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Mike Mans · 04-05-2010, 01:35 PM

I totally understand what you're point is by getting beat by them - but look at how you got to this point. You are racing a 1969 Camaro. A 41 year old car that has had 41 years of horsepower added to it. It's been beaten up. I didn't do it, you probably didn't even do it - but your cars have taken a significant beating with time. Unfortunately the odds of power being taken off are slim to none. The factory race cars are brand new with factory support. They are trying to encourage people to build new race cars and have gotten horsepower factors approved at a certain number (you would know better than I) that may be lower than actually produced. But I guarantee you that in 1969 a 427 properly built in stock was "underrated." If Ford and Chrysler came out with a new Drag Pak and Cobra Jet cars with 500hp factors, nobody in their right mind would build one!

If you remember back to when the 93+Firebirds/Camaros came out, this was the exact same problem. But now, they are on a pretty even plane with the rest of you guys - the system is slow I will give you that. But it does eventually work itself out. I know that everyone on here will claim that they couldn't afford to build one of these new cars - or just may not want to for personal reasons. But if someone is going to build a new Stock DP/CJ it would cost them about the same as building one of the prestine and competitive muscle cars like yours or McClanahan's new ride. I guarantee the price tag differences aren't very far apart.

I hate losing in heads up races, and fortunately we were able to get into a class where as you've said - I don't run into heads up situations very often. But I assure you, we spend hundreds of hours a year making our car faster and building horsepower just in case we do find ourselves in that position. I know firsthand how much this stuff costs, we build all of our own motors and never stop trying new things. It's not easy.

I know it's a slightly different case, but a prime example is Jim Daniels. Ray Barton and those guys have breathed Hemi engines since their inception, but in the last year or two they've SIGNIFICANTLY picked up their program and are running TENTHS faster than they ever have. It can be done. I know it's time and money which we are all struggling to keep up with, but if you are set to run your 60's/70's muscle car - you're pockets have to get deeper. You are competing with teams of engineers at Ford and Mopar whose sole purpose is building efficient engines that crank out huge horsepower.

At the end of the day, there is always going to be a "better combination" and a guy with more money or time to put into it than what most have got. It sucks, but it's all part of the Stock / Super Stock classes and it hasn't changed.

04-05-2010, 01:35 PM	#76
Mike Mans Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 177 Likes: 21 Liked 299 Times in 48 Posts	Re: A/SA First in the 9.80's I totally understand what you're point is by getting beat by them - but look at how you got to this point. You are racing a 1969 Camaro. A 41 year old car that has had 41 years of horsepower added to it. It's been beaten up. I didn't do it, you probably didn't even do it - but your cars have taken a significant beating with time. Unfortunately the odds of power being taken off are slim to none. The factory race cars are brand new with factory support. They are trying to encourage people to build new race cars and have gotten horsepower factors approved at a certain number (you would know better than I) that may be lower than actually produced. But I guarantee you that in 1969 a 427 properly built in stock was "underrated." If Ford and Chrysler came out with a new Drag Pak and Cobra Jet cars with 500hp factors, nobody in their right mind would build one! If you remember back to when the 93+Firebirds/Camaros came out, this was the exact same problem. But now, they are on a pretty even plane with the rest of you guys - the system is slow I will give you that. But it does eventually work itself out. I know that everyone on here will claim that they couldn't afford to build one of these new cars - or just may not want to for personal reasons. But if someone is going to build a new Stock DP/CJ it would cost them about the same as building one of the prestine and competitive muscle cars like yours or McClanahan's new ride. I guarantee the price tag differences aren't very far apart. I hate losing in heads up races, and fortunately we were able to get into a class where as you've said - I don't run into heads up situations very often. But I assure you, we spend hundreds of hours a year making our car faster and building horsepower just in case we do find ourselves in that position. I know firsthand how much this stuff costs, we build all of our own motors and never stop trying new things. It's not easy. I know it's a slightly different case, but a prime example is Jim Daniels. Ray Barton and those guys have breathed Hemi engines since their inception, but in the last year or two they've SIGNIFICANTLY picked up their program and are running TENTHS faster than they ever have. It can be done. I know it's time and money which we are all struggling to keep up with, but if you are set to run your 60's/70's muscle car - you're pockets have to get deeper. You are competing with teams of engineers at Ford and Mopar whose sole purpose is building efficient engines that crank out huge horsepower. At the end of the day, there is always going to be a "better combination" and a guy with more money or time to put into it than what most have got. It sucks, but it's all part of the Stock / Super Stock classes and it hasn't changed.