Re: Factory Showdown at INDY
 

That's where you are wrong. First time on the track it was a 10.60 car. After gathering data and working on it we were running 10.20's. More work and changes we got it into the nines. A lot more work and changes we picked up more but we still aren't near as fast as the top runners. Making any car fast takes more than what's under the hood. The newer cars have better suspension which is a big part of the package. I grew up in the muscle car era and have owned quite a few in my lifetime. I love the old cars, but time has brought improvement. As I'm sure you can tell, I run super gas and super comp as well. Over the years I have built better cars with better chassis in order to get the power I make applied to the track better.
Chuck

Re: Factory Showdown at INDY
 

That's strange. Some folks buy these cars and run excellent numbers the first time out.

Re: Factory Showdown at INDY
 

You have to remember. This is an 08. It took awhile for the first ones to get figured out. After that what was learned was applied to the 10's and 12's so they didn't have to go thru the steep learning curve. It's also a stick car. Takes time to get the right combo for the clutch. Automatics are easier to get fast with all the technology in converters and gearing. If you know what's been tried and tested before you ever make it to the track you have a big advantage to be able to go fast. Like I had said before, I only know of one other guy running an 08 stick car and I can promise you he has spent a ton of money and a lot of testing to get to where he is at.
Chuck

Re: Factory Showdown at INDY
 

If Top Stock was so great and had soo much Interest and spectator appeal Then why did you have to pay to have it run? not many understand this

Re: Factory Showdown at INDY
 

There was one in 2009 from Kansas in A/S at the Cordova points meet. I don't think the person driving and owning it ever put a wrench on it, but he went 10.70s if I remember correctly. He was granny shifting it to the point where you could count between gear changes so there was a ton left in a better trans clutch situation. I don't think the early ones got a decent stick trans in them.
Chuck, which race did you have to race Fezell in your CJ?
Ronzello had the first one out there in A Stick I think.

Re: Factory Showdown at INDY
 

Thats my point. Even with someone spot on at shifting, the car isn't going from 10.70's to as fast as they are now. It took a lot of work to make them fast and like I said, the people with the newer ones had the benifit of things being worked out before them.
James, it was at Charlotte last year.
The first one out was at the Winternationals in 09 that Calvert won with a stick car. It was a mid 10 second car, and we all know Calvert can drive a stick
Chuck

Re: Factory Showdown at INDY
 

It took nearly 40 years to get a real production car into the 9's. That took hard work!

The CJ's were in the 9's in 2 years. That's not hard work. You may think that is hard work but by Stocker standards it is not. And you'll never see a real production Stocker in the 8's. Of course, we now have all these mid class bogus cars as well.

Edit: Actually the first CJ in the 9's came in just it's second start at the Phoenix National in 2009.

Re: Factory Showdown at INDY
 

There have also been a few advancements in technology since 1969. And a lot of rule changes that allowed a lot of aftermarket parts into Stock. If you are building a Stocker you build by the current rules. I don't know of a single Stock racer that hasn't updated their cars in one way or another as the rules changed.

Re: Factory Showdown at INDY
 

But the advancements didn't come all at once in a nice, tight, little package did they?

Re: Factory Showdown at INDY
 

Thank you Ford for an incredible car!

After 48 years the Mustang is still running strong!