NHRA Junior Stock

chevytaylor

chevytaylor

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 2
This might have been coverd in the past, but did any of you guys or anyone you know run Junior Stock back in the day?
How many 348-409's?
There must have been so many different options and combo's with GM and Chevrolet, what were they?
Could you run a powerglide or TH400 behind a hipo 409 in 1970 for eg.?
Any old photo's?

All makes would be cool to have a look at:):cheers
 
Last edited:
Blk61409

Blk61409

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 9
chevytaylor said:
This might have been coverd in the past, but did any of you guys or anyone you know run Junior Stock back in the day?
How many 409's?
There must have been so many different options and combo's with GM and Chevrolet, what were they?
Could you run a powerglide or TH400 behind a hipo 409 in 1970 for eg.?
Any old photo's?
All makes would be cool to have a look at:):cheers
Click to expand...

Here is a great article on Junior Stock by Hot Rod.
https://www.google.com/amp/www.hotrod.com/articles/hrdp-0907-junior-stock-drag-racing/amp/

I remember a lot of friends of mine ran junior stock, 55 Chevys, sedans, some panel wagons, 4 speeds, great weight transfer.
Back then (the article concludes) that in one race 17 winners were disqualified for cheating.
Now, cheating is such a harsh word.

Remember Smokey always wanted a thin rule book.

Also I remember various interpretations could be questioned,.

One guy that always won was torn down each weekend and nothing was never found, a real quick ‘55 small block. Then one weekend I was standing watching after a win he began to take a head off and one of the track officials said, no this time take the other head off, he complained that he was almost finished, they stood firm, pulled the other head and found an incredible overbore!!! Disqualified.

Anyway, Junior Stock was a fun cerise of classes, I built several cars and worked on many.
 
W Head

W Head

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 12
Yes. Hands did this. Knew him very well. everyone wondered how he got the 56 to weight over 4000 lbs. the tar under penning under the car was about 3-4 inches thick. His 1/2 brother used the over bore trick also. Hands set the AHRA E/G record of 97.92 MPH @ 14.32 in Corpus Christi Texas , 7-1-1962 Yes I was there.

W Head

59 Impala 409-2,4s
 
Blk61409

Blk61409

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 9
Getting off track from ChevyTaylors question, but I watched "Hands" when he took the top off a Rochester 2 Bbl he was running. He took a screw driver and was taking the jet out, he tried and tried, but couldn't get his fingers to reach down in there to get the jet out, he got one of his guys to reach in and change the jets :) :) :)

A BIG GUY!!
 
W Head

W Head

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 12
I knew met Hands when I was in the 10th grade. there are a lot of stores about him, some true, some maybe a little true. I know some to be true, but I always wished he would take a bath more than once a week.
did you know he once was a cab driver and the company had to take the driver seat out so he could get in and drive. when he was a kid, his family owned a dairy. Sorry to hi jack ChevyTaylors question.

W Head

59 Impala 409-2,4s
 
W Head

W Head

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 12
He did not need a cherry picker, he just pulled the heads and intake and pulled the S B Chevy out with his hands and back. Hands was a very big and strong man. It has been said he pulled the complete engine out with his hands, but I saw him do the above. His hand was so big, he would put his hand around my girl friends neck and his fingers would touch his palm.

W Head

1959 Chevy Impala 409-2,4s
 
oldskydog

oldskydog

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 10
Blk61409 said:
Here is a great article on Junior Stock by Hot Rod.
https://www.google.com/amp/www.hotrod.com/articles/hrdp-0907-junior-stock-drag-racing/amp/

I remember a lot of friends of mine ran junior stock, 55 Chevys, sedans, some panel wagons, 4 speeds, great weight transfer.
Back then (the article concludes) that in one race 17 winners were disqualified for cheating.
Now, cheating is such a harsh word.

Remember Smokey always wanted a thin rule book.

Also I remember various interpretations could be questioned,.

One guy that always won was torn down each weekend and nothing was never found, a real quick ‘55 small block. Then one weekend I was standing watching after a win he began to take a head off and one of the track officials said, no this time take the other head off, he complained that he was almost finished, they stood firm, pulled the other head and found an incredible overbore!!! Disqualified.

Anyway, Junior Stock was a fun cerise of classes, I built several cars and worked on many.
Click to expand...

Pat, that sounds like August "Hands" Hartkoff (sp?). I heard the same story in 61-62. His 56 was awesome….soumded like 10,000 rpm.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top