"I enjoyed the chance to test...
"I enjoyed the chance to test and tune my car; this place was awesome with good bite and great air. I just could not get the car to hook up consistently. I've totally bonded with this car over the years, and I'm a "Mopar or no car" type of guy. I also own a '98 Durango, an '89 Shelby Dakota, and an '85 Shelby Charger Turbo. Invite us again!"
Gene Rivers, who towed up all the way from Snellville, Georgia, with his E-Body, took home the best time slip of the day and garnered the "long distance" award. Gene's beast is a factory 'Cuda 340 that now uses some hefty internals to displace 396 inches of small-block thunder. Gene, who won several musclecar-type shootouts in the late '80s and early '90s, admits he's probably ruined this car as a collector's item, but he has those regular 11-second timeslips to prove it was all worth it.
Gene's plan was to simply get laps in and fine-tune the engine for better performances. The fairly radical car is normally street-driven 100 miles when going to Atlanta Dragway, but the crew towed to New Jersey. Previously, his best time had been an 11.55 at 117.9, a number he bettered on all but two runs this day.
'73 Plymouth 'Cuda
Weight w/driver: 3,490
Engine: '72 340 by Randy Wilson.
Bottom end: 3.79-inch MP crank and stock rods for 396 displacement, Ross forged 10.8 pistons 4.08 dia.Heads: -308 castings Hughes Engines "stage II" porting (265 intake/195 exh. @ .650).
Valvetrain: Hughes/Engle custom flat-tappet (.587/.602 lift, 257/266 @ .050, w/1.6 rocker .626/.642 final lift , 107-deg lob. sep./107-deg. centerline), 2.02/1.60 stainless valves, 1.6 roller rockers.
Induction: Single plane intake, Holley 800 double-pumper w/aerosol billet, 84/92 jets, 1-inch open carb spacer, electronic ignition w/MSD timing retard, 75 percent Amoco 93/25 percent 114 octane race fuel mix.
Exhaust: 1 3⁄4-inch pri to 3-inch coll. Headers, Flomaster mufflers, Full exhaust.
Trans/Driveline: 727, full manual valvebody, Coan 10-inch 3200 stall converter, B&M Mega Shifter, 8 3⁄4 rear w/ 4.30:1 Sure Grip
Brakes: Front disc/rear drum.
Wheels/Tires: Weld Drag Lites 15x3.5/165R15 front/Weld 15x8/TA Drag Radials rear.
Suspension: Sway bar removed, 90/10 front shocks, Subframe connectors, Lift bars.
Safety Mods: Driveshaft loop, 3-inch lap belts, Battery in trunk, Rear-mount kill switch.
Interior Mods: Cerrelo buckets, Auto Meter gauging.
Body Mods: Fiberglass "Six Pak" hood, front bumper, and bumper brackets.
| Run | Launch | Shift
Point | 60-ft | 1⁄8 et/mph | 1⁄4 et/mph | MPH | Notes |
| 1 | 2500 | 7000 | N/A | N/A | 11.65 | 118.9 | 38-deg 84/90 jet, 15 psi, spun |
| 2 | 2200 | 7000 | N/A | N/A | 11.21 | 120.2 | 34-deg 84/90 jet, 15 psi, spun |
| 3 | 2200 | 7100 | N/A | N/A | 11.18 | 119.9 | 34-deg 84/93 jet, 13 psi, hooked |
| 4 | 2200 | 7000 | N/A | N/A | 11.32 | N/A | 34-deg 84/95 jet, 13 psi, spun |
| 5 | 2200 | 7000 | N/A | N/A | 11.41 | 120.1 | 34-deg 84/89 jet, 13 psi, spun |
| 6 | 2200 | 7000 | N/A | N/A | 11.22 | 120.0 | 34-deg 84/89 jet, 13 psi, hooked |
| 7 | 2200 | 7000 | N/A | N/A | 11.27 | 119.5 | 32-deg 84/89 jet, 13 psi, minor spin change to 20-year-old set of M/H Racemaster slicks |
| 8 | 2200 | 7000 | N/A | N/A | 11.33 | 119.0 | 32-deg 84/89 jet, 13 psi, broke |