Pickup bed covers in competition in Stock

[bill dedman]

Rory,

Since a certain amount of ballast is legal, wouldn't it be more benefical to add all of it at the very back of the bed, so it would cantilever weight off the front? That way, you'd get more on the rear wheels than you actually added...

I'd guess that the bed covers do good things for the aerodynamics.... but, I'm JUST GUESSING, of course!

Thanks for your thoughts!!!

[SSDiv6]

Originally Posted by bill dedman

Rory,

Since a certain amount of ballast is legal, wouldn't it be more benefical to add all of it at the very back of the bed, so it would cantilever weight off the front? That way, you'd get more on the rear wheels than you actually added...

I'd guess that the bed covers do good things for the aerodynamics.... but, I'm JUST GUESSING, of course!

Thanks for your thoughts!!!

No, putting the ballast all they way to the end of the bed will not help; it would affect the acceleration.

Regarding the use of the covers, the language used to be in the rulle book in the same fashion as the IHRA book. When the truck classes were added to the general Stock Eliminator population, it was not added.

[Ed Fernandez]

Originally Posted by Geerhead55

Hey Ed,,,with all this talk of Superstock and Drag Illustrated magazines and Drag Racing issues from as far back as 1964,,, I'm wondering if you have or know of someone with a November 64' issue of SSDI that is willing to part with it. My collection of SSDI starts with the Dec.64' issue and I would love the chance to purchase a Nov. issue. Thanks to friends like Bob Rice who keeps me posted of E-Bay and other sightings I'm getting close, but I'm still missing that magazine. Thanks for any info or help you can provide.
Danny Durham

Sorry I can't help.My earliest SS/DI is June 1965.The rest are hit and miss,mostly 67-69 some 1970' and a few 1980s.


Ed

I'm taking them all to the Dutch.Will give issues to the guys there who were in them.

[bill dedman]

"When the truck classes were added to the general Stock Eliminator population, it was not added."
Sp, there's nothing in the NHRA rulebook about the legality of these bed covers at all, one way, or another?

You know, the druids have always stood behind a protective shield that went like this: "The rulebook is written in a "positive" manner. What that means is, if a modification is allowed, it will say so in the rulebook. In othe words, if it's not in there, then, it's not allowed."

I think that's no longer the case. They want to make it up as they go along... That gives them infinite flexibility.

[SSDiv6]

Originally Posted by bill dedman

"When the truck classes were added to the general Stock Eliminator population, it was not added."
Sp, there's nothing in the NHRA rulebook about the legality of these bed covers at all, one way, or another?

You know, the druids have always stood behind a protective shield that went like this: "The rulebook is written in a "positive" manner. What that means is, if a modification is allowed, it will say so in the rulebook. In othe words, if it's not in there, then, it's not allowed."

I think that's no longer the case. They want to make it up as they go along... That gives them infinite flexibility.

Bill, do not take the rule book as if everything has to be engraved in stone. My view on the matter is that I believe it was an oversight on the part of NHRA and they forgot to include it in the rule book. The bed covers have been in the trucks since the class was created.

[Bushwacker]

According to NHRA rule book (BODY)
Alterations or customizing prohibited, " Extent of customizing is limited to paint ONLY".
Later it says Air Dams & Spoilers that were available through manafacturer are permited front & rear.
I dont see how a bed cover could be legal under these rules....

[bill dedman]

Div VI.

You're probably right; it was most likely an oversight. They don't seem to pay much attention to what goes into the rulebook, for a document that can make or break a race operation. Have you ever noticed the tremendous amount of revisions and corrections that are printed in National Dragster immediately after the new rule books come out, every year? It's humongous...

Some of them are just amazing ("delete 14-inch tires on Stocker, etc...") LOL! Yup; that was in reference to a picture of a Super Stocker on the STOCK page, a couple of years ago... go figure.

They must not proofread anything they put into the new books, or they wouldn't have so MANY changes to put in Dragster. A strange way to run a railroad.... given the critical importance of the wording that makes up that document.

Did they ever say exactly what "crossbreeding" of engine parts means, for example?

Probaby what rhey WANT it to mean, given the circumstances at the time.

I don't trust 'em...

[Jim Wahl]

Originally Posted by bill dedman

Div VI.

You're probably right; it was most likely an oversight. They don't seem to pay much attention to what goes into the rulebook, for a document that can make or break a race operation. Have you ever noticed the tremendous amount of revisions and corrections that are printed in National Dragster immediately after the new rule books come out, every year? It's humongous...

Some of them are just amazing ("delete 14-inch tires on Stocker, etc...") LOL! Yup; that was in reference to a picture of a Super Stocker on the STOCK page, a couple of years ago... go figure.

They must not proofread anything they put into the new books, or they wouldn't have so MANY changes to put in Dragster. A strange way to run a railroad.... given the critical importance of the wording that makes up that document.

Did they ever say exactly what "crossbreeding" of engine parts means, for example?

Probaby what rhey WANT it to mean, given the circumstances at the time.

I don't trust 'em...

Now this is probably the first of your posts in a month or so I agree with Bill!

[Dan Bennett]

Originally Posted by Bushwacker

According to NHRA rule book (BODY)
Alterations or customizing prohibited, " Extent of customizing is limited to paint ONLY".
Later it says Air Dams & Spoilers that were available through manafacturer are permited front & rear.
I dont see how a bed cover could be legal under these rules....

Not to get things too complicated, but the 91 Syclone I bought new was equipped from the factory with a bed cover. Wonder if that makes a difference just for those trucks?

Charles Blossom was about the only one I ever saw racing one but I don't remember whether he had the cover or not.

[bill dedman]

Jim W.,

I'm glad I finally wrote something uyou were comfortable agreeing with.

My original intention with this thread's starter note, was to try to find out some SOLID information about the tailgate "up", or "down" issue to settle an argument I'd been having.

Unfortunately, I didn't make that very clear, and the only information I got was from Bill Howell, who said it ran faster (with the tailgate "up"), but not quicker, which did my argument no good, whatsoever.

If it runs faster, shouldn't it also run at least, SOMEWHAT quicker, considering that all other things were unchanged??? Bill said it didn't, but, I'm wondering if he ignored the change if it were negligible.

I realize that this isn't going to improve the e.t. by much... MAYBE a half a hundredth.... or, even less... It was just for the sake of argument, because I see trucks running both ways, all the time.

I really don't care about the bed cover issue, one way or the other, but I think bed covers might be better, aerodynamically, than an open bed, regardless of the tailgate position.

NHRA doesn't seem to care, either, which is certainly fine with me. Not an issue worth debating, even, I would think. I was just curious...