[Mike Carr]

I think the problem most have is the fact that Crate Motor Stockers aren't Stockers, in that they weren't originally built. If they had all came that way originally, that would be fine. But putting a 502 in a Vega or 460 in a later model T-bird or something, and calling it a Stocker, is quite a stretch. And I can see their points. The Ross family has a pair of late model Sebrings, with crate engines. They should be, and probably are, a candidate for either Best Engineered, Best Appering, and probably both, at any race they go to...very well built and prepared cars. Same with George Wrights Ford Probe.. But I think very few would believe they belong in Stock. A '90-something Sebring or Probe, with RWD, a carbureted V8, a car like that should be in SS/GT, in most people's opionion. I guess many feel that the car should have a build sheet with x-amount produced in that configuration, to be called a Stocker. As far as adding HP to all the crate motors, I don't think that would solve much, except making them heavier. If you wanted to slow them down, so they don't "hog up the top qualifying spots" just hit the Index a tenth or so. There are a lot of them around, and C/M racers DO work on their combo's, and they are fast as a result. They still have their rules and specs, in regards to what is legal and what isn't, and have to abide by them, same as a 'regular' Stocker. I've raced in NHRA and IHRA both, and whatever the rules are, that's what we race under, regardless of whatever classes are permitted. Like was said earlier, except for Class or a heads-up run, it's still mostly a bracket race. What does it matter if a D/CM Nova or whatever runs two seconds under? If you have an E/SA Camaro that is two tenths under, you both still use shoe-polish, right? And you both have the same shot to win. I'm also sure that many purists would say the same thing about the Modified and GT cars in S/S. They've been here for over twenty years, and there's very little complaining about them? I'm a purist too, and am not a HUGE fan of crate motors, Stock or SS/GT, hood-scooped cars and the like, but hey, they're here, we can't really do too much about it. Just run your own race, dial your own car, and I think we'd all be better drivers. Or, at least better off.

B.D.