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This came from NHRA.It was on Comp+ site.I don't know what to make of it.It seems like a nice tribute to past "Pro" winners of national events.How about past "Sportsman"
event winners?Don't they count?
It also says they'll have access to the "racer" grandstand section at the national events.I know that the ones I attend anybody has access to sit in this section.I don't think they ever
excluded anyone from sitting there.Just another free donut hole from our leaders in Glendora.




All professional national event winners to receive permanent hard card in 2011

NHRA announced today that all past national event winning drivers in the current professional categories, as well as Top Eliminator dating back to 1953 and Pro Stock Truck from 1998 to 2001, will be eligible for a permanent hard card credential for the 2011 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing season. The categories eligible include Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, Pro Stock Motorcycle, Pro Stock Truck, and Top Eliminator.

“In celebration of our 60th anniversary, it is only fitting that we welcome with open arms our past drivers who have been such a part of our history and have made NHRA what it is today,” said Tom Compton, president, NHRA.

The special hard card credential program is designed to honor the stars of the sport and encourage them to come out and partake in the 60th anniversary celebration throughout the 2011 season.

NHRA will be marking the 60th Anniversary of the formation of NHRA with a year-long celebration that will pay homage to the evolution of the hot rod, the impact of the sport’s legendary racers, and the lifeblood provided by the many millions of loyal and passionate NHRA fans.

The hard card credential program is designed for non-active participants in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. The permanent credential, which provides admission to the 22 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series events, will provide the holder access to the racer section of the grandstand and the sponsor viewing area typically located near the starting line of the race track.

Eligible drivers can apply for the NHRA National Event Winners Hard Card by sending an email to Laura Sarmiento at lsarmiento@nhra.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Eligible drivers wanting to pick up their hard cards at will call during the 51st annual Kragen O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals, must submit their request no later than Monday, Feb. 21

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NHRA doing something good for past Pro winners does not harm me in any way. It's fine.

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Gee Ed - One has to wonder - does anything the NHRA ever does please you .........the way I see it they are honoring sixty years of Champions . Be happy for them ..........they've earned it . As for the seats - well , look at it this way - a free seat is as good as it gets .

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Jack and Michael,put your glasses and thinking cap on.I said why couldn't they do that for the sportsman guys also.It's not like they would lose any money doing so
Also don't you remember that they made a big deal (as in enhancement) about the "racers section" at national events.
If there going to give us perks for our entry fees,at least follow through on them.
Jack,they really aven't done many positive things in the recent past.When they did I
stated so.You never seem to find fault coming from them.I applaude your alliegence
to your old friends though.

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I'll agree with Ed, (D'OH!), on this one. Since it only applies to non-active racers and it's only for the 60th anniversary season, it would be a reasonable gesture to include as many ex-winners as possible. I'm fully aware it would be a logistical nightmare to contact all of those folks but it would be a fitting tribute.

I was on the panel to determine the Top Fifty NHRA Racers of All Time for NHRA's 50th anniversary and lobbied that anybody who made the list should be given a "hard card" for LIFE! My plea went unheeded. :(

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Ed - Speaking of glasses lets look at this from a different angle - you're unhappy because sixty years of Sportsman were not honored and I feel good because sixty years of Pro's were .Why not just look at the positive side and be done with it - they did something nice and we should be glad for those who will benefit from it .

As for my allegiance and loyalty to old friends - this has nothing at all to do with them - most are gone anyway .And if you haven't noticed I've had more than my share of turns in the "tank" from them in recent years . You may not be happy with the NHRA but its the only game we have here in the Northeast and some of us are trying to make the best of a bad time .

My advise - fill the upper half of your cup up .................

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Ed I understand your point and maybe they should give some of the past sportsmen champs a free year that would be cool to run into some of the older past champs that us younger fans dont know. I do think what they are doing with the past pro champs is cool anytime you can run into Big Daddy is a good thing for fans. Glendora is never going to change their attitude toward sportsman racers unless the sponsors or fans care about it. If the Lucas familly put alittle pressure on to maybe have an hour show on sportsmen racing or maybe alittle more exposure then and only then will things change.

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Bret, You bring a light no matter where you show up and yes they should have included the Sportsman too. Hell the whole group has been cut by time, half or less still around and how many can actually come to a race. No thought on nhra's part, dam shame.

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Jack,readjust the glasses and read the third sentence in my post.I'll make it easy,it's right here.:
It seems like a nice tribute to past "Pro" winners of national events.


Where did I say anything derogatory about the pros?
Some people are reluctant to speak up when they see things that aren't quite right and others take on the task of speaking up and trying to right them.I guess you fit category one and I fit number two.
Look back in my posts and you'll see that besides bashing NHRA I've made suggestions
I think would benefit everyone.And you can't say I've had an agenda.Remember the red light issue?I said leave it alone.And I almost always leave first.

Oh,and what Brett said too.

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Ed Fernandez is the straw that stirs the Classracer.com drink. LOL :p

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When are we all going out to eat?

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"Remember the red light issue?I said leave it alone.And I almost always leave first."

What can I say??? LOL!!!

"Do that to me one more time..." Not just the Captain and Tennielle.....

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How ya doing old timer?

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Puttin' the engine in the new Bracket car next week (turbocharged slant six) so my excitement level is pretty high for someone whose age predates dirt...

It may actually see action sometime this year!!! But, maybe not... we'll see.

Thanks for askin'!!!! :)

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Good luck Bill.

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Thanks, Ed!!!!

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Good luck Bill turbos are fun.

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Thanks, Dennis. This is our first foray into boosted engines, and so, foreign territory for us (I have a partner in this mess.) We chose a slant 6 because of its unusual strength and rigidity, plus its crank is a forged one and features main bearings the same diameter as the 426 Hemi's. Add to that, the fact that it was originally intended to be an aluminum engine, so the design parameters were such that the cast iron version had the same oversize main bearing webs and thick deck dimensions, it's an engine that can withstand a LOT of boost without trauma (hopefully.) We intend to find out where its Achilles heel is, if it has one, by running boost levels that have not heretofore been researched (to our knowledge) on this engine.

Gonna be fun... :) Maybe...

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Bill
What body are you putting it in. The turbos have been good to me over the years.

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Bill they main problems aren't from the bottom. They are from to much heat in the chambers. I have a friend that has had some block problems. But he makes 1400 HP from 150 cubes.

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Dennis
It's going into a somewhat lightened (2,500 pounds?) 1964 Valiant 4-door sedan. It is in no way, a serious race car, and intended only as a test-bed for two old geezers (I'm 72 and my racing partner, Fred is 73!) having a last gasp before we take the dirt nap...

But, we wanted to show these Buick GN guys we hang out with, that the "Stage" blocks they use are not the ONLY way to go...

If we were interested in winning Bracket races, we realize that a small, turbo'd engine is not the most consistent thing in the world, so we'd build something different...
Just two old guys, tryin' to have some fun...

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++


Art, if we can make 600 horsepower with 35 pounds of boost, we'll be very excited! There are some guys running these (225 cu. in.) motors with 28 pounds of boost, making a little over 500, currently. We're not greedy... just curious. :)

Lookin' for that Achilles heel; not wanting to find it.... LOL!

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duplicate post

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Well two guys have some fun with it keep me post. Sounds like a fun project good luck again.

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Just be careful 1/2 pound or less of boost is the difference between a good run and a lot of scrap aluminum.

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Holding a head gasket is a big issue with a lot of boost.......



The present head of Toyota Racing once managed a local Trans Am team. He had blocks machined in our shop and used our dyno to test. Porsche inline 4 cylinder engines in the 120 to 140 cubic inch range. I think he made about 530-550 hp and tried boost as high as 54lbs.......

He had to have the block o-ringed and had special rings made out of Inconel.

Now that was a lot of boost and they ran many laps and needed reliability.....He blew up a lot of stuff and they did well for a Privateer operation. Very fast car that was on the pole of a few races....924 Porsche when the other teams were V8 Mustangs and Camaro's in themid '80s


His name is Lee White.....and he also managed Jack Roush's team when they ran Turbo charged XR4TI's........He is always in the Nascar winners circle with any Toyota that wins.......

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Thanks to Art, Dennis, and Rich.

I know we should have O-ringed the block, but we obtained some special ARP studs that are 220,000 psi material (regular ones are 180,000, I think) and the are SUPPOSED to keep the head from lifting under boost...

We'll see. If we have cylinder sealing problems at the head/block interface, , we'll take it off and do it right... :(

Thanks for all the good info, Rich!

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Bill.....Lee made a water to air intercooler tank to cool the inlet air when he was on our dyno. Inlet air temperature really made a big difference in HP output. Every 10 degrees was significant.

I used to be in our engine assembly room....behind a cement block wall while Lee was torturing an engine and the sound was to much.....I had to get out of there......That little engine being cycled up and down the rpm range and the turbo spooling up was defening.....

The man started out racing Formula Fords on his own and is now President of Toyota American Racing.......

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Hi jack alert Hi jack alert...........

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Guilty as charged... :(

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Returning to the original post, I was informed the NHRA did, in fact, present lifetime "hard cards" to those voted onto the Top Fifty NHRA Racers list back in 2001. I was unaware the NHRA had made this gesture and was very pleased to find out!

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How much can it have cost them????

The empty seat doesn't buy a hot dog... or, anything else!