Al Holbert - Holbert Racing

First owner DeKon c/n 1008

 

The son of racecar driver Bob Holbert, Al Holbert also ran their Volkswagen-Porsche dealership in Warrington, PA.   Al Holbert worked for Roger Penske while studying at Lehigh University. In 1971, Holbert scored his first race win in a Porsche and would turn professional in 1974. He would score his first of his two IMSA titles in 1976 and 1977 in a Chevrolet Monza.  Building on his success after winning the 1976 IMSA title, Holbert traded in his first DeKon (c/n 1008) Monza for a new DeKon (c/n 1014) for the '77 IMSA season.  He sold c/n 1008 to John Paul, owner and driver for J.L.P. Racing.  Hoping to capitalize on Holbert's success with c/n 1008, Paul's effort wasn't quite the same despite updates to a phase 4 body style.   In 1976, Al had an incident at Lime Rock in the first heat. According to an eye witness, Holbert headed into the first turn and locked up the brakes then slid off the track. The car went up the bank and flipped over on its side. They patched it back together in time to start 3rd and finish 22nd, although technically a DNF for only 31 of 66 laps. In the photo above, you can see the large anti-roll bar behind the rear axle. And, what looks like a pulley under the rear axle is actually a differential oil cooler.   Being a Porsche supporter, Holbert allowed Porsche technicians to inspect his Monza, which would eventually lead to Porsche entering the series with turbocharged cars such as the 934 that led to a Porsche dominance for the following years. During that time Holbert jumped ship to the Stuttgart marque.

S P E C I F I C A T I O N S   Manufacturer: DeKon Engineering, LTD 197 Peterson Road Libertyville, IL 60048     Vehicle type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, one-passenger All-American GT     Price as tested: $28,000 (does not include exterior paint, engine, fire extinguisher or seat belts.)   ENGINE Type: small-block Chevy built by McLaren Bore x stroke ....................... 4.00 x 3.48 in, 103.5 x 88.4 mm Displacement ........................................ 350 cu in, 5750 cc Carburetion ..................................... Kinsler-Lucas injection Valve gear ...................... pushrod-operated overhead valves Power (SAE gross) .............................. 565 bhp @ 6800 rpm Torque (SAE gross) ............................ 505 lbs-ft @ 5600 rpm Specific power output ................ 1.61 bhp/cu in, 98.5 bhp/liter Max. recommended engine speed .......................... 7000 rpm   DRIVE TRAIN Transmission .................................... 5-speed, non-synchro Final drive ratio ............................................. 3.25 to one Gear Ratio Mph/1000 rpm Max. test speed I 2.22 9.9 69 mph (7000 rpm) II 1.77 12.4 87 mph (7000 rpm) III 1.43 15.3 116 mph (7000 rpm) IV 1.16 18.9 132 mph (7000 rpm) V 1.00 21.9 162 mph (7500 rpm)    DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES Wheelbase ........................................................ 97.0 in Track, F/R ................................................. 57.0 / 56.0 in Length ............................................................ 179.3 in Width .............................................................. 79.0 in Height .............................................................. 47.9 in Ground clearance .................................................. 3.5 in Curb weight (no fuel) .......................................... 2560 lbs Weight distribution (full tank) F/R ........................... 49/51 % Fuel capacity .................................................... 31.7 gal Oil capacity ...................................................... 12.0 qts Water capacity .................................................. 21.0 qts   SUSPENSION F .................................... ind. unequal-length control arms, coil springs, anti-sway bar R .................................... rigid axle, parallel trailing arms, lateral watts link, anti-sway bar   STEERING Type ....................................................... rack and pinion Turns lock-to-lock ..................................................... 3.1   BRAKES F ..................................................... 11.9-in vented disc R ..................................................... 11.7-in vented disc   WHEELS AND TIRES Wheel size F/R ................................. 12.0 x 15-in/17.5 x 15 Wheel type ........................................ BBS, 3-piece, 4-bolt Tire make ................................ Goodyear Sports Car Special Tire size F/R ......................... 24.5 X 10.0-15/ 25.0 X 13.0-15   PERFORMANCE Zero to   Seconds 30 mph ............................................................. 2.5 40 mph ............................................................. 3.5 50 mph ............................................................. 4.1 60 mph ............................................................. 4.9 70 mph ............................................................. 5.4 80 mph ............................................................. 6.6 90 mph ............................................................. 7.9 100 mph ........................................................... 9.1 110 mph .......................................................... 11.0 120 mph .......................................................... 12.8 Standing 1/4-mile .............................. 12.3 sec @ 117.5 mph Top speed (observed at Pocono) ............................ 162 mph Braking, 120-30 mph ............................................. 1.04 G

Al Holbert #14 (c/n 1008) Holbert Racing IMSA Camel GT - Daytona 24 Hour Daytona Int'l Speedway, FL - February 6, 1977         Al Holbert #14 (c/n 1008) Holbert Racing IMSA Camel GT - Daytona 24 Hour Daytona Int'l Speedway, FL - February 6, 1977         Al Holbert #14 (c/n 1008) Holbert Racing IMSA Camel GT - Daytona 24 Hour Daytona Int'l Speedway, FL - February 6, 1977         Al Holbert #14 (c/n 1008) Holbert Racing IMSA Camel GT - Daytona 24 Hour Daytona Int'l Speedway, FL - February 6, 1977