True Horsepower Classes in NHRA

[Jim D'Amore]

Originally Posted by Mike Pearson

Jim,

The HP rating that NHRA places on any combo is just a factor. Not the actual HP developed by the engine. It is used for comparison only. You can tell the spectators what your actual HP really is if you choose to. My car is rated at 295 factory and 313 NHRA factored HP and actually makes about 615.

Mike,


Thank you for the reply, so your saying they compare them to what the factory said the original power was? If its just a number they throw out there to say how much your car has to weigh, then I would like to keep away from Horsepower being added when running the cars to their full potential.


Most of the cars we work on are already in the highest class now called FS/A. The index on that is 9.70, to keep it an average of .85 under the index means you have to run no faster than an 8.85. Our cars will run 8.40's. There is no class above this for us to go faster. It still would be cool to see the cars rated for what they really make.


Jim D'Amore

[Mike Pearson]

Originally Posted by Jim D'Amore

Mike,


Thank you for the reply, so your saying they compare them to what the factory said the original power was? If its just a number they throw out there to say how much your car has to weigh, then I would like to keep away from Horsepower being added when running the cars to their full potential.


Most of the cars we work on are already in the highest class now called FS/A. The index on that is 9.70, to keep it an average of .85 under the index means you have to run no faster than an 8.85. Our cars will run 8.40's. There is no class above this for us to go faster. It still would be cool to see the cars rated for what they really make.


Jim D'Amore

No it's to compare one combo to another. It really has little to do with the factory rating or the actual HP output of the engine. There is always going to be problems when you are running an under factored combo at the top class in the eliminator. If you take too many hits you could run yourself out of the class. In my case the combo that I run there is no car in the country that could come within a tenth of hitting an auto trigger on the AHFS. Anyone running the same combo as me would have to run all out to get to a second under the index. This is pretty much the same for the older combos.
The formation of the new classes for the factory race cars is a step in the right direction. I don't think NHRA had a plan or a clue when the new high HP factory cars came on the scene. For you guys to be able to run all out there needs to be a new eliminator just for your type cars. Then they could just adjust the index with out changing the weight on the car. Similar to the way they deal with the modified cars in SS

[Stocker 2]

Originally Posted by Jim D'Amore

Most of the cars we work on are already in the highest class now called FS/A. The index on that is 9.70, to keep it an average of .85 under the index means you have to run no faster than an 8.85. Our cars will run 8.40's. There is no class above this for us to go faster.
Jim D'Amore

Yes there is a class for you to go faster. It is called Super Stock. That's where special built factory racecars that were never legal to be licensed for the street belonged in the first place. Stock eliminator does not need 8 second/160 MPH cars chasing slower classed cars.

[Tony Corley]

Originally Posted by Stocker 2

Yes there is a class for you to go faster. It is called Super Stock. That's where special built factory racecars that were never legal to be licensed for the street belonged in the first place. Stock eliminator does not need 8 second/160 MPH cars chasing slower classed cars.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I truly fail to see the difference in factory involvement now compared to factory involvement in the '60's and early 70's...... Didn't they also build limited production, factory racecars then that dominated stock?
I understand that "traditional" Stock Eliminator racers don't seem to care that much for the newer cars. It seems to me that they would welcome them and the new racers and fans that they attract with open arms. I do see the need to keep the indexes fair in order to keep the older cars competitive, but beyond that, see no issues.
I guess 40 years from now, the guys still racing the currently new crop of factory cars will be complaining about the 4 second nuclear powered factory race cars having no place in Stock Eliminator, lol.


Rant over.

[BBF67]

Originally Posted by Tony Corley

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I truly fail to see the difference in factory involvement now compared to factory involvement in the '60's and early 70's...... Didn't they also build limited production, factory racecars then that dominated stock?

Rant over.

Let's look at the limited production early factory racecars and where they actually ran.

63 Z11 Impalas ran FX, 63-64 max wedge Mopars ran S/S, 64 Thunderbolts ran S/S, 65 race hemi Plymouths and Dodges ran S/S, 68 hemi Darts and Barracudas ran S/S, 69 AMX with crossrams ran S/S. None of these limited production factory racecars were legal for stock classes yet they had serial numbers and although it was not recommended, did get licensed for the street in a few cases.

Can't do that with todays limited production factory racecars that have been allowed to run in Stock. They should be running in S/S only.

[Dick Butler]

I am never sure what the HP rating is all about. Only thing I can imagine is a reason for someone to buy a new car. Newer factors are always a guess. (Usually off by 100 or more HP).Even the old cars lurking in the books are found to be off by many hp and that's why people day dream of dominating by building them. Once they are built and paid for a different combo surfaces and many "perfect combinations" become also rans. This is the long term fault of the lb/HP classification method but it is the only way to get apples, oranges and bananas into a class system to race together.
Many people miss Modified where is was lb/cubic inchs. This took away the fact your combo was falsely factored and that's why you lost the race. Some complain that money affected these classes but maybe people should look again at the costs of a new Stocker from the factory which cannot be licensed if it fails to win.

[Dick Butler]

How many Hp does a new 427, 425 hp rated Copo motor make? Anyone? Might that be a wonderful motor in an old car?

[Mike Keener]

Every dyno is different Dick but a reasonable figure for a 427/430 COPO is in the 810 range. A shootout 427/450 version is around 880 ish.

There again every dyno is different