I knew the Hemi was great but..........

I've seen that episode twice. I don't buy it. I remember those days fairly well. The Hemi was known on the street as the engine to beat and it was also known that a 427 LS* Corvette with equiv options could beat it, albeit due to lower weight - but that would not make up for a 200HP deficit. It was also known that a StageII Buick 455 GS could keep up with it, if only barely - so again, it would not have been 200 HP down (I know they did not show the Buick on that episode, but think - would other GM divisions have let the Buick have 200 additional HP over CHevy, Olds and Pontiac?)

The Hemi was pretty much unbeatable at the track. I was a real CHevy fan in those days (pre dirver age) and I remember reading in one hot rod mag in the very early Pro-stock days, an interview with one of the top Chevy Camaro teams. I can't quote it, but the gist of it I remember to this day - he said something about the most the Chevy can make right now is about 685 to the Hemis 735.

Take that two ways - first that the Hemi was at the top, but also, that if a Pro stock Hemi was making 735, how could the street engine make 820?