Anybody know if Don Garlits is bringing the Challenger to Bradenton, FL this weekend?

[DonatoEng]

What bogas combination are you talking about, the Challenger or the Savoy ?

[bill dedman]

Bigshow,

If you've been following class racing for as long as you say you have, I'm sure you realize that the only time a bogus combination results in a situation where other races are victimized is when the NHRA mandated "factor" allows it.

If the '67 Shelby GT500s had been properly factored, they would have slipped though totally unnoticed, and people wouldn't still be talking about the "paper cars" that could run so unbelieveably far under the indexes.

It's never JUST the "bogus" cars...its the factors that sometimes come along with them.

NHRA strapped extra horsepower on the NASCAR Hemi before they ever got to see one run, so intent were they on making sure they didn't go out and dominate like the Shelbys did. They didn't allow it to go into battle with the horsepower than Mopar had reported it had; NHRA upped the ante (and, the weight) before anyone got a chance to see if that figure was in the ballpark. Not so, the CJ's. Ford said 425, and NHRA said, "SO BE IT!!!"

They run well, these NASCAR Hemis, but I am not at all sure that they are any faster than Henson's "street Hemi" motor in Ronnie West's GTX. Nitro Joe might know...

But, the contention that the NASCAR Hemi car is "bogus" has no pertinenence in the argument about the 2008 CJ's because the ~only~ real argument against the CJ's is the outrageously soft factor NHRA awarded them.
That wasn't done for the NASCAR Hemi motor. Different deal, altogether.

Looks like apples and oranges to me....

No irony there.

My cent-and-a-half...

Bill

[DonatoEng]

Very well said.
The factory will try to get the best performance rating they can for a vehicle combination introduction. Its the racers that will cause the HP hit by exploiting the combination and running way too fast.

[JHeath]

Bill, how many of those " paper car" 67 Shelby GT500 mustang's are out there running so unbelievebly far under their indexes ?

[bill dedman]

Originally Posted by JHeath

Bill, how many of those " paper car" 67 Shelby GT500 mustang's are out there running so unbelievebly far under their indexes ?

Jerry,

Two, that I know of. Jeff Velde's A/SA got sold to Ken Miele, but it has had some engine problems as of late, and has never, to my knowledge, run as quick as Jeff had it running (down into the nines several times, at races that were not "mineshaft" air.) The other is Bill Hawk's B/SA car which pretty much runs away from the best of the best of the 396 Camaros. Austin Ford runs one in D/SA but never lets us know what its real potential is.

There may well be more; but, those two are the high profile cars that have stood out in the FastNews stats that are compiled for each race.

[Dave Ley]

Bill , Just to set the record straight :

Jeff Velde's car was originally Ken Miele's car and Ken bought it back.
Bill Hawk ( Not Jim )
2 0thers here in D1 also ;
Richard Adkins (which is a stick car) and Ed Horensky.

[bill dedman]

Thanks for the correction, David.

Dunno why I said "Jim".... I've been a fan of his since the late Norman Kaptan took his F/SA record away from him back in the '80s.... (Bill set it in the morning,in Div. I, or II, I believe, and Norman re-set that afternoon, out in Div. VII....) Ancient history, now... Hope I got that right...

The Adkins car I was aware of, but simply forgot.
The other car, I didn't know about.

I appreciate the info!!!
Bill