Congrats to Charles Blossom

[Scott North]

Some of you guys may remember me, most of you won't...

I haven't made a pass in Stock Eliminator in 7 or 8 years, but when I did, I was usually banging my index like a screen door in a hurricane. ie: I've essentially been in Charles Blossom's shoes... I ran a turbo car in the old AF/SA, and BF/SA class, before they combined, and redistributed. I ran as high as Bandimere, and as low as Topeka.

Here are a couple of things I would consider, based on past experience, if it were me...

A) Boost gauges read differently depending on what altitude you're running at. As such, a tell-tale boost gauge doesn't (in my opinion) reach the desired goal - a level playing field. It may DQ a perfectly untouched boost level depending on weather/altitude conditions. It also may allow an advantage under other weather/altitude conditions.

B) Factory turbochargers that pass tech are not an unlimited source of horsepower. They have a limit to their ability just like a naturally aspirated combination. That limitation has an unusual effect that some of you may not be aware of... If you are pushing a turbo to the edge of its efficiency range it essentially becomes like a naturally aspirated combination when at altitude. Correction factors are surprisingly accurate.

If a level playing field is the ultimate goal, the turbo cars need to be able to push the edge of performance the same way the naturally aspirated combos can. Limiting the amount of boost they run, sets up a whole new set of problems. If you allow the turbo car people to max out that turbo under all altitude conditions, you can now confidently factor it just like any other car. If you can factor it like any other combination, it makes putting it in the right class much easier. AHFS flaws aside, as that's a completely different ball of wax, that my opinion won't matter much on...

For anyone that cares, I may make a comeback with the old Buick someday soon. It's sitting out in the shop looking strikingly similar to the last time it was out.

[Jimi B]

One other thing guys. Boost means nothing to power. Airflow does. Boost is not a measurement of airflow. Its a measurement of restriction in the intake system. You take a set up and leave the boost controller alone, and change other parameters that will increase airflow and the boost level will be lower. Add lift and or duration the boost will be lower. Add overlap the boost will be lower. Make the ports larger(obviously not allowed in stock) the boost will be lower.

[Run to Rund]

Don't forget your old Chemistry course where PV=nRT. Boost Pressure P is a function of the number of moles n of air and Temperature. As you get closer to the end of the efficiency range, most of what you get is more T instead of more n. the n helps of course, but the T hurts. Presence and design of a wastegate, vs. no wastegate, and air flow capacity of the turbo matter a lot, and of course vary from one application to another. One model car may have a turbo that can do a lot more for power than it does in stock form, while another might be close to maxed out in stock configuration.

[Jimi B]

Exactly. Its not limitless power.

[GarysZ24]

Scott, I'm glad to know you still have your car, and will bring it back out to play again someday, but you (and the others) talking about turbos and altitude racing had me being thankful for "Drag Race Central". Back in 2003 at the Mile Highs I had to run class against a Turbo-charged Daytona, that in spite of his car being nearly 400lbs heavier than my car/driver combo, he plastered my car by running a 15.574 @ 85.95mph (with a .249rt), against my 16.788 @ 79.08mph (with a .061rt), against an altitude corrected DF/SA index of 16.82! Needless to say he qualified 3rd in the 77 car field, and I was 76th...the only reason I wasn't dead last was Toby Lang was there, and he wanted to be the last on the list (I know him well enough now to know that he does that on purpose, because his car is much quicker than he qualifies it, and it shows during elim's)! I wish I could be that savy to be able to do such a thing, but with a fwd stocker I wouldn't even feel it wise to try....

My point in this, is if I someday get to go to Indy my focus will not be to win class (especially since class doesn't pay but $100 to my car anymore), it would be to make it into the final 128, and I need nearly .45 sec to give myself a chance to make that work!! What I'm curious about is how could a car with a 14.13lbs per hp be able to run in DF/S anyway, when my lbs per hp is 20.09, for the same class???

[Mike Carr]

As of the Class Guide, the car received 6 HP today, giving it a weight break of 17.42, making it a natural BF/S that can run A and C now. No more D.

[Jim Wahl]

Originally Posted by Mike Carr

As of the Class Guide, the car received 6 HP today, giving it a weight break of 17.42, making it a natural BF/S that can run A and C now. No more D.

It will still run -1.70 under in C. Jim

[Scott North]

Originally Posted by GarysZ24

Scott, I'm glad to know you still have your car, and will bring it back out to play again someday, but you (and the others) talking about turbos and altitude racing had me being thankful for "Drag Race Central". Back in 2003 at the Mile Highs I had to run class against a Turbo-charged Daytona, that in spite of his car being nearly 400lbs heavier than my car/driver combo, he plastered my car by running a 15.574 @ 85.95mph (with a .249rt), against my 16.788 @ 79.08mph (with a .061rt), against an altitude corrected DF/SA index of 16.82! Needless to say he qualified 3rd in the 77 car field, and I was 76th...the only reason I wasn't dead last was Toby Lang was there, and he wanted to be the last on the list (I know him well enough now to know that he does that on purpose, because his car is much quicker than he qualifies it, and it shows during elim's)! I wish I could be that savy to be able to do such a thing, but with a fwd stocker I wouldn't even feel it wise to try....

My point in this, is if I someday get to go to Indy my focus will not be to win class (especially since class doesn't pay but $100 to my car anymore), it would be to make it into the final 128, and I need nearly .45 sec to give myself a chance to make that work!! What I'm curious about is how could a car with a 14.13lbs per hp be able to run in DF/S anyway, when my lbs per hp is 20.09, for the same class???

As you know Gary, I believe your car has been mis-classfied for years. You're a trooper for hanging in there with it!

[Owen S Quirion]

I was looking through the Classification Guide this morning and was wondering why the Guide only lists the PT Cruiser GT Convertible as having the 220/230 hp version available. I noticed that Charles' car has the GT identification badges in Tom Sheehan's pictures. Maybe someone could explain the difference between the big HP version and the one that Charles ran at Indy. Is it an intercooler?

[GarysZ24]

Originally Posted by Scott North

As you know Gary, I believe your car has been mis-classfied for years. You're a trooper for hanging in there with it!

Thanks Scott (and I hope you & yours are doing great), but I'm happier now that my combo was refactored down to 120/125hp (since they dropped those .3 from last years indexes), so I'm a solid DF/S car. Moreover, since I've pretty much removed all of the weight from my car that I legally can, then now I can enjoy not having to be concerned with my old 2640lb weight minimum! Now it is getting out to the races....