Pretty sure I remember it as car weight only (no driver) in 1960's Jr Stock. The (flimsy) exhaust was not connected to headers, other than phony way so it could supposedly be put back on header flange (Hookers in my case)....which was never done anyway) At least locally you had to do it that way. I think ours was hung going back to rear axel. Gas classes, MP, etc were different of course.
Here's what I remember and what My rule books say about stock eliminator. Classes were determined by lbs. per H.P. To get that the advertised h.p. was divided into the shipping weight of the car model you had. NHRA had all the weights of the models and your car had to weigh at least that with no driver, no ballast and a minimum amount of gas (around 5 gallons). So the idea was to pick the lightest model that fit in the top of your class if you were building for a particular class. Drivers were not weighed in the car so a fat guy like me was at a disadvantage so get a skinny guy to drive your car. Headers were allowed but exhaust had to be routed through the mufflers (18" minimum body length and in the stock location) and pipes to the rear axel. Exhaust had to be welded to the collector and pass through the exhaust when collector was capped. In 1971 the exhaust system was optional. In 1972 the 170 lb driver rule became effective. Our car was eliminated by then. (Thanks to the NHRA)
Link says page is private but I saw it earlier on the 73-78 GMC motorhome site as Bob had one and was active in that community. In drag racing he was best known for his '62 Dodge station wagon named "Behemoth"
Thanks Shain /JGG. OK, headers it is, with single 4 283. How about convertibles in junior stock? I know they raced with tops up. I'm guessing roll bars were not required?
The Jolly Green Giant said: "In 1971 the exhaust system was optional. In 1972 the 170 lb driver rule became effective. Our car was eliminated by then. (Thanks to the NHRA)." That's the way I remember it as well. I was pretty sure that all of the stock exhaust system was out of my Corvette when I ran it in Stock in 1971. One very clear memory of that season was that my entire combination was wiped off the books by a single stroke of the NHRA pen at the end of the season.
We had a 59 'vert with the 283 /250 in 1971..No roll bar , no exhaust system. That too was ruined by NHRA in 1972 I've been told that in '71, there was no Jr.Stock but I like to think I was in at the tail end of and era.
Mark, I think that you're exactly right. Removing the word "Junior" from Junior Stock did not change the basic rules nor the intensity of competition. The erasure of an entire era of automotive refinement was only accomplished by legislating the cars of the 50's out of existence.
I found this post & tought I'd get a picture of the D/SA=11.30 class McClelland car (67 Chev). Somehow I concluded it was a 67 Biscayne 2ds, 396/325-L35 running unfactored at FHP=325 which fits class since the L35 was still unfactored that year (1967). But alas, the picture is gone. Any ideas? Also looking for Don Potter's car, 65 Chev, running H/SA=11.50 class in 1968. Again I have it down as a 65 Biscayne 2ds, L35, which fits nicely at W/P=11.62 at 325hp. BUT IIRC the L35 got factored to FHP=360hp for 1968 so that car doesnt fit any more. Any memories there?
Just found this! At W/P=27.30 this combo was perfect for the new U/S=27.00 class that came out in 1968 (V/S=27.00 in1969, same class). Too light for the previous W/P=28.00 class. Typing the name eg Rohde into these old pictures makes the searches a lot easier. OF COURSE, if we could go up thru 1971, the full Junior Stock era, it would be better yet. I remember back in the 1970s, the Ford V8 Club was debating letting the "new" cars in (1946-48). The feeling was, anything post-WW2 was just a used car, not an antique. Let alone the 49-53 flatheads, those were clearly not a fit. Times change!
Well mainly I used that flathead story about "letting in" the new cars (46-48 Fords) as a hope that HAMB would start letting Junior Stock go up thru 1971. (We had several 40 Ford coupes back then) But yes, I've found a couple of those 308 Big Block Hudson Jets in the NHRA sheets. One of them ran in 66, a summary of the sheets is here. Note I had to factor the 308 to 190hp to even get it up INTO the G/SA=12.50 class. Not sure how all that was done. Not surprised the combo disappeared eventually, any idea when? 1966 NHRA Results Analysis - CLASS RACER FORUM https://classracer.com/classforum/showthread.php?t=84538
Werby, I wasn't deeply involved in NHRA during the last half of the '60s but it is my recollection that the Jets weren't around very long (perhaps only one season or part of a season). I do recall that the issues with the combination intensified when the rumor circulated that the straight 6 cylinder flathead 308" motor wouldn't fit in the Jet's engine compartment without firewall modification. That kind of nonsense didn't play well with Farmer Dismuke, the head of NHRA tech. In reviewing your spreadsheet, I notice that the AA/SA class that was created in 1964 to accommodate the '64 427, bubble-hood Galaxie wasn't listed. I suppose that was due to the fact that the Galaxies and a handful of former Super Stock Mopars were assigned to A/SA while all the rest of the field was moved down one class that year? c
All the sheets I've collected the 308 Jet shows up in 1964-66 but that's all. Bellovich car is there in 64 as a stick in W/P=17.00 class, then in 66 as an auto above in W/P=12.50 class. No idea how it got up so high unless maybe literally NHRA decided to factor it, like the RaceHemi LOL. Most of the 308 Jets fit class at 160-170hp, the factory rating. BUT, IIRC Hudson did rate their stuff at more like a "NET HP" rating, so maybe NHRA really DID factor it to 190hp. I learned on flatheads so still faxcinated to see any in 1960s NHRA. As far as AA/S=7.00-8.69 that's right, it became A/S for 1966. AND for that one year, 1966, the A/S=7.00 engine rules were same as SuperStock, any intake, any cam. That's how Grumps Nova ran so good. The L79 was overrated at 327/350hp, but give it a giant cam & better intake and presto. The 64 LWG kinda disappears from NHRA after 1965, not totally sure why, but some logic to it. Bobby Spears set the A/S=7.00 MPH record in his 64 LWG in May 1966 at 123.62nph at Half Moon Bay, that's the last win or record I see for the 64 LWG. I asked Bobby what happened & he said the factory support & top drivers all shifted to the 66 Fairlane, so the 64 LWG and the 1-year-only 427HiRiser fell by the wayside. And with its unique tall ports, no aftermarket support so it didnt keep up, whereas the Mopar RB and Hemi kept on being supported.
This is a good article on the 54 Super Jet with the twin-carb 114hp 202cid. Picture underhood. Hard to see how a big long 308cid would ever fit. https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2014/04/04/hemmings-find-of-the-day-1954-hudson-super-jet
Some of the 308" motors were being campaigned in Hudson Hornets when I first took interest in 1963. A little later, the Jets showed up. Erroneous, published reports on details such as the difference between a "Hornet" and a "Jet" were common when reporting race results. You may not be seeing total accuracy in reporting. I really don't know when the practice of "factoring" factory horsepower ratings actually began but there wasn't much chatter about it in those days so I'd question whether or not the Hudson was "whacked." The first light-weight '64 Galaxy that I saw showed up during tech at the '64 Winternationals. It was originally lettered to compete in A/SA. Before tech closed and before any cars went down the track, the classification was changed to B/FX. A few days thereafter, the AA/SA class was announced. I suppose that was a form of "factoring" but I don't recall hearing that term applied. c
For sure, I always crunch out the Wt/HP to make sure which car/engine jives with the class. For example here's records from Apr 1965: You can see J/S=17.00-18.99 Hudson, Bellovich (308 Jet) And then L/S=21.50-24.99 Hudson, Clifford (308 Hornet) The big Hornets all have W/P>>20 so anything up in the teens has to be a 308 Jet. On the 64 LWG yes I've got a Downtown Ford ad for S/S=0.00 cars (Tbolts) and A/S=8.70 cars (64 LWG at 3749 lb with 427 HiRiser factory rated at 425hp) and B/S=9.50 cars (64 Gals at a fat 4046 lb and 425hp 427 LoRisers). That was the INTENT, LOL. I can imagine the NHRA tech looks when they popped the hood on that 427 HiRiser. I think that's actually when factoring began: the 425hp rating from the LoRiser was obviously a joke if used for the 427 HiRiser, so the engine basically didnt exist, so it got dumped to B/FX. Then the compromise, "effectively" factor it the same as the T-Bolt (same engine) and create AA/S=7.00 class to separate the T-Bolt and LWG, same engine, just a 744 lb heavier car. This EFFECTIVLY factored the 427 HiRiser to 460-500hp. Later in the year the Race Hemi was "factored" the same way, effectively about 500hp. Those (and the Street Hemi of 1966) are the only Factors I know of until Factoring became trendy circa 1967-68. But given that the 308 Hudson Jet was so "unique" and likely rated "Net" I wondered if they did that, I cant figure any other way to get even the 308 Jet up to W/P=13.87. Otherwise the 308 Jets have W/P=17 or so. I guess the 308 Jet wasnt that ridiculous, it was pretty clear the Hydramatic Trans didnt come in those 55-58 Sedan Deliveries either, and yet that was legal until 1970.
That was a pretty hot combo for a long time. 60 Pontiac 389/363hp-6v SuperDuty, held the W/P=10.60 class record as good as 13.28 at 106.5mph in 1966, then 107.12mph in 1967. Eventually the Mopar 383/343hp-8v took over that class. Irony is, both of them were parts-counter options, none left the factory per all the looking I've done. The Mopar 383/343-8v was apparently OFFERED, but none left the factory. Kinda convenient! The 1960 389/363hp was clearly parts-counter only so the combo was banned in 1970. It seems with Pontiac, "Super Duty" was a synonym for "Way Underrated", 389, 421, then 455, true of all of them. Great video.
See <https://www.facebook.com/groups/415474148596049> for news about one of the most iconic Junior Stockers ever to grace the tracks. The Barkley/Ripes/Allread '57 is changing hands!
Sorry about that. Through that link, John Barkley confirms the sale of his iconic '57 two-door that he drove to the Winternationals Junior Stock title in 1968. According to the Facebook post, the car has been acquired by an individual who appreciates its significance and who will continue to show and run the car in the future. Apparently, it's not ready to become a full-time museum piece for the time being.
I'm hunting for the 1971 NHRA Summernationals Englishtown NJ results sheet. Can't find it anywhere so having to put together scraps of info. I have Alan McAlaster or McAllister winning D/SA=8.50 class. Anybody have any idea what car or even make he was running? I never heard that name before, a one-hit-wonder maybe? Thanks in advance
My partner and car owner at that race was Alan McMaster, I was the driver. We won our O/SA class with our '57 Chevy a far cry from D/SA but the name got my attention.
Nice pic! I had your car down already as winning O/SA=15.00 class 71 Summernationals, no ET or MPH though, that's the results sheet I cant find anywhere. Boyce's book shows your car in O/S=15.00 (or N/S=15.00 class, says NHRA record of 100.0 mph flat set there). Looks like a more natural fit with the stick at W/P=15.06 vs the iron glide at W/P=15.45 for O/SA=15.00 class, an extra 84 lb to carry making the win all the more impressive.
The car was built to run a 4 speed which it ran for 4 years till NHRA said no. In '70 we ran a 3 speed then in '71 the last year a Glide. Got it back in 2012 and it's back to the 4 speed as it should be. The car is probably the most all original of it's kind. It is exactly as it was parked after the '71 season except for the tires. Even has the original Jenkins engine!
The Jalopy Journal
