On the Accord bodyless division: ............In theory, if you take away the downforce of the bodies, wouldn't that make HP less important and put more of a premium on handling?
Good point, KT.
It reminds me of an old Smokey Yunick quote, "Until you can go wide open around the track, you've got a handling problem, not a horsepower problem", or something like that.
The anticipation of said undetectable horsepower in crates is just killing me.
What does it cost to cheat up a 3500$ 602 or a 7000$ 604 for an extra 25hp...
Charley, nobody knows the answer to that because that would designate someone as a cheater.
I've got a feeling that the extra 25 horsepower is going to come from something silly... such as K&N Filters and a lighter weight oil, or some kind of fuel cooling device.
I think some of you guys don't get the idea behind the crate Sportsman Modified division. You're right you're never going to make every engine even but if the track does it's job of enforcing the rules a guy with a $3300 crate motor is going to be closer in power to the crate cheater than any other class under the sun where guys spend $20 grand to win a $300 feature. If you want to experiment and engineer a better power plant run another class and let us low budget guys race the crates. It's supposed to be more of an entry division class than the headliner anyway. Let the guys who can afford $10 to $30 grand motors race the full blown modifieds. Right now you can buy a $5000 used roller dirt mod, a $2000 used crate engine and have a competitive ride for less than a back marker modified team pays just to put an engine together and race for $600 to win! Don't tell me you can't be competitive cause I raced a ten year old Olsen crate modified on old tires with a three year old crate engine that had never had the valve spings changed and was competitve. At Black Rock I was handicapped to the rear in a twentyfour car field and raced up to sixth before I got knocked around a bit and finished eighth. At Woodhull I ran the same car and challenged for the lead but crashed out when I tried a tricky move. That car was not the best tool to go to war with and I still stood a chance. I'm sure the magazine article will be about special oils and grease, air cleaners, plugs and such. Karl Fredrickson who is the senior editor is firmly in the "I hate crates camp" so it may be a bit of a hit piece. All I'm saying is open engine classes and crates both have their place and for some people crates may be the only way they can afford to hit the track. JMO.
Claychamp.. I am well aware the purpose of the class and the crate engine itself is the only reason I have a car to run the class. I also know you don't have to cheat a motor up to win or be competitive. I can tell you this, there is nothing special in what I do and everything I use can be bought off the shelf at AutoZone or Advance. It's just a matter of knowing what does what and how it creates a better working car. With that said, things of that nature have nothing to do with cheating. But you are correct when you say the track needs to do it's job and enforce the rules it puts out every year. Unfortunately they thought the crate was going to be easier to tech and because of that, they let it get to where it is now. Personally, I think these engines should have never been allowed to be opened, or at the very least, if you are going to open them for repairs, it should only be allowed as long as no machine work needs to be done. Once you machine any part of it, it changes the entire piece.
About the "body snatcher" class. Again, I think the idea was to make it more affordable. There's a lot of older dirt modifieds around but it costs around $2000 to $3000 to put an entire new body package on one of those cars. No body and you've saved a couple grand right off the bat. I think the fans will like being able to see the driver again. I know I look like a scared monkey in a cage sawing around on the wheel in there! Definately good for a laugh! Not sure how much aero really does at a little place like Accord anyway. Plus dirt mods generally have too much rear downforce and lift on the nose so they might handle just as well without a body.
Claychamp.. I am well aware the purpose of the class and the crate engine itself is the only reason I have a car to run the class. I also know you don't have to cheat a motor up to win or be competitive. I can tell you this, there is nothing special in what I do and everything I use can be bought off the shelf at AutoZone or Advance. It's just a matter of knowing what does what and how it creates a better working car. With that said, things of that nature have nothing to do with cheating. But you are correct when you say the track needs to do it's job and enforce the rules it puts out every year. Unfortunately they thought the crate was going to be easier to tech and because of that, they let it get to where it is now. Personally, I think these engines should have never been allowed to be opened, or at the very least, if you are going to open them for repairs, it should only be allowed as long as no machine work needs to be done. Once you machine any part of it, it changes the entire piece.
My thoughts exactly. Hopefully cheaters get caught but if there are cheaters in the field I would be closer in hp to them then I would be to the big spenders with open motors.
If you have to cheat to compete your still a CHEATER some drivers have so much talent they could win driving a bicycle!!
About the "body snatcher" class. Again, I think the idea was to make it more affordable. There's a lot of older dirt modifieds around but it costs around $2000 to $3000 to put an entire new body package on one of those cars. No body and you've saved a couple grand right off the bat. I think the fans will like being able to see the driver again. I know I look like a scared monkey in a cage sawing around on the wheel in there! Definately good for a laugh! Not sure how much aero really does at a little place like Accord anyway. Plus dirt mods generally have too much rear downforce and lift on the nose so they might handle just as well without a body.
You can get a complete body with fiberglass for under $1400. I do agree that the bodies are too pricey though.
unaltered engines in cars called modifieds ? That seems odd to me .