[bill dedman]

Dwight,

I realize that most of what you say is true; that it isn't a perfect workd, and parity is never going to exist with the huge variety of cars that populate the Stocker ranks. What I see here is a situation that MAYBE could be made better through boost monitoring.

Here's how it could work, since you asked ("How are tech people going monitor turbo boost even with a gauge? F1 cars have computer controlled electronic waste gates that vary the boost and are adjustable from the driver's seat. Do you really think it could be controlled?")

The Tech department would have to find out from the manufacrurers, what the maximum boost level; was when the engine was dyno'd for its original "advertised" horsepower rating. That number, let's say, ten pounds, goes into a book that is included with the other information that is kept at the scales, along with the car's shipping weight.

When the turbo car comes in for his fuel check and to be weighed after a run, the Tech looks at the NHRA-supplied telltale boost gauge to read the number the telltale needle has stoppef at. If it's over ten pounds, the car is bounced, just like if it were too light, or had fuel that wouldn't pass.

That's all there is to it.

Maybe this is unworkable from the standpoint that some of the modiofications (LEGAL ones) might cause the boost to rise above the factory figure. I am not advocating that racers who run turbo cars should be restricted from such modifications, but, when I started advocating this idea, I was under the impression that boost levels would NOT rise with camshaft, exhaust, etc. modifications. Jeff Lee agreed with me.

Jim Wahl says different.

If he's right (and, he well may be), I would no longer advocate monitoring boost levels, because I wouldn't want to restrict otherwise legal modifications on turbo cars just because it raised the boost level beyond the original figure.

If he's wrong, I think that the simplicity of this system could actually work. It would relieve the Techs at check-in time of having to be experts in the field of identifying turbo equipment on cars that they were probably not equipped to tech. They wouldn't have to know much at all, if the boost levels are going to be minitored, anyway.

But, as yu have said, NHRA has no interest in parity, even though they will toss a car for a valve that is several thousandths of an inch too small or too large. Boost is just another way of emulating a better-breathing engine.

I don't know what the answer is. I do know that the CONSISTENCY with which this anomaly occurs (turbo cars out-qualifying a huge field of normally aspirated cars at national events) doesn't seem to be going away. Maybe it just doean't matter.... There just doesn't seem to be any rational reason for it to be that way, so I thought maybe it could be "fixed."

Perhaps not.

Thanks for your thoughts on the subject; I do appreciete them!