Titanium Valves in SS

[Dana Fitzpatrick]

[QUOTE=nhramnl;556322]

Originally Posted by James L Miller

OK, thanks for the input. I'm semi retired and don't have a lot of cash. But, if it would save money in the long run (like the carnage that Spyfish posted), then I'd cough up the money to get it done. Maybe it was another Hemi engine builder (sort of forgot his name, Walcott?).[/QUOTE/]



That's OK; most everybody has forgotten his name. His 15 minutes of fame ended a long time ago.

He sure won a whole bunch of races in 15 minutes...

[Dwight Southerland]

Originally Posted by SSDiv6

Dwight,
It is still in the 2018 Rule Book.

Super Stock, Section 12A, page 2
Cylinder Heads

Any aftermarket steel valve permitted; must maintain stock head and stem size; titanium valves prohibited. (OEM sodium-filled valve may be replaced with titanium, provided weight is equal to or greater than original.)

Gosh, I read right past that! Thanks for the correction. I knew that used to be the wording to cover for the 427 Fords when the hollow stem sodium-filled valves were no longer available.

[BBF67]

Originally Posted by Alan Roehrich

Too bad about what your engine builder thinks. He's merely escalating the cost, and the RPM, in a class where both are already out of control.

My cylinder head man is Jimmy Bridges, he runs SS/B with a 396 in a Corvette, he's been going as fast as anyone, and winning races, for 55+ years. Jimmy isn't asking for titanium valves, so I think we'll all get along fine without them.

How does a 396 Corvette fit in SS/B? Class guide shows its natural class is SS/D.

[Alan Roehrich]

Originally Posted by BBF67

How does a 396 Corvette fit in SS/B? Class guide shows its natural class is SS/D.

When they refactored the aluminum head combination to 411 a few years back (that's 16HP over the iron head combination, which is a natural SS/D car), they allowed the aluminum head combination to move to SS/C, from SS/D.

[doug schriener]

Originally Posted by nhramnl

I'm old enough to have witnessed firsthand the slow, but constant (and continuing) decline of Sportsman racing. It has long been my opinion that the prime cause for it is drag racing's own version of "Creeping Socialism". Years ago, Stockers were essentially stock and Super Stockers were Stockers with bigger back tires and any camshaft you thought would work. Then came the ported heads conflict, where cheaters got caught running at first, acid ported heads, then ground-up and re-welded heads. What was the "punishment"? Make ported heads legal. And a few bucks-down, deep-thinking, do-it-yourself racers (the founders of the sport, BTW) said "I haven't got the money for a ported heads and intake setup" and they quit or went Super Gas racing. Fast forward to 2018, and Stockers are now Super stockers with skinny back tires (like tire width matters anymore anyway, with today's tire compounds), and Super Stockers are Comp cars with small carburetors or funky, stock EFI systems. And still, the same racers who complain that the class racing is dying ask for more and more exotic and expensive technology. "Car counts are way down!" Sure they are; fewer and fewer people have $40,000 for a top-tier SS motor, and no matter how much cash you've got, you can't outspend GM, Ford and Chrysler. The reward used to be, you did your own deal and then put it up against the other guy's deal, to see who was smarter and worked harder. Nowadays, it's just a check-writing contest, with rich guys in golf shirts posing next to their store-bought Super Stock car.

Great post!

[Spyphish]

"The reward used to be, you did your own deal and then put it up against the other guy's deal, to see who was smarter and worked harder."


I totally agree. Was your deal ever taken apart and your technology photographed with a personal cell phone? Which could be lost at the track or placed in the cloud with a single click thanks to Steve Jobs. I had to write a letter to NHRA and my SRAC just to TRY to protect our work. Phish (now that's a pun!!)

[Billy Nees]

Originally Posted by nhramnl

I'm old enough to have witnessed firsthand the slow, but constant (and continuing) decline of Sportsman racing. It has long been my opinion that the prime cause for it is drag racing's own version of "Creeping Socialism". Years ago, Stockers were essentially stock and Super Stockers were Stockers with bigger back tires and any camshaft you thought would work. Then came the ported heads conflict, where cheaters got caught running at first, acid ported heads, then ground-up and re-welded heads. What was the "punishment"? Make ported heads legal. And a few bucks-down, deep-thinking, do-it-yourself racers (the founders of the sport, BTW) said "I haven't got the money for a ported heads and intake setup" and they quit or went Super Gas racing. Fast forward to 2018, and Stockers are now Super stockers with skinny back tires (like tire width matters anymore anyway, with today's tire compounds), and Super Stockers are Comp cars with small carburetors or funky, stock EFI systems. And still, the same racers who complain that the class racing is dying ask for more and more exotic and expensive technology. "Car counts are way down!" Sure they are; fewer and fewer people have $40,000 for a top-tier SS motor, and no matter how much cash you've got, you can't outspend GM, Ford and Chrysler. The reward used to be, you did your own deal and then put it up against the other guy's deal, to see who was smarter and worked harder. Nowadays, it's just a check-writing contest, with rich guys in golf shirts posing next to their store-bought Super Stock car.

Nothing truer was ever said. And the majority of it all was done to keep a certain few from filing lawsuits against the NHRA.

[sean parker]

Originally Posted by Spyphish

"The reward used to be, you did your own deal and then put it up against the other guy's deal, to see who was smarter and worked harder."


I totally agree. Was your deal ever taken apart and your technology photographed with a personal cell phone? Which could be lost at the track or placed in the cloud with a single click thanks to Steve Jobs. I had to write a letter to NHRA and my SRAC just to TRY to protect our work. Phish (now that's a pun!!)

No one seems to stand up to the big NHRA or the special friends of NHRA!

[63corvette]

Originally Posted by sean parker

No one seems to stand up to the big NHRA or the special friends of NHRA!

There are a lot of those Special Friends who are protected and catered to and it is impossible to get a fair shake with those protectors in NHRA. I was told " I can do this anytime I want and if you do not like it you can go elsewhere". That is why the No Happy Racers Allowed fits so well.
My 2 Cents
Rick Cates

[Billy Nees]

Originally Posted by 63corvette

There are a lot of those Special Friends who are protected and catered to and it is impossible to get a fair shake with those protectors in NHRA. I was told " I can do this anytime I want and if you do not like it you can go elsewhere". That is why the No Happy Racers Allowed fits so well.

So.............. at what point in time do the "No Happy Racers" start doing what it will take to "Make Sportsman Racing Great Again"?
My money sez it'll never happen.

(that would make a great tee shirt!)