While stock eliminator has morphed and changed and adapted with the times over the years there is still an aura about the class and what it represents. In this video you will see the conclusion of the stock eliminator category in two pairs. The first pits Ramchargers legend Jim Thornton against Dave Strickler in the famed Ol’ Reliable Chevrolet. The winner of this pair goes on to face Al Eckstrand who was running what would be his last season as a member of the Ramchargers. The place is packed and there is some great footage of the parking lot that shows all of the cars and the throngs of people who attended the race that year. NHRA touted a crowd of over 75,000 though the gate over the duration of the event and while those numbers may be fantasy land, there were LOTS of people there.
The format of the event is different than what we know today. Stickler was already a “winner” at the event having captured the “Little Eliminator” title in the car after beating Jim Wangers who was predictably driving a Pontiac. That win put him in the shark tank with the Chryslers for a shot at the overall stock title if he was able to grind his way into the final against Eckstrand.
This is great stuff and it highlights the beginning of a drag racing factory nuclear war that would build to a crescendo throughout the decade of the 1970s. Rather than ramble on and on about this we’re going to tell you to click play below and see what Indy 1963 looked like. Oh, we’re also not going to tell you if the Chevrolet fought it way into the final or if it was an all Chrysler affair.
This is history. This is Indy!
