1961 Pontiac Catalina Super Duty Drag Races 1973 Firebird, You Won't Guess Who Won

Now I know what you're thinking, the Catalina was not designed as a performance vehicle. It was Pontiac's full-size offering for a little more than 20 years. You're right, but the company did offer a few beefed-up versions of the nameplate. The Super Duty is one of them.

Born during the heated NASCAR and drag racing wars of the early 1960s, the Super Duty was not a factory car. However, the 421-cubic-inch (6.9-liter) V8 that made it go fast was offered as an over-the-counter option for a couple of years. The 1961 Catalina you'll see racing below is fitted with one of those iconic Super Duty engines.

The 421 stuffed in this full-size was rated at 373 horsepower and 425 pound-feet (576 Nm) of torque back in the day. These figures were quite impressive for 1961, but the 421 was underrated. According to independent tests from the era, the mill was good for more than 450 horsepower and more than 500 pound-feet (678 Nm) of twist. That's more than a Hemi-powered Mopar from 1970!

The second Poncho here is a 1973 Firebird Formula. Yes, it's not as powerful as a Firebird from the late 1960s, but the big 455-cubic-inch (7.5-liter) V8 was still good for a solid 290 horsepower and 395 pound-feet (536 Nm) of torque that year. And we're talking about net figures here, which means that the gap between the two cars is smaller than you think.

On top of that, the Firebird competes in the Pure Stock Muscle Car Drag Race series, which allows a long list of drivetrain upgrades. So it's safe to assume the 455 V8 packs more oomph than the stock. The Catalina, on the other hand, joined the fun only for testing and tuning purposes, and it's not clear if it has been upgraded or not.

Anyway, the cars not only have similar curb weights but also feature four-speed manual gearboxes, so the fight is somewhat fair on paper.

Anyone who knows a thing or two about muscle cars would bet on the Catalina to win this encounter. I would put my money on the Super Duty too, but as it turns out, this Firebird Formula is quicker than the average Malaise-Era vehicle.

Both races see the Firebird cross the finish line in less than 13 seconds, hitting trap speeds of 111 mph (179 kph) in the process. The Catalina is quite fast as well, but its best run stops the clock at 13.32 seconds and 106 mph (171 kph). Too slow to smoke the Firebird.

But it's an interesting encounter nonetheless. The Catalina sounds incredible under full throttle, and both cars are so rare you might not see them line up at the Christmas tree against each other anytime soon. Only 177 421 Super Duty engines found their way in the Catalina, and only 10 Pontiac Firebirds were built with the 455 V8 and the manual gearbox in 1973.

This race took place at the 27th Annual Pure Stock Muscle Car Drag Race in 2021. Hit the play button below to see them roar down the quarter-mile.