Crate Motor Class

[John Warehime]

Come on Dave! (Ribeiro) Don't you want to put a 502 in that Firebird? LOL!! Just think..no more being let-out every round. I'll talk MacNeish into putting an LS2 in that 67 Z28! We don't need 10" tires. LOL!!

[Alan Roehrich]

NHRA Stock Eliminator already has more than enough classes.

We already have AA/SA thru W/SA and AA/S thru W/S, plus A thru E front wheel drive automatic and stick classes. That's 56 classes in one eliminator.

Why would we need or want to add another 16-20 classes?

A crate motor is just a different engine you have to round up parts for and pay a professional to build. The only difference is you can go to the dealer and buy the parts instead of beating the brush pile.

We already have tons of accepted aftermarket "replacement parts" that have to be constantly refactored. Blocks, heads, intakes, carburetors, you name it. Some of them aren't even sold by the original manufacturer, much less made by them.

We already have enough bogus combinations and under factored combinations to choke a horse. There's no need to add to the pile. We already have enough classes that anyone who wants to can build a car and never see another like it all year, and probably never see a heads up race or a race to win class. We don't need to add to that pile either.

We already have a truck load of stuff NHRA evidently cannot properly handle a technical inspection on, and enough questionable standards to last any dozen tech men who want to do their job a life time.

[Alan Roehrich]

Originally Posted by Brandon Peterson

what have crate motors done to other motor sports

They have practically destroyed grass roots circle track racing. I've been racing for thirty years, and never have I seen so much blatant BS and cheating as I have since they let crate motors in local circle tracks. The most healthy circle track classes do not allow them.

[Stocker 2]

Originally Posted by Brandon Peterson

what have crate motors done to other motor sports

In roundy round racing real Crate Motors have brought a level playing field and great competition at tracks where rules are enforced. In dragracing counterfeit Crate Motors have diluted Stock Eliminator because of bogus low horsepower factoring. Just look at the qualifying sheets.

P.S. It won't take long to read them with such low car counts.

[Brandon Peterson]

so the main reason is you say NHRA doesn't need anymore classes.....thats fine....by the was i didn't hire a professional 15 to 20 thoussand dollar engine builder to build my motor i hired my dad...lol...i see everybodies point on the subject..i just wanted to know why and what the big deal was if NHRA had crate motor cars..

[Brandon Peterson]

don't give me qualifying sheet b/s ive seen some of NHRA qualifying sheets -1.50 and higher

[Michael Beard]

Originally Posted by Dave Ribeiro

The first think NHRA would do is slap 30-40 HP on all crate motors....Oh, everyone forget how under- factored they are... I don't have a problem with crates but less get real on the HP....
(...) I still think crates are the biggest reason more NHRA cars don't attend IHRA, just look at Q- sheet...

The only reason there are a lot of crate motors at the top of the sheet is because there are a lot of crate motors *in* IHRA, and most of the fast NHRA guys *don't* run IHRA. There's only one crate in Nitro Joe's Top Guns. Take a bunch of crates and throw them into an NHRA race, and I guarantee they won't qualify nearly as well. It doesn't matter if you put 100hp on the crates, the guys that don't want to run IHRA won't. That's their decision. If you did away with crate motors, those same guys still wouldn't come over. I wish that they *would* come play, because racing in IHRA is a great deal, a great deal of fun, and a much easier schedule. But that's just my opinion. NO, I'm not lobbying for anybody to change anything. Just wish people would live and let live. The argument is like Chevy guys looking down on Ford guys, or everybody looking down on FWD cars. It's a bunch of nonsense.

I don't have a problem with crate motor cars. Put the correct carb on 'em, a little safety equipment, and let 'em run Super Stock. I'm sure there's a class they'd fit right in. AND they can even run their IHRA big tires. Come on over to NHRA, the waters just fine! (PS; bring your wallet.)

That makes more sense than anything else... seems like they'd fit in SS/GT. (NO, I'm not lobbying for anybody to change anything.)

[Brandon Peterson]

stocker 2.....do you cry when a crate motor stocker out qualifies a "traditional" stocker........its just a race if you qualify low who cares

[Alan Roehrich]

Originally Posted by Stocker 2

In roundy round racing real Crate Motors have brought a level playing field and great competition. In dragracing counterfeit Crate Motors have diluted Stock Eliminator because of bogus low horsepower factoring. Just look at the qualifying sheets.

P.S. It won't take long to read them with such low car counts.

You must have different crate motors in circle track around where you are.

Last time I was at the local circle track that allowed crate motors I saw a dozen "sealed" crate motors that were supposed to have 9:1 compression a 230 degree duration cams that I can guarantee you have at least 11.5:1 compression and at least 245 degree duration camshafts.

There's an entire cottage industry built around bogus and counterfeit "tamper proof" bolts, and near any cam grinder will regrind a crate motor cam and get you 20HP and 500 RPM.

They're next to impossible to get serviced around here, and the price is outrageous. I know a couple of people that were charged 50% the cost of a new engine for some head work they needed because of parts failures.

The first one around here sucked an intake valve in 150 laps. And when it was first started on the dyno it hit on only 6 out of 8 cylinders, and after that was fixed it was still down 15HP. No, they are not all created equal.

[Michael Beard]

Cheating is cheating. Sounds like your circle track's problem isn't the crate motors...

I do agree with your "NHRA Stock Eliminator already has more than enough classes." post, Alan.