Tech Inspection stories?

hrs1326 · 02-11-2024, 07:38 AM

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 · 02-11-2024, 09:03 AM

Either Dwight Southerland or Dave Lebrun

James Perrone · 02-11-2024, 11:52 AM

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 · 02-12-2024, 11:07 AM

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.

1320racer · 02-12-2024, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JP1738

I'd NEVER been anywhere that gave you a number instead of letting you have your own.

FYI, At the Flings they give you a number which is preceded by A, B, C or D depending on your class and you get 2 letters if doubled entered.

JP1738 · 02-12-2024, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1320racer

FYI, At the Flings they give you a number which is preceded by A, B, C or D depending on your class and you get 2 letters if doubled entered.

And I think that's dumb too.

1320racer · 02-12-2024, 11:23 AM

well, if you ever compete at a Fling, I guess you can drop that in the suggestion box.

Mark Yacavone · 02-12-2024, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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.

I've been to many tracks where they have the tech cards pre-numbered.
I just cross out their number and write in my own.
Your mistake was to even ask about it.

Jack McCarthy · 02-12-2024, 05:48 PM

twice ive been tossed both by travis an hes good friend

85 sports class teardown was 5-7# over valve springs travis was laying carpet in my house on tuesday .... he says as i push outta the barn still doing carpet ?? im like sure you didnt f&*k me did you he replied i tried all 3 spring testers you got bounce 3 times

like 89 ? indy at paul harvey ....
he says lets check #7 dont think weve done that cylinder yet (car has passed several teardowns) and damnit 3degrees over intake duration that lobe only ...
nhra drops duration rule jan 1st so i was LAST guy to take the duration DQ.

travis once carried a concrete block in his van to reach his short *** over the 60 fenders !

capt

Jim Caughlin · 02-12-2024, 08:02 PM

A few years back, I was at a Divisional and the tech guy told me I couldn't run because the rod end support on the front of my ladder bars was below the height of the top of the rear wheel. I tried to explain to him that what the rulebook actually said was that the attachment point on the rearend housing couldn't be lower than the top of the wheel. He said that I was wrong and that no suspension component could be below the bottom of the wheel in case a tire went flat. I pointed out to him that on a tube chassis car, the entire frame was below the top of the tire. Anyway, he said cut them off or don't run so I cut them off. A few weeks later, I went to the next divisional race and the tech guy not suprisingly told me that I couldn't run because I had no ladder bar rod end supports. Go figure...

02-11-2024, 07:38 AM	#1
hrs1326 Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2022 Posts: 52 Likes: 2 Liked 19 Times in 10 Posts	Re: Tech Inspection stories? 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???

02-11-2024, 09:03 AM	#2
MR DERBY CITY VIP Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Derby City, USA Posts: 3,638 Likes: 1,083 Liked 7,938 Times in 1,519 Posts	Re: Tech Inspection stories? Either Dwight Southerland or Dave Lebrun

02-11-2024, 11:52 AM	#3
James Perrone VIP Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: LONG ISLAND N.Y. Posts: 1,676 Likes: 3,381 Liked 1,821 Times in 425 Posts	Re: Tech Inspection stories? 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 __________________ james perrone 1290 STK

02-12-2024, 11:07 AM	#4
JP1738 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2024 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 574 Likes: 1,625 Liked 1,187 Times in 338 Posts	Re: Tech Inspection stories? 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. __________________ Dawson Pauley #2827 N/SA 1980 Malibu SW 2S 305/180 #2827 S/ST 1978 Mazda RX7 w/ 383 sbc/glide

02-12-2024, 05:48 PM	#9
Jack McCarthy VIP Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: lyndon ky. ... louisville area Posts: 1,322 Likes: 29 Liked 476 Times in 117 Posts	Re: Tech Inspection stories? twice ive been tossed both by travis an hes good friend 85 sports class teardown was 5-7# over valve springs travis was laying carpet in my house on tuesday .... he says as i push outta the barn still doing carpet ?? im like sure you didnt f&k me did you he replied i tried all 3 spring testers you got bounce 3 times like 89 ? indy at paul harvey .... he says lets check #7 dont think weve done that cylinder yet (car has passed several teardowns) and damnit 3degrees over intake duration that lobe only ... nhra drops duration rule jan 1st so i was LAST guy to take the duration DQ. travis once carried a concrete block in his van to reach his short ** over the 60 fenders ! capt __________________ Jack McCarthy 3609 STK "the Captain"

02-12-2024, 11:23 AM	#7
1320racer VIP Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: New Jersey Posts: 2,628 Likes: 160 Liked 759 Times in 379 Posts	Re: Tech Inspection stories? well, if you ever compete at a Fling, I guess you can drop that in the suggestion box.

02-12-2024, 08:02 PM	#10
Jim Caughlin Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Woodburn, Or Posts: 685 Likes: 82 Liked 805 Times in 245 Posts	Re: Tech Inspection stories? A few years back, I was at a Divisional and the tech guy told me I couldn't run because the rod end support on the front of my ladder bars was below the height of the top of the rear wheel. I tried to explain to him that what the rulebook actually said was that the attachment point on the rearend housing couldn't be lower than the top of the wheel. He said that I was wrong and that no suspension component could be below the bottom of the wheel in case a tire went flat. I pointed out to him that on a tube chassis car, the entire frame was below the top of the tire. Anyway, he said cut them off or don't run so I cut them off. A few weeks later, I went to the next divisional race and the tech guy not suprisingly told me that I couldn't run because I had no ladder bar rod end supports. Go figure...