ET Speculation, anyone have desktop dragstrip?

[chevyart]

bob we arent talking about normal engines or normal racing here when i mention the guys that run in NHRA super=stock.e guys run overheating on purpose, quarts of oil low or pints of rear end fluid low. shaving metal motor mounts down to nothing and alot of other things that you and i would never subjuec our motors to, all in the name of performance and winning. as far as the motors go, sure you can be protested at an event and you have to make your motor available for inspection. as far as between you and the engine builder, you ghet the motor done by alot of these guys and you send them back for repair or freshening and they usually tell the customer to keep them completely together and sealed. these motors are extremely expensive, and for a reason. they put out horsepower that you and i just cant comprehend, mainly because theynhave to use so mnany stock(spec) parts. its not even the trick cams as you were referring to, although some guys grind their own. . if you reallyt want to know about these engines, pick a SS class and and pony up around 20 grand or so (probably more) and get a specific engine for your class and you wont believe the results. . fasctory rated 350 cu in chev engine (rated about 300 horses from factory, with the small heads, , quadrajet carb in a 68 camaro and watch it run right around 9.90 et in the quarter. look under the hood and it dont even look special. im describing my buddies 68 camaro SS/G car. i know a bunch of these racers and they all spend big, big bucks to go fast, and all to just chase after the record, which is always being reset me, im just a 10.90 bracket racer, and i take good care of my car and motors. no crazy SS stuff chevy art

[Bob Gumm]

Art, it always blows me away how fast they run in "stock" trim. But I'm with you, I don't have $20Gs to throw at a motor that I'll frequently have to return to the builder for another rebuild. It equally amazes me when I watch the the Fast Street Car classes run in the 6's with engines cranking out more horsepower than all the cars I've ever owned put together could produce. Equally amazing is how much you know about the various classes of these cars. Keep the info coming.

[chevyart]

bob glad i just know about them and dont have to subscribe tothat madness. i found a real nice comfortable home here in the h-boby crowd, and as i keep on say, we are the next group to join the upper echelon of musclle cars, we are long overdue. thankks to guys like you and all the innovaters out there in h-body we are here and people are starting to pay attention to these beautiful cars and are starting to help by making some parts for us. the more i look at monzas the more i can see myself being called monza art, soon. art

[Ishiftem]

Another "how do they do it" class is that factory stock appearing deal where the cars have to look stock. Internal mods ok, but exhaust manifolds,no headers, full interior, etc. there are a few people running 10's on reproduction bias ply tires! Stock size bias ply tires!

[chevyart]

hey ishiftem the secret is money money money andfind out who to bring it to. i really think we have more fun than nthose guys, end especially a guy like you who is always innovating these carsyou can be proud of what you do to your car, and those guys have to reach for their wallket just to be somebody at the next race. you are self sufficient. they are not. keep up the good work chevy art

[Ishiftem]

It's still interesting to see what is possible. I don't know if I have more fun than those guys, but I do know I wouldn't have fun doing what they do. The guy around the corner has a camaro that runs something like a high 7 low 8 in an outlaw street class. After every weekend, you can find him pulling the motor out. That doesn't look like fun to me. Or the guys at the track who are pulling the clutches out, laying in the gravel, to resurface them before the next round. That just looks like work to me. The maintenance would take the fun out of it. Just my opinion.

[greg72]

It's still interesting to see what is possible. I don't know if I have more fun than those guys, but I do know I wouldn't have fun doing what they do. The guy around the corner has a camaro that runs something like a high 7 low 8 in an outlaw street class. After every weekend, you can find him pulling the motor out. That doesn't look like fun to me. Or the guys at the track who are pulling the clutches out, laying in the gravel, to resurface them before the next round. That just looks like work to me. The maintenance would take the fun out of it. Just my opinion.

Absolutely! Way back in 1979 / 1980 I worked for Ronnie Keenan, who was a partner in the Mr Boston Top Fuel Dragster (t/f 179). I was 19 years old and thought it was the coolest thing to go to the track with them and help out on the car, but MAN it was work! and you'd be at a national event (like the NHRA Summer Nationals) , but would rarely get to see any other racing because you were spending the time working on the car!

Yeah it's fun , but it becomes a full time job , and for the Sportsman racer it is often a full time SECOND job!