Tech Inspection stories?

[goinbroke2]

Great story Dan, mine too is not from S/SS but from stock car racing. The rules were 8" rim, 4" of clearance and 160psi cranking pressure.
I was running a 351C and seemed to always get 3rd (top three checked) As they slid the 4" angle iron on a rod under the car and checked rim width, I'd pull a plug etc. Always front left cyl (#5) and always 130psi or so. After a few races there were complaints (of course) and they wanted to check the other bank (1-4). I already had a plug out, nope, but I, nope. Checked #3 and it was 220 or something like that. Wwwwhat?? I said, that's weird! (I was running one open chamber and one closed chamber, lol)

Edit: Just to point out...I was a kid with several "influencers" in my circle at the time.

[bkraft]

Arrived at 2009 Dutch with a new SS/AH Barracuda. FJ did the cage and chassis. We did the balance of the work. This is back when 30+ cars would show up in our class. Get word that I'm, along with a few other AH cars are to report to barn before Q1. Mike Booker from the west coast arrived with his new car too. AH was now bumping under 8.50 so 25.5 cages required.
I recall they wanted to see the wiring and other build details. No humps allowed on inner front wheel wells was new. All checked out OK.
Didn't do well in the class runoffs. Had bought used crossram motor from Jim Pancake for steam. Dreamed about having a Barton or Westcott "tunnel ram" motor. That took another 5 or 6 years, before getting a good one from the Howes.
Regardless was asked again to bring car to the barn. They said to park the car next to the NHRA trailer. It was then I was told we were awarded "Best Engineered". A proud moment for sure.

[Nick Heath]

I'll throw one on here. It is not controversial, technical, or even unique - but it's the best one I got!

Brainerd Nationals 2002. This was the first year without the altitude factor. My dad's car was running "OK" but somewhat off the pace. It never seemed to like Brainerd. We could go to Earlville 3 weeks later in similar air and pick up two tenths. Then again, this was a backyard built stocker with a stock computer, stock block, "both" of his speed secrets, and years before every piece could be replaced with something aftermarket.

1st or 2nd qualifying session (maybe both, can't recall), Bruce Bachelder is waiting by the scales. He smirks at my dad and gives him this little wave.
After the class (single) run-off, guess what. Bruce is at the scales again. No wave this time, he walks over and says, "I would like to invite you to a little party in the teardown barn."

Here's one of the "stockest" cars you could build and run under the index with, qualified in the bottom half of the field, with probably every one of the same parts they already looked at when he set the record in Fall 2000 - getting called to the barn. But that's what I thought was so cool about class racing. Didn't matter if you were #1 or #128 - you could be spending the afternoon at one of those "parties." And with how many cars were there - maybe the word party was appropriate!

He passed teardown that day. I remember Bruce antagonized my dad a time or two after that with that wave. Never got invited to another party though. And now I wonder when the last party was in that barn in Brainerd...

[bigshow2966]

Had my Valiant at a bracket race at RT66. Went through tech and was waiting for the line to move to go back to my pit. My old friend Animal Jim Feurer stopped by to look at my "new" car. Car had been thfough tech at 66 a bunch of times. Jim just happened to look at the battery tray and saw the retaining bars with J hooks.

He was nice enough to tell me to fix it before the next time out.

He teched the car the next time and never looked.

[Rob Petrie E395]

Originally Posted by goinbroke2

Great story Dan, mine too is not from S/SS but from stock car racing. The rules were 8" rim, 4" of clearance and 160psi cranking pressure.
I was running a 351C and seemed to always get 3rd (top three checked) As they slid the 4" angle iron on a rod under the car and checked rim width, I'd pull a plug etc. Always front left cyl (#5) and always 130psi or so. After a few races there were complaints (of course) and they wanted to check the other bank (1-4). I already had a plug out, nope, but I, nope. Checked #3 and it was 220 or something like that. Wwwwhat?? I said, that's weird! (I was running one open chamber and one closed chamber, lol)

Edit: Just to point out...I was a kid with several "influencers" in my circle at the time.

From 88 until 94 or 95 I worked for a small Nascar team. It was my side gig. During the day I went to college or worked at the dealership. But at night I worked for this team. We also occasionally did work for other teams. The stuff they did was nuts. At times I thought they had more cheated up parts than legal ones. Only one time did we fail inspection. And it was not for cheated up parts. After practice and before qualifying. Somebody forgot to fuel the car. So we were light after qualifying. I absolutely positively hated going through tech. because of the stuff they pulled. Pretty sure it was around that time that I had to start taking blood pressure meds. I was a kid back then too. Was 18 when I stated there.

[goinbroke2]

Lol, cousin was running a 292 chev in the “6 cyl charger class” and had lapped the field in each qualifying heat as well as the main feature. Tech wasn’t looking at him. Finally enough complained when he won the main and he refused to pull the head. “It’ll warp, still hot” etc, etc. as they are arguing I’m like, let’s just pull a head and he smiles “I got 2.02 valves to start with” then goes back arguing. Told to pack up, no win. He laughed when we got home, I asked what’s the point if you can’t win? “I just like hammering the xxxx boys” (forget names now)
Never saw the point in that but it was just a local track and nobody travelled at that time.

Oh and later at his place, we’re all drinking and a car shows up with some guys in it, one of them was the tech guy, they were all friends, that’s why tech let him go until everyone started complaining.

Did I mention I hate stock car racing? Lol!

[hrs1326]

Back in the day when NHRA US Nationals took 50 stock one day and 50 SuperStock cars another day for Tear Down and inspection at Paul Harvey Ford. Each day there were random picks such as the 16th car through the doors would be required to pull a rod and piston. On this particular day the 16th car was a big block 69 Camaro Stock Eliminator car. Needless to say he wasn't very happy that he had to remove a rod and piston.

Well tear down was in full swing with cylinder heads being poured, camshafts being rolled to check specs, carbs checked and measured,etc.

The owner of the 16th car in approached the cylinder head table were I was positioned and offered a rod and piston to me. He wasn't mad any more because the rod bearing in the rod that was pulled was rotated 90 degrees! Needless to say the racer was pleased to have found this.


Not your typical tech story but a good one.



Can anyone tell me who the racer was???

[MR DERBY CITY]

Either Dwight Southerland or Dave Lebrun

[James Perrone]

2006 I barrow Joe Lisa E/SA Camaro 9 cars in class I’m the 3rd slowest
Run fastest car 1st rd he goes red every round we are trying anything metring rods carb and lo and behold we are in the final and have to win class to get in So I get the by to the final and racers are have given me an X pipe carb and as I about to leave a racers says Put this yellow stuff in the oil And don’t pedal it and shut it off
Well that stuff smelled like NITRO 😂
I have the pleasure of racing some GIANT man child in a PINK car and I get lucky and the GIANT goes red I’m cheering as I go down the track
Bruce says at the scale congratulations you just won class now go in the barn
Piston and rod wow I’m the slowest winner there We pass tear down and the officials want know why haven’t left
I told him I wanna get the oil pan on then leave after An hour and change We DROVE IT TO Get our class photo s. Unforgettable
By the way the nitro was worth a bunch. But with 3 quart ls of zero wieghy glad it was Joes engine

[JP1738]

Not necessarily tech, but very frustrating and strange. I went to Richmond dragway a few years ago to footfeed my pickup truck as my bracket car was down for the count and I still wanted to go have some fun. I get there and pay my sportsman entry, then go to "tech" to fill out my card and officially enter. Guy hands me my tech card back with the car number already filled in. I asked the guy "can I not run my own number?" I was just going to shoe-polish my usual number on the truck. He looked at me and laughed right in my face like it was crazy to him that I wanted to choose my own car #. Maybe he thought I was some dumb kid who didn't know anything about bracket racing, but I'd NEVER been anywhere that gave you a number instead of letting you have your own. F*ck that guy and that track, I'm not even mad it went under. I know it seems petty, but the way he pointed and laughed with such distain, it infuriated me. Everyone that worked there was a dick to me every time I went, race car or not. Racers were great though, met some awesome people while I lived in that area for a while.