pontiac back then,mostly Nunzi in the east and HO in the west.thank you for all you have done and still do for the Pontiac faithfull.

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Old 10-20-2008, 04:32 PM
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Mr_GTO Mr_GTO is offline
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Nice to see you posting Craig. Great stories.

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Old 03-02-2022, 11:26 PM
TRADERMIKE 2012 TRADERMIKE 2012 is offline
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What it takes to set an NHRA National Record, By H-O.

Tradermike2012, wishes to continue this thread as H-O intended. First if anyone has

the Information spoken about in this thread, some or all, I need it to fill in the blanks.

Both photos or text or the actual Articles. "What it takes to set an NHRA National

Record". Secondly, anyone who has or has Information about obtaining an NHRA National

Record may share the info. here for H-O sake. If you have any trouble Inputting said

Information contact Mike, please. I am opening this thread to "any long-term Racer" that wants to share their experiences here for others to see. Please do so as I find the Information missing in this post. Mike out.
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