CARS & DRIVERS NOTES
CLASSES AND FACTORING
The Stock weight rule – For 1964, NHRA kept the rule banning cars under 7.5lbs per CID from Stock class racing.
This kept excessively light ‘stockers’ out of the Stock division. It doesn’t appear to have had any impact on any contenders – the closest was the 64 Ford T-Bolt 427/425 at 3203lbs/427cui = 7.5012lbs per cui.
Class factoring – Cars was again were weight divided by horsepower. It provides a very good indication of how competitive a car might be in class.
S/S 0-6.99
- 64 427/425hp Fairlane Thunderbolt (500hp) – 6.40 – 3203
- 64 426/425hp 8V Race Hemi (Cold air) Alloy Plym Savoy 2dr sed (500HP) – 6.40 – 3200
- 64 426/425hp 8V Race Hemi (Cold air) Alloy Dodge 330 2dr sed (500HP) – 6.49 – 3247
- 64 426/425hp 8V Race Hemi (Cold air) Steel 2dr Dodge 440 Htop (500HP)- 6.52 – 3259
- 64 426/425hp 8V Race Hemi (Cold air) Steel 2dr Plymouth Belv. HTop (500HP) -6.62 -3310
AA/S 7- 8.69
- 64 427/425hp 8V Hi riser Galaxie 500 ‘Lightweight’ (Cold air) (500hp) 7.50 – 3749
- 63 426/425hp 8V Alloy Maxwedge Plym Savoy 2dr sed. (Cold air)- 7.54 – 3204
- 62 413/420hp 8V Steel Maxwedge Plymouth Savoy 2dr sed – 7.58. – 3184
- 63 426/425hp 8V Alloy Maxwedge Dodge 330 2dr sed (Cold air)- 7.60 – 3230
- 64 426/425hp 8V Alloy Maxwedge 2dr Plym Savoy sed (Cold air) – 7.61 – 3234
- 64 426/425hp 8V Alloy Maxwedge 2dr Plym Belv Htop (Cold air) – 7.64 – 3247
- 64 426/425hp 8V Alloy Maxwedge 2dr Dodge 330 sed (Cold air) – 7.64 – 3247
- 64 426/425hp 8V Alloy Maxwedge 2dr Dodge 440 Htop (Cold air)- 7.67 – 3259
- 63 427/430hp 8V Chevrolet Impala LW Z11 – 7.70 (Not legal build#s – info only) -3341
- 63 426/415hp 8V Alloy Maxwedge Plym Savoy 2dr sed (Cold air)- 7.73 – 3207
- 63 426/415hp 8V Alloy Maxwedge Dodge 330 2dr sed (Cold air)- 7.79 – 3232
- 62 413/420hp 8V Steel Maxwedge Dodge Dart – 7.80 – 3276
- 63 427/425hp 8V lo riser Galaxie 500 ‘Lightweight’ – 7.82 – 3324
- 63 426/425hp 8V Steel Maxwedge Plymouth Savoy 2dr sedan- 7.84 – 3333
- 63 426/425hp 8V Steel Maxwedge Dodge 330 2dr sedan- 7.90 – 3357
- 64 426/425hp 8V Steel Maxwedge Plym Savoy 2dr sed (Cold air) – 7.99 – 3396
- 64 426/425hp 8V Steel Maxwedge Plym Belv 2dr Htop (Cold air) – 8.01 – 3404
- 63 426/415hp 8V Steel Maxwedge Plym Savoy 2dr sed – 8.03 – 3332
- 64 426/425hp 8V Steel Maxwedge Dodge 330 2dr sed – 8.07 – 3349
- 63 426/415hp 8V Steel Maxwedge Dodge 330 2dr sed- 8.09 – 3357
- 64 426/425hp 8V Steel Maxwedge Dodge 440 2dr Htop – 8.11- 3259
- 63 409/425hp 8V Chev Biscayne 2dr sed- 8.25 – 3508
- 64 426/415hp 8V Steel Maxwedge Dodge 330 2dr sed – 8.27 – 3432
- 63 409/425hp 8V Chev Biscayne 2dr sed – 8.25 – 3508
- 64 426/415hp 8V Steel Maxwedge Plym Belv 2dr sed – 8.30 – 3445
- 64 426/415hp 8V Steel Maxwedge Dodge 440 2dr Htop – 8.31 – 3448
- 64 409/425hp 8V Chev Biscayne 2dr sed – 8.37 – 3557
- 63 426/425hp 8V Steel Maxwedge Plymouth Belv Wagon 6p – 8.49 – 3608
- 63 426/425hp 8V Steel Maxwedge Dodge 330 Wagon 6p – 8.51- 3574
- 63 426/415hp 8V Steel Maxwedge Plymouth Belv Wagon 6p – 8.69 – 3608
A/S 8.7- 9.49
- 63 426/415hp 8V Steel Maxwedge Dodge 330 Wagon 6p – 8.71 – 3754
- 62 409/409hp 8V Chev Biscayne 2dr sedan – 8.71 – 3564
- 62 413/410hp 8V Steel Maxwedge Dodge 330 Wagon 9p – 8.75 – 3587
- 62 409/409hp 8V Chev Belair 2dr bubbletop – 8.81 – 3602
- 63 426/415hp 8V Steel Maxwedge Plymouth Belv Wagon 9p – 8.85 – 3672
- 62 421/405hp 8V Pontiac Catalina Super Duty LW – 8.91 – 3609
- 63 427/425hp 8V lo riser Galaxie 2ht – 9.02 – 3833
- 62.5 406/405hp 6V Galaxie 2dr sed – 9.06
- 62 390/401hp 6V Galaxie 2dr sed – 9.16
B/S 9.5 – 10.59
- 64 427/425hp 8V lo riser Galaxie 500 2dr sed – 9.50- 4038
- 63 406/405hp 3x2V Galaxie – 9.51 – 3851
- 63 427/410hp 4V lo riser Galaxie – 9.52 – 3903
- 64 427/425hp 8V lo riser Galaxie 500 H/Top – 9.52 – 4046
- 62 383/343hp 8V in line Plym Belvedere – 9.54 – 3272
- 64 427/425hp 8V lo riser Galaxie 500 XL 2dr H/top – 9.61- 4084
- 65 389/360HP 4V Pontiac LeMans GTO 2dr Coupe – 9.63 – 3467
- 62 389/363hp 3x2V Pontiac Catalina – 10.27 – 3728
C/S 10.6 – 11.29
- 65 289/271hp 4V HiPo Mustang – 10.60 – 2872
- 65 289/271hp 4V Mercury Comet 2dr sed – 10.62 – 2878
- 65 383/330hp 4V Plym Satellite 2dr sed – 10.62 – 3504
- 62 361/305hp 4V Plymouth Fury 2dr H/top – 10.71 – 3267
- 61 283/270hp 8V Corvette – 10.76 – 2905
DISQUALIFICATIONS
The following are the more notable DQ’s from the two meets.
Billy Cox– Bob Ford, Galaxie – Reason unknown (To be verified- Ed)
Joe Orlando – Al Maroone Ford , Galaxie – Illegal lifters – Orlando tried to overcome the 427 wedge ’achilles heel’ which was valve float by using shimmed hydraulic lifters.
Don Gay – Gay Pontiac, Catalina – Illegal mufflers & Joe Gardener – Northwind, Chev – Missing front bumper brackets. – Gay and Gardener both fell foul of the ‘tech squad’…Gay’s mufflers were 1” too long! ……Gardener took weight saving one step beyond!
DRIVERS
Gas (Gasper) Ronda – In his T Bolt won the divisional series points championship…his prize…..a Plymouth! He cheekily put the car on display at his dealership. Its probably lucky for him the Chrysler guys were a bit ‘bigger’….given the T Bolts miserable performances in the Top Stock Elimination finals at both National meets.
Mary-Ann Foss – Extended the ranks of competitive female drivers by winning D/Stock Auto in her 1958 Pontiac with a 14.24 ET @ 96.68mph.
GM
CHEVROLET – GM dealers still supplied under the counter parts to some race teams.
Development on further factory race efforts stalled, leaving the 1963 Z11 427 as Chevrolet’s flag bearer in factory drag race development in the 1st half of the 1960s.
In 64 the Z11 was still denied entry to AA/S due to build numbers and ran in FX – but the reality was the 427/430hp full size cars were becoming non-competitive.
PONTIAC
The 421 Super Duty was by now 3 years old and the Catalinas and Venturas were no lighter. Once the flagship of GM performance, by 64 Pontiac had suffered the full impact of GM’s withdrawal from racing.
GTO – But for Pontiac’s brilliant marketing of its new GTO intermediate, it might have been all but forgotten in performance car circles……however the GTO top option tri-power 348hp 389cui was definitely no 421 Super Duty.
64 GTO driven by Howard Maseles. 348hp with a tri-power 389cui was the warcry.
Earlier model year Super Duty Pontiac Catalinas continued to be competitive in the Stock classes. Don Gay, Arlen Vanke and Arnie Beswick still flying the flag.
FORD/MERCURY
THUNDERBOLT – Arguably the pinnacle of race car design in 64 went to the lightweight Fairlane packed with a 427 with high riser tunnel ram intake. These cars came with the heater, radio, and clock deleted, fiberglass doors, fenders, trunk lid, and hoods featuring the iconic teardrop bubble.
Ford called it the Ford Thunderbolt…or T-Bolt for short. The super-light production car flashed across the super stock scene and won a lot of Stick shift class honours throughout the year. The reliable dealer supplied cars proved unbeatable in the Divisional points meets…and only the very best automatic Mopars were capable of beating them…and only when 7” tires were mandated.
The T Bolt ran the Top Loader stick shift – automatics ran a highly modified Lincoln auto trans…but this was a less successful combination.
Gas Ronda waltzed his way to the driver’s championship. Clearly the poster child of the Ford race camp, the T-Bolts superiority was somewhat brief however – Chrysler had a better mouse trap, which by the US Nationals was catching and killing everything.
Len Richter – runner up in S/S class at the Nationals
GALAXIE – As a backup plan in case the NHRA did not approve Ford’s Thunderbolt program, Ford built 50 Galaxie 500 lightweight drag cars in 1964; all were equipped with its dual-carb, 425hp, 427 FE High Riser just as the T Bolts were. Half of them ran Top-Loader four-speeds and half automatics.
The Ulrey Bros ‘Lightning Bolt’ lightweight Ford Galaxie.
Actual lightweight parts for the ’64 Galaxies were limited to the chassis, sound deadener and creature comfort deletes, and Bostrum seats. They also ran a specially manufactured lightweight rubber mat. The only fiberglass part was the hood which now sported a bubble scoop of the type used on the Thunderbolt in order to clear the 427 High Riser’s induction system.
They proved to be fast, highly reliable and driven to a highly professional standard.
Ford also offered a all steel B/Stock Galaxie package with the 427 low-Riser – Canadian Barrie Poole’s car.
The T Bolts were too hot for the early Maxwedge cars like the 63 pictured….especially in stick class. S/S Eliminators showed a different outcome…autos in the later Stage 3 MW and early Race Hemis dominated.
COMET – The lightweight body of the Mercury Comet made it an ideal candidate for the 427 cui hi riser wedge motor, however Mercury built no such production car. FX rules allowed for any factory motor however, so Mercury outsourced the production of 8 427 cui Comets. Driven by Sox, Sturm, Nicholson and Chrisman, they were soon winning more than their share of meets.
Mercury also targeted the lower FX classes, and produced a number race Comets with the 289 Windsor small block…with a quad Weber carb kit in the trunk! All these race cars were Comet Cyclone Calientes.
427 Mercury vs 427 Mercury – Sturm in the far lane, Shrewsberry in near lane. A/FX Winters Final.
CHRYSLER
MAXWEDGE STAGE 3 – In December 62, Chrysler released the MaxWedge Stage 3, and many a fine battle was waged between the T Bolt and Mopar’s Maxwedge 426 wedge lightweights.
The Stage 3 did not differ greatly from the Stage 2, but for a drop in compression for the Hi- Comp cars from 13.5 to 12.5:1 with a re-designed cylinder head and cam profile.
True to form, the T Bolts ruled S/S, but the MW Stage 3 cars dominated the Auto S/SA class early in the year. The Chrysler torqueflite auto trans provided the edge in Elimination finals, softening the ‘hit’ on the rear 7” tires.
A864 RACE HEMI – Playtime ended mid April however, when Chrysler released the A864 Race Hemi into the lightweight 64 cars. Chrysler built 55 each of the alloy nosed 2 door post sedans and 4 cars with a 2% altered wheelbase.
These standard wheelbase cars routinely ran .5 second faster than its Maxwedge brethren and the 427 T Bolt and were almost as light…..and took out Top Stock Eliminator and runner up at the Indy Nationals.
The 2% cars proved much too hot for the 427FE Comets and tricked T-Bolts. The comparative MPH shows how much faster the Race Hemi cars were. This signalled the transition in Stock racing where Auto cars began to be as fast or faster than their stick shift counterparts.
The Hemi engine reintroduced in 1964 was the called the A864 “Race Hemi.” This engine was developed from the 426 wedge, but featured an iron Hemi-head. Engines intended for the drag-strip had an aluminum cross ram with dual Holleys, 12.5:1 compression and iron heads. In 1965 the A-990 race Hemi was introduced with aluminum heads and magnesium intake manifold.
The 64 Galaxie had a major impact on Stock racing in 1964. The 427FE motor was exceptionally reliable and consistent, seeing these big cars as dangerous opposition, especially in eliminations run offs, throughout the 60s.
Butch Leal launching his 427 Hi Riser T Bolt.
WINTERNATIONALS – Pomona, CA – February 16
95000 people made there way to the ‘Big Go West’ – 50% of the cars were of the lower stock variety, but there was still no Elimination final for them – Class trophies and prizes only.
The 20 top cars from S/S and S/SA qualified for Stock Eliminator.
Ron Sox (427cui side oiler Comet) accepting the ‘Factory Stock’ trophy – the Factory Experimental (FX) Elimination final – a one year deal, but no less of an achievement considering the opposition.
NATIONALS – Indianapolis, IN- September 7
The Nats saw 1200 entrants and a crowd over 100,000 strong, celebrating its 10th anniversary.
After 14 years, the Nationals saw the introduction of an eliminator program for Stock classes, quickly (and unofficially) titled “Junior Stock”.
GMs withdrawal from drag racing bit hard, and saw a lot of drivers turn their focus towards match racing where they could ‘run what they brung’. S/S, AA/S saw NO Chevies or Pontiacs compete.
The season started with an auto Max Wedge car taking Top Stock honors at Pomona – Top Stock at the Indy Nationals ended with a gathering storm of brutality called the A864 Race Hemi. The car pictured is one of 4 factory race cars that had the 2% wheelbase shift, and ran in FX.
RULES
Build #s were increased from 50 to 100 for a car to compete in Stock division and FX. Cars in S/S and FX could run any flat tappet cam.
CLASSES
STOCK – The NHRA took the fastest cars in Stock Eliminator–Super/Stock and packaged them in a separate category it called Top Stock Eliminator – the rest became Junior Stock.
Everything from B/Stock down went into a separate eliminator , to run while everyone headed to the concession stands! No car with a HP/Weight factoring if less than 8 could run in Jr Stock – (Hot Rod Magazine).
At various times, the NHRA, magazines and the fans called this lower-classed eliminator Junior Stock or simply Stock Eliminator.
SUPER/STOCK – The Factories ramped up their attack on the prestigious Super/Stock class. Ford released a lightweight Fairlane with a 427 cui hi-riser intake manifold. These cars terrorised the earlier Max Wedge & MW Stage 2 Mopars….and proved to be as quick as Mopars Maxwedge Stage 3 cars (in STICK class).
The AA/S Galaxies ran in Top Stock Eliminations as well …but the MW auto trans cars prevailed at Top Stock Winter Nationals…..and Chrysler had a bigger stick for the US Nationals.
The track MPH shows the Race Hemi cars of late 64 were still the consistently quickest of the bunch – there’s no doubting the Torqueflite transmission served Mopar racers very well….and hurt the Fords winning chances.
CHEATS? – Some Ford racers even claimed NHRA was in bed with Chrysler – creating ‘friendly’ track surfaces. They better tell that to Tommy Grove who spent the break btwn class run offs and the Eliminations dropping his stick shift and fitting an Auto at the Winters!
S/S stick class run off – Rhonda shuts the gate on Leal at the Winternationals
The A864 Race Hemi lightweight package smashed the expectations of other factories when it decimated the field at the Indy Nats – a full half second and 3mph faster than Leal’s T-Bolt…or the fastest Max Wedge cars… Godzilla had been born!
AA/STOCK – The LW Galaxies found themselves in B/FX at the Winternationals, however NHRA had given its word the Galaxies would run in Stock, not FX, so AA/S was introduced in July 64.
This new class was brought in to accomodate the 427 side oiler lightweight hi-riser 64 Galaxies for the US Nats. These cars were too quick for anything in A/Stock, but not fast enough for S/S.
In 1963 the NHRA S/S class was from 0.00 to 8.69 lbs per advertised horsepower…but AA/S split the S/S class, 0.00 to 6.99 while AA/S became 7.00 to 8.69 lbs per advertised horsepower. An example was the 1964 Thunderbolt fell into S/S while the 1964 lightweight Galaxie with the same engine was put into AA/S.
However, it wasn’t only current year Galaxies that qualified – 62, 63 & 64 Max Wedge Dodge and Plymouths qualified also.
The AA/S class was used from 1964 -65.
A rare example of a Mopar running in AA/S was Henry Garcia’s 63 Dodge. The class was created for the 64 Galaxie Hi Risers, but yet another 62 Dodge, driven by Dave Chevron, was a National record holder .
FX – NHRA created an elimination final called ‘Factory Stock’ for the Winternats. This was for the A/FX cars which had previously had only class titles to shoot for.
A squad of 427 Hi Riser Mercuries put on the FX show at the Winternationals….their light weight and expert driving of Sox and Nicholson sealed the deal against the heavier Mopars.
B/FX ran off for Little Eliminator and C/FX ran in Stock Elim or ‘JrStock’. C/FX was pushed into Little Eliminator run offs come the Indy Nats.
Winters B/FX final – Bill Cox (721) outran the unmarked car. These Galaxies would find themselves in AA/S by the US Nats.
TIRES & TRACKS
The 7” tire width mandate under NHRA rules had caused a problem in S/S since the inception of the class. By 64, the cars were getting lighter and the motors even more powerful. Stick cars in particular struggled to get power to the ground on less developed tracks…..and in heads-up race conditions where a fast launch meant everything.
Chrysler auto cars started to dominate proceedings in the Elimination run offs and were consistently faster in the Auto classes than their Stickshift brothers – negating the Ford Thunderbolts superior power/weight ratio against the Maxwedge cars.
WHEEL BASE ALTERATIONS
Later in the year Chrysler engineers twigged to the idea of moving the rear wheels fwd, which aided in weight transition and traction. They produced 4 factory 2% AWB (Altered Wheel Base ) cars for the Indy US Nats. 2% was the maximum allowable under FX rules. These cars never competed in S/S eliminations….but the new Hemi powered Dodges and Plymouths destroyed the 427 Comets and others in FX at Indy ……giving Ford motivation to develop a purpose-built race motor for 65…..and paving the way for something ‘funny’ to happen.
Indy Nats FX final – an all Mopar affair – the 2% wheelbase and Race Hemi edged out the lighter 427 Comets – Ford went back to the drawing board.
Bill Jenkins wrenches on the Dodge Boys 2% FX car
Tom Sturm – 427cui/425hp Mercury Comet- R/Up A/FX WinterNationals
Dave Strickler’Dodge Boys’ puts it to Tommy Groves ‘Melrose Missile’ in the Nats A/FX final.
Jim Rodgers Max Wedge got over the Ramcharger’s Jim Thornton in the MW Candymatic’ for the Winternats A/SA final. Pic shows a class run off.
A rare shot for two reasons – the A864 Hemi Dodges were only campaigned by the factory for 6 mths – until the 65 A990s took over. Bill ‘Grumpy’ Jenkins is a GM legend…campaigning not one but two Mopars with Dave Strickler was a glitch in the fabric of time!
A very young very skinny Don Gay learning how to win from some older guy named Hayden…..Check the muffler rules Don!
Buster Couch ruled the Nationals start line process with a quick smile and an iron fist.
Not a hemi car, but Ron Mandella in his 63 MaxWedge Plymouth was a strong runner in 64.
Noted Ford stocker driver Phil Bonner’s T Bolt (Driven by Jim Evans) not having such a good axle day!
The NHRA 60’s Superstock Diary 
