Attention FS Whipple 2.9L Supercharged cars, bring tools!!

[Jim D'Amore]

Bring your tools to the race track!

I was caught off guard this weekend at Englishtown Nationals when NHRA tech showed up at my trailer 10 minutes to 8 AM. They wanted to inspect the Supercharger on our fastest 2.3L TVS car and the 2.9L Whipple on a car that didn't even run at the event but it was in the trailer.

They brought their tools, and even took the 2.9L to a secret location and measured everything! I took pictures of everything that they were taking pictures of. Including them walking out of the trailer with the 2.9L in hand! They have custom gauges made for the rotor packs to make sure they weren't profiled. They measured the length and width of the rotor packs. They paid close attention to the gear that sits on the jack shaft to the main rotor packs and the main rotor pack gear. To disassemble it they did not need to pull it off but they did anyway.

Dave Ley and Pat directed to me which bolts to remove to disassemble. Then they measured the inside of the case, the rotor packs, the gears, and then took it to a secret location to measure the rotor pack profile. In one of the pictures you can actually see marks on the rotors where they used their gauge to measure the profile.

[Jason Fuller]

Originally Posted by Jim D'Amore

Bring your tools to the race track!

I was caught off guard this weekend at Englishtown Nationals when NHRA tech showed up at my trailer 10 minutes to 8 AM. They wanted to inspect the Supercharger on our fastest 2.3L TVS car and the 2.9L Whipple on a car that didn't even run at the event but it was in the trailer.

They brought their tools, and even took the 2.9L to a secret location and measured everything! I took pictures of everything that they were taking pictures of. Including them walking out of the trailer with the 2.9L in hand! They have custom gauges made for the rotor packs to make sure they weren't profiled. They measured the length and width of the rotor packs. They paid close attention to the gear that sits on the jack shaft to the main rotor packs and the main rotor pack gear. To disassemble it they did not need to pull it off but they did anyway.

Dave Ley and Pat directed to me which bolts to remove to disassemble. Then they measured the inside of the case, the rotor packs, the gears, and then took it to a secret location to measure the rotor pack profile. In one of the pictures you can actually see marks on the rotors where they used their gauge to measure the profile.

I'd suggest everybody scribe a personal something on the outside the superchargers from now on and document it.

[Chris Holbrook]

It's about time they did this! Norwalk should be interesting! 👍

[Mike Schwartz]

And people complain there is no Tech.

[james schaechter]

Any real attempt by NHRA to improve the tech inspection process is a positive move on their part. Afterall, NHRA is paid by racers to provide some sort of oversight and adherence to the stated rules. Did they just tear yours down or did they pick others?

[Jerry Terry]

I noticed Jim said they also took the 2.9L Whipple that wasn't even entered in that event to check it out also. Why would they check it if it wasn't even entered there. Do they mark them so they know that they have been checked ? Have they been checking these earlier ? or was this just an excursion.

[Chris Holbrook]

Originally Posted by Jerry Terry

I noticed Jim said they also took the 2.9L Whipple that wasn't even entered in that event to check it out also. Why would they check it if it wasn't even entered there. Do they mark them so they know that they have been checked ? Have they been checking these earlier ? or was this just an excursion.

http://nhraracer.com/apcm/APCMviewer.asp?a=69650&z=132

[Jim D'Amore]

Originally Posted by james schaechter

Any real attempt by NHRA to improve the tech inspection process is a positive move on their part. Afterall, NHRA is paid by racers to provide some sort of oversight and adherence to the stated rules. Did they just tear yours down or did they pick others?

As far as I know it was just me on the 2.9L Supercharger and I think it was their first one in the field. So it took them a while to inspect it. They also did say they were taking sound clips of the supercharger whine at the 1,000 ft mark.

[Jim D'Amore]

Originally Posted by Jerry Terry

I noticed Jim said they also took the 2.9L Whipple that wasn't even entered in that event to check it out also. Why would they check it if it wasn't even entered there. Do they mark them so they know that they have been checked ? Have they been checking these earlier ? or was this just an excursion.

The car actually was entered in the event and I was the driver but we had throttle body issues so I parked the car and withdrew from the event. They do write down the serial # of the blower which represents the rotor packs and housing size.

[Jerry Terry]

Thanks Jim and Chris