We're Evolving!

[Alan Roehrich]

Tony,
Actually, the Knight brothers still race a REAL R code Hemi 'Cuda in Stock in Division 3, Bowling Green is pretty much their home track. And the two fastest Chevrolet Stock Eliminator cars both still run original era cast iron heads.

The small block Chevy has already been out of production in cars for longer than the flat head Ford was when it won its last NHRA event, and the small block Chevy is just about as strong as it has ever been in the sportsman ranks. There were a lot more small block Chevy engines built, over a lot longer period of time than the flat head Ford. Further, the factory still supports the small block Chevy. And so does the aftermarket, in a manner far more massive and complete than they ever did for the flat head Ford.

Sure, DOHC 4 valve engines and EFI are common place now. But neither are new technology. EFI is at least 40 years old. And aircraft engines designed some 80 years ago were DOHC 4 valve engines with fuel injection. Not all new technology always moves down to grass roots racing. The complexity and expense of DOHC 4 valve stuff turns at least 5 times as many people OFF as it turns on.

It isn't that Stock needs a "tiered" system. Stock just needs to stick to the original intent that it was intended for purely production cars off the showroom floor and the "tuner" cars, "builder" cars, and "export" versions go straight to some sort of Super Stock class where they belong. There's a place for the production showroom Challengers, and even the production showroom DOHC 4 valve Mustangs in Stock. They belong in Stock. The "package" race cars do not belong in Stock.

The "package" cars are not the problem, they're a symptom of the real problem. The real problem is the massive disconnect between the people that control the sanctioning bodies an the people who are dues paying members of the sanctioning bodies.