Is there a supreme tech god for Stock and Super/Stock

[Wade Mahaffey]

I think it would be tough for sure. The way Wesley explained it to me "If the rule book does'nt say you can.....you can't". This would alleviate the gray area because the rule book would have to say you can directly. The issue with that would be, the ability to be innovative. And in most cases at the upper end of innovation means $$$$. I just feel that if a racer was to bring something new to the table that had not been seen by tech before, it would be nice if a supreme ruling could be made. And if it was accepted, a revised/adjusted rule could be put into the master book and/or online for all tech officials to view. This would just be an attempt to keep everyone on the same page as far as rules enforcement!

Wade Mahaffey

[Pedigo Perf]

Originally Posted by Wade Mahaffey

I think it would be tough for sure. The way Wesley explained it to me "If the rule book does'nt say you can.....you can't". This would alleviate the gray area because the rule book would have to say you can directly. Wade Mahaffey

Key words in the rulebook are "any" and "only". I personally wouldn't have a problem with the aluminum 3rd members for 9" Ford users, and, so what if it is aftermarket. That's what this industry is driven by....the aftermarket!
But.....if the 2011 Drag Packs can use a Ford 9" does that allow all Mopar racers that option? If Tech is getting spread too thin then maybe they need to pick their battles and start by the using the word "any" a little bit more in the rulebook.

When was the last time someone collected protest money? Just curios.

TP

[Chuck Beach]

As far as safety there should never be any grey areas, but from a mechanical standpoint there are so many different cars and combinations I sure it is very difficult to cover any and all situations. I think NHRA has done as much as they can when it comes to engine specs for each combo ... from runner volumes, valve sizes, stroke, bore, piston/rod weight, (things you can measure) but after that some things you just can't measure and put in the rule book. Those other specs are left up to interpretation by each tech. I am not saying this is right or wrong, but those are the facts. Hence, left coast, right coast rules.

What I would like to see for any 'ruling' or interpretation by any tech person would be that they should fill out some kind of form or paper work defining the situation or infraction, what they ruled and why and file it in a NHRA data base for future reference. Then they could review this data base info and come up with more of a base line for setting the rules. Over time they could minimize the 'grey areas'. But this takes time and effort and I am not sure they have the staff or time to do it.

[Tom Goldman]

Originally Posted by Pedigo Perf

Key words in the rulebook are "any" and "only". I personally wouldn't have a problem with the aluminum 3rd members for 9" Ford users, and, so what if it is aftermarket. That's what this industry is driven by....the aftermarket!
But.....if the 2011 Drag Packs can use a Ford 9" does that allow all Mopar racers that option? If Tech is getting spread too thin then maybe they need to pick their battles and start by the using the word "any" a little bit more in the rulebook.

When was the last time someone collected protest money? Just curios.

TP

There is no performance advantage to the aluminum chunk ,other than a few pounds that will have to be made up anyway. ...So why not allow them.
The "9"inch housing some Drag Pak cars are using only utilizes the housing stamping . It has a different mounting flange that accepts the Mopar 8 3/4" aluminum chunk [good luck getting one!], not the Ford 9'" chunk.

[Bob Pagano]

Wade, Very good idea but Glendora, now Indy and there lies another problem. Where will Danny be ? The way I see it 2 of the best, Travis Miller and Wesley Robenson have been belittled, forced to change their decisions and had their pay cut. When you have 2 tech men with the knowledge of these 2 have why not use them ? Instead they are pushed farther away. Wesley had more info on HP for the AHFS but was removed from the committee. I do not think NHRA can handle a national scale rule book when it comes to Stock and SS, there pick of the week check at national events is about as far as they can go. Real tech done at Indy often is changed by Danny, if the head guy runs the ship and continues to do so Stock and SS are doomed, the rules have been diluted to a point of no return.

[CycloneFE]

In this day and age NHRA could easily have someone sitting in Glendora with an internet connection and the guy in tear down can take a pic or vid and sametime it to Glendora and have an imediate answer. Glendora could file the incident and recall it anytime it should arise or make it avalable to the next guy in teardown that has the same question.

We do things like this at work all day long.

[Alan Roehrich]

All the B.S. about the aluminum 9" center section is just more silliness. It's a few pounds of unsprung weight, that allows for that weight to be moved.

It's like aluminum radiators. The weight advantage itself is negligible, at best, and anyone wanting that weight advantage can find it elsewhere.

Anyone notice Pond slowing down when they made him take his out? I'm betting Ken won't slow down, either.

I suppose a racer were to have an aftermarket 9" housing that had 12 bolt Chevy parts in it, THAT would be a valid issue for tech.

[Billy Nees]

Originally Posted by Alan Roehrich

All the B.S. about the aluminum 9" center section is just more silliness.

Alan, you probably feel the same way about the negligible affect of aftermarket seats in Stock too.

[Alan Roehrich]

Originally Posted by Billy Nees

Alan, you probably feel the same way about the negligible affect of aftermarket seats in Stock too.

Billy, with the advent of 135 MPH cars in Stock Eliminator, I think the safety aspects outweigh the other factors. It's called a "necessary evil". The fast cars in Stock now have to have all of the safety equipment that a fairly fast Super Stock car has. It's not a matter of what you or I want, or what you or I like, it's a matter of safety.

It's a plain simple fact that you can make a Stock Eliminator car as close to perfect on weight distribution as it can legally be without any of those things.

People howl over things that don't matter, while they look over things that do matter. A case of the elephant in the living room.

[art leong]

Originally Posted by Alan Roehrich

All the B.S. about the aluminum 9" center section is just more silliness. It's a few pounds of unsprung weight, that allows for that weight to be moved.

It's like aluminum radiators. The weight advantage itself is negligible, at best, and anyone wanting that weight advantage can find it elsewhere.

Anyone notice Pond slowing down when they made him take his out? I'm betting Ken won't slow down, either.

I suppose a racer were to have an aftermarket 9" housing that had 12 bolt Chevy parts in it, THAT would be a valid issue for tech.

There are a couple of ways to look at what they nhra tech did to Ken.
One was they could have told him to change it when he got home. I believe this would have been the right thing to do.
But they could have let him go through tech, then after qualifying. Tossed him. I've had that done to me. At least Ken had a chance to fix it before the race.
The only thing nhra tech has been successful with is nitpicking. I went through it last year with my front fenders.
What happened to all the hooplah about the runner cc's?