Pontiacs were the best street engines. No argument about that. But they weren't built for racing (at least not the post SD421 era engines). They can take a lot of abuse, but they were designed for street duty, not track use.

I know many folks that are fans of other makes, and they are shocked and stunned when they discover how the bottom ends on a Pontiac V8 were built. Cheap cranks, cast rods, 2-bolt mains (on most), small runners, lousy head flow, yet....they fly on the street. And with that, these guys are embarrassed to be beaten by a Trans Am or GTO. That's not supposed to happen.

That's one of the beautiful things of owning a Pontiac.

Engines like the LS6, L-88, ZL-1, 426 Hemi, etc. were designed for the track, not the street. With that reputation, many owners (and collectors) naturally assume they were the fastest cars on the street. But that's not always the case.

Brilliant Pontiac engineers. They did more with less.