Wally Parks editorial from Dec 1955

[Travis Miller]

The following is Wally Parks' editorial from the Dec 1955 issue of Hot Rod Magazine concerning the Great Bend event.

"A lot of fellows who participated in the recent National Championship Drag Races at Great Bend, Kansas, were a bit shaken up at the thoroughness with which NHRA officials conducted the pre-race technical inspections. Crew members who were charged with responsibility for maintaining safety of contestant equipment were trained at their jobs and handled the details with conscientious sincerity. It wasn't that they were trying to find fault with a participant's car; they simply followed the rules as they were meant to be followed. Naturally, a lot of last minutes repairs and alterations had to be made, some of which cost the entrants valuable time. Most complaints were, "We've been running this way at our strip all along and have had no trouble before!", which simply pointed out that a lot of strips have been far too lax in their enforcement of universally accepted safety regulations governing drag strip operations.

But after the meet was ended, members of the hard-working NHRA technical committee became heroes in the eyes of many participants. They exerted the same honest concern in verifying the legality of class winners as they had in searching for potential danger points in the earlier inspections.

As winners were determined, during the class eliminations, an assigned official would escort each winning car to a holding area where it was held pending a tear-down inspections of its engine. Engines were torn all the way down in real expose.

To say that some owners of stock cars in the National Drags were startled would be the understatement of the meet-they were shook! And why not? In one Stock class the first, second and third place cars proved to be running out of class, having modifications or special equipment that were definitely not permissible.

As a result, no records were established in either "A," "B," "C," or "D" Stock classes at Great Bend. Only two eliminators, "B" and "D" classes, were determined legal upon inspections.

What's to come of all this dishonesty? Well, there are several possible solutions. One is to discontinue the running of Stock classes, but this isn't practical. Another might be to run Stocks for "time only," giving no awards to winners. Last, but not least, would be to change class restrictions to simply require "no visible modifications," leaving hidden parts wide open to alteration.

Whatever is done, a lot of honest people will take the rap for offenses committed by a few would-be "hot dogs" who haven't enough confidence in their own engine refinements to declare them properly.

As always, we welcome our readers' reactions and suggestions.-WP"

[RJ Sledge]

Thanks Travis, interesting read.

RJ

[Chad Rhodes]

Originally Posted by R J Sledge

Thanks Travis, interesting read.

RJ

So, what was it like RJ? You were there,right?

[NewHemi]

This proves that nothing much has changed over the years.

There are many, many legal cars running. But unfortunately, there are also those that running who are not legal.

We got HP at least twice and even lost class from a car that was not legal, but was never torn down, until very recently.

We have been torn down twice in the last 6 months, and I can say that the guys doing the tear down had no ulterior motive or agenda. They weren't trying to punish us. Their only job was to be sure that my car was legal.

While I respect Wally's opinions on what could have been done, I think the most obvious solution was missed. Tighten up the tear down schedule. If a car goes 1.20 under, tear it down. We got torn down for 1.20 under. Why shouldn't everyone? If a car wins class, tear it down.

Do I enjoy tear downs? Absolutely not! But I think they are absolutely necessary.

The challenge is to keep the playing field level. And letting a car get you horsepower and never being torn down, then found being illegal, and leaving the HP in place is just plain wrong.

This isn't intended to open an opportunity to attack what you see as unfair rules. The rules are the rules. Whether you like them or not, or because you think someone has an advantage because of the rules. Taking advantage of the rules, has always been the strategy of racers. You pick a favorable combo, and race it. So, you don't need to attack me, or the new cars. As you can see things really do level out based on the rules.

So I just say, more stringent enforcement of the rules through tear downs, and appropriate penalties for those caught with an illegal car, is the way to go.

David
The New Hemi Guy

[RJ Sledge]

Yeah Chad I had the "A" Stock 1953 Ford Flathead Business Coupe, I thought it was a legal move to replace the flathead with a 292 dual quad Y-Block out of my brothers 56 Fairlane . Hell it was Stock, so whats the big deal.....Right??

RJ

[bill dedman]

The "big deal" is, Ford never EVER put two 4bbls on a 292... LOL!

You knew that....

[BlueOval Ralph]

In one of the 312 Engine books there is a copy of a Ford Dealer bulletin form the spring of 1956 ( I have the book if I could figure out hot to post it I can scan it) li lists a two fourv and cam kit for the Ford line bolts right on a 292 Buddy Bar cast intake and tea pot Holleys the intake took a different valley pan, one with a recess to clear bottom of intake. Had one on my 1956 Ford Sunliner

Originally Posted by bill dedman

The "big deal" is, Ford never EVER put two 4bbls on a 292... LOL!

You knew that....

[RJ Sledge]

Ralph you are correct, it was a dealer installed option from Ford in the 56 passenger car models. Only the 56 TBird got that combo from the Factory. 292/245hp

Bill you are sort of correct, Ford did not have any Passenger car 292 dual quad 245hp combo's built at the factory, they had the selling dealer install that option before delivery.

RJ

[Nitro Joe Jackson]

speaking of tear downs, i remember the days everybody was torn down after winning class and after you won your eliminator you was torn down in staging lanes after pictures where taken, i still remember Max Hurley coming over, taking a beer out of our cooler and looking at my father and the IHRA tech man grinning and saying, "Hope she is just a little big" after we won the Empire Nationals, lol we was good to go.

[Jim Parsons]

What's to come of all this dishonesty? Well, there are several possible solutions. One is to discontinue the running of Stock classes, but this isn't practical. Another might be to run Stocks for "time only," giving no awards to winners. Last, but not least, would be to change class restrictions to simply require "no visible modifications," leaving hidden parts wide open to alteration.


Travis,
Thanks for the editorial, well written as always by Wally and at the time sincerely having the best interest of the sportsman Stock racer at heart.

However I’m not sure I’m getting the point of this post, is Glendora considering some changes to Stock eliminator? I.e. “discontinuing the Stock classes” or perhaps “no visible modifications” making it stock appearing leaving hidden parts open to alteration.
Just call me paranoid but with all that’s going on with opening up the rules away from true stock I feel justified in my concern.

Or is about the tech personnel being under appreciated? As far as the tech personnel I know I have tremendous respect for them and the sincerity. From what I hear underappreciated and under compensated is more an issue with their employer these days than from the racers. I guess another affirmation of the tech personnel’s committed sincerity and respect for class racing.

If Wally was around these days what would he be writing about stock eliminator and tech?

Thanks and Regards
Jim