Super Stock '69 Shelby number 1 qualifier

[thatdarncat]

Tony Hewes '69 Shelby Super Stocker qualified #1 at the nationals in Las Vegas this weekend and he's into the second round. 9.467 ET. It's a clone, they put the body work on their '69 Mustang years ago. 428 CJ - not a stroker. Stock 735 cfm carb. Factory shipping weight. Pretty amazing. I talked to them years ago, they were very nice and answered all my questions.

[turbohunter]

Bitchin' car.

[cjshaker]

What SS class allows full tubs? Is the car back-halved? That seems like a lot of tire for mid 9's. Not putting the car down, I'm just curious. I hope they do good.

[thatdarncat]

Back-halving the car is allowed in Super Stock ( within the parameters of the NHRA rules ) Stock Eliminator doesn't allow it. I believe this car has been around since before the days of Cal-Tracs and it's common to take advantage of the rules to gain the larger tires and utilize a 4-link or ladder bars. Since the advent of Cal-Tracs you do see some Super Stock cars retain the stock style rear suspension, that was the whole reason John Calvert invented them, so he wouldn't have to tub his original '68 1/2 CJ car.  And remember that it's still important to make consistent runs, big tires help with that. 

[thatdarncat]

Here's a Youtube video I found from a test session.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfaDc5-BSko

[turbohunter]

First time I ever noticed "mud" flaps on a drag car.

[cjshaker]

Thanks, Kevin. I guess I'm just used to seeing small tired cars these days. No doubt a bigger tire helps you worry less about traction, and it certainly had plenty of that in the video.

[machoneman]

What's with the square tube under the front valance?

[CaptCobrajet]

Tony and the Mendes brothers are all good guys.  They have done a good job with that car.  Nice to see them running real good.  He beat my buddy  Tom Nolan's Pontiac second round......Tom owns the Thunderbolt Stocker that Tibor Kadar drives.

[thatdarncat]

What's with the square tube under the front valance?

I don't know, I was wondering that too, I don't remember that from last time I saw the car in person, but that was quite a few years ago. Here's an earlier picture, it looks to be there just blends in better in this photo.