Thanks to John Torres! Who filled me in on the story of the Catalina; This Pontiac was driven at speeds up to about 120 mph. It needed to be able to tow the M2-F1 on Rogers Dry Lakebed next to NASA's Flight Research Center (FRC) now named Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC) at a minimum speed of 100 miles per hour. To do that, it had to handle the 400-pound pull of the M2-F1. Walter "Whitey" Whiteside, who was working in the Flight Operations Division, was a dirt-bike rider and hot-rodder. Together with Boyden "Bud" Bearce in the Procurement and Supply Branch acquired the Pontiac Catalina convertible with the largest engine available and then sent it to Bill Straup's hot-rod shop near Long Beach for modification. With a special gearbox and racing slicks, the Pontiac could tow the 1,000-pound M2-F1 110 miles per hour in 30 seconds. It proved adequate for the roughly 400 car tows that got the M2-F1 airborne to prove it could fly safely and to train pilots before they were towed aloft behind a C-47 aircraft and released
Pontiac Catalina tow car for NASA’s M1-F2 lifting body aircraft, c.1963
Think about watching the kick ass cars live, it's possible, and you can bet the best race will be the Optima Street Car Invitational in November just outside Las Vegas on the Saturday after SEMA