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Neil, Although I am still looking for the article on the San Fernando strip car I did find out the guys name, Tony Vattoria. Just looking at the Hot Rod article by Racer Brown you can figure that Tony's Stick car was very close to 15 sec flat in the quarter. Intially It was a standard automatic car like the one Racer Brown tested set the record at 83.29 MPH. THIS AUTOMATIC in my estimation was in the mid 16 range but at least less than 17 sec so if you take Racers statement that the stick car was a sec and a half faster we are talking in the low 15 range. Certainly you will not be saying that an automatic could not run in the 16 sec range. Racer Brown claimed 15.6 on the automatics 0 to 80 averages but no quarter mile times. Sports car Illustrated Automatic test car was consistantly slower than the car Racer Had, by over a half secound on the zero to 80 time and still did a 17.2 quarter. No mention was made of the SCI rear axle ration, Racers was the 3.73. Somewhere I have an initial article on Tony's car when he set the initial record and it stated that they were awaiting for the arrival of a stick shift car and were confident it would show even better results. It stuck in my mind that the original article had the automatic running at under 16 sec. Neil, if they could shaved 1.5 seconds off an automatic with a stick by one relatively unknown competitors efforts, you have to say that there should be room for more improvement by others with more means at there disposal. In my findings the Dual quad carbs when tuned right were a benefit, they have lower torque off the line and therefore are not prone to wheel spin, and eventually allow more horsepower for higher revs, with the 315 torque was very ample and powerful revs were tougher to get. Consider these thoughts and I believe you should be able to draw the conclusion that a sub 15 run was not a myth but a matter of where and when did they occur. It is hard to believe but organized Drag Racing was still in it's infancy even in 1956 and records are scarce. But I will find more records eventually. Tim

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