American Motors/Mopar Street/Drag Festival
Great Lakes Dragaway - Union Grove, WI
by Bob Wilkiewicz and Rich Berlisk
Nostalgia Super Stock Inc. Staff
UNION GROVE, Wis. - There was a little something old and a more than a few things new at Nostalgia Super Stock Inc.’s fourth event this season, the two-day American Motors/Mopar Street/Drag Festival at Great Lakes Dragaway on July 26-27.
The old included four sessions each day and familar drivers and cars, such as John Rousset’s 1963 Plymouth ‘Hard Day’s Night’ and Pete Stamm’s ‘Injunuity’ 1963 Pontiac Tempest.
John Rousset’s 1963 Plymouth ‘Hard Day’s Night’
Pete Stamm’s ‘Injunuity’ 1963 Pontiac Tempest
Stamm ran a series of steady 9.70 passes while Rousset got his best all-time launch results, including a near personal best 10.19 at 130 mph pass, just 0.01 slow in the changeable air.
In his second outing after a multi-year layoff, Dennis Scherer in the ‘Repeat Offender’ 1963 Ford Galaxie showed some staying power, making all eight sessions, and running as quick as 11.076 at 122.11 mph.
Also in his second outing after a multi-year layoff, Craig Pfohl made only one pass before breaking a rear end in his 1967 Sox and Martin ‘Lil Boss’ Barracuda tribute car.
In a remarkable display of consistency, Paul Habura had the 1963 ‘Keeping The Faith’ Plymouth running like a bracket car but at the level of one of the quickest NSS cars in the nation.
On Saturday, he went 8.768, 8.769 and 8.768 in the first three sessions before ‘slipping’ to 8.708 at 154.58 mph in the better air of the fourth. Eventually, Habura ‘retired’ on Sunday with worn-out slicks.
Bob Cattelino and the 1963 ‘Faded Memories’ Chevrolet ran a series of sets in the 10.60’s and 10.70’s all weekend.
Bob Cattelino - 1963 Chevrolet ‘Faded Memories’
One oddity was Larry Quinn’s tuning troubles, with crabby carburetors on his 1962 ‘Blast From The Past’ Pontiac, which had him posting runs as much a three seconds slower than normal.
Jim Ley, with J.B. Books driving, brought out his newly constructed 1964 Ford Thunderbolt and thrashed through a series of adventures ranging from shaky starting line staging to missed shifts. But Books also managed an 8.75 which easily could have been better if he hadn’t clicked it off early.
Jim Ley, with J.B. Books driving, 1964 Ford Thunderbolt - (Far Lane) Larry Quinn’s 1962 ‘Blast From The Past’ Pontiac
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