PSMCDR...new "tech"

[Chevy454]

For those of you who are interested in the Pure Stock Drags (such as I am), there is a new "development" in the way of tech. Dan and Bob have decided to have a "certified stock" class for those cars that are factory stock. I say "class", but the cars will still be running in the same group as the others, they will just have a decal indicating they are "certified stock", and not just "stock appearing". Here is the plan, straight from Dan Jensen:

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>The original intentions of this race was to get both experienced musclecar tuners and the novice owners together at one location with their cars. Hopefully, the novice musclecar owner would learn some pointers from the experienced folks, use them on his car, and hopefully experience the thrill of making his car go a little faster. To a certain degree, we've accomplished that goal.
Just like any organized race that's been around for a few years, if it's successful, it starts to attract a wider range of cars, and the experience of their owners. As a result, we've steadily seen the cars get quicker with each passing year. No doubt, it's added quite a bit of excitement to the race, but I think we've steered away from our original intentions for it to be a grass roots type of event. Sure, we want the seasoned musclecar owners there, but we don't want to scare away the guys that we're aiming for, those owners that haven't actually had their musclecars on the dragstrip yet.

From the latest posts I've read, it appears that many of you are seeing our intentions for the type of cars we are looking for. Yes, we would like them as stock as possible. But these cars are anywheres from 26 to 40+ years old, and very few have survived intact, so we realize it is too much to ask for "bone-stock" cars. We'd only get a handful. But there are lots out there that have rebuilt engines (with correct replacement parts, of course), some tweeking to the carb and distributor, and have a better exhaust system. Basically cars with simple, hands-on-type changes.

Bob and I still want to attract these cars. We still want to preserve the original intentions of this race.

We will not turn away any car that passes our basic tech inspection, just like all the prior years. But for 2001, we will be incorporating something new. It is not mandatory, but 100% voluntary. It will require preregistration with either Bob or me.
We are initiating a thorough tech (read teardown) called "Certified Stock". It is not a separate class from the other cars that do not get certified. As I said before, this is totally voluntary. Preregistrants will show up at Mid Michigan Motorplex the Thursday (Sept. 6th.) before the race. We will then perform a NHRA-style tech, checking combustion chamber cc's (NHRA minimum allowable), proper pistons, bore, stroke, valve lift, intake and exhaust ports, intake and exhaust manifolds, valve sizes, carburetor, and a lot more. After the engine, the rest of the car gets a going over.

We suggest, if possible, that the cars be brought to the track with the intake, one head (your choice which one), and exhaust manifold removed. That will minimize the work involved with just having to reassemble the engine.

We will have either the garage at the track, or a rented tent available to work under. Once the engines are buttoned up, we will then perform a compression test on all cylinders to help insure that no monkey busisness is going on with the other side of the engine.

Once a car passes this tech inspection, it will receive a PSMCDR "Certified Stock" decal to put in the windhield.

These cars will serve somewhat like a benchmark by which similar cars will be compared to.

We realize that the only guys to take advantage of this will be those who have already run fast and want to prove to the musclecar world that their cars are stock within the rules of the race. So far, two Mopars and three Chevys have signed up for the certification process.

Remember, this is voluntary only. I personally would like to see some Buicks take advantage of this to prove to everyone their capabilities. If any of you are interested, you can contact me at [email protected] for more information. Other than those that have already signed up, I wanted the Buick owners to have a heads up before it comes out in the May 2001 issue of MCR.

One more thing, MCR will do an extensive article profiling the cars and their owners as they go for the Certified Stock status. Also, Speedvision's American Musclecar TV show will be taping all day Thursday as well.

Before I close, I just want to mention a couple things. First, the Brewer's light blue Nova (the Year One Nova) was not disqualified in tech. It passed okay. The Brewers came back to the race this year because they heard of a Hemi Challenger that was out to beat them. Well, the Challenger didn't show up, and after the Nova went 12.20 at 115+, the decided it was in their best interest to withdraw from the race.

Two Novas were DQ'd. The silver and the black ones both had incorrect head castings.

Second, I do want to thank all of the GSCA club members for coming to the race. You guys were very gracious and accomodating, and really put on one heck of a show.

Thanks for letting me bend your ears for a while.

Dan Jensen<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Any thoughts?

[Edited by Chevy454 (10-25-2000 at 01:10 PM).]

[Rowdy Rat]

I personally like the approach that they took on this issue.

The only problem that I see is having the tear down/tech inspection before the race. For someone who is going to take the race this seriously, I would imagine that they're going to have the car tested and dialed in prior to the meet. The last thing that I'd want to worry about is putting my engine back together (and hoping it runs as well as it did before it was apart) AT the event. Most of the professional racing sanctioning bodies feel the same way: the cars are impounded and checked after the race. I would suggest performing the cursory tech inspection prior to the race to eliminate any blantantly obvious rule violations and an impound/tear down after the race for those cars that wish to be included in this "certified" class.

Just my thoughts...

Regards,

Stan

[moparts]

I think a guy would have to be totally crazey to take a perfectly good car apart just to prove to someone else that he built it leagle.

When did you say we were leaving????

[moparts]

Good point Rowdy Rat

They could do compression and all the suspension checks before and the tear down after.

This would make it alot eaiser on the engine builders.

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

I agree, I would not want to show up with an unassembled engine and then try to get it back to race setup after they tech it. I would rather wait till after.
M

[Chevy454]

The reason they do it after is because the race is not run on a ladder type bracket like a regular race...similar ETs run similar ETs. I, too, would rather tear down after the event, but I'm not sure if that's an option with the way the bracket is set up and if the track is available.

[JoeC]

The intentions are good but if the tear down is voluntary I don't think many people will want to disassemble a restored car. Maybe they can do something like use a mobile chassis dyno to check the winning cars. If the car pulls high HP numbers then they have to tear down the car or forfeit the win. This would only have to be done in the new separate "Certified Stock" class.

[Chevy454]

It's hard for people to understand what this race is like until you have actually been there. Believe me...I didn't until I went! It is a TOTALLY different experience than what I expected.

The "certified stock" is to give credibility to the event, by showing what truly stock cars run, and that they DO attend the event. The first year we went, we ran a '69 L34(?) Chevelle (the low hp 396), and it was running 13.50s. Let me say that again...13.50s. We ran him in our shootout, and luckily we ran 13.20s and beat him. It's not just the ultra-quick cars that are cheating...it's also the slower cars that have MORE to gain. This isn't meant to sound like sour grapes, that's just the way it is. It's hard to explain.

In my opinion, this will help the event by allowing the owners of original cars to "save face" by proving there combo is legit.

[bowtie3168]

I think that doing the tear down before the race might be a good idea. What happens if someone is running an illegal car and makes it all the way to the finals and then is found to be cheating? What do you at the end rerun the whole race? What happens if the cheater "knocks off" a legit car? It would be nice to know that eveyone is on a "level playing field" before the event starts. I have a good question, what is with the L-89 1968 Nova? Have they produced any proof that any 68 Aluminum headed Novas were ever built? I don't have a problem if someone runs a exact replica of a documented car but, I don't think that anyone should race a hybrid at the event.
Andrew

[Chevy454]

The '68 L-89 Nova is still up in the air. I haven't ran across anything that says there is such a beast, and Dan and Bob are looking into it as we speak. Anyone know anything about this?