For todays "Brain Fart"

[art leong]

Originally Posted by Evan Smith

Billy,

Stock class racing evolved the minute the first car went to the track and someone bumped the timing and changed the jets. I'm sure the first racers who dropped the exhaust and changed to sticky tires were thought to be ruining Stock-Class racing. And the purists wondered, "where is this going to go?" Frankly, for a class that has, in one way or another, been around since the early '60s (50 years), the cars are still relatively stock.

When someone enters the sport, as I did in 1994, they see those rules as what stock "should be," and they expect things to be that way forever. Just as I'm sure some NASCAR fans hate the cars today because they are not stock at all, some NHRA/IHRA Stock racers or fans hate the way things have evolved. But love it or hate it, it is what it is (I hate that saying). That's because they remember what it "used to be." In 10 years from now people entering Stock and Super Stock today will remember the current state of racing as "what it used to be." No one is right or wrong on this, it's just natural evolution. I can't think of any racing class in any type of racing that hasn't evolved over the years.

Stock Eliminator is a racing class. Unless we race our cars 100% stock with stock OE tires, 100% stock and closed exhaust with factory mufflers and factory tune-up specs, then it is nothing more than a racing class for Stock-type vehicles. And this is coming from a purist, as I love the idea of our vehicles being stock. But they haven't been stock for a long. long time, far longer than I have been racing.

What Evan says is very true. Everyone has their own level of what stock should be.
I look at it as keeping the cost down. I don't mind running anyone as long as I can afford to compete, For the RWD classes the costs have gotten out of hand (my theory only).
You have to run the trick parts to compete.

[Billy Nees]

Evan, as usual your post is right on. Would you care to comment on where our "evolving" eliminator is heading? I'm just throwing out a bunch of "what ifs" here.

[tim worner]

Billy , it seems very clear you have too much idle time on your hands. Come on down to our shop and we'll put you to work. At least help us clean out the frig with last years left over beverages.

[Jack McCarthy]

billy has come out of the closet...he hates what his eliminator has - will become... yeah HIS eliminator... the one he grew up loving, and learned how to master the tricks and compete with his knowledge not his wallet...

so now he is faced with :
1. hoping / asking for rule changes that will never happen because nhra is null and void of intelligence and swayed by the high dollar competitors and is worried about money only because they spend it so ridicuosly.
2. keep plugging away and watch his efforts be thwarted by more $$$$ and more rule changes that favor the faster car / richer competitor as he drifts lower on the qualifying sheet and cannot race at indy anymore
3. quit racing the class he loves, stock eliminator, because he cannot or chooses not to compete with the $$$$$ guys...

face it billy we are a dying breed... we like to win with our intelligence, and hard work that no longer counts...if you cant buy a new mustang or challenger, or afford to buy enough ET to race you aint **** anymore...

sure we can find an obscure combo, a killer caddy or something else, but sooner or later the snowball is gonna run over us. there is NO CHANCE we can ever go back to the days of teardowns at every national event, FARMER handing out horsepower in the staging lanes, and every class winner being represented in the eliminator... you know the way WALLY designed it.

i am about done with it all, maybe it is time for us old dinosaurs to go away... hell it feels like im in an ice age as i type (its frigging cold here)...

billy's friend... jack mccarthy

[Alan Warman]

If you go over to the A.H.R.A. web site, they are asking for racers input on rules.

[Kenny Wigington]

Again, Evan is dead on with an egg ! I have only been in it for less then 5 yrs., but have been watching and keeping up, to an extent, for a lot longer. Even I have seen a lot of changes. but then again, every tick of my watch tells me of a change too...
I would dearly love to see it, at least stay like it is, for a number of yrs. I love Stockers and SS'ers. I truly hope we're not relagated to expensive bracket racing !

We just have to be something someone wants to have in their programs, to survive.

That may take a lot of gut wrenching work to ensure it, but I think we are all willing to, to see it around fora while yet.

[treessavoy]

When I started racing I remember a race at Atco where a guy racing in Stock was disqualified because he didn't have the right size muffler!

Today's stockers are exactly like the SS cars of 1965 and run faster than they did. In 1969 when I left for my Southeast Asian Vacation the ss/ba record was in the low 11's.......look at it now.

With each rule change or each new fangled gidgit we evolve farther away from how we started and at this stage the train has left the station, there is no stopping it.

I'm not near smart enough to know where it's going nor how to correct it. How would you change it without costing someone his combination or a lot of money?

How about this: do away with factory weights; change to 1lb breaks and allow racers to make the weight and HP fit the class. As long as the car fit the top of the class with the HP as published by the HRA it would be legal.

This would result in closer runs and do away with shoe polish runs in the same class.

Just an idle mind thought.

JimR

[Evan Smith]

I have no idea what Stock will evolve into, but it will evolve. There is a fine line between evolution and extinction, however I don't see Stock going away anytime soon, despite what the nay-sayers on here believe.

Everyone keeps talking about "all these rule changes," but what has really changed in the last 10 years? Valve springs is about it. While fuel cells, wheelie bars and brakes can add performance, they were added to improve safety.

Technology changes have brought us better tires (radials), lighter transmissions, light clutches, improved tuning techniques (via wide-band oxygen sensors), there is a wide range of fuels for specific compression ratios, and data-loggers to name few things.

Still, you can built a budget 5.0 LX Mustang that will run 11s for under $10,000 (including buying the car) that will go a second under. There are plenty of affordable combinations, and not all are odd-ball or slow cars. You don't need a CJ or a Challenger to have fun or win in Stock.

Had the rules been left alone, I'd almost be competitive in 1970 Pro Stock with my small-block H/S Mustang. Should I complain that I can't race in Pro Stock or Comp because the rule have changed?

[cicero819]

How about a new class Pure Stock, full exhaust, blueprinting, same cam, spring, only thing allowed is a gear change. This class would allow new blood(contested only at divisional meet and not National events) and would guarantee a nucleus of young racers tinkering with new cars. New Challengers, Mustang, Camaro even Toyota's and Honda would be a plus for our sport.

[CycloneFE]

Evan,

I see something that has not been addressed and that is the "loss" of parts. You know the good old ones. I am building a 428cj and they quit making that motor in 1970. Those parts made 40+ years ago are harder to find, and I am sure that the others, Mopar, and GM have the very same issues.

Are our 40+ year old cars going the way of the 50's cars? Will aftermarket replacement parts be allowed? Maybe Glendora wants us to leave, I don't know.

Just my thoughts....

Steve