Graham light sticks foot in mouth? (1 Viewer)

[my friends call me Zappy]

Zappy... Where is the big $$ that the nitro teams are going to encounter in the spec motor??

Like the others have said, a ton of R&D would be needed. And the teams inventories of rods, pistons, heads, blocks, blowers, ect would be obsolete.

There is no need for a new nitro motor. 1,000ft has done their goal already. Lowered the speeds and made the racing safer. And all with NO new cost to the teams, no R&D, no new parts. Also it saved tracks from being obsolete.

 

[yoda]

Like the others have said, a ton of R&D would be needed. And the teams inventories of rods, pistons, heads, blocks, blowers, ect would be obsolete.

There is no need for a new nitro motor. 1,000ft has done their goal already. Lowered the speeds and made the racing safer. And all with NO new cost to the teams, no R&D, no new parts. Also it saved tracks from being obsolete.

What more R&D would be necessary than what is already being done, Zappy?

In case some of you forget, this whole sport is based around a bunch of engineers that like to try and make things go faster- the actual 4 seconds of run is the end result of hours/days/months of R&D that a good part of the annual budget is already dedicated to.

Do you honestly think that those teams that already do research and development on their gear would just stop if told that their current combination would be the industry standard for the next 10 years? Please...

The teams don't encounter NEW costs- they just encounter COSTS... The dollar doesn't know if it is being spent on a 500ci piston or a 417ci one... The dollar is just spent. And to think that there is anyone out there running a Nitro combination today that DOESN'T take the time to sit down and try to figure out how to make something better/stronger/faster is naive at best. NONE of that is done for free, so R&D costs only go up exponentially based on the amount of exisiting available funding and the capabilities and imagination of the engineer.
To assume there is NO R&D cost in running a fuel team is just foolish- to steal a line from somewhere, it IS rocket science. Someone is always spending a dollar somewhere to make these things better- always have, always will. Even NASA has an R&D budget on a device that, to the untrained eye, looks pretty much the same as it did 25 years ago. Research and development costs are always included into any successful teams annual budget- hell, even I have a grand designated to trying new sh!te on the kid's Jr every year (tires, fuel systems, plumbing, etc)... can't get better unless you try things. Can't try things unless you spend money.

rods- expendables
pistons- expendables
heads- machining
blocks- sleeves
blowers- only 2, MAYBE 3 teams will be affected by going to a smaller huffer- and there is no guarentee that blower size will be changed... probably just the speed they spin

And don't even go with that belief that "slower is safer"... Safety is a combination of planning, engineering and fate, with a bit of luck sprinkled in as good measure. If all of those things aren't in alignment, safety due to speed, or the lack of it, becomes a moot point. Would there be less highway deaths at 55 than 75? Possibly. Would there be less highway deaths at 75 if all street cars were built like Pro Stockers? Probably. Would there be NO deaths? Not likely. Let's not fool ourselves into thinking that we are going to prevent ALL deaths and injuries in this VERY DANGEROUS SPORT by making the cars go slower.

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

Would there be NO deaths? Not likely. Let's not fool ourselves into thinking that we are going to prevent ALL deaths and injuries in this VERY DANGEROUS SPORT by making the cars go slower.[/QUOTE]

You are right Mr. T there will always be risk involved in racing. All I'm saying is, there will be more cost in changing to a ALL NEW set-up, then staying with what we have.

And lets not forget about the ALKY racer. IF nhra brings the nitro speeds down to the 280-300 range, don't think for a minute that nhra won't slow the alky cars respectively.

Nhra would either (A) come up with a spec alky engine, or (B) run alky cars to 1,000ft.

 

[yoda]

You are right Mr. T there will always be risk involved in racing. All I'm saying is, there will be more cost in changing to a ALL NEW set-up, then staying with what we have.

And lets not forget about the ALKY racer. IF nhra brings the nitro speeds down to the 280-300 range, don't think for a minute that nhra won't slow the alky cars respectively.

Nhra would either (A) come up with a spec alky engine, or (B) run alky cars to 1,000ft.

One of the nitro guys here gave a rundown of what it would take to put the basics of a spec engine in place... Ultimately it would save the race teams money, and the initial outlay would be the same or less than what it currently costs teams now anyway. One less disc and floater, one less mag, thicker sleeves to bring the c.i. down, new crank (probably), new pistons and rods that they have to buy anyway- no more ordering part # XXXX; now we order the same quantity of part # YYYY- all the same to Venolia and BME...

And looking at the alky guys- what's the difference between having to order all the parts they do anyway to stay competitive year in and year out and ordering parts that, in the long run, are the same bits that the nitro teams are changing over to as well? Alky goes to 354ci max (via sleeves), one mag, smaller/ slower pump, and, tah dah, the parrity between the "Big Show" and the "little guys" is equal again...