(By Jason Mazzotta) – Whether you are a Chevy, Ford, Mopar, or import fan everyone can appreciate the SS/HA class, (Super Stock Hemi class), and the ultimate Super Stock Hemi shootout held at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis every year with $10,000 on the line. With names like; Westcott, Howes, Barton, Hess, and Houser, the biggest names in Hemi class racing show up for the loot and bragging rights. The passion and intensity is captured in this video as some of the big name drivers are interviewed and discuss the class, including some smack talk among the top performers and builders.
The SS/HA class is made up of 1968 Plymouth Barracudas and 1968 Dodge Darts which make big horsepower and with 4-speed transmissions have always been talked about as “mini pro-stock cars.” Just as in Pro-Stock, there are certain engine builders that stand out among the rest, including; the Westcott’s, Barton’s, and Reher-Morrison, being the most popular and successful, but the recent addition of Jason Line adding his name to the engine builder list the class is gaining more competition and popularity.
These cars run in the mid to low 8’s with the national record currently held by Gary Wolkwitz at 8.210. The combination of the immaculately painted and maintained cars, and competition in the engine shop and then on the track has made this class so popular over the years, and the level of competition is at an all-time high making these cars some of the most exciting at NHRA events around the country.
Check out the behind the scenes, and final round of the 2014 Hemi Challenge below:
47 years later, they are still the greatest factory built Super Stock cars ever to be unleashed on a drag strip. Even better than the 1964 Ford Thunderbolt which is a beast itself. But no match for the Chrysler A990 Hemi powered Darts and Barracudas.
Hard to argue with that. Big engines, fastbacks, leaded gasoline through big-bore carbs, single-stage paint and four-speeds. That was some fun hardware.
SS\HA = Super Stock Hemi……..what’s the A stand for????
I don’t know of you’re joking but these Hemi cars used to be SS/AA. Now they have there own class SS/AH. Just the 68′ Darts and Cudas.
SS/HA would be SS “H” Automatic. The ‘Cudas are Darts are designated SS/AH. I always scout Youtube on Indy Friday, hoping someone has video’d the action.
“A” designates the highest class. NHRA classes go from A to like L. The class rating is based on horsepower vs weight.
The Indy Hemi Shootout was always a combination of the Hemi only SS/A (manual) & SS/AA (second A is for automatic) classes in a heads up shootout.
I believe the 1960’s 427 Fords (Fairlanes/Thunderbolts), 1969 ZL1 427 Camaro, 1969 L88 427 Corvette, and 1970 LS7 454 Corvette technically “could” classify for SS/A or AA after years of competing and factoring. But for some reason the Hemi cars just don’t want to race those single 4bbl big block Chevy’s. Hmm…
So when they (NHRA & MOPAR) solidified this shootout at Indy, which is now also run at some other events they created an official Hemi only class. Therefore SS/AH stands for Super Stock A/Hemi.