Tech Inspection stories?

[Tom Nolan]

I had a fellow racer bring his favorite tech inspector over to "look over" my '64 Thunderbolt A/SA when it was new in Bowling Green several years ago. Together they spent at least 20 minutes going over every inch, mumbling that the Thunderbolt never should have been added to the list of acceptable cars for stock. I got to Indy, roll through tech and the "tech guy" ran full out 200 yards with his favorite fellow racer in tow to immediately have me tossed out because I had Quick fuel metering blocks on my original Holley carburetors, even though Quick fuel carbs were legal replacements! Thankfully my friend and engine builder drive 9 hours with his Holley dyno carbs so I could pass tech and race. It's not always the tech inspector.......it's their petty influencer.

[Mike Gray]

I was in a long slow tech line at the old Las Vegas track and Danny Garcia is helping. He walks up to my car and nervously I hand him my tech card. He looks at me and says nice car and signs the form without opening a door or looking under the hood and walks away to the next car.
Easiest tech I’ve ever been through!

[Bob Shaw]

One year at the U S Nationals we were going through tear down at Paul Harvey Ford. I was in the cylinder head line to get the head checked and asked my wife to get in the carburetor line to save some time. The tech guy told her to pour the gasoline out of the carb. She dumped the gasoline and all the internal carb parts in the nearest trash barrel. It's hard to get good help.

[GTS340]

One of my very first tear downs was winning class at Englishtown. Steve McGrath behind the wheel. We went to a Ford dealership to teardown. We were very young and of course nervous 20 yr olds. I handed my carburetor to Bob Lang I think his name was.Well I should have emptied it before I handed it to him...oops! Somehow we still came home with the Wally.

Paul H

[Bob Gullett]

At Indy in I think 2013 I was selected for teardown. First the carb. The guy before me they questioned his carb as to the screws in the butterflies were shortened but they let him pass with a warning. Then they looked at mine. Kept pointing to things on it and shaking their heads. I asked them if there was a problem. They said no as they said this is how the screws are supposed to be. Then on to the intake. Said it wasn't correct casting number. I said its a superseded one that's allowed. They were give only the one number after checking with Bruce. Problem #2 corrected. Then the combustion chamber was poured. Was 57.7 cc's. Said it was too small. Was supposed to be 61.2 according to the info they got. I said that's for the 350. This is a 327 which is 57.5. After all said and done it passed with flying colors but not with its moments.

[Tom Meyer]

Don't remember what year, but we tore down 5 races in a row for the record. Wayne Lewis just about had all my numbers memorized. Tom

[Terry Drinkwater]

Not a story but a question, do any of the Hemi Shootout cars get torn down at Indy if they are not running class?

[Spyphish]

2009 brand new John Holt SS/AH car. New driver needing a grade point so I went to the Div.4 Ennis, Tx. Big Joe (RIP), Lil' Joe and Tim Hebert were there and knew I was an NHRA rookie. Took me to tech with them. They knew Wesley, I did not. Their Hemi cars went right thru, my turn. Wes went over the car for 30 minutes, had a magnet on wheel wells etc. "Sir, pull this car over here." Out of line I went. Lil' Joe gave me a shoulder schrug and they went to paddock. It seemed like hours, teams of guys with ring binders, pointing, touching, talking. FINALLY Wesley walked over and said "Son, that is how you build a Hemi car". He used it for class with the other techs. So first time down the track, #2 qualifier in all of SS. Nuttin' to it. Just pee on the cash register. Phish

[1320racer]

isn't the biggest tech story the fact that their is no tech inspection any longer?

[Ed Carpenter]

The first race I went to with the 66 Chevy II I used to own, I pull up to tech and get out. Wesley walks up to me and I introduce myself. He says nice to me you Ed nice car wrong trim on the trunk don’t bring it to another race like that….