80's Touring Cars Drag Racing - Brock vs Morris and Harvey vs Grice

[Pro Racer]

great viewing gotta love murray walker.

[Dobbo89]

Originally Posted by Dazz

I remember quite a few years ago during one of the Winfield Triple Challenges (I think) some of the boys having a run over the 1/4 mile.

Seton and Gardner definitely had a run and a few others as well. It was covered in Auto Action at the time and I think one of the cars ran a high 10-second pass. If I could ge to my AA's I'd dig out the info. Maybe someone else has them handy and can have a look?

How good would it be to see some things like this happengin again.

From my memory they did high 11sec passes, but the cars were not comfortable, they seemed to suffer from too much grip from the drag strip prep, I remember them doing a couple of practice starts, and they both seem really jerky in the way the cars responded, not smooth at all, so I don't think it is indicative off the true potential.

Wonder if this happened today, maybe the teams would be in trouble for unauthorised testing? or perhaps if it was deemed in the interest of the promotion of the sport, no further action? Lake Eyre top speed run a-la BAR honda anyone? (we are only there to break the record for the fastest V8supercar in the world, thats all!) ahh, bigger than a runway, no need to duck-tape the trailer.

[retro]

I'm just wondering what a v8 Supercar of today would do on a 1/4 mile run...???

[Matt]

I'm guessing, low/mid 11 second passes.

That Crystal Palace footage was awesome! That Escort was a real screamer.

[Dazz]

They well and truly have the power to run into the 10's, however it all depends on the initial launch, as we saw with Harvey being a lot quicker than Brock off the line.

[racer69]

It's interesting to see that the two MHDT cars, the Browne/Re-Car Commodore and the Seiko 7/Jones cars were present for these drag races at the 1982 AGP meeting.......interesting because the AGP in 1982 clashed with the Surfers Paradise 300 Australian Endurance Championship round for touring cars.

[retro]

Originally Posted by Dazz

They well and truly have the power to run into the 10's, however it all depends on the initial launch, as we saw with Harvey being a lot quicker than Brock off the line.

The Drag racing tracks are a lot better prepared these days than way back in the 80's...if you get a chance to walk on one after a meeting it will nearly pull you out of your shoes + the launch pads are now concrete for better traction.

[PVDA]

Originally Posted by retro

The Drag racing tracks are a lot better prepared these days than way back in the 80's...if you get a chance to walk on one after a meeting it will nearly pull you out of your shoes + the launch pads are now concrete for better traction.

Very true.

I was the FIV driver a couple of years ago at a VMRC at Calder & we prop on the Drag startline waiting for the cars to do their warm up lap and the doc got out of the car and promptly left the sole of one of her shoes behind and that was only the level of prep that did for the street drags two days prior you want to see how sticky it was when they prepared it for the Nationals.

Certainly takes a little more of the go pedal to get underway on the sticky VHT but it turns into an ice skating rink once it gets rained on

[MPA]

Thanks for the link. That footage was a forgoten memory of mine. At the time I remember thinking , "Wow, they did a 11 and still managed to turn right at one." Most likely an easy thing to do, but not many drag cars would manage that.

That meeting would have been around that time an bloody big sports car took out the armco when its throttle stuck and the meeting was abandoned. An Elfin perhaps?


Did you all notice how small the hill behind Gloweave was? I guess the owner of the place has spent a fortune on the place for the good of the sport.

Thanks Bob.

[Harves]

Did you all notice how small the hill behind Gloweave was? I guess the owner of the place has spent a fortune on the place for the good of the sport.

Thanks Bob.

That dirt brings about 2 - 3 million a year, because you don't need a permit to dump dirt......sadly nothing to do will the good of the sport.

[Dobbo89]

Originally Posted by retro

I'm just wondering what a v8 Supercar of today would do on a 1/4 mile run...???

I would say that depends on whether you run legal race gearing or not.

Race gearing low/flat 11's, non legal gearing low 10's maybe high 9's

[Woolley]

Originally Posted by F J Nedos

I decided to have a quick search. How about these (somewhat related) clips

Brock Qualifying 1991

Now that's what touring cars should be like. Awesome. Exactly how much air was under that inside left wheel?

[275 GTB-4]

Originally Posted by Woolley

Now that's what touring cars should be like. Awesome. Exactly how much air was under that inside left wheel?

The master at work...good stuff....and it isn't every day you see a Marshal in a Fedora either

[Pro Racer]

we should do that again with todays cars on todays drag strips would be awsome, the extra grunt, the extra traction it would be awsome, lets have Skaife v Ingall, Murphy v Bright and Perkins Jnr v Johnson Jnr.

[Dazz]

I'm sure a lot of the punters at the track would love it too if they were to do some 1/4 mile displays.

From memory Neil Crompton did a comparo at Eastern Creek in 1992 (I think) with Jim Richards, comparing a Nissan Pulsar, a std Skyline GT-R and the Winfield GT-R. It was featured before one of the Bathurst races I think (I will have it on tape somewhere).

The Winfield GT-R from memory ran 10.9 over the 1/4 and that was in it's weight gain and boost limited state at the end of it's racing life! I'll have to see if I can find it and post it up.

[F J Nedos]

Here are some more cool videos.

Greens Tuf Top 10 Shootout

First few laps of Round 5 of the 1983 Australian Touring Car Championship from Adelaide Raceway

[Driver TBA]

From memory Neil Crompton did a comparo at Eastern Creek in 1992 (I think) with Jim Richards, comparing a Nissan Pulsar, a std Skyline GT-R and the Winfield GT-R. It was featured before one of the Bathurst races

Reminds me of an article in Wheels or Motor about 12 years ago. They ran Dick Johnson in his EB/EF(exact model???) against someone (don’t have a clue who the driver or team was) in a Thunderbird NASCAR. Couple of laps around the Thunderdome, some laps around the circuit and some runs down the ¼ mile. From memory the NASCAR was a tyre smoking ½ second quicker, mid 11’s or something.
Anyone else remember?

[racer69]

Was it not Johnson's EF Falcon and Max Dumsney's #5 Valvoline/John Sidney Racing Chevrolet Monte Carlo?

[Driver TBA]

I think your correct.

[Shiney]

In 1976 Tim Slako took his L34 to Ravenswood Raceway and ran a 13.6 @ 110 MPH with the rear tyres smoking for the first 100 metres.

[Raceonly]

Originally Posted by Dazz

I'm sure a lot of the punters at the track would love it too if they were to do some 1/4 mile displays.

From memory Neil Crompton did a comparo at Eastern Creek in 1992 (I think) with Jim Richards, comparing a Nissan Pulsar, a std Skyline GT-R and the Winfield GT-R. It was featured before one of the Bathurst races I think (I will have it on tape somewhere).

The Winfield GT-R from memory ran 10.9 over the 1/4 and that was in it's weight gain and boost limited state at the end of it's racing life! I'll have to see if I can find it and post it up.

Did that not also include a braking contest? In either case, the race car was on cold slicks with cold pads, but still won of course. Loved those GTR's. Mark Gibbs told me he revved it to 8000 and dropped the clutch. He, along with Rohan Onslow, are lost to the sport. Mark because of business, but not sure what happened to Rohan. Where are they Now articles have been done on theold touring cars, maybe one oculd be done on the drivers of the day who no longer race. Or maybe they have and I have not seen it?

[cavvy]

Bob Jane had 2 of the 69 ZL1s ever made, the race car (71 ATCC champ) & a drag car - not into drags myself, does anyone know what sort of times the 427 put out in Aus?

[Pro Racer]

no, but depending on the mods if it was basicly like the touring car i would imagine mybe very high 10's definatly low to mid 11's if it was made for drags i would predict low to mid 10's, but i could be way off, be interesting to know.

[cavvy]

Originally Posted by pwr fan

no, but depending on the mods if it was basicly like the touring car i would imagine mybe very high 10's definatly low to mid 11's if it was made for drags i would predict low to mid 10's, but i could be way off, be interesting to know.

GM built the ZL1 to drag.

[Harves]

GM built the ZL1 to drag.

Of course they did cavvy, even had a helmet in the boot.