Campaigning Pontiac Super Stocks early in the 1960s, when GM pulled the plug, Arlen Vanke switched to Mopars, becoming one of the dominant racers in the category. Arlen died June 16, 2017, at 80 years old. Hailing from Akron, Ohio, Vanke, called “Akron Arlen” by many, set NHRA A/Stock records in 1962 in his Super Duty Pontiac. A year later, when GM quit racing, Vanke purchased both a 426 wedge and 426 Hemi Plymouth, winning many races with the two Mopars. But without any support from Plymouth, Vanke was back to racing Pontiacs by 1966 with his “Tin Indian” GTO. That got Mopar’s attention. They wooed Vanke back to Chrysler, where he had many wins in Super Stock for Plymouth. He also has his name attached to dual quad Hemi RO23 intakes that were “Vanked”. He would remove dividing walls in the plenum from the front and rear carb flanges to aid in breathing throughout the RPM range, making a plenum chamber intake. His Hemi ‘Cuda won the NHRA Nationals in SS/A in 1968, setting the record for SS/A at the 1969 NHRA Winternationals. He was a member of the United States Racing Team for Pro Stock in 1971 and 1972. Vanke participated in Nostalgia drag racing in the 1990s before retiring to Las Cruces, New Mexico.
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