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Smokey Yunick

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Gary Lewis

Smokey Yunick

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I thought y'all might enjoy this read: On his 100th birthday, the legend of NASCAR’s greatest cheater

I think I have, or at least had, this book. Fascinating read.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

85lebaront2

Re: Smokey Yunick

Administrator

Smokey didn't cheat, he just looked for loopholes. A.J. Foyt was another, his theory was "cheat neat".

Bill AKA "LOBO" Profile

"Getting old is inevitable, growing up is optional" Darth Vader 1986 F350 460 converted to MAF/SEFI, E4OD 12X3 1/2 rear brakes, traction loc 3:55 gear, 160 amp 3G alternator Wife's 2011 Flex Limited Daily Driver 2009 Flex Limited with factory tow package Project car 1986 Chrysler LeBaron convertible 2.2L Turbo II, modified A413

Rembrant

Re: Smokey Yunick

In reply to this post by Gary Lewis

Great read. I know the guy by name only as I'm not a big Nascar fan, but anybody that has been involved in Car Culture from back in the 70's knows his name.

Interesting side note...early in the story Max Blachowski is mentioned and linked to. He's the guy that modified and hopped up the 390 GT Mustang and 440 Dodge Charger for the movie Bullit in 1968. I know everybody knows that movie, or at least the car chase IN that movie, but most people don't know the guy that built those cars for all of the stunts they had to do;).

1994 F150 4x2 Flareside. 5.0 w/MAF, 4R70W, stock.
1984 F150 4X2 Flareside. Mild 302 w/ 5spd. Sold.
1980 F150 4X4 Flareside. 300i6 w/ 5spd. Sold in 2021.
1980 F100 4X2 Flareside. 351w/2bbl w/NP435. Sold in 1995

Gary Lewis

Re: Smokey Yunick

Administrator

Bill - I agree, he wasn't a cheater. He just knew how to read a rule book and find a way to do things that weren't technically wrong. Like a fuel line 10' long and 2" in diameter.

You are right, Cory. That read on Max Balchowsky is a must. Or maybe I should say Old Yeller II as much of the article is about it.

I've read a lot about Max and the Old Yellers over the years but have never seen one of them race. However, Max's abilities were legendary and he was hired by Hollywood to keep a bunch of vehicles for several movies in good shape. So we've seen his handywork many times but just didn't know it.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

85lebaront2

Re: Smokey Yunick

Administrator

Gary, first, any independent racer is going to look for the unfair advantage, like I believe it was Dale Earnhardt's team that took one of Nascar's loop holes when the restrictor plates first started. They figured out a 305 ci engine would make more power than a 350 ci with the restrictor plates. Now there is both a minimum and maximum displacement.

A while back, before my first wife passed away, I wanted to build a car for SCCA B-Sedan class I think it was. In reading the rules, I found that the 1987 Plymouth Turismo Matt had owned, literally slid sideways through the loopholes (a) compression ratio, allowed 1 point over stock, car had the same engine as an Omni GLH, 110 hp NA 2.2L engine 10:1 compression. (b) engine air intake, at the carburetor or factory location, factory location is behind the headlights on the right front. (c) ground effects, air dams, spoilers, allowed if factory provided, car is the Omni/Horizon 2dr hatchback and has a chin spoiler, small rear spoiler on the hatch, and ground effects. (d) wheels can be increased 1" in size, stock were 14" with 60 profile tires.

Since the front valence us molded rubber with a big steel bumper bar in the middle, the bottom would push back at speed, so it would need some reinforcement (read closed off at the bottom with sheet metal), how much ram effect would that give into the Holley/Weber 2 barrel?

Bill AKA "LOBO" Profile

ratdude747

Re: Smokey Yunick

Or another example of finding way to game the rules, there's the 1994 Mercedes pushrod V8 that won the 1994 Indy 500:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_500I_engine
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penske_PC-23

The trick was that while most of the racing season was under CART rules, the Indy 500 was still under USAC rules, which had a loophole for pushrod engines ("stock blocks") that allowed for running higher boost pressures than the DOHC V6's that were the norm at the time for Indy racing. This controversy is part of what eventually led to the CART/Indy car split later in the decade. And likely the last time a pushrod V8 will ever have a Mercedes badge on it!

1984 F150: 300 L6, AOD, RWD. EEC IV / TFI, Feedback Carter YFA Carb. Stock everything but radio (for now).

Whisler

Re: Smokey Yunick

Back in 1968, I worked in the Valvoline garage at Indy, mixing fuel and dispensing oil to those that were sponsored by Valvoline. Many of the drivers wanted their fuel spiked with nitromethane for qualifying since they only had to run 4 laps to qualify. Dan Gurney was running 2 Ford engines at that time, one OHC and one pushrod and qualified both. On race day he asked me to mix 15% nitro for the pushrod engine but demanded that I tell no one. Perfectly legal, but no one could expect to run nitro for 500 miles and keep an engine together. If I remember correctly, his cars finished 2 (OHC) and 3 (pushrod) and to this day I have no idea what his builder did to that pushrod engine to not only keep it together but finish 3rd on 15% nitro.

God Bless
Whisler

Frankenstein: 1989 F250 4X4, C-6, Hurst Pro-Matic 2 shifter, carbed '84 351W, Edelbrock manifold, Edlbrock AVS, DS2 ignition, 3G alternator, JBA shorty headers, no cats, dual exhaust with H pipe.

Gary Lewis

Re: Smokey Yunick

Administrator

Larry - Interesting story. I'd not heard of that engine, but do remember that there was controversy re that race. Now I know why.

Whisler - That is a really cool one! You actually got to talk to Dan Gurney and mixed his fuel. Wow!

I didn't realize that they mixed some nitro into the fuel for qualifying.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Whisler

Re: Smokey Yunick

I even had lunch with Dan Gurney; nice guy but quiet. One of his crew members got in a fight in a bar in Indy with his team jacket on. Gurney fired him for disgracing the team.
Saw some interesting stuff at Indy. One guy trying to qualify a Chevy V-8 ran 50% nitro. He didn't stay together. Should have used a Ford. Lol!!

351FUN

Re: Smokey Yunick

The best automotive cheat I ever saw was the European celica team in 1995.

When everything was apart it looked like a regulation restrictor plate, but when tightened down it opened a 5mm gap all around which could be as much as a 50 hp gain in a 300hp limited class.

Gary Lewis

Re: Smokey Yunick

Administrator

Sounds like Gurney was a class act.

But that trick that the Celica team tried was truly cheating. It is one thing to read the rule book closely to find things that weren't expected, but that was against the rules.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

85lebaront2

Re: Smokey Yunick

Administrator

Go back to Smokey Yunick "it ain't cheatin if you don't get caught".

Bill AKA "LOBO" Profile

grumpin

Re: Smokey Yunick

I remember going by Frank Hawleys trailer in the pits at a drag race.

He had a sign on the door that said something like this, (my memory is faltering!)

More blower, less clutch

More clutch, less blower

More blower, more clutch

Less blower, less clutch

Cheat!

Dane
1986 F250HD SC XLT Lariat 4x4 460 C6-Sold
1992 Bronco XLT 4x4 351W E4OD
1998 GMC Sierra SLE K1500 350 4L60E
Arizona

C.Jett

Re: Smokey Yunick

In reply to this post by Gary Lewis

Did you see the 3/4 scale Monte Carlo he built? Genius not cheater! Should have received trophy for that. CJ

85lebaront2

Re: Smokey Yunick

Administrator

I remember the 15/16 scale Chevelle.

Bill AKA "LOBO" Profile

C.Jett

Re: Smokey Yunick

In reply to this post by C.Jett

I need to reword my question, “Did you see the 3/4 scale Monte Carlo”, to is it true that he did ? CJ

85lebaront2

Re: Smokey Yunick

Administrator

Never saw that one, but Chevrolet got away with all sorts of things in NASCAR.
1963 - Mystery 427, supposed to have 50 of them, there were 25, moved from shop to shop and repainted.
1963 - Ford shows up at Daytona with the 427 High Riser engine, dual Holley carbs and teardrop hood "scoop" with air inlet screens on the back. NASCAR bans multiple carburetors
1965 - Plymouth and Dodge show up with 2nd generation Hemi, fast as all getout, I don't seem to recall them having any issue with selling them to the public, try to find a Mystery 427 Chevy engine
1969 - Ford shows up with the Boss 429 running a single Holley 4500 Dominator, Carburetor throttle size limit added, Ford allowed to run as built 1 year.
Circa 1980s? - All the big 3 drop there mid size RWD platforms, GM immediately allowed to run the Lumina, Ford the Taurus with lots of protests from Chevy teams, Chrysler, no suitable FWD car aerodynamic enough other than the Imperial, Chrysler teams had to buy, gut and rebuild with no assistance from Chrysler.

Every time something impacts the Chevies, Hendrick, Childress and in the past Joe Gibbs would scream until they got their way. Now with Toyota running, only Chevrolet still has a pretty well "production" pushrod V8, the Roush engine that all the Ford teams pretty well use, is very loosely based on the 351C as their only pushrod V8 is the 7.3 liter "Godzilla" truck engine, and Toyota never had a pushrod V8, just some nice DOHC 5.7L ones in the Tundra.

NASCAR does seem to have finally gotten rid of the bump drafting and long strings of cars on the super speedways, I watched the World 600 and it was actual racing, and no where near the carnage that used to happen with the restrictor plates and carburetors.

Bill AKA "LOBO" Profile