Replying specifically to the picture in post #16 - the # 79 and #73 cars. Sorry to get laser-focused, but I am very interested in the cars as I think it's a pretty cool story. Not only is the team suffering from the crushing loss of Jerry Titus, but they are fighting the convergence of changing SCCA engine requirements and running engines with academic flaws which have not had the benefit of complete testing and tuning. Literally, the smartest guys trying to make the impossible happen.

My understanding is that the post-Titus team ran one Trans Am event in '70 at Riverside. Although from records and other pictures, they might have run a Can Am race in '70.

My second point of understanding is that they ran the destroked 400 Pontiac for this race--the 303 tall block. The team had been experimenting with the famous 303 short block Pontiac in the '69 season. They ran two races, but the SCCA nixed it because not enough had been produced. The rules changed in '70 for destroking.

I also believe the 303 tall block had troubles not from the weight, but oil pressure (large crank journals and rod journals eat pressure) and spinning mass weight (2.83 stroke, but long 7.08" rods). Compared to the proven king 302, the bore and stroke are better as are the RAIV heads. Pontiac crank dimensions and the longer rods were the killers. These cranks did well in NASCAR (Tiny Lund) with the short blocks and dry sumps.

Like stated in the thread, David Hobbs brought #79 in for a 9th place finish at riverside. I am unclear if the #73 car was driven by John Cordts or Jerry Thompson; but it DNF.

My understanding is that the Pontiacs went back to the Chevy 302 in the '71 season as the well documented Tirebird.

With all this said, I am looking for photos of these cars for a clone I am building. I have a duplicate set of side pipes from the Tirebird and a Tiny Lund crank. The #16 post picture and one from Watkins Glen (month earlier/John Cordt)(crazy exhaust--big, long curved pipe and not side pipes) are all I have been able to find.

Any help is much appreciated.

Mike