Hemi Head Ruling

[David Barton]

This whole thing has been blown way out of proportion, thanks to Charlie and a few crooked officials at NHRA. Just like every other rule he breaks, NHRA revises the rules to accommodate his BS. What's next, he'll win on a red light?

Our heads are simple. We cut them back as far as we can while keeping the original valve cover and intake bolt holes. First we were accused of relocating our flanges and bolt holes, which could not be more wrong, then it turned into the BS about machining into the top of the hole which was never a rule in the first place.

After this whole experience we learned that once again the competition has been given a free pass to win another Shootout illegally. After being accused we started researching what the others have been doing to find out they're more bogus than you can ever imagine. The intake and valve cover flanges are busted off and/or relocated. Not only that, the intake flange has been angle milled so much that the factory intake bolt holes are completely gone. How on earth did this ever pass NHRA teardown at Indy? Oh, that's right, they had a private teardown session in their own trailer. Because that always happens at Indy.

For those of you who aren't in the loop with the latest ruling, if you are running SS/AH you can now basically do whatever you want with the ports as long as they pour within spec. Meaning, you can machine the intake flange into the valve spring. This was all done because NHRA knew CW shouldn't have passed at Indy, and this is their way of patching it up. If NHRA wasn't under the spotlight this whole deal would have been swept under the rug like any other time.

The straight tech guys at NHRA have had their hands tied this whole time. Nobody at NHRA has been allowed to say anything except for Glen, Bruce, and Danny. Something smells really bad over there. It's too bad because there really is some good people with NHRA, but they're not allowed to do what they know is right.

The list goes on with the BS at NHRA. And it's all because of a few bad apples overriding the system. I just hope they're gone before class racing is completely ruined. I just want to express that I never wanted SS/AH to part from Super Stock rules. This whole deal really saddens me that it has come to this point. I can't even imagine what the other Super Stock racers must think of us. At this point I don't even want to be associated with the class. The only thing keeping me going is the love of the class and the great people I've met along the way.

David Barton