Sox & Martin HEMI Challenge - Page 3

Frito · 08-31-2025, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick Heath

I asked the same question on the LIVE thread. Thanks to Kevin Panzino for the insight!

6 NHRA tech guys including Wesley & Travis were all over Westcott. All good

doglover44 · 08-31-2025, 03:38 PM

All the Hemi challenge cars should be teched and inspected before first rnd

Mike McCandless · 08-31-2025, 03:51 PM

My response:

Joseph Lily · 09-01-2025, 07:53 AM

NHRA is not the bad guy here. .008 is still too big just as 2cc over in a port or -.001 red at the tree, even -.001 breakout is a loss. I commend NHRA finally enforcing tech with no gray areas. Truly Black and white.

The real loser here is not having a winner in the shootout. If this was Top Fuel there would be a winner. The purse means jack sh!t to these guys divvied up. It's the Prestige of putting your name in history and holding up the trophy at Indy! If it was T/F there would be no re-run. The win would go to the fastest car in the semis. I was rooting for Comella's to get 5 in a row but Anthony Rhodes ran the fastest and also had a better light, AKA your winner. As for tech, Wescott knows the rules. His cars fenders had no bubbles for 12 or 13 years, when that rule was put in effect. The race needed a winner.... Very sad for the fans and competitors, but again a big THANK YOU to NHRA tech staff. Easier to draw a line and make it black and white than have another Hemi Head cylinder head disaster

mannymen · 09-01-2025, 09:03 AM

The casual fan at these races has no clue about the DQs, unless the announcers made it known. Just good racing from these old machines & drivers.

Julie Jordan · 09-01-2025, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mannymen

The casual fan at these races has no clue about the DQs, unless the announcers made it known. Just good racing from these old machines & drivers.

Yes! It was a great show! From my perspective, sitting in the bleachers, the Hemis were quite popular. We were parked in the Hemi pits and the spectator foot traffic was constant. In my opinion, the shootout brings quite a few people into the track. The McCandless family and David Hakim do an awesome job of putting on this event.

trode424 · 09-01-2025, 09:51 AM

Tech is tech, and rules are rules. I have zero problem with the tear downs. The issue I have is Nhra waiting til the next morning to knock on the motorhomes and tell them to go to the barn. That should of been done directly after the run, before pictures and trophies were done.

Joseph Lily · 09-01-2025, 10:50 AM

Tear down for shoot-out was always same as Stock and SS Class, following day. In this case would've been better if all was handled same day but dont forget as Big as the SS/AH cars are, bottom line is they are still Super Stock cars. Hard to believe but fact.

The real question is as more facts surface from this incident, Is under the valve cover, a pipe plug in a spare spark plug boss cast into head internal or external? Internal to engine but external to cylinder head on bench. This opens up a whole new can of tomatoes here regarding rules. Jesel rockers all use that same boss as a mounting point

Mike McCandless · 09-01-2025, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joseph Lily

NHRA is not the bad guy here. .008 is still too big just as 2cc over in a port or -.001 red at the tree, even -.001 breakout is a loss. I commend NHRA finally enforcing tech with no gray areas. Truly Black and white.

The real loser here is not having a winner in the shootout. If this was Top Fuel there would be a winner. The purse means jack sh!t to these guys divvied up. It's the Prestige of putting your name in history and holding up the trophy at Indy! If it was T/F there would be no re-run. The win would go to the fastest car in the semis. I was rooting for Comella's to get 5 in a row but Anthony Rhodes ran the fastest and also had a better light, AKA your winner. As for tech, Wescott knows the rules. His cars fenders had no bubbles for 12 or 13 years, when that rule was put in effect. The race needed a winner.... Very sad for the fans and competitors, but again a big THANK YOU to NHRA tech staff. Easier to draw a line and make it black and white than have another Hemi Head cylinder head disaster

I can understand the logic in what you're saying, but there is another issue. If a competitor is disqualified in a 4 round race in the finals, they raced 4 people. You can't ignore the first 2 rounds of the race. It is the first time this has happened according to NHRA when they called me. The above is their explanation for why it had to be done as a no win race, which I understand. Both Rhodes and Comella offered to come back and run and be torn down. Understand they were both HOME already.

Sometimes in a messy situation, you just do the best job you can and I think that is what was done here. I'm looking forward to 2026 as I think ALL of the eyeballs will be on this race.

Mike

Joseph Lily · 09-01-2025, 01:36 PM

Mike I applaud your efforts and everything you have done. Bottom line there needs to be a winner. Bucky was once disqualified from the race for carburetor base plate screws being shortened to the hi throttle shaft. They awarded Wescott the runner up the trophy and he was halfway home. Had to turn around.

You would not rerun a top fuel race because of a disqualification. NASCAR would not rerun the race because of winner found illegal. It is over now but there is clearly an order and you go down the order. Need a winner this isn?t preschool baseball handing out participation awards.

I am not arguing, not ungrateful for your efforts just stating fact that every race has a winner. I feel nhra did a big disservice to all that were there, all the fans watching and anyone who was part of this presentation that no one left with a trophy and a winner declared.

08-31-2025, 03:38 PM	#22
doglover44 VIP Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: New Carlisle OH Posts: 1,391 Likes: 4 Liked 493 Times in 231 Posts	Re: Sox & Martin HEMI Challenge All the Hemi challenge cars should be teched and inspected before first rnd __________________ Jake Biermann

08-31-2025, 03:51 PM	#23
Mike McCandless Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 129 Likes: 3 Liked 477 Times in 43 Posts	Re: Sox & Martin HEMI Challenge My response:

09-01-2025, 07:53 AM	#24
Joseph Lily Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2024 Posts: 26 Likes: 1 Liked 57 Times in 19 Posts	Re: Sox & Martin HEMI Challenge NHRA is not the bad guy here. .008 is still too big just as 2cc over in a port or -.001 red at the tree, even -.001 breakout is a loss. I commend NHRA finally enforcing tech with no gray areas. Truly Black and white. The real loser here is not having a winner in the shootout. If this was Top Fuel there would be a winner. The purse means jack sh!t to these guys divvied up. It's the Prestige of putting your name in history and holding up the trophy at Indy! If it was T/F there would be no re-run. The win would go to the fastest car in the semis. I was rooting for Comella's to get 5 in a row but Anthony Rhodes ran the fastest and also had a better light, AKA your winner. As for tech, Wescott knows the rules. His cars fenders had no bubbles for 12 or 13 years, when that rule was put in effect. The race needed a winner.... Very sad for the fans and competitors, but again a big THANK YOU to NHRA tech staff. Easier to draw a line and make it black and white than have another Hemi Head cylinder head disaster

09-01-2025, 09:03 AM	#25
mannymen Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 729 Likes: 5 Liked 13 Times in 7 Posts	Re: Sox & Martin HEMI Challenge The casual fan at these races has no clue about the DQs, unless the announcers made it known. Just good racing from these old machines & drivers. __________________ N/A

09-01-2025, 09:51 AM	#27
trode424 Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2021 Posts: 24 Likes: 4 Liked 19 Times in 8 Posts	Re: Sox & Martin HEMI Challenge Tech is tech, and rules are rules. I have zero problem with the tear downs. The issue I have is Nhra waiting til the next morning to knock on the motorhomes and tell them to go to the barn. That should of been done directly after the run, before pictures and trophies were done.

09-01-2025, 10:50 AM	#28
Joseph Lily Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2024 Posts: 26 Likes: 1 Liked 57 Times in 19 Posts	Re: Sox & Martin HEMI Challenge Tear down for shoot-out was always same as Stock and SS Class, following day. In this case would've been better if all was handled same day but dont forget as Big as the SS/AH cars are, bottom line is they are still Super Stock cars. Hard to believe but fact. The real question is as more facts surface from this incident, Is under the valve cover, a pipe plug in a spare spark plug boss cast into head internal or external? Internal to engine but external to cylinder head on bench. This opens up a whole new can of tomatoes here regarding rules. Jesel rockers all use that same boss as a mounting point

09-01-2025, 01:36 PM	#30
Joseph Lily Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2024 Posts: 26 Likes: 1 Liked 57 Times in 19 Posts	Re: Sox & Martin HEMI Challenge Mike I applaud your efforts and everything you have done. Bottom line there needs to be a winner. Bucky was once disqualified from the race for carburetor base plate screws being shortened to the hi throttle shaft. They awarded Wescott the runner up the trophy and he was halfway home. Had to turn around. You would not rerun a top fuel race because of a disqualification. NASCAR would not rerun the race because of winner found illegal. It is over now but there is clearly an order and you go down the order. Need a winner this isn?t preschool baseball handing out participation awards. I am not arguing, not ungrateful for your efforts just stating fact that every race has a winner. I feel nhra did a big disservice to all that were there, all the fans watching and anyone who was part of this presentation that no one left with a trophy and a winner declared.