Stock And Super Stock Was A Headliner At Maple Grove Raceway's Dutch Classic
 
By Joe Grippo
Photography by the author
 
The Pennsylvania Dutch Classic at Maple Grove Raceway in Mohnton, Pa. is one of those events that racers dream about. “The Dutch,” as the regulars call it, is part of the NHRA Division 1 National Open series, and is a hardcore sportsman race with the .90 classes, Top Sportsman and Dragster, Competition Eliminator and of course Stock and Super Stock.
 
If you are not familiar with the alphabet soup of NHRA S/SS Class racing, the thumbnail category breakdown is this: S is Stock, SS is Super Stock, the higher the first letter the faster it is, and if there is an “A” at the end it is an automatic—no letter means it’s got a clutch pedal.
 
Super Stock has “as-built” classes “SS/AA, SS/BA, etc.” along with GT variants, allowing racers to mix and match approved engine combos in any approved body of the same manufacturer. The 2008-and-newer “Super Car” combos can also be found in some GT classes. It’s a lot of absorb, but it allows a home for all the muscle cars, old and new.
 
NMCA FSC Stock and Super Stock is a direct crossover from NHRA (and IHRA) and many racers compete across each series and we saw many familiar faces at The Dutch. Cool October air and great track conditions made for a very healthy 128 Stocker field with close to 80 Super Stockers in the house. Combined, they made up more than 2/3rds of the event entrees!
 
Several NHRA divisions were represented at this race, including 1, 2, 3, ,5, and 7—literally every corner of the country was represented. The Maple Grove Raceway track surface was able to handle the power so several records were set and close racing was the norm round after round. Class eliminations were unfortunately cut short due to pending weather, in fact all eliminations were condensed into Saturday and finished under the lights.
 
The Stock Eliminator winner was Keystone State resident Shane Oakes in his G/SA ’83 Camaro, who took the win over the torque monster D/SA Buick of Dan Babolil from North Carolina. Oakes went dead on the dial, while the Gran Sport broke out by a mere .001-second. In Super Stock it was East Meadow, New York’s Richard Kay claiming gold with his crazy-fast 150 mph 1969 Plymouth Valiant. Kay ran 8.74 on an 8.69 dial, bettering fellow New Yorker Charlie Bubka in his ’67 Camaro who ran under the dial by 2 hundredths.
 
The highly anticipated Hemi Challenge was a bonus race within a race, with a stout five grand on the line for the winner. This deal is exclusive to Super Stock Hemi powered 1968 vintage Dodge Darts and Plymouth Barracudas and six competitors were vying for the check, with Chuck Comella’s stick-shift Barracuda ruling the day with a string of low 8.30s at nearly 160 mph.
 
So, when you are at the next NMCA or NHRA event and you hear the call for Stock and Super Stock, get to the fence to witness what may be the best muscle car shows you will see. They are colorful, pack great engines and go wheels up as the factories intended them to do.   
 
 

Shane Oakes in his G/SA 3rd gen Camaro was the last man standing Saturday night after wading through 128 competitors to be the winner of Stock Eliminator at the Pa.Dutch Classic.
 

Richard Kay’s SS/BM Plymouth Valiant, using a highly modified small-block Mopar, rocketed into the winner’s circle in Super Stock at Maple Grove’s Dutch Classic.
 

New Jersey’s Duane Hoven reaches for the sky in his hard-launching Super Stock Maverick.
 

Little engine, big car. Bob Bender may drive one of slower Stockers based in index, but he is always in the mix with his 283-powered Chevy wagon.
 

The always-popular Hemi Challenge was once again held at the Dutch Classic, 2022 winner Chuck Comella is shown here in the left lane.
 

Wheel standing General Motors G-Bodies found Maple Grove Raceway’s starting line were on point with a beautiful sight of Old Glory waving in background.