Pontiac Nationals at Norwalk, OH Aug 3-5

[bracketracer]

The 20th Anniversary Ames Performance Tri-Power Pontiac Nationals will take place August 3-5, 2012 at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, OH. Go to www.pontiacnationals.com for details.

This will be the 17th year that I drive over 900 miles round trip to attend this awesome event from WI, and I will be racing my GXP. Every year I post up hoping to see lots of other G8s there. Each year we see a few more, and I want that trend to continue! It doesn't matter if you like to race or show, there is plenty to keep you occupied. The price hasn't changed in the 17 years that I have been going, and it's the best bargain of the year as far as I'm concerned (only $65 for 3 days of racing, with 2 days of bracket competition paying $500 to win each day for the Street class). Post up if I will see you there!

[Greg@PacePerformance]

I don't think I will racing this year but I should be there on Saturday to hang out with old Grand Prix friends and some new G8 friends :)
I'll track you down again Joe.

[bracketracer]

You better! Are you saving yourself to race at G.O.N.E.?

[-Ray-]

If my G8 is ready by then, I'll bring it up there.

[Greg@PacePerformance]

Yes I'm planning on going to GONE and SEMA this year so I have been saving :)

[bracketracer]

If my G8 is ready by then, I'll bring it up there.

That would be awesome Ray! Hope to see you there!

[NWOG8]

If I just came to see everyone and not race can I get close to where you guys are parked?

[Greg@PacePerformance]

You will have to park in the grass and walk over to either the car show or the pits.
Last year they stopped letting people pay a little extra to park in the pits w/o being a racing or part of the pit crew. I knew a few guys racing and found an extra pit pass so I got to part the GXP in the pit side for the day :)

[-Ray-]

The engine will be shipping next week sometime.

[TireDoc]

It's about a 3 1/2 hour drive for me, I'd probably just come for the day on Saturday (no racin')

[bracketracer]

If I just came to see everyone and not race can I get close to where you guys are parked?

Greg is right. There are so many racers there that the pits fill up. You can only get into the pits as a racer or crew vehicle (each racing entry gets you 1 tow/crew vehicle of space). I get there on Thursday to get in line, just so I can get a decent pit spot when they start letting you in on Friday. If people want to pit together, they pretty much have to get in line and enter together. If you come, make sure to stop by the pits to say hello!

[bracketracer]

The engine will be shipping next week sometime.

Get that bad boy installed and join us at Norwalk!

[bracketracer]

It's about a 3 1/2 hour drive for me, I'd probably just come for the day on Saturday (no racin')

If you can only come for 1 day, Saturday is the day to be there. On Sunday, people start leaving as soon as they are eliminated from racing and the show is wrapping up, so there isn't as much to see. Saturday is huge since nearly everyone stays for Sunday too.

[1meand]

I'll be there this year. I got an email from HPP, so I will be there Thursday to do the shootout for the magazine.

[NWOG8]

If I get there I will definitely look for you guys!

[-Ray-]

It looks like I may have everything I need to put the engine together 1 week from this coming weekend.

[MIEngineer]

I am considering going but Woodward is nuts that weekend...

Plus the car is going back to the dealer again...who knows how long it will be out this time. 3+ weeks at the dealer last time....

[BlueJacket]

I will be there showing the G8 on Sunday.

[bracketracer]

I'll be there this year. I got an email from HPP, so I will be there Thursday to do the shootout for the magazine.

Congrats on being chosen for the Pavement Pounders Shootout! A friend of mine was chosen for this a few years ago and it was awesome for him. The track prep is absolutely awesome, and since it is a private track rental for Thursday just for this you get the run of the track. look forward to seeing you in the staging lanes for the rest of the weekend, and good luck at the shootout!

[bracketracer]

I will be there showing the G8 on Sunday.

Good luck in the show! I will try to say hello while I'm over checking out the show cars. We need more G8s in the show so that they can justify a separate G8 Class. They will only do that if there is car count to support it though.

[1meand]

Congrats on being chosen for the Pavement Pounders Shootout! A friend of mine was chosen for this a few years ago and it was awesome for him. The track prep is absolutely awesome, and since it is a private track rental for Thursday just for this you get the run of the track. look forward to seeing you in the staging lanes for the rest of the weekend, and good luck at the shootout!

Thanks. I'll keep an eye out for you.

[-Ray-]

I made my reservations, lets see if I can get a car put back together. Great way to break in the new engine.

[1meand]

I made my reservations, lets see if I can get a car put back together. Great way to break in the new engine.

I can't wait to see what the new engine will do. It will be the first time that I will get to see your car go down the track.

[-Ray-]

I'm not racing or showing. Sorry about that. I'm going to be there with Travis to cheer you guys on.

[1meand]

Ok, it will be good to see you and Travis again.

[Uncko Macko]

I'll be driving there on the 3rd from the Philly area. Anyone want to meet up along rt76?

[travis gore]

Ok, it will be good to see you and Travis again.

We will see you there. Your brother bringing the GTO?

[-Ray-]

Car is running. Front end needs to be finished. Will see if Mike Norris can tune it next Saturday and get some numbers.

[deputycrawford]

my car will one of the 18 converted back to the Holden version completely. I wonder if they will let me show.

Jerry

[bracketracer]

my car will one of the 18 converted back to the Holden version completely. I wonder if they will let me show.

Jerry

I would contact the promoters just to see. The car does have a Pontiac VIN, so you have that going for you. You just wouldn't be competing in a stock class, because the car is not how it rolled off the assembly line.

[deputycrawford]

I just found this thread and will be off next weekend. Norwalk is about 45 mins from my place so I might go. Do you think they will let me show my car with the Holden conversion? My dash should even be done by then. I would love to show the car.

Jerry

[bracketracer]

As I mentioned in my last post, I would recommend that you check with the promoters of the event at Super Duty Promotions. They have a "contact" tab on the event homepage. The event usually requires a Pontiac body or engine to be able to participate. Since your car has a Pontiac VIN, that should make you eligible, but there is no telling if the tech person will have a clue the the Pontiac G8 is based off the Holden Commodore, and that you have just "customized" yours to make it look like what it originally started off as. If you clear it with them in advance with proper explanation, you won't have any issues once you get there. Just realize that they likely won't let you compete in a stock class (it would likely be classified properly as custom), because you have customized the car from how it rolled off the line as a Pontiac.

[-Ray-]

If any of you want to pm cell numbers, we can find each other.
I'll pm mine back.

Ray

[travis gore]

If any of you want to pm cell numbers, we can find each other.
I'll pm mine back.

Ray

Pm sent :)

[-Ray-]

What a goober. Lol

[travis gore]

what a goober. Lol


:) who?

[-Ray-]

The red car will be in Norwalk today.

[NWOG8]

The red car will be in Norwalk today.

That's great news!

[Greg@PacePerformance]

I plan to show up around noon.
Hope to see everyone there.

[-Ray-]

We will see you up there Greg!

[-Ray-]

My car was not welcome at Pontiacs on parade. I guess all the officials were talking about it all day on their radios. As told to me by an official. I was told it wasn't a Pontiac. LOL
My registration says it's a Pontiac.

[Crazy Paul]

I was told it wasn't a Pontiac. LOL
My registration says it's a Pontiac.
Serious question, nobody has ever answered this for me & I just don't know.
When was the last true Pontiac made and what was it?

True Pontiac = A car that was not a rebadged or very close derivative of some other brand.

[travis gore]

Serious question, nobody has ever answered this for me & I just don't know.
When was the last true Pontiac made and what was it?

True Pontiac = A car that was not a rebadged or very close derivative of some other brand.

Grand prix

[Crazy Paul]

Grand prix
Wrong Wheel Drive I see.

"Indeed, the car striking and versatile as the 2012 Pontiac Grand Prix GXP Pontiac has given much-needed momentum. And it has made all the difference between the Pontiac Grand Prix GXP and other cars of its displacement is impressive on demand (DOD) technology. Through the mechanism of the Department of Defense, the car has been able to improve your fuel economy by 12 percent."
http://www.pontiacgrandprix.net/2012-pontiac-grand-prix-gxp.html

Blame the Navy for your shitty lifters?
:uh-hok:

[OrngG8]

Did the author of that article get their accredited high school equivalency degree from the same place that posted earlier today? :)

[travis gore]

I was just guessing with the Grand Prix

[TooManyHobbies]

My car was not welcome at Pontiacs on parade. I guess all the officials were talking about it all day on their radios. As told to me by an official. I was told it wasn't a Pontiac. LOL
My registration says it's a Pontiac.

WTF? I could see it you had done a SSV conversion or something. Your body panels and bumpers are stock. Only thing non stock that I can think of is the spoiler. Even the wheels are Pontiac. Are the officials named Larry, Moe, and Curly?

[Executor999]

My car was not welcome at Pontiacs on parade. I guess all the officials were talking about it all day on their radios. As told to me by an official. I was told it wasn't a Pontiac. LOL
My registration says it's a Pontiac.

That's just plain wrong. Morons.

[ULTRA Z]

Thats Bull to bad we could pull up hundreds deep and see what they say....... Yes we would like parking for a party of 400 plus PONTIAC G8s, Oh yall aren't welcome here, Ok we will have are own party over here then :)

[travis gore]

Thats Bull to bad we could pull up hundreds deep and see what they say....... Yes we would like parking for a party of 400 plus PONTIAC G8s, Oh yall aren't welcome here, Ok we will have are own party over here then :)

We do have our own party in September :)

[ULTRA Z]

We do have our own party in September :)

Crap thats right around the corner....... How did I miss this ? where, when, link ???

[ULTRA Z]

Nevermind I found it.

[ULTRA Z]

I'll be at work :(

[travis gore]

Watching it rain right now :(

[Greg@PacePerformance]

It was nice seeing you and Ray. I left at 10 right when the rain rolled in.
Yes I don't see how Ray's car would not be in the Pontiac parade but other G8's could be.

Paul I think the Fiero might have been the last true Pontiac, but it still used a corporate engine. Might have to go back to the 50's or 60's to find one that used a Pontiac engine and body that wasn't shared.

[BlueJacket]

Got up at 6:00 am and took a look at the radar and went back to sleep. Spent the whole week getting the car ready for nothing. First time I have missed the show since I got the G8.

[Crazy Paul]

Paul I think the Fiero might have been the last true Pontiac, but it still used a corporate engine. Might have to go back to the 50's or 60's to find one that used a Pontiac engine and body that wasn't shared.
OK thanks Greg, exactly the style of info I was chasing. I've seen a couple Fieros here in Aust.
Is there a current or quite recent Chrysler coupe of a similar size and wedge shape to a Fiero.....I saw a car in passing a couple days ago. It looked like the Chrysler emblem on the trunk, little "hairdressers car", and the hood had like 5 "pinch weld" seam effects happening down the length of the hood. Never seen one here before.

[BlueJacket]

Crossfire? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_Crossfire

[Crazy Paul]

Crossfire? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_Crossfire
Bingo, yup that's what it was. Thanks for that.

[MIEngineer]

That is BS. But typical if old guys run the joint ;) Even though it runs a corporate driveline, Pontiac got the VE. No one else.

Idiots....as far as the last pure Pontiac, 76 could be called the last, wasn't it the last year of the 455 TA?

Other than that....Solstice and the G8. Pontiac had the Solstice before the Sky...only RWD+Ecotec..

[bracketracer]

I wanted to pop in to say that it was great seeing everyone at Norwalk! The weather was "inconvenient" to say the least, especially since I camped out in a tent with my girlfriend the whole weekend. We did manage to get in all of the events though. We didn't get a time trial on Sunday and went right into eliminations, but it was still a worthwhile trip. I didn't have much success this year, but still had a good time. I won by redlight in Round 1 of the Gambler's Race on Friday, and then lost in Round 2 with issues shifting my GXP (thanks to the crappy factory clutch hydraulics). I lost in Round 1 on Saturday (can't remember how right now). I lost by breakout in Round 1 on Sunday (by only .023). The air was much better that day after the storm, and I would have run about .15 faster than my best pass if I hadn't used the brakes hard (93 mph trap speed).

Ray, there is no reason why your car should not have been allowed in Pontiacs on Parade, or any other portion of the event. I would encourage you to drop an email to Pete Woodruff of SuperDutyPromotions (the event organizer) to inform him of the mistake by his tech people. This shouldn't happen again in the future if you inform him of the issue.

I need to pop in to try to help answer CPs question about the last "true Pontiac." I would agree that it would have been a 1988 Pontiac Fiero equipped with the 2.5 "Iron Duke" 4-cylinder. The more sought after 2.8 V-6 offered in the Fiero truly was a Corporate Motor. The Fiero was a Pontiac body, not shared with any other Division, and the 2.5 "Iron Duke" (aka 4 Tech, Tech IV, 2500, Pontiac 2.5, or 151 4-cylinder) was a Pontiac designed engine. It was a solid, if not high-tech, engine that was used in many racing circuits that were limited to 4-cylinders. They used to offer a Super Duty version of it thru GM Performance Parts that was used in many 4-cylinder race cars. 1976 was the last year for the 455 Pontiac V-8 (but it was totally neutered by that time making 200 HP). The 400 Pontiac V-8 continued until 1979, and was the last high performance Pontiac engine. The 301 and 265 short-deck Pontiac V-8s continued until 1981, but they were very anemic as well. Pontiac did offer a Turbo 4.9 version of the 301, that got power up to 210 HP.