12th Oldsmobile Powered Nationals – Norwalk OH, July 19-21, 2009

The Dick Miller Meet Weekend started out rainy, cold and damp, but when it was time for fun, you couldn’t have asked for a better day. Many of us arrived Thursday night, mostly to check out the track on Friday in preparation for the money shot that evening and Saturday – and it couldn’t hurt to get the car sorted out for Sunday’s big event.

But it didn’t look like Mother Nature was going to cooperate, because that evening we were treated to showers. On Friday morning, the first view we had out of our motel window was the famous “liquid sunshine” that has been favoring the Midwest for the summer. Some people rolled over and went back to sleep, but our group headed out to the track.
We dropped off our rig and headed out for some lunch, only to be greeted by a downpour that would have had Noah worried. The group gave each other the WTF look, but we all tried to remain optimistic. Surprisingly, by around 4:00 the weather seemed to be blowing out, so we blew over to the track.

The locals obviously knew what to expect, because by the time we got there, they were already at it, and the sound of open headers makes any racer’s heart start to thump. Some of the crew signed up for eliminations, others took some test passes, and some just hit the stands to see what was up.

The first thing that was apparent was that the cool, damp air was helping out the motors, because everyone was running awesome times. This was especially true for stockers and lightly modified cars, where fresh air is not pulled in through a scoop (unless you’re running a W-30 or W-31). The bones may have been chilled, but the engines were hot.

A bunch of the cars entered in the Friday local bash did well, with Saturday was also a regular drag day for Norwalk, and once again, the same routine was set, with some people competing, some testing, and some watching. The weather warmed up and while a bit breezy, it was quite nice – for fall! What was most significant was that a host of Olds powered cars showed up and the pits were jammed. If you want to see photos, go click here to go to the Olds Performance Club’s photo album.

As on Friday, there were Olds powered cars competing in the regular eliminations, and the combo of the cool, but nice weather, and the added field of Olds cars added up to over 400 participants. Norwalk does not have a curfew, so the eliminations ran until 3:00 am!
PS. A big thanks to the members of Real Olds Power who provided a yummy picnic on Saturday. What makes this special, aside from the wonderful openness and camaraderie that this group shares, is the huge effort they make to deliver what amounts to a feast. It is truly amazing how hard they work and the wonderful result. Thanks again guys for a lovely spread!

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday, be there, be there, be there! Finally, it was our day, and our crew from New Jersey started to get ready. Paul Tortorici had his ’66 looking good – running right on his 13.35 index and Paul Tester’s Pro ’72 Cutlass was turning 8.60s and running real consistent. (For an insight into this car, click here). The Cutlass is powered by a small block NASCAR stroker now out to 434 cubes. On alcohol, it is something to see, considering the body is pretty much all steel! Paul was the fastest Olds at the event.

For our crew, it was one of those days, not because the cars lost out to others but because they kept breaking out! Instead of the normal situation where cars get a bit slower as they race, the cars got faster. Both Pauls needed to “buy back in”, but once again bad luck stuck. Paul tester broke out once again and Paul Tortorici was not called for his final round. As a result, the NJ crew would go home empty handed.

Meanwhile, there was an Olds car show going on, with quite a few people coming over from the Oldsmobile Nationals, which had finished up on Saturday night in Pittsburg. It was better than 100 miles from that event to Norwalk, so a big thanks should go out to the car show people for their participation. Some rare pieces were on display, including an aluminum engined W-31.

Regardless, everyone had a great time, and it was wonderful to see all the cars and “bench race” with all the Olds nuts. Will we be back next year? To quote someone from Alaska: “You betcha!”

Next year’s date: July 18, 2010. The Olds Performance Club will be helping Dick get everyone registered so keep an eye out for an application!

Event Results:

Super/Pro (0 to 12.99 – delay box ok). Sponsored by Rocket Racing and Performance.

Winner – Carl Sawicki
Runner/Up – Scott Grossenbacher
Semi – Mickey Toombs

Quarter – Bob Toombs, Gary Woinoski, Roger Kirk
Eighth – Tom Tompkins, Dave Engel, Chris Heminger, Kevin Thompson, Paul Tester

Pro (0 to 15.99 – no delay box). Sponsored by Bill Taylor Engineering (BTE).

Winner – Phil Smida
Runner/Up – Chuck Powel
Semi – Gary Kelly

Quarter – David Stulak, Gregg Green, Casey Walker

Eighth – Robert Tomlinson, Dave Vollbracht, Paul Thiessen, Rex Torgerson, Jason Kruse, Matt Murdock

Stock (no electronics, no open headers, no slicks) Sponsored by Harland Sharp Rocker Arms.

Winner-Bill Sullivan
Runner/Up-Rob Thomas
Semi-Mark Prince, Karen Powell

Quarter – Nate Racihe, #PX34, Bob Kastner

Eighth – Jim Fox, Jim Wilson, #1162, Dennis Rench, Kim Bainer, Dan Clark, David Stone

King Of The Hill (show cars only). Sponsored by Dick Miller Racing Suspension Systems.

Winner-Todd Wozniak
Runner/Up-Greg Franklin
Semi – Kelly Miske, Neil Fluke

CAR SHOW CLASSES – Sponsored by Dick Miller Racing

Best-Of-Show:  James Kryta 1970 W-31
Best-Original: Carl Bartko 1969 Cutlass Sport Coupe
Best-Modified: Ron & Donna Blazenkoyich 1967 Cutlass 442

CLASS 1 – Full Size

Winner-Rich Hilko 1950 Olds
Runner/Up-Jim Curry 1992 Olds

CLASS 2 – 64-69 Performance All Cutlass, F-85, 442, W-30, W-31

Winner-Jason Sell 1966 Cutlass 442
Runner/Up-Raymond Michaels 1965 Olds Cutlass 442

CLASS 3 – 1970 W-31

Winner-James Kryta 1970 W-31
Runner/Up-Dan Bodine 1970 W-31

CLASS 4 – 1970 Cutlass

Winner-Bob McLuckie 1970 Cutlass
Runner/Up-Phil Milat 1970 Cutlass SX

CLASS – 5 1971-1972 Cutlass

Winner-Jeff Auxter 1971 Cutlass Supreme
Runner/Up-Ken Kershner 1972 Cutlass

CLASS 6 – 1966-1967 Modified

Winner-Ron & Donna Blazekoyich 1967 442
Runner/Up-Roger Michaels 1966 442

CLASS 7 – 1968-Present Modified

Winner-Anthony Raleigh 1971 Cutlass Supreme
Runner/Up-Evan Chiligiris 1968 442 Convertible

CLASS 8 – 1900-1967 Street Stock

Winner-Phil Ross 1965 Cutlass
Runner/Up-Jeff Scott 1971 442

CLASS 9 – 1968-1969 Street Stock

Winner-Carl Bartko 1969 Cutlass Sport Coupe
Runner/Up-Roger Titus 1968 Cutlass Convertible

CLASS 10 – 1970-1972 Street Stock

Winner-Jerry Chiddister 1972 Cutlass W-31
Runner/Up-Steve Holland 1972 Cutlass Supreme

CLASS 11 – Unrestored

Winner-Norman Kvetensky 1973 Cutlass Supreme
Runner/Up-Brandon Fluke 1967 442

CLASS 12 – Beater

Winner-Neil Fluke 1966 F-85