Very cool, this one's my favorite from the bunch: Anyone wanna chime in about what Junior stock was all about?
Heads-up racing. Bracket racing and break-outs is what killed drag racing. Ever notice how Top Fuel and Funny cars fill the stands? It's not just about nitro. When you have to put your brakes on to not break-out, that's something different from the 60's and 70's. Course now, everyone runs a GM or Chrysler based design, so the fun of watching a Buick motor outrun an AMC motor is gone also.
I agree totally! There was nothing like watching the "wars" between the cars. I just don't get this timing stuff, and delay boxes. I really loved the run what ya brung racing! JR Stock, Super Stock, Stock, ProStock, Those were some serious battles on the track. Guys that were slamming gears and having a great time. Larry
I remembered them in 75 when I turned 15 and bought my 1st car. The 57 Chevy sedan delivery just screamed Drag Racer to me. Must have been all those magazine adds while I was growing up. Still just a tad obsessed with these too. Mine was originally a 2-door 150 wagon,but by the time I got it someone had swapped in the delivery panels in place of the windows and it had probably spent some time at the track. Soon it will again... Then... Now... Thanks, for the motivation!
Thats no-kidding, there are still a few events that are heads up outlaw 10.5 is a heads up class, I believe, and its a blast to watch. and the amount of fans at the track when one of these events comes proves it.
The first year of Junior Stock at the Nationals we (Shaker Engineering out of Bay City .Mi) won the title with Phil Chishoms I/SA out of Lansing ,MI. The following year we did the heads on Jon Calander's '59 Chevy that won the bracket. Then in 1967 Ben Wenzel won with his '67 Z-28 Camaro running an engine we prepared for him. It was an exciting time to be drag racing in the stock classes as it was about meticulous preperation, attention to detail and sharp consistant driving not how big your wallet was that produced a winner. Frank
I ran a Junior Stock 59 Chevy Biscayne 293 2 barrel, 185hp with a 4 speed in P/S in the late 60's in S Fla. Total cost of the entire car was $600 starting with a $50 car found behind a gas station with a blown motor. Record at the time was 15.24 held by Dave Boertman. Mine ran 15.50's. Junior stock was a lot of fun at low cost. My main competion was 55 Studebaker ran by Bob Dwyer called the Crockagator. Crock head on one end, gator head on the other. he was so bad because he had no place to shit. He beat me a lot more then I beat him. He was also a pro engine builder and I was a lineman
Colesy, the second picture you posted is of our '62 380hp /409/ 4spd station wagon that ran C/S. It was driven by Ron Kendal of Ithica, MI. The first full power pass that the car made it beat a Bill Jenkins prepared '61 Corvette out of Pennsylvania for a class win at the nationals in Indy. The Corvette had been running for about 3 years and had never been beat prior to that run. The whole story is an interesting one that I don't have time to print out here. This thread has sure resurected a lot of good memories for me. Thanks Frank
That picture of the Crockagator was taken after Dwyer sold the car & Dempsy Hardy drove it. Dwyer owned Precision Auto Machine that you see on the rear side of the car. He was one hell of an engine builder but passed away a while back from diabetes complications. He got to be one of my best friends and was 1 sharp Jose
Boy, your really jogging my memory now. I believe it is the one as it was red and had National Record Holder on the side. Anyway, it was owned by a couple of Italian brothers if memory serves me right. When they tore us down for class win certification they were all over the 409, even questioning whether it fit the class. Jenkins came over and talked to us (we used to hash over engine/chassis combinations with him every year when the new cars came out trying to pick wining combinations) and congratulated us on building that combination as he thought no one ever would. It was a 9 passenger wagon for God's sake. Your wife is supposed to pick up the kids from school and go grocery shopping in something like that. I shouldn't even mention the '66 427//4sp Impala wagon we built for Art Pylor from Lansing MI. It lost on the final class run at Indy by red lighting. Not by rolling out of the beams but by picking the front tires straight up and allowing the red light beam to shine under it. Someone took a movie of that run and you can see the car never moved forward before the red light came on. Frame by frame shows that Art dumped the clutch at the last yellow, the rear tires wrinkle, the front picks up the tires and the red light comes on without the car moving forward. Frank
Could it have been the Musser brothers ? They had a 61 or 62 Vette that they ran in the jr. stock classes. They were runner up at Indy in 1966, I seem to remember,to Dave Kempton in his 1962 Plymouth.
Sorry Down South, I mis-read your post. You're right. The Musser's also ran a Vette in C/S as did Carman Rotunda out of N.J.
I have a 57 Chevy Delivery that I have had for 30 years. As a kid I watched them run and never got past them so I built it as a period correct Junior Stocker recnetly. It has the 2 WCFB's ,a Marv Ripes Glide,Stahl headers etc.. It has a 4500 converter,Lunati reground legal cam and 4:88's,just like the old days. It was out the weekend at Englishtown and went a 13.19 @102 and I am lucky enough to have droves of "old guys" like myself who had one or ran one or remember one or whatever come over and share stories . The amount of conversation I have regarding it is phenominal and I enjoy each old story about when they ruled the strips. I could not find the one I remembered so well so I recreated it. It was called "Hydrophobia" so I named mine "Hydrophobia Too" until I maybe locate the real deal some day. Until then,it is cool.From what I gather they were the better days of racing.You had to be able to make them run because that's all you were allowed to use. thanks for reading this
Jr Stocks, gotta love em. Here's a shot of Bob Lambecks 57. 55-57 Chev's ruled the mid stocker classes back in the 60's. Lets see your Jr Stock pictures people, Chev, Ford, Pontiac whatever.
I think bracket racing made racers out of a bunch of guys who had no clue of what the game of drag racing was [or is] .in my opinon the racing was a lot more fun before the "i ran my number and cut a.002 lite and still lost". gang got into it. heck if i ran 2 times in the same 12 sec. class i thought i was doing somthing!! those 60' timers gave me somthing to shoot for i guess i didn't take it serious enough but it sure was fun!! later matt.
i remember those cars raced on van. island heard the 55 is laying in a back yard originally called the brotherhood then race riot. i just bought a 57 150 and going to do a junior stocker tribute car
Though the 55-57 Chev's ruled the day, the varitey of cars in the lower stock classes was great to see. Hey, that Stude is missing the token Prepped By Jenkins Competition decal. LOL
I understand there are several cars being built now on the East Coast to re live the Jr Stock days. I heard there is a 56 Wagon close to being done to run with the stablemate 57 Delivery. Saw a 57 210 at Englishtown on Display and have seen the old "Special Delivery" at nostalgia meets before.Had a guy tell me Sunday that he has an old 57 Delivery brought in from California in psychedelic paint but no name. Also was told of one called "Lamplighter" with a Hydro and quads.Great stories,all of them. I hope more show up to race. It is fun whether NHRA banned them or not!!! thanks
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