[Greg Reimer 7376]

When I look back 35 or so years ago when I started doing this stuff with a 283, I remember when Stock meant more stock than I care to think about--OEM or OEM replacement valves, cast OEM pistons, OEM rods, etc. and very close to pure stock heads, it proves we pushed the limits of the laws of physics every time we attempted to do this. It's amazing we never had any fatal engine failures more often than we did. I remember running that very close to original stock engine to nearly 7000 RPM many times. If you stayed in low gear a it too long and you heard the engine putter a bit, it obviously was floating the valves, get it into the next gear ASAP and hope you didn't bend anything or have any portion of the valve train bend or start to break. Then, the cam and spring rule change came in around 1988 or so, add about 800 more RPM to what we were already doing to the same engine combo, add more rear gear, and then note any increase. If we knew then what we know now, it would have terrified us to think of what was going on inside of that motor at 7000+ RPM. The stuff we have now to work with is so much superior to what we had then, it's unbelievable. I'm not bemoaning the departure from the old concept of a "Stock Eliminator"motor,I'm glad that most of the technology since then has resulted in vastly increased engine life as well as power outputs unheard of 35 years or so ago, so I am among the first to embrace technology that will improve the sport. Besides, it's fun to go faster!