Did I really see this?
 

Did anyone notice that the 2006 and 2007 Honda Civic is now in the classification guide? I wonder who's building it. And to think all of these years when I've explained how cars are classified for Stock I'd say "You can't run a Honda Civic because it isn't in the guide."

Re: Did I really see this?
 

Yep. It's a West coast racer who got tired of the ricer racer group. The cars are made in Tennessee and are eligible for S/SS classes. Jim

Re: Did I really see this?
 

oh no Bob Shaw will be looking in his back lot again.
lol ;)

Re: Did I really see this?
 

boy i was worried about that looks like us american BUILT cars are dead meat in the super modifed fwd class, i bet are class grows now?

Re: Did I really see this?
 

Yeaa, finally the imports are coming to Stock Eliminator, it's about time. Now this category is going to experience alot of growth and great competition.
NHRA, sharpen your pencils and let the factoring begin.

Ron Ortiz
U/SA 10,000 rpm

Re: Did I really see this?
 

what i am really looking forward to is the bikini contest, that will really help the competion???

Re: Did I really see this?
 

I fail to see what all the concern is about. American cars, especially oddball combinations have benefited from a low factory horsepower rating (the factoring starting point.) It's been proven that these imports have been overstating their power for years to sell more cars. As long as NHRA doesn't allow any bogus rulings for these cars they will probably be a non-issue. As far as the notion that they will dominate the FWD classes, with a stock class minimum weight requirement, much of the ricer tech would not be applicable to stock.

Re: Did I really see this?
 

I know a guy with an Accura RSX. He spins it to 9600 RPM all day long. Of course it has the infamous Honda rod journals...:eek:
I think if I had an engine that could spin to 10K I would figure out how to make it competitive in Stock!
I'm still wanting somebody to build a Cosworth Vega. Come on, anybody want to show a ricer how to do it with good old anglo-inginuity ? :D

Re: Did I really see this?
 

What does NOPI stand for anyway?

Re: Did I really see this?
 

NOPI means "Number One Parts Inc."

http://www.nopi.com/2006/nopimotorsports.htm

Re: Did I really see this?
 

I don't know if this is significant in any way RE Stock Eliminator, but I have been amazed at how quick some of the Oriental cars (many, built in the US) are.

I was 26 years old and a local strip (Des Moines, IA) Stocker tech man when th '64 GTO's hit the strips. I vividly remember that most of the Tri-Power 4-speed versions that were running on (skinny) OEM tires, and with buttoned up exhaust, and were showroom stock, struggled to run much quicker than 15-flat. Add slicks, headers, and a 4.56 gear along with a limited slip, and yes, you had a 13-second car, but most of the ones I saw running, ran 14.80's... through the mufflers, on street tires.

Car and Driver has recently road tested two cars that beat that number by half a second in showroom trim, and they're both FWD cars and both automatics.

The 2007 Toyota Avalon ran 14.40 at 99 mph, while the marginally-lighter '07 Toyota Camry with the same engine, ran 14.30 at the same 99 mph.

These are soccer-mom, grocery getters with NO "performance" pretentions. They share a normally-aspirated 3.5-liter (213.5 cid) 60-degree V6. At 268 HP, they make a little over 1.25 hp per cubic inch in showroom condition. If a Viper made that much power per cube, it would have 626 horsepower...

They're both about a half-second quicker than a showroom '64, 4-speed, Tri-Power GTO, if my so-called "memory" serves me correctly.

Dunno if either or both will ever make it into the classification guide (They're both assembled in the USA), but it seemed to me to be food for thought... Pretty quick for soccer-mom transportation, methinks....

Re: Did I really see this?
 

A 122 in3 engine factored at 197 hp. That's 5hp more than our little v-6. At that rating, it will be a challenge to run under the index. It's a 14 lb/hp class.

Re: Did I really see this?
 

In AF/S it would have to weigh 2731. In BF/S it would have to weigh 3420. Civics shipping weight is 2804. .472 lift cam, 11.0 comp ratio, 60MM TB. I'm not worried!

Re: Did I really see this?
 

I'm suprised that they haven't been allowing foreign pick-up trucks in Stock all along. I know there is that one year of Mitsubishi in there but I have never seen anyone run one. Also, I see that Nissan is in the engine specs for 1993. What car/truck eligible for Stock used that?

One other question about classifications
 

68 3835 O/SA Rob Goins, Plymouth MI, '98 Mustang 12.497 13.45 -0.953
(from the Indy qualifying sheet)

Why wouldn't this car be in one of the FI classes? I'm sure it's fuel injected.

Re: Did I really see this?
 

Even more amazing is the fact that THE CAR OF NHRA for years, the Pontiac Grand Prix & Grand Prix GTP are not even classified in the tech manuals. We had two we were going to run, and neither Len I., or any of the honchos of the Grand Prix Specialty firms were able to break down the GM barrier. Len even mentioned those cars when they added the FWD classes. NO LUCK. So we sold the cars.

Well, I guess that's not so bad. Look at all the $$$$ we saved.

Jerry

Re: One other question about classifications
 

Earle, the computer system is not always up to date. He might have registered a car in carb class and received another ride. Case in point. Lee Zane driving a 98 camaro running H/SA and J. Allen Sherman racing his Grand Am in SS/AH , which he registered his Grand Am but I believe he is driving Steve Kent's 68 Barracuda.

Greg

Re: Did I really see this?
 

Thanks, you were right Greg. He actually ran H/FIA according to the class runoffs.