25 Undetectable Horsepower for Crates in Speedway Illustrated

[jackley93]

The April issue of Dick Berggren's Speedway Illustrated (www.speedwayillustrated.com) will be featuring an article on how to gain 25 more horsepower (undetectable) for your crate engine.

[purestock4]

Um its detectable if engine is dynoed

[Harris44mod]

This is the exact reason I HATE CRATE RACING! 

[Half Fast Bob]

How is this any different than any other class? Let's pick 360 Sprints... if the engine is assembled and sealed and this article said 25 undetectable hp from your sealed motor, you'd be ok with that?

Come on, cheating isn't exclusive to crates. The only reason crates get the spotlight is because they were bragged up to be cheat proof with the breakoff bolts and they're not.

[Groundpounder]

The only reason crates get the spotlight is because they were bragged up to be cheat proof with the breakoff bolts and they're not.

But that's just it Bob.  There are still a lot of naive people out there who think they can go to a GM dealership, buy a brand new sealed crate, and think that they have just as good an engine as everyone else.  That doesn't happen.

[Harris44mod]

Groundpounder that is my point exactly.  I know guy's that have gone to crate classes in the mind set that all is equal because it's a sealed motor and find out it's not!

[Casper60]

I've seen a 7 hp increase just in an oil change, so is that considered cheating if I spend the money on that type of oil?

[Groundpounder]

It just goes to prove that having the exact same engine under everyone's hood isn't a practical (or even a desirable) goal.

[Casper60]

The arguement can go on and on, but the same problems exsist in open engines as well. It all falls on the tracks shoulders to do their job and enforce the rules they wrote.

Honestly if you can find an advantage that does not involve cheating up the engine, there is nothing wrong with that, it's just doing your homework.

[Groundpounder]

But the whole idea of finding any engine-related advantage, whether it violates any written rules or not, goes against the whole crate philosophy of everyone having "equal" power plants.  The idea of no one having a power advantage sounds nice in theory, but it just doesn't work in the real world.

The IMCA philosophy of limiting traction to negate big horsepower is much more sound.  I also think Accord is on the right track with their new "body snatcher" sportsman class they are starting this year (even though that class allows crates along with open engines).  http://www.accordspeedway.com/?p=3072&page=2

[Casper60]

First of the philosophy of anything being equal in racing is flawed. There will never be equality in crates or open engines. Hell, the crate engines aren't even equal to one another coming out of the shop after being built.

The minute you tell me I can't find ways of going faster that are within the rules is the same minute I sell everything. Racing itself is boring to me. Doing the research and engineering to develop a better, faster, LEGAL car is the fun part

As for the division Accord wants to start, it's an open sportsman class with no outer body work. Ok, so a savings of maybe $800 on tin. Other than that all the same expenses apply.

[Wrenchguy61]

so that accord division is basically a non wing sprint car with a carb....   hum ........   oh and mod tires....lol    not sure thats really gonna be a big change for most of those fellows

[Groundpounder]

First of the philosophy of anything being equal in racing is flawed. There will never be equality in crates or open engines. Hell, the crate engines aren't even equal to one another coming out of the shop after being built.

I don't disagree.  But are you saying that the whole idea behind crate classes was NOT for everyone to have "equal" engines?

The minute you tell me I can't find ways of going faster that are within the rules is the same minute I sell everything. Racing itself is boring to me. Doing the research and engineering to develop a better, faster, LEGAL car is the fun part

I also agree that this is a big part of it for most racers.  My question is why would someone who is that enamored with the innovative side of racing participate in a crate class where by its very nature innovation is severely shackled?

As for the division Accord wants to start, it's an open sportsman class with no outer body work. Ok, so a savings of maybe $800 on tin. Other than that all the same expenses apply.

I disagree.  Without all the added downforce the modern dirt mod bodies provide, there will be significantly less traction available, thereby placing less of a premium on horsepower.  I'd have gone one step further though and mandated leaf springs as the only rear suspension option.

[maweenie]

so if a crate motor is roughly 3500 what does the stage 2 or 3 crate motor cost. where is this saving anyone any money again. we all know they are out there and are "undetectable". this is what is gonna kill any "crate class". If its to good to be true it usually is

[MtnRacer]

I can tell you when we were working with a Late Model Team that runs at an unnamed western PA track they bought a new 604 Crate Motor to run and quickly found out that it was not even close to being competitive. When several well know Crate Rebuilders were contacted about what could be done to make the car more competitive they were astonished at the responses which basically amounted to how much horsepower to you want to buy and not to worry you will never get dq'd.

These engines are being reworked and resealed all the time with significantly more horsepower than they came with. Now I am not saying whether this is good or bad but it definitely doesn't meet the intention of Crate Motors and the idea that you don't have to tech them and anyone that believes that all the Crates are being run legal has their heads in the sand.