PONTIAC WINS 7TH NHRA MANUFACTURER'S CUP -- MAY BE LAST

The NHRA championship tour came to a close at Pomona, but not before a sterling season by the "Fuel for the Soul" competitors racing Pontiac SC/T Grand Ams. For the seventh time since 1996, Pontiac will claim the prestigious NHRA Manufacturer's Cup.

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Since 1964 the NHRA has presented the Cup to the automobile nameplate scoring the most points for current-year models in Pro Stock, Super Stock and Stock.

"The NHRA Manufacturer's Cup could not have happened without the hard work of our GM Racing engineers and marketing staff," said Jim Panaretos, Pontiac Grand Am marketing director. This may be the last cup for the Big Chief Boys, since the Pontiac line is being withdrawn in favor of the Monte Carlo. [11-10-2003]

DECEGLIE SCORES WITH LEONARD'S HEMI

After we went to press with the tech feature on Sonny Leonard's new Chevy Hemi big block we received the news that Comp Eliminator racer and Sonny Leonard customer Vinnie Deceglie drove his '63 split window 'Vette A/Altered to the Competition Eliminator title at the just completed NHRA World Finals in Pomona. Deceglie's 'Vette has a gasoline-burning, carbureted 649 cid version of Sonny's 815 cid IHRA mountain-motor Pro Stock engine under the hood. Deceglie, running on a 7.23 index, ran 6.59/211 in the semis and a 6.62 in the final round to get the win over Dean Carter's A/Nostalgia front-motored car. We wonder how fast that A/Altered would run with three stages of nitrous? [11-10-2003]

Check out DRO's tech feature on Sonny Leonard's Chevy HEMI Engine. Click Here.