March Musclecar Madness: The Sweet 16 Brackets are In

The madness is here, and across the nation people are betting on their Brackets as to who will take it all in the NCAA tournament. In the musclecar realm the madness is upon us as well, March Musclecar Madness that is. Summit Racing’s On All Cylinders car blog has taken 16 of the world’s meanest muscle machines and is having them face off in a Sweet 16 style bracket. The cars for each bracket were chosen by the writers at Power Automedia, Bangshift, On All Cylinders and the fans of Summit Racing.

The tournament will work much like the NCAA tournament. It will start out will the Sweet 16 with 4 musclecars in each group, the winners will move on to the Elite 8, Final Four and the final round. How will the winners of each round be determined? You – the hot rodders – will vote on each winner. All you have to do is look at each of the match ups and leave a comment below of which car you want to win.

Sweet 16:

Power Automedia

1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429 vs 1965 Pontiac GTO

The 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429 was built to go wheel to wheel against Mopar’s Hemi in NASCAR. The with 500 horses, superb handling and only 859 ever made the Boss 429 is a highly sought after prize.

The 1965 Pontiac GTO was upgraded with revised Cylinder Heads and a high raise manifold that bumped the 389 engine up to 360 Horsepower.

1969 Chevy Camaro Z/28 vs 1970 Buick GSX

The 1969 Chevy Camaro Z/28 was the car that started a Legacy. With disc brakes, a 4-speed and a 302 motor build for Trans-Am Racing the 69 Z/28 was one the fastest pony cars of it’s day.

A highly underrated gem, the 1970 Buick GSX was one of the fastest and sexiest cars to ever roll off the assembly line. It’s 455 engine produced an aggressive 420 horsepower making it the fast factory GM of the era. Bangshift Bracket

1967 KR8 Tasca Mustang vs 1963 Studebaker Lark R2

The 1967 KR8 Tasca Mustang is the stallion that led to the creation of the 428 Cobra Jet motor. Rhode Islander car dealer Bob Tasca felt the Mustangs 390 wasn’t powerful enough for drag racing so he swapped it for a 428 Police Interceptor which he built himself with his own parts. Ford heard about this and was inspired to build the 428 Cobra Jet.

The 1963 Studebaker Lark R2 isn’t the prettiest Studebaker all of time, but it was one of the fastest. Equipped with a Paxton SN60 huffed 289 Jet Thrust V8, this box was capable of putting down zero to sixty times as quick as 6.3 seconds.

1971 AMC Hornet SC360 vs 1966 427 Chevy Biscayne

Small, compact and quick are the three words that best describe the 1971 AMC Hornet SC360. This micro machine’s 360 Cubic inch engine moved the light car with easy and it was one of the best handling machines in its day.

Long, sleek and fast as the words that best describe the 1966 427 Chevy Biscayne. This full size land yacht was popular among drag racers in the 1960’s. Despite being a full size the Biscayne, was light for it’s day. Its 425 horsepower 427 made this car a deadly sleeper.

On All Cylinders Bracket

1968 Dodge Hemi Dart vs 1969 Pontiac GTO Judge

The Dart may be small but it’s 426 Hemi makes this car a mean fire-breathing muscle machine. Only 80 Hemi Darts were ever built making them legendary collectors item.

With it’s 400 cubic inch H.O. Ram Air Engine, Rally II wheels and all American styling, the 1969 GTO Judge is the quintessential musclecar. It’s unmatched performance and timeless looks have made the Judge a legend.

1969 Mercury Cyclone 428CJ vs 1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda

Though only built for one year the Mercury Cyclone 428CJ left its mark on the American musclecar world. Its 428 produced enough power to shake the earth.

With its 426 cubic inch beast of a Hemi engine and aggressive styling, the 1970 Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda is an American Icon like Rock ‘N Roll and Basketball. The 426 Hemi made the ‘Cuda the fastest Pony Car of the era.

Summit Racing Fans

1969 Chevy Yenko Nova vs 1965 Shelby Cobra

Only 37 of these 425 Horsepower Beasts were built, making the Yenko Nova a rare sight. The Yenko Nova was the lightest of all of the Yenkos, its 427 engine was capable of zero to 60 in four seconds flat.

The 1965 Shelby Cobra was last years March Musclecar Madness Champion, this 510 horsepower beast is one of the fastest factory hot rods of all time.

1969 Dodge Charger RT vs 1970 Chevy Chevelle SS

The 1969 Dodge Charger RT has made quite a name for itself. It was the car of choice for drag racing legend Dick Landy and was the best pal the Duke Boys ever had: General Lee. Loud, big and mean – it’s one of the most iconic American musclecars of all time.

The Chevelle SS was a flagship Bowtie during the speed wars of the ’60s & ’70s. With 454 cubic inches of steel, the Chevelle terrorized the street and the strip. Its LS6 option was capable of producing a factory 450 horsepower.

Elite 8:

In a series of surprise upsets the Camaro Z/28 has been eliminated, the Charger RT was out run by the Chevelle SS, and the Cyclone lost to the Hemi ‘Cuda. The AMC and the Stude didn’t have the right stuff to advance, and the last year’s winner – the Shelby Cobra – didn’t make it past the first round. Surprisingly neither of the two Pontiac GTOs made it to the Elite 8. We have a great group of cars left as the competition is heating up for the Elite 8.

Power Automedia Region

1969 Ford Boss 429 vs 1970 Buick GSX

In a surprise upset the 1970 Buick GSX crushed the beloved Camaro Z/28. It was the GSX’s massive 455 cubic inch motor and aggressive styling, that led to its victory. The GSX will have to get past the Boss 429, one of the most powerful Mustangs to ever grace the streets or the high banks of Daytona to advance to the final four.

Bangshift Region

1967 KR8 Tasca Mustang vs 1966 427 Chevy Biscayne

With the ugly cars eliminated from this region we are left with the original 428 Cobra Jet Mustang, aka the KR8 Tasca Mustang, and the 1966 Chevy Biscayne. The KR8 Tasca Mustang dominated the Northeast Drag Racing circuit in the late ’60s and inspired Ford to produce the 428 Cobra Jet engine. The massive 425 horsepower 1966 427 Chevy Biscayne was a popular sleeper car among drag racers in the 1960s due to its 425 horsepower 427 engine.

On All Cylinders Region

1968 Dodge Hemi Dart vs 1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda

Looks like the phrase “Mopar or No Car” reigns true as the 1968 Dodge Hemi Dart and the 1970 Hemi ‘Cuda are to face each other. The 1968 Hemi Dart was the ultimate bare bones factory drag car, capable of making 10 second quarter mile passes straight from the assembly line. The 1970 Plymouth ‘Cuda is one of the most iconic musclecars in history. It left its mark on the roads of America with its rumblin’ 425 horsepower Hemi, shaker hood and aggressive styling.

Summit Racing Region

1969 Chevy Yenko Nova vs 1970 Chevy Chevelle SS

Looks like it’s a BBC vs BBC match up for the Summit Racing Region. The 425 horsepower, four-second 0-60 beast known as the Yenko Nova managed to knock out last year’s champion the Shelby Cobra in the first round. While the Chevelle SS with its iconic muscular style, 454 cubic inches of 450 horsepower and 4-speed transmission, this flagship bowtie managed to take out the feared Dodge Charger R/T.