Crate Engines in NHRA?

[CrateCamaro]

Originally Posted by Alan Roehrich

Now, a current Stock Eliminator engine IS a well scienced race piece, I agree completely on that point. Actually, that's part of my point. You can't go BUY a crate motor, put it in, and be competitive. You still have to do exactly the same thing to a crate motor. At least, you do if you want to go fast. And it costs the same. The ONLY advantage to a crate motor, expense or difficulty wise, is not having to search for a few castings.

If you build a new crate motor, and you don't put the trick stuff in it, like race bred pistons, big pushrods, and the rest, it'll be a slug. All of that stuff has nothing at all to do with the argument against crate motors, that's just a matter of racers cheating, and NHRA deciding to allow it rather than police the class. They don't want to tech to prevent it, so they let it in.

NHRA has already proven they're not going to define and police anything. So why add a bunch of new stuff that they're not going to police and define better than what we already have? THAT is the problem with crate engines. They can come up with a new engine, on paper, with parts from a catalog, assign a soft factor to it, and start all over again, any time they want. NHRA will not add crate classes, they don't want more classes. Honestly, the majority racers don't want them either, and the class can't stand it.

For crate engines to get in NHRA, they'd be added into the current classes. We already have bogus paper crate cars, we really don't need any more of them.

I can sympathize with Chipper, having spent his money, and now being invested in something he's going to have a hard time racing. I hate to see it happen, to anyone.

I was going to be nice and just ignore this post but its snowing and all my "Crate Motor" parts are at the machine shop so your going to get a blasting...

Crate Motors really came into the picture in IHRA to help sell GM crate engines. They are nothing more than a replacement engine for a muscle car thats over the counter and has a warrenty. So when your tired old 350 295hp motor gives up...you can go to the dealer and purchace a 350 300hp or go for the 330hp 350 that has nothing more than 96 and up GM Vortec PICKUP TRUCK HEADS...yes we race with tow vehicle heads. The cool thing is that Mopar and Ford jumped on board and had their own crate engines...so now we have 60's racing all over again with the big 3. Its not like we are lightly factored either. Have a look at some of the combo's before you even talk about soft factoring.

Im sorry that you are a hard nose die hard stock eliminator racer that cant see outside of rotten cast iron intakes and garbage 40 year old carbs that have the right numbers. This is a thing of the past. I would love nothing more than to go buy a 396 and build it to stock eliminator glory....even a 327 or 350...but the parts are not out there anymore. Go to a local wrecking yard and try to find one of these engines...they are not there. And if you do find a usable core in the local paper they want your first born child to own it. And really what is the difference if they allow crate engines in NHRA? You think it matters when the tree is coming down? No it doesnt. You need to step back and look at the whole picture...never mind heads up runs and "class eliminations"...all stockers weather it be a 350 295hp or a crate 350 330hp ITS A BRACKET RACE....a glorified bracket race with rules and a 30x9 slick. WAKE UP.

Im not interested in having an internet war with you. Im sure your a great guy and everyone wants to give you a high five and hero biscut because you have a real stocker but there are young guys like myself who find it a bit easier to build and find a crate engine. You are right about one thing...we dont buy them at the dealer plunk them in and race. It takes alot of tweeking to make it run just the same as any stocker engine. I only know of one guy who actually bought a crate motor at the dealer and then took it apart and changed it over to run stock. I take pride in the combo I run and alot of my friends also run the crate combos and love it.

So instead of bashing and talking about something you really dont know much about...talk to some "crate engine" racers and ask us about it instead of not allowing us to play in your sand box. If IHRA folds up we would have nowhere to go...and im not going to build a complete new combo to race NHRA. And its not like there is only 6 guys in the world who race crate motor...there is thousands. So instead of being bias and saying "NO WAY THIS CANT HAPPEN" think outside the box a little bit brother!

Geesh...you guys dont even complain this much about a stocker with a power adder