SFI flexplate mandatory in all v8s Jan 2024

[Billy Nees]

Originally Posted by Billy Nees

I had a (somewhat) cordial discussion with my DTD at Numidia this weekend and would like to think that I made some inroads into this "all V8s" need an SFI flexplate thing.
I would like to think that this ruling will be aligned with the need for trans and flexplate shields based on E.T.s and not just an arbitrary ruling based off of a "million-to-one" incident.
And I've got a "Billy question" here, since this "issue" involved the starter ring gear and not the actual flexplate itself, are Mopars going to have to have SFI approved torque converters?

To get this important (to me at least) issue back up top, how do all of you 2V/302 FFFFord guys feel about having to spend time and monies putting an SFI flexplate on your cars that may not be as well built as your 50 year old stock unit? And you Mopar guys who don't even have a "starter ring gear" (the main "issue") to fail? Has a Mopar torque converter ever lost a ring gear?
Does NHRA know that a Div. 1 Racer who will go un-named lost a ring gear off of an SFI approved flexplate in Columbus last weekend? Why is that?
I personally believe that I would rather put my faith (and lower extremities) in a 50 year old GM piece over something imported from China! Especially in a 12.0 or slower car!

And NHRA, if you're going to continue pursuing this, when are you going to start with the SFI approved torque converters for the Mopars? If the ring gears really are the issue then it only seems right!