Depending upon who you’re asking, the very thing that keeps drag racers motivated to continue their high speed quests can be either competition or the pursuit of performance. And despite the incredible competition the two classes enjoy, if you ask any Stock or Super Stock racer, chances are it’s the latter that gets them their jollies.

Image credit: John Clegg/Facebook

During the second round of eliminations at the NHRA South Central Division Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series opener at the Royal Purple Raceway in Houston last weekend, longtime Super Stock competitor John Clegg powered his SS/AM (Super Stock A/Modified) ’88 Chevy Camaro to what we believe is the quickest Super Stock run of all-time at 7.964 seconds at 171.08 MPH in a defeat of Jim Hanig.

The Victoria, Texas native had reeled off laps of 8.18 and 8.04 in qualifying and sandwiched the record 7.96 with a pair of 8.03’s in eliminations before falling to eventual winner John Covington in round three.

While Clegg’s elapsed time may be the quickest (by our unofficial count), it certainly isn’t the first seven-second pass in Super Stock.

Back in May of 2003 under mineshaft conditions at the Mission Raceway in Mission B.C. Canada, turbo ace John Gallina whisked his way to a stunning 7.989 with his turbocharged Buick V-6 powered Grand National to become the first Super Stock racer in the sevens. Since that time, Division 1 runner Scott Gove out of Maine has run in the sevens on multiple occasions with his SS/AM ’93 Daytona dating as far back as 2006, with a best lap of 7.968 by our records.

Unlike Gallina’s Grand National, both Gove and Clegg’s machines are naturally-aspirated.