D/Dart in Stock

dart4forte · 08-13-2009, 10:28 PM

Does the NHRA rulebook for this year address the D/Dart in stock?

treessavoy · 08-13-2009, 10:38 PM

The on line classification guide still shows the 273/275 still legal for SS only. Don't know if it's published somewhere else.

Jim R

dart4forte · 08-13-2009, 10:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by treessavoy

The on line classification guide still shows the 273/275 still legal for SS only. Don't know if it's published somewhere else.

Jim R

So is it the number of production cars built that keeps it out of stock?

Chuck Norton · 08-14-2009, 07:10 AM

The Rule Book includes a paragraph that states, in essence, IF THE MANUFACTURER REQUESTS, specially constructed cars in a quantity of at least 50 units MAY be included in the Classification Guide. These cars are not required to be or to have been showroom available. This exception to the original rule of 500 units (that rule is still in the book, by the way) was added several years years ago before the latest generation of cars produced especially for drag racing began to appear. Under this loophole, manufacturers are encouraged to produce specialty cars like the 2008 Mustangs and the Chrysler Drag Package cars for Stock Eliminator. Obviously, most manufacturers see no return for the time spent homologating a 40+ year-old model but occasionally, there is someone correctly placed in their organization who appreciates drag racing and can pull it off. Sadly, these days, most of those individuals are either looking for work or nursing a mint julep and enjoying their Golden Parachute. I don't look for the Chrysler organization to put much effort in getting the "D Dart" cars approved for Stock Eliminator although, stranger things have happened.

treessavoy · 08-14-2009, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuck Norton

The Rule Book includes a paragraph that states, in essence, IF THE MANUFACTURER REQUESTS, specially constructed cars in a quantity of at least 50 units MAY be included in the Classification Guide. These cars are not required to be or to have been showroom available. This exception to the original rule of 500 units (that rule is still in the book, by the way) was added several years years ago before the latest generation of cars produced especially for drag racing began to appear. Under this loophole, manufacturers are encouraged to produce specialty cars like the 2008 Mustangs and the Chrysler Drag Package cars for Stock Eliminator. Obviously, most manufacturers see no return for the time spent homologating a 40+ year-old model but occasionally, there is someone correctly placed in their organization who appreciates drag racing and can pull it off. Sadly, these days, most of those individuals are either looking for work or nursing a mint julep and enjoying their Golden Parachute. I don't look for the Chrysler organization to put much effort in getting the "D Dart" cars approved for Stock Eliminator although, stranger things have happened.

Could you not, as a racer, make a case to the NHRA that if they allow only fifty new Challengers into stock, why can't they allow the D/Dart into stock as it was built in those same limited numbers?

Jim R

Chuck Norton · 08-14-2009, 01:06 PM

Jim,

A racer making that case is considered to have no standing and would be pretty much disregarded. A manufacturer, on the other hand MAY be given consideration. Note the line in the Rulebook that says, "acceptance will not imply precedent."

It would seem to me that there is no benefit to Chrysler or any adjunct of Chrysler to petition for acceptance of an older model. They would, ostensibly, like to sell new cars and therefore the Challengers and Ford's new Mustang make more sense for this kind of option.

c

Paul Wong · 08-14-2009, 02:17 PM

I dont know why anyone would spend the time to try it because this is a tough and over rated combination. It is not that much better than the 235 combo that is already out there. I would hate to fight 396 camaros, 400 firebirds, 305 hp hemi challengers or any other good E car that is out there with this one. They are a neat piece of history.

Chuck Norton · 08-14-2009, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Wong

I dont know why anyone would spend the time to try it because this is a tough and over rated combination.

Paul, that's a part of the equation that no one has even approached so far. Having said that, people have had some remarkable success building stone combinations and then petitioning to have power removed. The Dart might look a little better if it was rated at about 240 horsepower. We can both cite numerous cases in which such things have been done regularly.

c

bill dedman · 08-14-2009, 03:29 PM

A large part of the appeal of Stock Eliminator, and to a lesser degree, Super Stock over the years, has been the seemingly endless variety of competitive cars that have shown up to do battle, often times, successfully, on the quarter mile. There have been cars that you just don't see raced, that have appeared in this, or that Stock class, with amazing performances that defy logic sometimes, but they have been a fact of life in Stock Eliminator for many years.

Jack Mullins' hulking Pontiac wagon; Richard Charbonerau's 427 Fairlane wagon, Bob Shaw's Turbo 4-banger Capri and now, his one-off Cadillac Seville, Gordon Williams' Studebakers, and Ted Harbit's ill-fated Chicken Hawk, featured in this month's HOT ROD magazine, a multi-time class winner at Indy... There have been Corvairs that went like gangbusters, and cars like Cap'n Jack's land barge that continue to make waves and entertain us.... year, after year.

I don't know whether there's anybody left at NHRA with enough "experience" or interest in Stock Eliminator to appreciate this facet of the racing that goes on in Stock and S/S, but, if there is, they should appreciate the value of the variety that has come down the pike on the starting line over the years, and realize that even though '69 Camaros may BE the ultimate Stock Eliminator car for a variety of reasons, nobody wants to sit and watch a race in which every third car IS a '69 Camaro.

In that vein, it would seem to be in NHRA's interest to assist racers who want to run a car that you don't see a lot of, in getting their car homologated; That is something that NHRA can do that costs very little money, and would benefit the "show" down the road, when the newly-homologated cars hit the strip and spectators begin noticing the "new kids on the block."

In reference to the currently-illegal D-Darts in Stock, there aren't that many mid-'60s A Body MoPars running these days. It would be nice to see some more...

I'm sure there are a lot of other combinations that NHRA could legalize, if they WANTED TO, and they should want to.... It would benefit everybody, including them, I think. A 7-pound-per-HP, top Stock class might free up some cars that are now, S/S only... (I don't mean "Top Stock" as in a separate eliminator; I mean the "top" Stock Eliminator class... above the current 7.5-pound AA class.)

Just my 2-cents...

Todd Boyer · 08-14-2009, 04:33 PM

Bill, are you thinking Hemi Darts and Barracudas is stock? That would be way cool!!!

08-13-2009, 10:28 PM	#1
dart4forte Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Yakganistan Posts: 80 Likes: 0 Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts	D/Dart in Stock Does the NHRA rulebook for this year address the D/Dart in stock?

08-13-2009, 10:38 PM	#2
treessavoy VIP Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Dunnellon,FL Posts: 1,103 Likes: 0 Liked 4 Times in 4 Posts	Re: D/Dart in Stock The on line classification guide still shows the 273/275 still legal for SS only. Don't know if it's published somewhere else. Jim R __________________ Jim Rountree

08-14-2009, 07:10 AM	#4
Chuck Norton Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Covina, CA Posts: 470 Likes: 82 Liked 69 Times in 15 Posts	Re: D/Dart in Stock The Rule Book includes a paragraph that states, in essence, IF THE MANUFACTURER REQUESTS, specially constructed cars in a quantity of at least 50 units MAY be included in the Classification Guide. These cars are not required to be or to have been showroom available. This exception to the original rule of 500 units (that rule is still in the book, by the way) was added several years years ago before the latest generation of cars produced especially for drag racing began to appear. Under this loophole, manufacturers are encouraged to produce specialty cars like the 2008 Mustangs and the Chrysler Drag Package cars for Stock Eliminator. Obviously, most manufacturers see no return for the time spent homologating a 40+ year-old model but occasionally, there is someone correctly placed in their organization who appreciates drag racing and can pull it off. Sadly, these days, most of those individuals are either looking for work or nursing a mint julep and enjoying their Golden Parachute. I don't look for the Chrysler organization to put much effort in getting the "D Dart" cars approved for Stock Eliminator although, stranger things have happened.

08-14-2009, 01:06 PM	#6
Chuck Norton Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Covina, CA Posts: 470 Likes: 82 Liked 69 Times in 15 Posts	Re: D/Dart in Stock Jim, A racer making that case is considered to have no standing and would be pretty much disregarded. A manufacturer, on the other hand MAY be given consideration. Note the line in the Rulebook that says, "acceptance will not imply precedent." It would seem to me that there is no benefit to Chrysler or any adjunct of Chrysler to petition for acceptance of an older model. They would, ostensibly, like to sell new cars and therefore the Challengers and Ford's new Mustang make more sense for this kind of option. c

08-14-2009, 02:17 PM	#7
Paul Wong Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 368 Likes: 96 Liked 379 Times in 72 Posts	Re: D/Dart in Stock I dont know why anyone would spend the time to try it because this is a tough and over rated combination. It is not that much better than the 235 combo that is already out there. I would hate to fight 396 camaros, 400 firebirds, 305 hp hemi challengers or any other good E car that is out there with this one. They are a neat piece of history.

08-14-2009, 03:29 PM	#9
bill dedman VIP Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Conway, AR Posts: 1,739 Likes: 0 Liked 6 Times in 4 Posts	Re: D/Dart in Stock A large part of the appeal of Stock Eliminator, and to a lesser degree, Super Stock over the years, has been the seemingly endless variety of competitive cars that have shown up to do battle, often times, successfully, on the quarter mile. There have been cars that you just don't see raced, that have appeared in this, or that Stock class, with amazing performances that defy logic sometimes, but they have been a fact of life in Stock Eliminator for many years. Jack Mullins' hulking Pontiac wagon; Richard Charbonerau's 427 Fairlane wagon, Bob Shaw's Turbo 4-banger Capri and now, his one-off Cadillac Seville, Gordon Williams' Studebakers, and Ted Harbit's ill-fated Chicken Hawk, featured in this month's HOT ROD magazine, a multi-time class winner at Indy... There have been Corvairs that went like gangbusters, and cars like Cap'n Jack's land barge that continue to make waves and entertain us.... year, after year. I don't know whether there's anybody left at NHRA with enough "experience" or interest in Stock Eliminator to appreciate this facet of the racing that goes on in Stock and S/S, but, if there is, they should appreciate the value of the variety that has come down the pike on the starting line over the years, and realize that even though '69 Camaros may BE the ultimate Stock Eliminator car for a variety of reasons, nobody wants to sit and watch a race in which every third car IS a '69 Camaro. In that vein, it would seem to be in NHRA's interest to assist racers who want to run a car that you don't see a lot of, in getting their car homologated; That is something that NHRA can do that costs very little money, and would benefit the "show" down the road, when the newly-homologated cars hit the strip and spectators begin noticing the "new kids on the block." In reference to the currently-illegal D-Darts in Stock, there aren't that many mid-'60s A Body MoPars running these days. It would be nice to see some more... I'm sure there are a lot of other combinations that NHRA could legalize, if they WANTED TO, and they should want to.... It would benefit everybody, including them, I think. A 7-pound-per-HP, top Stock class might free up some cars that are now, S/S only... (I don't mean "Top Stock" as in a separate eliminator; I mean the "top" Stock Eliminator class... above the current 7.5-pound AA class.) Just my 2-cents... __________________ Bill Last edited by bill dedman; 08-14-2009 at 03:35 PM.

08-14-2009, 04:33 PM	#10
Todd Boyer Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Saint John NB Canada Posts: 560 Likes: 27 Liked 6 Times in 5 Posts	Re: D/Dart in Stock Bill, are you thinking Hemi Darts and Barracudas is stock? That would be way cool!!!