Hey Bob Palma PSMC Question

[jeds55]

Bob,
I've enjoyed going to the PSMC Drags over the years. Between driving my '55 up and "Cheering" for the guys, it just doesn't get much better. And then, in the dead of winter Turning Wheels comes out with your coverage and comments. Re-kindeling all those great sounds and images of last fall.

I do have a question....(I know I can find the rules for this event)...but hopefully you can shed some quick light on this point....How can the chassis of the Red Tomato be "Set Up" for better weight transfer and still qualify as "Pure Stock"?

Question is posed by one of my MoPar neighbors who was reading your your article on page 41 of TW...And I had no answer for him. He quickly found the picture of The Plain Brown Wrapper on page 43 with the same take off stance and I knew I needed enlighten help.

Thanks for you comments and clarification.

Jim

[PackardV8]

Suspension

Front Suspension

Stock springs and shocks must be retained. Drag race style springs, shocks, and bushings that allow excessive lift during launches are NOT allowed. The front sway bar must be retained, and it must be functional at all times. Raising or lowering of the front end is not allowed.


Rear Suspension

Stock springs and shocks must be retained. Traction devices are limited to hop-stop bars for the upper control arms on coil-spring cars. Pinion snubbers and clamping of springs are allowed on leaf-spring cars. No slapper bars or ladder bars of any kind allowed unless originally equipped from the factory. Factory documentation will be required to prove authenticity for any car equipped with bolt-on traction devices. No dealer-installed traction devices allowed. Aftermarket upper and lower control arms for coil-spring cars are not allowed. Raising or lowering of the rear end is not allowed.

That, plus sixty years of Ted's cut-and-try experience.

jack vines

[BobPalma]

Thanks, Jim; 'glad you enjoyed the article.

As to the suspension set-up: What Jack said, plus the following. (When I say both cars; I mean both The Plain Brown Wrapper and The Stude Tomato):

1. We have taken full advantage of this rule: Pinion snubbers and clamping of springs are allowed on leaf-spring cars.

You may not know that SDCer Nelson Bove is a retired Ford Chassis Engineer, although he specialized in Front Suspension and Steering. Nonetheless, he is a brilliant guy with a superb engineering mind. Several years ago, Nels' major contribution to this effort was setting his mind to computing spring rates and such to set up the rear suspension on those cars to be as effective as possible within the rules.

Nels did a lot of research and thinking about rear springs and ultimately engineered just the right number of stock leaves and clamp locations in front of the axle, plus properly positioning the pinion snubbers allowed, to effect what you see as the cars launch. This took some trial and error over the years; it wasn't accomplished in one weekend by any means. I'm sure you'd agree that he's got it figured out pretty doggone good. The clamp locations required some trial-and-error, which ultimately became quite selective as to positioning.

2. Note that the rules say no special or drag front shocks. That doesn't mean you can't have hopelessly worn out OEM shocks that allow fantastic lift because they are otherwise useless.

3. Stock bushings are retained up front, per the rules, but are as "loose" as possible to permit maximum control arm travel.

4. Both cars run with the stock spare tire to aid in weight transfer by virtue of being behind the rear axle. (This was a major trauma for my weight-conscious cousin George, of course, but he had to agree that the proof of the pudding is in the eating when seeing these cars launch....George had to "take the vapors," as they used to say. )

5. As with all things Ted Harbit, attention to detail throughout is what pays off. Ten ideas that are only worth a hundredth of a second each add up to a full tenth....which kind of takes us full circle to what Jack Vines posted in #2, above.

Again, Jim; thanks for your interest and feedback. BP

[alaipairod]

The Eagles song...."Take it to the limit'...one more time, says it best. I've been there and done that.............

[BobPalma]

Another contributing factor, especially to those photos of the cars launching in the January 2016 Turning Wheels, might be some, but not much, camera lens distortion.

How much I can't say, of course.

(The photos were taken with my older Fugi FinePix F50fd.) BP

[jeds55]

Wow....Jack - Bob Thanks for the insight / tutoring....If I can remember allll of this my MoPar neighbor is in for an ear full...I'm thinking better yet I'll "Double Dog Dare" him to make the trip up next fall and see things for himself.

Thanks again guys for taking the time to educate me....
Jim

[rknight89]

Is there a website with a list of upcoming events for 2016? Or can you (Mr. Palma)keep us enlightened about events to come?

[BobPalma]

Is there a website with a list of upcoming events for 2016? Or can you (Mr. Palma) keep us enlightened about events to come?

The Pure Stock Muscle Car Drag Race promoters schedule only one event per year; The Pure Stock Muscle Car Drag Race.

The dates for the 2016 event are Thursday, September 15 through Saturday, September 17. Time Trials and Racing take place only Friday and Saturday; Thursday is reserved for early check-in, tech inspection, and trailer parking, if desired. Those participating must be there both Friday and Saturday due to the nature of the event.

The 2016 event will have a new twist: Certain cars from Model Years 1975-1979 will be allowed to participate for the first time, providing they have a high-performance image and otherwise meet the qualifications. Examples might be the 1979 Hurst Oldsmobile Cutlass or a Volare-based, 360-powered 1978 Plymouth Road Runner. For the 2016 event, it would be a good idea to call ahead of time to see if a given car qualifies, since this is a trial year for the new expansion. (Previously, only cars from 1955-1974 model years were allowed.)

For more particulars, visit their website: www.purestockdrags.com (Yes, the website needs some updating as to complete results from the 2015 event, etc, so please don't post back here that you can't find something you might be looking for, since I don't have anything to do with it! Their website is kinda like Interstate Highway construction around Chicago; never finished.) BP

[8E45E]

The 2016 event will have a new twist: Certain cars from Model Years 1975-1979 will be allowed to participate for the first time, providing they have a high-performance image and otherwise meet the qualifications. Examples might be the 1979 Hurst Oldsmobile Cutlass or a Volare-based, 360-powered 1978 Plymouth Road Runner. Fr 2016, it would be a good idea to call ahead of time to see if a given car qualifies, since this is a trial year for the new expansion. (Previously, only cars from 1955-1974 model years were allowed.)

It would be real neat to see a contingent of 1975-'79 Australian muscle cars participate. (Not just here, but also at MCACN.) The muscle car scene 'down under' never really died in 1975 as they were unencumbered with power-robbing emission controls, and heavy 5-mph battering ram bumpers like North America was.

http://australianmusclecarsales.com.au/muscle?model=sold&filter_id=81771

Craig

[BobPalma]

The schedule for additional events of this nature can be found here:

http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?168929-2016-PSMCDR-and-FAST-schedule-updated-11-26-2015

The author of that compilation, Donny Brass, is a good guy who likes the Studes at those events. He has included Ted and The Tomato in several drags videos, since Danny makes videos of those events for promotional purposes.

Further, the February 2016 Turning Wheels will contain Ted Harbit's report of The Stude Tomato's exploits at some of those events last year. BP

[jeds55]

I'm fortunate that I live @ 1 hour away from this event. (Driving my '55 truck up 2 lane black tops.) Over the years of driving out I've continue to be amazed at the lack of support / attendance by the local SDC chapters and other "Car Clubs" in the area. Certainly there is plenty of room in the parking lot for everyone to have their own area. I think part of the problem is the National Hot Rod gathering in Kalamazoo, always on the same weekend. But still, this part of Michigan is a beautiful area to drive through on a fall day. Once you get there the sights and sounds are the 1960's all over again. Too bad the focus of this event can't be widen just a little to make an Event for more "Non-drivers" to enjoy and "participate" in...

[sweetolbob]

Posted by jeds55
But still, this part of Michigan is a beautiful area to drive through on a fall day. Once you get there the sights and sounds are the 1960's all over again. Too bad the focus of this event can't be widen just a little to make an Event for more "Non-drivers" to enjoy and "participate" in...

Agree but the one thing that is missing is the audio assault of open headers. It appears that they now require mufflers and that reduces the ambiance but it is still a must see event.

Jim's point is well stated and accurate about the rest. I attended the PSMCDs initially 3 or 4 years ago and that was the first time I had returned to Mid-Michigan since I quit racing many moons back. Coming over the last hill before you get to the drag strip brought all kinds of great memories flooding back about the times we crested the same hill with the 55 Chevy in tow to go racing. The strip still looks much like it did in the 60's

It should be a Don't Miss event for anyone that can make it on those dates. Bob

[BobPalma]

Agree but the one thing that is missing is the audio assault of open headers. It appears that they now require mufflers and that reduces the ambiance but it is still a must see event.

It should be a Don't Miss event for anyone that can make it on those dates. Bob

Bob, the event has always required a full exhaust system all the way to the rear bumper, per OEM, unless the car was built otherwise, like AAR 'cudas and such.

That was the one thing we had to do to The Plain Brown Wrapper before coming to the race for the first time in 1998. Cousin George had no tailpipes on the car at the time; just quick turn-downs at each muffler's exit. We had to put "regular' tail pipes on it to conform.

OEM-type oval mufflers are to be used unless a car is documented to have come with louder mufflers, too. Open headers have never been permitted. BP

[sweetolbob]

Thanks Bob, Open headers were obviously an overstatement based on the rules, my bad, but I recall the first year I went the 455 GTX's just thundered down the strip and they haven't since then. IIRC I commented on that in my post from that race. Or it could be just old age kicking in.

IAC, as Jim said, a great way to spend a day in Michigan fall weather. Bob

[Pat Dilling]

The 2016 event will have a new twist: Certain cars from Model Years 1975-1979 will be allowed to participate for the first time, providing they have a high-performance image and otherwise meet the qualifications. Examples might be the 1979 Hurst Oldsmobile Cutlass or a Volare-based, 360-powered 1978 Plymouth Road Runner. For the 2016 event, it would be a good idea to call ahead of time to see if a given car qualifies, since this is a trial year for the new expansion. (Previously, only cars from 1955-1974 model years were allowed.)

I would also expect to see the Buick Grand National cars show up for this and produce some stunning performance. That is if they allow the V6 cars to play.

I think the tweaks done to the Tomato and PBW are probably used by most of the participants. They are tried and true stock eliminator tricks and methods. The ability of Ted and George to get them "just right" is noteworthy as that is not always easy.