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Journal: Track, Drag Strip, and Canyons: Which Muscle Cars?

Track, Drag Strip, and Canyons: Which Muscle Cars?

By Petrolicious Productions
October 21, 2013
10 comments

Carroll Shelby took a little galloping sports car, the Ford Mustang, and turned it into a world-wide track racing phenomenon. Don Yenko developed a small run of cars that became one of the most iconic high-speed street drag cars. Those at Plymouth also had a trick up their sleeves, but rather than relying on just one soul to produce a heart-thumping package, they did it themselve, creating the Plymouth Barracuda AAR in 1970. The Barracuda was everything you wanted in a car during that time, with excellent handling, power and reliability—think the larger cousin of the Porsche 911 2.7 RS.

These three are a small sampling of cars in the same era that were built to perform different tasks. Each came with enormous power figures and a unique experience that helped draw the line in the muscle car loyalty sand.

So tell us, which muscle cars would you take to the track, drag strip, and canyons?

Image Sources: carfanaticsforum.com, arkansascamaro.com, netcarshow.com

Tags Canyon Car/ Drag Strip Car/ Muscle Cars/ Mustang/ Plymouth Barracuda AAR/ Question/ Track Car/ Yenko
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Liam Shubert
Liam Shubert
9 years ago

This ’64 ford fairlane is an oddball choice, but it’s a muscle car I’d love to hammer:

http://youtu.be/UD48OX1wu14

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Pete McLachlan
Pete McLachlan
9 years ago

I have to speak up for my 289 powered ’67 Cougar with the Shelby mods as applied to her cousin the Mustang. With a longer and wider wheelbase the Cougars gave the Mustangs a run for the money in the 1967 TransAm Series and only lost the championship to Ford by a few points caused by a loose gas cap.

Ford then forbid any Mercury involvement in TransAm competition, which is a shame as GM’s Camaros cleaned house from ’68 on until Donahue unseated them in the AMC Javlin. As for the dragstrip, you could order a “developed for Nascar” 427 sideoiler for the Cougar, which was not available in the Mustang. Anyone remember the “Hot Tin Cat”?

Hmmm, think I will check the air pressure, fire up Lumpy Cat and go for a fall run. 😉

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Douglas Wittkowski
Douglas Wittkowski
9 years ago

Not easy…
1966 Shelby GT 350R for the track
1964 Ford Thunderbolt for the strip
1970 Firebird Trans Am for the canyon’s

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Zak
Zak
9 years ago

Track 1966 Shelby GT350
Strip 1968 Hemi Dart
Canyon 1970 Plymouth AAR Barracuda

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Sid Widmer
Sid Widmer
9 years ago

I would take my ’68 Firebird because it’s my ’68 Firebird. 😀

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Dustin Rittle
Dustin Rittle
9 years ago

Great article! While i do give shelby alot of credit with the gt350s.. Being the huge AMC fan that i am I’d have to say i would choose the AMC AMX as my car of choice. The AMX’s did very well on the drag strip and also did very well in B/production races as well. Not to mention many hill climb events!

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Christopher Gay
Christopher Gay
9 years ago
Reply to  Dustin Rittle

Bingo!
I would take the 1969 AMX we had when I was a boy. I can remember dad beating the Cobras in it at Riverside on the weekend, then mom driving me to school in it on Monday. I could hear her pulling up to the school from a block away. That car was killer. So fast. 390, 4 speed. I remember it all.
Yet another car that got away.

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Doug Churchill
Doug Churchill
9 years ago

We had a 1970 AMC Javelin with the 304 – great looking and good handling – I loved that car but I would have rather something like this http://www.fantasyjunction.com/cars/773-AMC-Javelin\%20Trans-Am-V8 to go scare the neighbours.

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Doug Churchill
Doug Churchill
9 years ago
Reply to  Doug Churchill

You will probably have to paste this into the browser http://www.fantasyjunction.com/cars/773-AMC-Javelin\%20Trans-Am-V8

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Xander Cesari
Xander Cesari
9 years ago

So glad you posted this, it seems that many underrate the versatility of muscle cars.

For the track, I go right to mid ’60s FoMoCo cars. A lightened Falcon with a 289 built to rev and an aggressive driver would be a trackday hoot. And you can’t mention the Falcon without considering the agreed upon champions of road racing muscle cars, the Australians. The Falcon XB, for example, in honor of your recent Mad Max post. Though my Mopar roots would incline me to build a Plymouth Valiant Hyper Pak clone for that Leaning Tower of Power goodness.

The Drag Strip is a place for the big dogs; B and C body cars with big block cubes. A 4th generation Fury, Coronets, Road Runners, Torinos, and Chevelles stroke my fancy. But if there’s one thing that the drag community has proven, it’s that they’ll run anything.

The canyons are an emotive experience, gently communing with an automobile. A good time is mandatory, while good times are not. The cars I would take to a carving road would be the beloved darlings of the muscle car world: Chargers, Barracudas, Mustangs, and Camaros.

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