New NHRA Nitro 'Spec' Engine for Top Fuel and Funny Cars

[Shaggy]

Eric when they start testing this new engine package, maybe you can head over to supervise.

I have absolutely nothing bad to say about the combination. I just find it very strange that DRO is the only place that this has been stated by any media source. As for me supervising, I don't tend to stick my nose into places it shouldnt be to begin with..ie. points series, TFCOT, same day coverage the next day.

 

[FalconRacer]

I don't know of any track that has seats at the 1320 mark....

Never been to the Texas Motorplex have ya?? The best seats in the place.. Finish Line Reserved!!!

 

[NHRAMike]

Now it's up on Comp Plus:


Spec engine details

 

[Paul]

So, I wonder what this will equate to on the track? Are we talking early 90's performance?

 

[Nitrohelper]

.......Are we talking early 90's performance?

It's something around the 1988-89 combination we ran. This was after the start of high -gear. 3.70-3.40 gear.
The stock stroke left the Big Show when the 2-spd left.
The blower is slow , much better piece now, we ran at 33-39 % over.
7:1 is a common compression now, I think that's good , and better to keep the blower speed down. less rebuilds.
I'm not sure about the short stroke and high gear, the cars are over 250# heavier now , the 3.50 will help.

 

[Bobby Bennett]

Drag Racing Internet Magazine - Competition Plus.com - NITRO TEST POSSIBLY IN ST. LOUIS, ENGINE SPECS CONFIRMED

 

[Toejam]

A 3.50 Gear? And that is going to reduce costs?

 

[wilkfan]

Do not look for the test to happen before Joliet!!

 

[Shaggy]

Well I can now believe it...It has been posted with some info at Comp Plus...

 

[Bill]

When ~I~ suggested a 3.00:1 or even a 2.80:1 gear, Virgil said it was too expensive to get done since the entire fleet of T/F and Funny Cars had switched from the 9" Ford-based rear ends to the stronger, larger (12"?) units.

Now, they're going to 3.5:1 gears?

All of a sudden, it's NOT too expensive?????????

So much for "Keeping the cost down for the racers."

What a bunch of yeahoos.........

Bill

 

[Shaggy]

Noone ever said NHRA was trying to keep the initial cost of switching to the Spec-Nitro Engine would be cheap... The switch is to make starting up costs of a new operation and run to run costs down...

 

[Toejam]

When ~I~ suggested a 3.00:1 or even a 2.80:1 gear, Virgil said it was too expensive to get done since the entire fleet of T/F and Funny Cars had switched from the 9" Ford-based rear ends to the stronger, larger (12"?) units.

Now, they're going to 3.5:1 gears?

All of a sudden, it's NOT too expensive?????????

So much for "Keeping the cost down for the racers."

What a bunch of yeahoos.........

Bill

They're turning 8,500 now, even if the cars only 295-300 as they propose. What RPM's will they turn with a 3.50 gear?? I'd like to know "who's" proposal this was, if it's Graham "Dim" Light's it's understandable, he hasn't been in a car in 30 years!

 

[Joker]

Never been to the Texas Motorplex have ya?? The best seats in the place.. Finish Line Reserved!!!

BEST SEATS IN ALL OF DRAG RACING RIGHT THERE. Pit Side, right in front of scoreboards.

 

[Wes]

By switching to a 3.50:1 gear the load on a nitro motor will not be as strong as with a 3.20:1 gear. The less you load a nitro motor, the less nitro it can burn. To my knowledge, even with the latest and greatest Chrisman or Strange rear end the gears don't last too terribly long so switching to the new ratio would be a wash.

 

[James]

This may be a dumb question BUT... Are'nt crew chiefs gonna find ways to push the new combo's to quicker et's,faster mph,and more hp like they're doing with the setups now??

 

[Bobby Bennett]

UPDATED: A memo issued to the race teams now says the timing management will remain as is and the rev-limiter will be inactive.

Drag Racing Internet Magazine - Competition Plus.com - UPDATED NITRO TEST SPECS

 

[none]

You guys kill me. This is a TEST! Nothing has been mandated, they are TESTING a combination. If I was a betting man I would wager that after this there will be, are you ready......MORE TESTS!

Does it not make sense that if the engine is smaller, it will make less power and need more gear? NHRA is buying the parts, and paying the expenses and gathering data while getting input from those in the know. and you guys are whining about it. Please somebody tell me what is wrong with this TEST!

Alan

P.S. Joe, I will ask you the same thing I have ask others, do you think calling Graham names adds to your credibility? Or that it makes you look smarter?

 

[MM]

whatever the final combination NHRA comes up with, i hope it works....this could be a defining moment in Professional Drag Racing

 

[vegasnitro]

They said on the TV broadcast that Wilkerson will be testing the new combination. I find that curious ... don't get me wrong, Wilk is a smart guy, but it would seem to me that it would make more sense if you could get DSR to do it ... that way you would have Beard, West, Green and the Ace looking it over, identifying potential loopholes and problem areas. 4 brains are better than 1.

As has already been said, Team Force would be out of the question after spending all of that money painting hemis blue ... though I would really like to know what Coil, Fedderly and Medlen would think ...

I agree with Alan ... this is just a test ... NHRA is footing the bill which is remarkably pro-active for them ... I see no downside to putting the pieces together, firing them up and seeing what happens ... Virgil is all for it and he has forgotten more about this stuff than I will ever know ...

Lastly, it couldn't hurt that all of the Glendora big wigs went to the March Meet and saw 30 floppers there and a big crowd that didn't care that they weren't running 2 mags, 2 pumps and huge huffers ... and nostalgia cars are plenty loud ... Sorokin's FED/TF nearly rendered me deaf at the NHRR last year

 

[d'kid]

whatever the final combination NHRA comes up with, i hope it works....this could be a defining moment in Professional Drag Racing

Think You are right MM. Do tell, is the final in "The Car" a 3.90 or a 4.17? Which low did they run in the 727? and was she a full 426 or destroked.

Lots of ways to skin a Cat, CID and fuel volume limits are only a couple, and the 3.5 rear will let the motor turn the tires... but I think a 3.9, smaller tires and a two speed is something to look at...

and I'm listening to 'Days of Futures Past' as I'm typing this....

d'kid