Ford Focus?

[6130]

Originally Posted by Jim Caughlin

Even with SFI approved parts, my 4 cylinder exploded a flywheel at the finishline (9400 RPM) last year, quite the religious experience. The Quicktime bellhousing contained it but it was mess regardless. I broke the block, crank, starter broke off and took out the headers, among other damage. Obviously the flywheel, clutch and bell housing were destroyed also. If I didn't have a support cross member under the bellhousing, it would have been even worse. I would estimate I was out $4,000+ before I got everything back together.

Interestingly, the description in the NHRA rulebook specifying how to integrate an SFI approved bellhousing onto an engine where one is not commercially available for is based on my car, I actually wrote it up myself. At the time (1987), the rulebook said to wrap the stock cast bellhousing with 1/4" steel plate. I had made an adapter plate to mate a small block Ford Lakewood bellhousing to my 2.3 Ford motor which strangely was deemed illegal as it didn't conform to the rulebook. They did concede that what I did was considerably safer so asked me to write up the description so it could be included in the rulebook for future reference.


Jim Caughlin
6019 SS/ES

Yeah, I forgot about that- my explosion cut the header in half too.

And mine took out the engine too- it knocked the engine oil filter boss off the rear engine plate, as well as snapping off several of the bellhousing bolt mounting ears. I think I was able to salvage the little Holley 600 double-pumper carb, the aluminum Racing Beat intake manifold, the RX7 electronic distributor, the spark plug wires, and the underdrive front crank pulley, but that's about it.

I didn't have a mid-mount, but my solid engine mounts at the front and the solid transmission mount at the rear, kept the engine and transmission from falling out of the car.

The transverse set-up depicted above looks pretty dangerous. I'd definitely want a substantial steel shield for a car like that, possibly made of AR500 armor plate.

[goinbroke2]

Instead of a weight box you have 300# of armour plating hanging off the firewall LOL!!!

[Paul Merolla]

Looks like somebody has jumped in with one of these, but can't get close to the index yet:

[ALMACK]

Originally Posted by Paul Merolla

Looks like somebody has jumped in with one of these, but can't get close to the index yet:

Interesting.
Wonder if anyone has any pics of the car ?

That qualifying list is book ended by 2 turbo 2.3L Fords.
Old style turbo 2.3L and the newest style turbo 2.3L

Congrats to Sean Marconette on the # 1 position

[MAURICE BLENDHEIM]

Awesome…Finally a cure for INSOMNIA . MB

[Tom Moock]

Alan, go to Midwest Class racer on face book, there are people posting on Topeka & Marion’s races. Mite be racer runing street car to get grade?

[ALMACK]

Originally Posted by Tom Moock

Alan, go to Midwest Class racer on face book, there are people posting on Topeka & Marion’s races. Mite be racer runing street car to get grade?

Thanks.

Back in the older days a racer could potentially take a new street car and enter Stock legally without having to add a roll bar, or aftermarket seat belts because the car fell into the slower classes.
Can't do that now.

[Sean Marconette]

Originally Posted by ALMACK

Interesting.
Wonder if anyone has any pics of the car ?

That qualifying list is book ended by 2 turbo 2.3L Fords.
Old style turbo 2.3L and the newest style turbo 2.3L

Congrats to Sean Marconette on the # 1 position

Thanks Alan!!

Lots of hours over the winter working on the car. We figured something out with our race with Darrel Goheen yesterday and built upon that today.

I did not get a chance to seek out the owner of the Focus. It looked to be right off the street. The track staff thought it was in the wrong group of cars on Saturdays race.

Sean

[Paul Merolla]

I thought I'd revive this thread since the car in question competed at last weekend's Topeka divisional:
83 5801 FS/G Jonathon Maestas, Abeline KS, '17 Focus 13.424 11.35 2.074

There are 2 big problems with this...first off, this is not a Factory Stock car and was obviously misclassified.
Second, he dialed .55 over the index in first round on Friday:

Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
5305 Jim Parsons 5801 Jonathon Maestas
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.162 11.305 97.44 0.079 13.287 104.48
F/S Dial: 11.08 (+/-): 0.225 FS/G Dial: 11.90 (+/-): 1.387
Qualified: #41 11.097 -0.703 #83 13.424 2.074

The weight break for this car is 10.91, making it a natural F/S. In my thinking, this round should've been a heads-up!
From what I've heard, the owner is young and eager to learn but doesn't really have a clue about the classification system. It was left to the NHRA staff, who I believe were working with little to no data. We don't want this young man to get discouraged and give up, but you can't just throw the rules out the window for one guy. If I were Mr. Parsons and this round would've gone the other way, you can bet I would have had words with the tech officials.

[Sean Marconette]

He was pitted over by me and was not around when I went to talk to him. A couple of things that was noticed at the National Open. No permanent numbers or class designation, and what appears to be non factory tinted windows that are quite dark.

At last weeks race the numbers appeared to be permanent but the class designation was shoe polish? I was told there were issues with fuel check too.

To Paul's point no one wants to discourage a new racer. But help yourself out and ask fellow racers for some help. I have a pretty good idea who teched his car, they have no idea about class cars and our rules.

Per Classracer Info, it should be in AAF/S. Min w/driver is 3448 lbs and is rated at 298 HP. Index is 13.50

I highly recommend the racer of this car reach out to your fellow division racers for some help everyone is here to lend a hand.



Sean