Quote:
Originally Posted by james schaechter
Consistancy in the interpretation of the rules is key.
There are some improvements that can be made in that area by NHRA.
Here are some issues to overcome:
NHRA officials at a high level tell different people different info
NHRA tech officials do not all agree on the interpretation
NHRA has some very knowledgable tech officials, but many have and will be retiring. There is a serious brain drain and the replacements just won't have the knowledge to effectively police these rules as they are, even if NHRA puts a process in place that would support this.
Time constraints and the desire to shave cost by NHRA limits tech opportunities
Machine Equipment has evolved to the point where there are some pretty nice heads that look good, are fast and will pass tech-but are $$$ and out of reach for many.
There are less clean castings to be had for older stockers
No specs for intake manifolds
I don't see NHRA supporting the tech staff any more than they do now.
NHRA does not seem to be able to recruit the new blood now that could learn from the veteran tech officials to transfer knowledge to them
The time constraints for teardowns are only getting worse
NHRA thinks TD and TS will be the future ( although after Joliet last weekend they might rethnk that LOL)
So what could be done?
I know some who think the clock can go back won't like it, but I think we are at a place in time to make a rule change.
My proposal would be to keep the CCs intact for the heads as a spec
Allow porting, but no filling ( weld, epoxy, etc) allow intake port matching, but no filling
Look, I saw a lot of cars pick up .2-.3 over the winter and it ain't from jetting and timing.
I think that the porting won't have the negative effect that many have said. ( as long as it is allowed up front) The price will be less and many racers will try their and learn on their own.
I believe there is more $$$$ being spent covering up the work that is and has been done than the actual port work $$$.
I say we call it what it is and level the field out some. If we don't we will continue to get what we got.
I am not saying it is perfect, but we are at the point where something has to change.
I don't see NHRA putting more time, money and thought into this. If the process of enforcement isn't easy, it won't happen in most cases.
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I think you made some very good points Jim. As some one that is currently spending a lot of money to get in to this game I don't want to be DQ'd by a tech's opinion. To me it needs to be cut and dry. Allowing the porting to the cc limit and the port matching of the intake will eliminate a lot of grey areas that everyone that runs fast flirts with anyway and the racers wouldn't have the cost of whatever it is to cover up the work that they've done, which would make it cheaper on some one like me who is starting from scratch. Just my .02