I'm trying to find out who posted Pocono's fastest Silver Crown lap against the rear-engines in 1981. Their average speed on a 2.5-mile may still be the fastest laps ever by a real front-engine champ car since Daytona or Monza.

don't we did not have time trails! It rained out! I did a practice lap at 163.284 mph i don't know about the other guys? It was scary!!!!!!!!!!!

I was hoping to find the time trial speeds. I remember at the time people said the dirt cars were around 20mph slower than the Indy cars. Unfortunately time trials were rained out so it is hard to compare. Unless, as you say, maybe Duke or someone else who was there can verify. That must have been fun to see anyway.
According to the link below, the race average speed was 137mph over the (rain shortened) 122 lap race. But that was with 7 cautions for 28 laps. I suppose if a guy could find out what the speed limit was, for laps under caution, he could do the math to find out the green flag laps average speed. Then subtract 20mph to put you in the ballpark for the dirt car speeds.
David.

http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com...p?raceid=10198

I believe Smokey Snellbaker was one of the fastest Silver Crown qualifiers at Pocono. Time hasn't been kind to my memory, but I do recall Snellbaker's performance in the Lloyd Enterprises car was impressive. I believe Open Wheel Magazine ran a story on the race.

no time trails!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!: 15:

?????????

I don't know if you would include Hurtubise's Mallard Roadster in the "real front engine champ car" category or not, but IIRC, he qualified in the 162 MPH range at Indy many years ago. Just a thought.

Rain in Pocono? No way! Of the race's nine front-engine dinosaurs, Steve Ball started highest on the grid. If qualifying was rained out, how was this determined? Since the first three races of that '81 Silver Crown season were at Eldora, Indy mile and Knoxville, it is doubtful that Ball was ahead on points. Yes, I did forget about Herk's turbo Mallard (currently on display at Speedway Motors). As for those 1957-59 events, Tony Bettenhausen averaged 177mph for a 2.64-mile lap of the concrete high banks of Monza, Italy. Two years later when Daytona opened its 2.5-mile, George Amick qualified at 176mph. He was killed there one week later.

Here's a link to the 1981 Pocono finish: http://www.champcarstats.com/races/1981u02.htm

the rear engine cars drew for the front spots and then the front engine cars (dirt) car drew to start behind the rear engine cars! Track fact!

found this of Duke at Pocono...