Dirty Bird ROCKS in Arizona!

[MrPbody]

Dirty Bird (FKA Drunken Injun) was "debuted" to the Pontiac "world" at Steve Barcak's Pontiac Heaven XI last weekend in Phoenix (Speedworld Motorplex).

The car was flawless! First pass was a new "record" (for the Pontiac V8) at 6.596 @ 213.7 MPH. That's not much of an improvement in ET over our test sessions, but air was bad and track was worse. 60' and 1/8 mile were .15 seconds "slow", and he made up the time on the "big end". The good news is it's was up over 4 MPH. Not bad for the first REAL "race"... Alas and alack... No one there to race! Dave (driver) says "This test pilot stuff is okay, but I wanna get in a DOGFIGHT!"

9 passes to date, all under 6 seconds. All but 1 over 200, and that ONE was the first Pontiac EVER in the 6.50s. No major issues at all. It's not "hurt" a single part. Math says it's making right at 1,850 HP. Not bad for an old goat, eh? (Heart and soul of a GTO!)

Jim

[maxwedge]

Yikes, this thing flies!! IHRA pro stock times, how much does it weigh, what size tires?

[MrPbody]

MW,

Race weight is 2,460 lbs. While it SEEMS "impressive", the car is a TA/FC, and is hardly "compeitive" at the higher levels. Current record in NHRA for a TA/FC is 5.46 over 245 (BA Hemi, Whipple...). We've got a LONG way to go. We ARE, however, "under way". We still have lots of room to "grow", too. The engine is a 475 CID Pontiac with Tiger heads (flow numbers are "propietery"). It uses a "Lenco Drive" trans w/converter. This makes it about .15 seconds "slower" than a clutch car, but it's FAR more consistent. We can still add compression to the one in there now, and another 1/2" of stroke is in the next itteration. 540 CID will make a BIG difference. A screw blower is "legal" now, too. We still got a trick or two, as well...

Our "plan" is to field it at "Super Chevy" later this month. We're only getting a very narrow "window" of time to get it ready, though, as the man won't be bringing it back from AZ until a few days before. They think there's a Chevy-powered TA/FC nearby for us to actually RACE. Hope so. It would be something to see, a Pontiac beatng a Chevy at their own "show"...(:- They (Super Chevy) allow any GM-powered cars. I guess they don't see Buicks, Olds' and Pontiacs as a "threat". We would like to be responsible for them changing that rule...(:-

We shall see!

Jim

[robertfink]

Steve Barcak hosts this event every year, and this was my first time attending. The car performed flawlessly and consistently enough to be a bracket racer! All passes were within .005 seconds and MPH was within 1/2 MPH. Best was 6.596 (new "record") and 213.7 MPH.

[MrPbody]

Robert,

Good to know you were there! Did we meet? I met a LOT of folks...

Super Chevy (an oxymoron, to be sure) was a "bust". The hauler broke down leaving Phoenix and the car didn't get back here until just last Tuesday night. It's okay, though. The Chevy guy had been reading on the net, the 1/8 mile times we were posting, andknwe he was covered. He backed out two days before we knew the car wasn't going to make it back... HHHHHHHHMMMMMMM.......... Also, I learned recently (from NOT paying attention, I guess), the "nitro coupes" featured by Super Chevy, are really "pro-mods" modified to run on nitro, and have Brad Anderson Hemis in them, NOT Chevy engines... Go figger....

Next up is "The Little Guy Nationals" at VMP. Rick Holladay, my good friend and loyal customer (see his car on the home page of our website) is being honored by being inducted into the "Little Guy Hall of Fame" May 16. We've been invited, and they're going to try to set us up with a match race. Rick was known in the '60s for driving "The Jolly Green Giant", a '65 GTO coupe, 389/TriPower. He set a few NHRA "stock" records and won some regional events. Arnie Beswick was his engine guy back then. He went on to drive for Ronny Sox' pro-stock team with the Hemi Cudas in the '70s. While he never made "the big time", Rick has always been a hard-charging competitor. He gave up racing for the 18 years it took to raise his daughter. Now, he's back at it with a "vengence". His '65 ragtop GTO goes 10.90s all week, with a 4-speed and iron TriPower, on pump gas!


Jim

www.centralvirginiamachine.com