A modest proposal for tech inspection...

Because it is the end of the PS season, and no one has thrown any bombs lately, let me toss out a thought or two...

There seems to be a fair number number of cars creeping downwards through the 12s...mostly cars that, in the day and bone stock, were lucky to run in the 13s (which is pretty darn fast). Now we all know that mods allowed in the rules do make the cars go quicker & faster...as do other mods not allowed by the rules.

Of course there is nothing to win at the PSMCDR, and the general feeling is to let everyone 'run what they brung', and if everyone is happy with that, let it be. However, if the general feeling is to rein in some of the faster participants, I have a couple of ideas I'd like to throw out.

I myself would probably never do the 'certified stock' thing, it just takes too much time and I would have a hard time getting my engine back together outside my shop (if you have ever seen a Ford FE intake manifold bare, I think you would understand). I am sure that other makes have similar issues, and besides, that just covers one year's participation.

But a 15 minute tech inspection, that could take place in the staging area, could go a long way towards identifying the more creative among us. What I am thinking of would consist of a P&G check of displacement, a check of the total cam lift, a boroscope of the intake manifold, and a quick visual verification of the electronics and the transmission. The car owner would have to remove one valve cover and one carburetor (fairly quick & easy to do on almost all the cars), and have the ignition box where it could be seen.

Of course, if one wanted to build a lower end with a lightened crank and aluminum rods...or port & extrude hone the exhaust manifolds...or lots of other mods...the inspection would not catch them. Nor would it address the cam ramping or duration...but it would be fairly quick and easy, and might make some of these times more realistic.

The inspection would be limited to the cars with a history of running 12.99 or quicker...or 12.49 or quicker...or whatever. Anyway, I thought I would just throw this out to start discussion, and generally start some trouble. I've got the burgundy 427 Fairlane that blew up at the end of the night this year at Stanton- that was Tom Artes driving, not me!! Sorry Tom!!

Let the flogging begin!!

 

I've been a in favor of just enforcing the basics as they have been written (give or take) for some time.

Fairly simply cars can be checked for these basics that limit the amount of what can be done.

Example 1.....valve train rules as written. If you need a fancy system I'd bet the cam has been taked too far.

Example 2.......pusher pump rule as written. If the stock sytem can't feed it there is either a problem or the engine has been taken too far. In tank is easy to determine also.

Example 3......ride height as written. If you have lowered or jacked the car it's easy to tell with a tape measure if it's beyond what's allowed.

Example 4.........Air breather rule as written. If it's missing, any larger filter or sneaky improvements are pretty much moot at that point.

Etc Etc Etc.

In effect I agree..... Just no new stuff, nothing added or fancy, just simple checks of the existing rules:TU:

 

There lies the problem with this idea, in the part about the lightened bottom end pieces,cam profile,etc. You can't easily check this stuff, and even though some of the car's that are running 12.50 or better may be looked at with some speculation,the majority of them are legit,well tuned pieces, whose drivers are "in tune" with driving the car. You take Jimmy,Pete,Rob,Bob K,etc, and put in a different driver that is not used to the car, and it won't run the number, I would bet large sums of money on it.
Some clown could put together a big cube stroker cheatin' SOB, but if he can't drive the thing, it won't be quicker than some of our quickest certified cars.:Smarty:

I agree with Brian, we don't need more rules, just enforce the one's that are already in place, and if the certified stock program continues, those cars that are certified, need to be held to a higher standard, if they are to be considered the "benchmark" of performance.

The bottom line is, this race is fun, it is supposed to be fun, and when there get's to be too many rules(headaches), it's not going to be fun for the participants, or organizers, and then it will cease to exist, and I don't think that any of us that are having "fun" want to see that happen.
Keep it simple, Keep it fun.:TU:

 

Great idea.
Somewhere in the neighborhood of 30+ cars ran 12.99 or better in 2007.
15 minutes X 30 cars = 450 minutes / 60 = 7.5 hours.
In fact, you can supervise each inspection. Throw me the keys for the Fairlane and I'll run time trials for ya...:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :moonu:

 

Maybe add a quick 8 format for the fastest 8 cars, (the quick 8 takes NO more rounds than a 2 of 3 shoot-out)those cars can than be taken to the side and held to a higher standard as far as tech goes.

This will do two things: #1 it seems as if the Vette`s might take the top 3 spots next year so this will actually give Rick`s Firebird, Bob`s Cuda, Pete`s Copo or maybe Jim`s Super Bee to out drive these other guy`s and actually take the win at the PSMCDR. #2 There will be a clear cut-off point as to what cars will be teched futher. Just an idea.....:TU:

 

That's a great idea.

 

:af: ou: :rant: :blast: o No:


:dollar: :dollar: :dollar: :dollar: :3gears: :shock: :laugh:

figure this one out!! It's all written in the smilies!

 

I thought we were all racing within the ~spirit~ of the rules? o No:

 

OOPS....actually typed the first thing that came into my mind.....sorry if anyone saw it before this edit.

 

Dave I agree. It would be nice to mix it up a little.:TU:

 

I know, I know, I know............:af: :moonu:

 

Hello Frank,

Hey guys ,sorry for the slight hi-jack here ,but Frank,

13.26 ET @ 103.4 MPH !!! WoW !!! 1.96 60'er !!! Smokin!!

I just noticed your latest stats at the bottom. Sometimes you've got to hit me in the head with something before I notice.

Just wanted to say congratulations! You've really got that beautiful Dart moving!:3gears:

Rich C.

 

For a slight consultation fee, I'll reveal what turned my Dodge around. And the best part, it was all PSMCDR legal!! :TU: And cheap too!!:TU: :TU:

 

"For a slight consultation fee, I'll reveal what turned my Dodge around. And the best part, it was all PSMCDR legal!! And cheap too!!"


I know I know, you discovered the parking brake release haven't you? Ya they got me on that too for a while till I caught on! I'm not just another pretty face you know!ou:

Thomas

 

Semi novic just tossing out a thought but for a bottom end maybe a spin test could be made?

Plugs out, belts off test where a small torque checking machine spins the motor over by the crank bolt or other and can measure the drag or weight of the system. There might be a real measurable difference in a stock and fancy light bottom end.

Course I could just be thinking to much

 

Ah yes.....the root cause of out of control P/S cars.

The idea that there is, or must be, an overall winner in P/S.

Not several shootout winners.

So some folks get carried away to put their brand of choice at the top.

 

I agree. :gp:

 

I also agree with Brian and LS6 racer. But I also don't hear anybody that has a quick 8 or 16 contender saying anything bad about that. Most everyone races at Martin and haven't heard anyone yet refuse to run in the quick ladder in favor of the shootout at that race.

I enjoy watching the really fast cars run against each other and the ladder/ bracket competition gives you a way to have a shot at being competitive without going back and shovel more cubic dollars into your car to be top dog again.

If it's all about the cars, then I totally agree with a 3 car match race shootout with half of the people being winners and half being winners maybe next time.

But if it's all about car and the driver, what's wrong with letting the fastest cars do what they want to do?

my only hangup with the ladders is when the difference in cars running heads up is ridiculous, like when I was matched against Greg Gessler in the first round at Atlanta years back. I really wanted to race against one of the other 13-14 second cars in a shootout, not be chum against a car 3 seconds faster than me in a head to head no handicap race.

Probably a good thing I did get DQ'ed for not having my driving pants in the car when I went up to the line for that 1st round massacre. I wasn't going to run a normal race, Rob Clary already gace me the only way to run that one. :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Enough warmth, flame away.

 

I agree, Dave. Shootouts provide more racing for the fans. Also let's a driver 'redeem' himself if he chokes on a pass (Like me).
I enjoy both formats. I'll not be in any quick 8's anyway.
Just glad we have 2 great races right here in Michigan that I can get to easily. :TU:

 

Since Dan and Bob started this event we have heard them say numerous times that it's a fun event (which it is) and that all the cars are equal in their minds regardless of the numbers they post. In other words the 15.2 car is to be respected and given as much "air time" as the 12.00 second cars. The shootout format gives the 15 seconders as much excitement and fun as the guys running 3 seconds faster. Now do we really want to carve out a "special" class for the really fast guys and give them,in effect, top billing when we all have repeated Dan's belief in all the cars being equal in the importance they bring to the race. How many spectators would show if it was 8 cars total at the race? Don't the other 142 also make this event what it is? Don't get me wrong, I love watching the fastest guys and hats off to the job they do with getting their cars to run those numbers, but they also already recieve a disproportionate amout of coverage in the mags. and spectators gawking. That's expected and fine, but let's not now cut out an even more special class for these cars. They have Martin in June for that.