NHRA Levied Actions Against Don Davidson

[sammy pizzolato]

I feel sorry for don i honestly do. But in his case they must have used a solid lifter to check the cam.honest mistake.on the carb he needs to talk to his carb man. And i think that one thousand for a fine for a minor lift!! That is a bit much. Now on the other hand for a big carb that is another thing!!! When are they going to start checking for the 55mm cam.half the stock elem field has them.if they are going to let them go I WANT ONE!!!!!!

[HandOverFist]

I thought they always used a solid lifter to check.

[Jim Wahl]

Originally Posted by Chad Rhodes

one thing to consider on the lift issue is that if NHRA's lifter has a different plunger height than Don's that would affect the lift one way or the other.

Absolutely Chad! After a couple of years of being torn down almost everywhere I went with the little Caddy, Travis gave me some of the best advice I ever got. Bring your own solid lifter that matches your plunger height of the lifters in the car! It does make enough of a difference! Don't think so? Try it! Jim


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[GUMP]

Originally Posted by Billy Nees

The bottom line here has to be, why the fine?

That's what I want to know too. Is there a published "fine list" or does it get made up as things occur?

[Mark Yacavone]

Originally Posted by GUMP

That's what I want to know too. Is there a published "fine list" or does it get made up as things occur?

We have a winner!

[Alan Roehrich]

Originally Posted by Rusty Davenport

I dont understand what any of these replies are about......if you want to race with rules be prepared to play the entire game.....not just the part you like......take the hit and go back to the huddle for another play.......what is the big deal here ???? Be a player or play something else.

Because the fine is a new penalty, and under the circumstances, absolutely excessive. It is without precedent to my knowledge, for a fine to be levied for minor infractions that are not egregious and obviously intentional.

On the lift: NHRA insists on using their own arbitrary solid lifter for checking lift on hydraulic cams, and the last time I asked, refused to provide a specificed pushrod cup height. As such, if they use your pushrod and rocker arm, with their lifter, and their lifter cup height is measurably different than that of your lifter cup height, your maximum lift will also be measurably different. The difference in cup height could easily cause the extra lift.

On the carburetor: On a Q-Jet, the booster venturi is cast in, and not removable, it also sits in the minor diameter of the venturi on most Q-Jet carburetors. That makes it next to impossible to machine larger. And very difficult to measure. It is not like this is a Holly 4150 series carburetor that could easily be enlarged, and easily measured.

So, in essence, it appears Don was DQ'd and fined $1000 for infractions that have historically resulted in a trip home, and having to show up and prove your car legal at the next race. I don't think Don, or any other reasonable racer would have a problem with a DQ here, or having to show up and get checked at the next race. Being called out and fined $1,000, however, is another matter.

If there are now to be fines levied for such infractions, they should be published, and full advance notice given. Further, NHRA should be having all of their measurement equipment certified by labs qualified to do so, and all of their personnel trained and certified in the use and care of said equipment.

[Rich Biebel]

Just an observation here from someone that does not race Stock....but has and did in the old days as well as the modern era a few times with various Stockers....



Since they do so few teardowns and have very little time or manpower or will to bother with teardowns at most races.....they are now making an example of someone who failed a teardown for questionable issues.....so it sends a message that you are under the gun so to speak so you better be extra carefull.....although in this case it appears to be totally arbitrary....

and yes your lift will definitely change with any change in lifter pushrod cup height and or pushrod length......and if your very close could easily go over with something different. used to check lift......

I agree that they never fined people for infractions like this as far as I can recall.....generally show up with your car apart for inspection and checked for legality in the area where you were off previously....or a time off penalty......unless you were caught with something really blatently illegal like a delay box....or something like that......

I had a carb checked once and I was told it was too smooth in the base plate bores....a Q-jet.....size was fine but it was too smooth for their liking.....I was told I could race it but don't bring it back to another race.....the car was so slow I asked for someone elses carb that they might have in there tech trailer.....and they could keep my "too smooth carb".... it barely got a chuckle from the tech guy........

[Rodney Long]

Thanks AR

[John Duzac]

Don is running a 350 with a quadrajet carb. He could run a 302 with a 780 holly if he wanted in F/S. I feel sorry for Don. I know he did not intentionally do anything wrong. Since we run division 4 and the likely hood our turn is coming, we checked the lift on our engine last Sunday. $1000.00 could buy several cams to test! The quest for H.P. Never stops!

[Alan Roehrich]

Originally Posted by Donald Long

302 cu in Holley Carb = F/S Car

That looks a lot like an old picture of the car. The last pictures I have of the car from Don it had fresh white paint and black stripes, that was a year or so ago. If it has the same carburetor on it that it did when he bought it, he is not running it as a Z/28 with a Holley, because it was a 255/350 with a Q-Jet on it when he bought it.