It isn't easy being a legitimate, competitive drag racer. The rules are tough, usually changing NOT to your advantage, and the competition never rests. Here's an example of how one racer beat the system at the '73
Back then, the cars were weighed without the driver, so Super Chevy ad salesman John Barkley was at a distinct disadvantage because of his (then) large 230-lb person. We'll let John pick up the story.
"The car was a 250-hp 350 with Turbo 350 initially but changed later to Powerglide. Ran a best of 11.44 @ 116 in 1973 when I held the record at 11.62. In the months leading up to the ’73 Winternationals, local Southern California racer talk was who would win SS/LA, Larry Torres with his '65 Nova wagon or Val Hedworth with Richard Salcido's 65 Nova wagon. Both cars were faster than my Camaro. This was back when cars weren’t weighed with the driver like today so my 230 lb ass (then) was not a benefit. I got tired of being dismissed so I called a friend of a friend who was 130 lbs and a very good AHRA racer, Lindy Lindholm, and asked if he wanted to drive the car. He jumped at the chance.
"The short story is he beat one of them in the semis and the other in the final (don’t remember who was first) and that year (the only one ever that I am aware of) they accepted national records for class winner because it was the same teardown. Back then you ran off the record not an index & we lowered it 2 tenths! There were some unhappy folks on Monday morning. I still have the trophy photo & am always surprised at how huge I look standing next to Lindy."