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Al Corda Tries To Fend Off GM Performance Parts Top Stock Challengers
At Amalie Oil Summer Nationals, June 14-16
In the two previous runnings of Top Stock at IHRA Summit Drag Racing Series national events, Al Corda of Elk Mound, WI embarrassed the competition with his small-block fuel-injected 2001 Firebird. The field, consisting primarily of carburetor equipped big-block factory musclecars, attacked the track with pure horsepower and sheer determination, but each fell short when faced with the computer-controlled finesse of Corda’s new Firebird. For the die-hard purist, the experience was exasperating. Corda’s semi-final round victim at the ACDelco Nationals, Matt Morgan, said it best. "There is no doubt in my mind that Al Corda has the fastest car in the country," explained Morgan. "I ran Corda in the semis and I ran 127 mph and he pulled me so bad in high gear it was not funny. I was at his back tire when I pulled high gear and from the 1/8 mile to the 1200-foot mark he pulled me at least ¾ of a car. I can’t get it out of my head." Corda displays the best of poker player skills with a hefty mix of Roosevelt’s "speak softly and carry a big stick" doctrine. At each event, he qualifies inconspicuously in the middle of the field. As eliminations begin, however, the hand that Corda holds starts to reveal itself, as he picks off the competition, one by one. To date, no one is sure exactly how much potential is left in this deadly combination of driver skill and technological power. Following a post-race teardown inspection of Corda’s Firebird, Top Stock tech head Terry Bell said, "The car is 100% legal. Al is a quiet and private person who lets his car do his talking for him. He uses every trick he has learned in the many years of racing from car prep, using the existing rules to his advantage, and yes "psych" jobs on his competition. That’s racing. He plays by the rules. He prepares for a race. He tests. He can drive." The musclecar contingent has not given up, by far. Joe Aluise, Jr. drives the fastest Mopar stocker on the planet, whose fabled Max Wedge has powered the wheelstanding ’63 Belvedere to a 10.01 clocking, and the first 9-second (altitude adjusted) National Record in NHRA for an A/SA entry. Paul Mercure banged the gears in his four-speed Team Checkmate ’68 Camaro to the GM Performance Parts Top Stock pole position at the ACDelco Nationals, serving notice with a 10.12 E.T. Since speculation’s best estimate places Al Corda’s early shut-off passes in the 10.20’s, how can he keep winning? That’s what his competition continues to wonder. Crate motors are new to Top Stock in 2001, and series sponsor GM Performance Parts would love to see its factory-backed drivers Monty Joe Bogan, Jr. and Mike Adams move to the forefront of the field. Adams may be GM’s best shot in this early stage of the game, as his pristine ’67 Camaro has plenty of potential left in the 385-horsepower 350 small-block. Adams has already established himself as the owner of the quickest small-block crate motor in the country with numerous IHRA World Records. He is even the fastest against his class index of any Stocker in IHRA at 1/8th mile events. Look for Bogan, the 1999 Stock World Champion, to come on strong later in the season, however, as the team delves into their engine development program. Who will win the next round of the GM Performance Parts Top Stock war? A fuel-injected Firebird and a cool four-speed, they’re revvin’ up their engines, waiting for the green. Catch the rewriting of Beach Boys history at the Amalie Summer Nationals in Cordova, IL, June 14-16, 2001! HOME
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Cordova,
IL – When the Beach Boys sang of the impromptu street battle between
a fuel-injected Stingray and a "413" in their classic ballad
"Shutdown", they never envisioned the titanic battle that is
about to be waged on the strip at Cordova Dragway Park for the Amalie Oil
Summer Nationals. GM Performance Parts Top Stock has brought to life the
musclecar wars of yesteryear, with the added spice of today’s automotive
computer wizardry and new high-performance "crate motors".
