1962 Chevrolet Sport Coupe Z11 409 "Light Weight"
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George Klass
Well Known Member
I read somewhere that the Zintsmaster Chevy raced with either the aluminum front end or a stock steel front end, depending on the class rules per event. NHRA rules at their national events would have required that any car running an limited production aluminum front end would only be eligible to run in the FX classes in 1962.
Some good stuff, Lennyjay. The list that shows the car number, drivers name, home town and brand of car, did it say which class the specific car was racing in by any chance?
Some good stuff, Lennyjay. The list that shows the car number, drivers name, home town and brand of car, did it say which class the specific car was racing in by any chance?
1963 Winternationals
Would’ve been great to be 16 or 18 around that time……….
Well how old are you?
I was born then ………that year
I was 13
I was 2 in 1960, but I was growing up in the 60s 
George Klass
Well Known Member
Up through 1960, the NHRA rules for Stock Classes was very straight forward. It had to be a production vehicle, produced on the factory assembly line, and avaialble to one and all at the delear's show room. These rules carried over into 1961, too. It wasn't until the NHRA Nationals in 1961 that the issues arose. Once the factories started releasing higher performance components that were NOT the same as the parts that were assembly line produced over the first half of 1961, did NHRA see trouble coming. This nessitated the implimintation of the Optional Stock class (O/S) for the NHRA Nationals. It soon became apparent that NHRA was going to have to deal with these kinds of issues in the future, and wisely created the Factory Experimental (F/X) Classes for 1962. It didn't eleviate the Stock Class issues with optional components, but it did allow vehicles a seperate class to "absorb" the non-assembly line vehicles that were still essentially Stock Class type cars. The NHRA Rulebook for 1962 stated: "The Factory Experimental class is for stock automobiles that use manufactures optional equipment announced on or after June 1, 1961; optional equipment that is not necessarily factory assembly line installed or show room sales available." The funny thing is that even though these rules were sent to the manufactures in late 1961, there were no F/X vehicles entered in any NHRA National events that were actully produced by the factories for 1962. All of the A/FX, B/FX and C/FX vehicles were built (or assembled) by the racers themselves for 1962 events. Mickey Thompson Enterprises connected Hayden Proffitt and Lloyd Cox to assemble the Pontiac Tempest with the 421 engine, and the Catalina rear end, under the Tempest. This is what gave the Pontiac factory the idea of creating their own "assembly line" assembled A/FX Tempest for 1963. They had assumed that the Swiss Cheese Catalinas were going to be their Super Stock cars and the Tempest would make a great F/X car. It obviously didn't work out quite that way...
By the way, I was 21 in 1960.
By the way, I was 21 in 1960.
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lennyjay
Well Known Member
I could not find what class the car ran, I think the same as the b. top Old Reliable seen in photo. There are a list you can run thru, Draglist.com that will take you back that far. I did not have the time to go though it all, but some good information contained. You can choose the class, type car, dates, and driver.
I don't think you hold the WINTERNATIONALS in the summer.
In 65 I was 17....as the song goes...
When I called the road my own………..!!!!
Oooops……..and running up 101….ahem
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I was 21.