WJ

[Nunz]

Just read a "Where are they now" piece on NHRA's site, and the Yuill Bros. have been helping WJ at the last couple of events. I thought that was really cool, those guys were hitters in the '70s-80s.

 

[Paul]

f
insight from some racers

'From what I have been told some teams have gone to making their OWN 10 or 11" rear ends. Housing, center section, gears, EVERYTHING. You have to hire a engineer to design the gears, every ratio is a separate design, there is only one company who will machine them and you have to buy 7 sets of each ratio to get them to machine them for you... By the time you are done and the car is switched over you are well past the $250,000 mark.

They are supposed to be .01 and 1 mph quicker because they are more efficient .

Yikes, that's actually pretty cool but its the kind of the thing that a proactive tech department has to sniff out and put in a rule revision to disallow.

Given the current economic environment that's not something that should be allowed. A rule stating that gear sets and third members had to be of traditional automotive design, materials and and manufacturing process would be pretty straightforward to put in place to stop this.

 

[Nunz]

I don't know. I realize many, many races are won and lost by .01 or even less. But is there a way to really know that a component is good for .01 consistently? I mean, you can make numerous test hits under conditions that remain constant, and have runs vary by more than that, without changing a thing. JMO, and of course, I don't run Pro Stock...

 

[mike]

"everybody" cries about having to spend money if the rules were updated or revised to something more relevant, but they'll drop a quarter million on a read end to gain .01 and 1 MPH...there is an extreme disconnect somewhere

 

[glofria]

Think abou this; compare how much the costs of competing has gone up over the last 15-20 years vs. the increase performance of Pro Stock vs. either nitro class.

In other words, whatever it takes to shave off .001 will cost much more in the Pro Stock class than TF or FC. And for less return winnings.

In Pro Stock there is much less room for error. Just -.05 may determine whether your #1 or not in the show.

 

[Nunz]

Pro Stock has been around since, I believe, 1970. The 500 inch formula has been in effect for over 30 years, and these are still 500 inch, gas powered, carburated race cars. The "easy" gains were made in the beginning, we've reached a point where nobody is going to find 25HP over a winter. So now, you have to throw zillions at it to find even tiny gains. Probably a great time to come up with a new formula, a new baseline, and like many here have said, something based more closely to the wild stuff coming out of the factories.

 

[.]

WJ has earned his right to speak out about the class, and the costs.

He has always built his own motors, makes his own parts, and (not that I have insider info), only buys the things he can not do on his own. Rear ends, chassis and body parts, etc, and traversed this country to put on a show for you. Last of the true pro stock racers if you ask me.

What gets me most about the WJ haters on this board, is when he is gone, you will get nothing but rent-an-engine programs, interviews that last just long enough to thank the companies that write checks, and stale racing.

Ya'll ***** and complain about NHRA and TV times, and yet your cable TV prices don't go up consummate to actual racing costs. ***** and complain about NHRA, but damned if WJ does it.

Similar to the John Force haters. The man has been saying for 10 years or more that the future of the sport is in the kids. He straps his kids into their cars at every NHRA race. How many of you do that, or for that matter, mill your own engine parts like WJ does? Hell, how many of you have actually owned and/or driven a race car?

 

[chop]

WJ has earned his right to speak out about the class, and the costs.

He has always built his own motors, makes his own parts, and (not that I have insider info), only buys the things he can not do on his own. Rear ends, chassis and body parts, etc, and traversed this country to put on a show for you. Last of the true pro stock racers if you ask me.

What gets me most about the WJ haters on this board, is when he is gone, you will get nothing but rent-an-engine programs, interviews that last just long enough to thank the companies that write checks, and stale racing.

Ya'll ***** and complain about NHRA and TV times, and yet your cable TV prices don't go up consummate to actual racing costs. ***** and complain about NHRA, but damned if WJ does it.

Similar to the John Force haters. The man has been saying for 10 years or more that the future of the sport is in the kids. He straps his kids into their cars at every NHRA race. How many of you do that, or for that matter, mill your own engine parts like WJ does? Hell, how many of you have actually owned and/or driven a race car?

^^^^^^^What he said^^^^^^^

 

[Sean D, shondoo]

Probably a great time to come up with a new formula, a new baseline, and like many here have said, something based more closely to the wild stuff coming out of the factories.

While I tend to agree with this, it will all be for nothing if the NHRA doesn't put the necessary measures/systems in place in regards to cost control.

Sean D

 

[DrRocket]

^^^^^^^what he said^^^^^^^

x10

 

[Toejam]

While the costs were getting out of control back then, they were NOTHING like they are now. Warren and his team weren't the ones that took the escalating costs to the level they are now, that's for sure.......

Sean D

I would wager from the Time WJ won his first Championship to the last, costs' went up a Ton!

 

[Sean D, shondoo]

I would wager from the Time WJ won his first Championship to the last, costs' went up a Ton!

I wouldn't necessarily argue that, but this BS of quarter of a million dollar rear-ends and everything made out of unobtanium and onlyoneofum is just ridiculous. That's when the costs went from increasing by percentages to doubling, tripling, quadrupiling.......

The NHRA is getting exactly what should've been expected by allowing everybody with stupid money run wild.

Sean D

 

[willy]

I wouldn't necessarily argue that, but this BS of quarter of a million dollar rear-ends and everything made out of unobtanium and onlyoneofum is just ridiculous. That's when the costs went from increasing by percentages to doubling, tripling, quadrupiling.......

The NHRA is getting exactly what should've been expected by allowing everybody with stupid money run wild.

Sean D

**TA-DA**

 

[sdwarf36]

How much more was the 1st Lenco compared to everyones M-22 rock crusher?
How much more was the 1st sheet metal intake to everyones Edelbrock?
How much more was the 1st set of electronic shocks to everyone regular coil overs?
This isn't exactly a new problem.

 

[vegasnitro]

How much more was the 1st Lenco compared to everyones M-22 rock crusher?
How much more was the 1st sheet metal intake to everyones Edelbrock?
How much more was the 1st set of electronic shocks to everyone regular coil overs?
This isn't exactly a new problem.

Exactly. And nothing was done about it then, when there could have been relative cost containment. Also, nothing on your list could be related to "Stock".

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

[quote="Sean DeWitt, post: 322923, everything made out of unobtanium and onlyoneofum is just ridicolus.
Sean D[/quote]

Now thats a good one

 

[.]

nm

 

[none]

The metal used to mfg. these new rear ends is, "Cantaffordium"

 

[sdwarf36]

While Unatanium + cantaffordium are at the top of the list, the 3 things on the bottom:
Chineseium
Craponium
Homedepite

 

[Super Mod]

How much more was the 1st Lenco compared to everyones M-22 rock crusher?
How much more was the 1st sheet metal intake to everyones Edelbrock?
How much more was the 1st set of electronic shocks to everyone regular coil overs?
This isn't exactly a new problem.

Obviously, not as much as a Ford 9" vs a custom built sheet metal rear or is it billet?