Benefits and Liabilities of Stick

[Chuck Weissberg]

So, Sports fans, what are the benefits and liabilities of running a STICK in Stock and Super Stock?

[J.R. Haddad]

Benefits- Perceived Hard Launch & Pulling The Lever. Liabilities-Every Thing Else.

J.R.

[Paul Merolla]

Benefits -
Fun...the mechanical challenge of working with the clutch to get that "perfect graph" and seeing the results in ET reduction.
Fun...matting the gas and dumping the clutch is a kick in the pants.
Fun...hitting 3 shift points yanking on the lever.
Also if you break the trans, it's much easier to fix by yourself than an auto.
And the same clutch will work with any different engine combos, unlike a converter.
Plus no "Devil Juice" running down your armpit.

Liabilities -
It's a challenge to stage as consistently as an auto. Not impossible, but a challenge.
You can't use a pseudo delay box brake pressure switch to tune up your reaction time.
If you have friends that drive automatics, they get bored looking at your shoes sticking out from under the car.

[Jim Hawkins]

Randall Klein told me him and his partner always had sunburned ankles when they ran a stick car.
Cracked me up!

[james schaechter]

[QUOTE=Paul Merolla;707023]Benefits -

I heard these were finally getting some attention from tech?.

You can't use a pseudo delay box brake pressure switch to tune up your reaction time.

[Run to Rund]

Racing a stick car is an adventure. Racing an automatic car is like sitting in your living room, watching the television.
lol, let the flames begin!

[SS/GSI]

Originally Posted by Chuck Weissberg

So, Sports fans, what are the benefits and liabilities of running a STICK in Stock and Super Stock?

Chuck, stick cars are way cool. With that said, I have listed a few pros and cons below.

PRO - You don't need to bring a golf cart or scooter to the track with you...you're not leaving your pit area all weekend.

CON - Clutch dust doesn't come off

PRO - Since you don't leave your pit area all weekend, everyone knows where to find you

CON - Budget is considerably different than with Automatic

PRO - No sunburns...the underside of the car casts quite the shade throughout the weekend

CON - Early mornings all the way to late nights(that might be a pro...depending on your idea of fun, lol)

PRO - 3 Pedals, 7000rpm launches and 10,000+rpm finish line!

CON - Don't make enough runs in a weekend...but every run is a learning experience

PRO - Looking at a great graph of your run on racepak is incredibly satisfying

CON - Looking at a bad graph of your run on racepak is incredibly humbling(but you can't learn if you don't fail)

CON - You need to buy lots of spares parts

PRO - You get to buy lots of spare parts!

Have fun!

[Chuck Weissberg]

Originally Posted by SS/GSI

Chuck, stick cars are way cool. With that said, I have listed a few pros and cons below.

PRO - You don't need to bring a golf cart or scooter to the track with you...you're not leaving your pit area all weekend.

CON - Clutch dust doesn't come off

PRO - Since you don't leave your pit area all weekend, everyone knows where to find you

CON - Budget is considerably different than with Automatic

PRO - No sunburns...the underside of the car casts quite the shade throughout the weekend

CON - Early mornings all the way to late nights(that might be a pro...depending on your idea of fun, lol)

PRO - 3 Pedals, 7000rpm launches and 10,000+rpm finish line!

CON - Don't make enough runs in a weekend...but every run is a learning experience

PRO - Looking at a great graph of your run on racepak is incredibly satisfying

CON - Looking at a bad graph of your run on racepak is incredibly humbling(but you can't learn if you don't fail)

CON - You need to buy lots of spares parts

PRO - You get to buy lots of spare parts!

Have fun!

Thanks I can see you writing an adventure novel in your future....entertaining Sir

[Rory McNeil]

Geez,I must be doing it all wrong! I have been racing several different stick combos over the past 25 years, my 12 second Stocker, the same car with a mid 10 second bracket engine, and my other bracket car, which has had 2 different 427 and 428 FE engines, and 2 different 302 based engine combinations, that has run low 10s and a few high 9s in the 1/4. Between these 2 cars and 5 engine combinations, easily over 1000 1/4 mile passes, and other than a couple of ring and pinions in the Stocker, I hurt my Jericos a total of 3 times in 20 years,the current G101A has been in for coming up 6 years, and has required nothing but a few fluid changes. Never hurt a U Joint, axle, spool, or ring and pinion (on the bracket cars). Pretty much always leaving between 6000 and 6600 RPM. I would typically go 2 or 3 seasons between clutch rebuilds, have had the same Soft Lok since 2003, used in both the Stocker and the small block bracket engines, with the big blocks, had a different Soft Lok, that I used, with bi annual rebuilds, for over 25 years. The first year (and clutch) was a learning curve, but since then, I don`t spend much time under the car between races, and even less time under it at the track. I found once I got the clutch happy, I could usually go to at least 3 or 4 race weekends without crawling under the car, and even then, it was usually just to add a 1/4 turn of base as the disc wore, and to keep the throw out bearing freeplay in check. I installed a new RAM Billet clutch in for last year, and will be pulling the clutch out for a look shortly, but imagine with a bit of sanding the heat shields,measuring the disc thickness, checking the lever heights, and replacing the pilot bearing in the crank, it will be going right back in.
For ME, the Pros far outweigh the cons. Not only is the car considerably quicker with the stick, than it was with the automatic I used to have in the bracket car, it is a whole lot more fun and satisfying, and when set up properly, very consistent. Other than the occasional street car running Sportsman bracket, I am usually the only stick car at the track. Last year, I won a 7 round "No Box" Gamblers race, against all automatics, and I put a 10.01 dial on the window for 1rst round, and never touched the dial all day. The only thing that I would consider a "con" would be that if I am not focused for whatever reason, (lack of sleep, heat, distracted), it can be harder to be "in the zone, RT wise", and although I don`t have a log travel transbrake button, or other such aids, changing the front tire size or low side chip on the 2 step can net some adjustability to the RT. At first, I thought the the upfront of buying the bellhousing, clutch, transmission etc was much more expensive than an automatic, but after seeing how much a top drawer automatic, especially one with an aftermarket case and bellhousing, plus several torque convertors (How many racers find that their first convertor is perfect, and don`t need to try multiple convertors in their car?), the price point is about a draw. And when it came time to sell my old Jericos, they sold quickly, and for pretty close for what I paid for them in the first place. Barring a physical issue, I can`t imagine there will ever be an automatic in my car again.