Welcome to our tribute to Rick Holladay.  Rick has been racing since his high school days in the early '60s.  I've been priviledged to know him since 1996.  He was racing in the brackets with his '65 GTO convertible.  At that time, it did not yet require a roll bar.  We had a mutual friend, Tom Minor (AKA "Dr. Goat").  Tommy had known Rick for many years, and supplied him with the little pieces and parts to make his GTO "complete".  Rick was looking for a competent machine shop and Pontiac-friendly engine builder, to take over where his last shop had left off.  We were a "perfect match".

   Always partial to the 421, he wanted to base his next engine on that bore and stroke combination.  Many of his friends were pressing him to build a 455 instead.  Rick and I agreed the 4" stroke was best.  He supplied a block and a crankshaft, and a pair of Edelbrock heads he had recently aquired.

   The cast iron TriPower intake and Rochester carbs were to STAY, so that had to "figure" in the overall design.  Same with the manual transmission.  Rick firmly believes "Real race cars have a clutch!"

   The first version used a flat tappet hydraulic camshaft. The goal was to put the car solidly in the 12s.  It went 12.50s on the first outing.

   As Rick grew more accustom to driving the car with more power, he wanted even more.  Little by little, we've managed, with two engines over 10 years, to get him into the high 10s with the TriPower.  All this on 93 octane gasoline, too!  The monster has evolved into a roller cammed, extensively ported, high revving animal.  The communication Rick has with Charlie, his mechanic, is what makes this evolution possible.  I can provide reliable power, but I can't "get it to the ground".

   Today, we've come to the point where the TriPower is the limiting factor in how much more power this engine combination can make.  This past week, we sent Charlie an AED 850HO carb for the Torker II intake he has prepared.  This should get Rick into the mid 10s.  It will probably take more cubes and/or compression to get him into the 9s.  Give us a couple years...(:-

   Rick's racing career started long before I met him.  He campaigned a '65 GTO hardtop known as "The Jolly Green Giant" for a few years in the late '60s.  In that car, he set a couple NHRA "Stock" records and won a regional NHRA "Stock" event. That car has been "immortalized" in a die-cast model.  He was always a force to reckon with, and a smooth, even driver.  Arnie "The Farmer" Beswick was his engine builder in those days.  Talk about some BIG shoes to fill...

   The success he achieved did not go unnoticed.  He was to drive a ProStock 'Cuda for Sox & Martin in the early '70s.   Rick pursued his racing until the birth of his daughter.  When his daughter became "of age", he bought his current GTO and has been racing as a hobbyist ever since.

   Though his professoinal racing career was short, he made enough of an impression, "The Little Guys"  have inducted him into their "Hall of Fame".   This aknowledgement of his contribution to drag racing in its' early days is among the prouder moments of his racing life.  It is my pleasure to share the times and friends we have together with evereyone.

   Some of these photos may not mean anything to some, but they're a collaige if his racing the last few years, at least when I was actually there!  You'll see at least one or two famous racers in there!  He's a member of "The Gear Jammers" (a racing "club" that allows ONLY manual transmissions WITH a clutch).  I'm afraid I don't have much record of that part of his activities.  Maybe someone reading this can help us out.  Pics and stories would sure be nice!

   Enjoy the pics and know that it's Rick and guys like him that MAKE racing a real "participant sport".

Jim