Think Drifting is Boring? Watch This!

[scott bertram]

I think drifting is cool, I also think it has it's place. A local oval track isn't the best place for it. The twisting, winding, narrow roads (preferably up hill) is my idea of entertaining. Plenty of community streets established, that were built before the housing crash that never had 1 house put in.......sounds like a logical place to purchase and hold events. I highly disagree with the consistent drifting events at oval tracks.....special shows I can understand and even support (if its not drift cars only).

[Matt Albee]

4 wheel drive isn't legal in F1. Neither is traction control by the way. I also remember a 3 wheeled modified driven by Tim Richmond. I do know what that was all about.
All wheel drive isn't legal in oval track for the same reason computers and fuel injection aren't....those concepts terrify tech men. That's it. Oh, and many competitors crying broke constantly to keep other competitors from beating them.
On the other hand, drag racing and drifting allow pretty much anything mechanically, and Ozzy is doing fine with both of them. Does that tell you something? Like maybe oval track racing had better start appealing to the young people and the tech savvy if it wants to survive.
Somebody who knows how to put race cars together needs to take a giant leap of faith and build a modern Super Late. Newer import or domestic small body, short wheelbase, fuel injected, maybe even all wheel drive and take it to Florida ovals. Run it during intermission, let the track owners and tech guys take a look at how everything operates, take it around to import and domestic dealerships to get them interested.

Circle Track Magazine should happily back a project like that. They often put their money into oval track projects to increase magazine sales. And i can't think of a better way to spend than to help save short track racing. Of course DAARA and the other organizations are gonna fight losing the current technology.

[scottgarrity07]

4 wheel drive isn't legal in F1. Neither is traction control by the way. I also remember a 3 wheeled modified driven by Tim Richmond. I do know what that was all about.
All wheel drive isn't legal in oval track for the same reason computers and fuel injection aren't....those concepts terrify tech men. That's it. Oh, and many competitors crying broke constantly to keep other competitors from beating them.
On the other hand, drag racing and drifting allow pretty much anything mechanically, and Ozzy is doing fine with both of them. Does that tell you something? Like maybe oval track racing had better start appealing to the young people and the tech savvy if it wants to survive.
Somebody who knows how to put race cars together needs to take a giant leap of faith and build a modern Super Late. Newer import or domestic small body, short wheelbase, fuel injected, maybe even all wheel drive and take it to Florida ovals. Run it during intermission, let the track owners and tech guys take a look at how everything operates, take it around to import and domestic dealerships to get them interested.

I stand corrected. After outlawing TC in '93 then allowing it in 2001, F1 banned TC with the use of a common ECU in 2008.

A car sort of similar to what you are talking about was developed a couple of years back by the Circle Track magazine people. It actually was assembled and tested here in FL using Dalton Zehr as the driver. It was a regular Super Late Chassis outfitted with a stock port injected LS Chevy big block and a sexy new Camaro body. The point was using modern technology you build a stock based Super Late engine package that could be competitive for half the cost or less of current traditional carburated Super engines. The car tested well at Speedworld, ironically and was even run in a Super race at NSS where it finished mid pack after starting last. The motor cost was around 10k with the ECU I believe. I wish I could find a link to the articles. It was very interesting but the car and the concept seem to have vanished.

[OldSchool+]

I read recently it isn't about the speed (the earth is moving a bazillion mph & airplanes are doing 300+ and so forth), it is the change in speed or direction--G forces--that register in our ear & brain as "fast".

Therefore, we pretty much all like cars that are "loose"-- fun to watch, fun to drive (well, right up until that wall part...) and so forth.

So here is my take. The "drifters" also like "loose"--on asphalt.

It was mentioned that we should "take racing to the youth" (Well I did, I drug my kid up the stands his whole life and he loves all things stock car racing. But that is an aside...).

What about a mini stock class that emulates/involves their precise cars? Rear wheel drive, hard as concrete tires, locked rear ends, rear wheel drive import cars (and maybe pintos too...).

Take the concept to the drifters, see if there is enough interest, and move forward as appropriate (or not).

Most of their drift cars are track only anyway. Look for commonalities (motor & wheel size primarily), specify cage and fuel cell requirements, and let those guys truly race in an event after they parade around sideways.

Heck, they are at Bithlo, the tree service races are at Bitlo, seems like it could happen.

Food fer thought.

[scottgarrity07]

I know we're drifting off topic here (pun intended) but using the Circle Track model of using a stock port injected ecu motor to CUT costs of Super Late racing while modernizing it could lure a younger crowd back to our sport while making it healthier.

Here's the concept: Maintain the chassis rules, ditch the ABC bodies and require ANY Stock body no older than 5-10 years modified with any ground effects you like, but no chopping down. Find a way for one manufacturer to develop an ECU that eliminates the techman's headache of traction control (like F1 did). Then allow any engine configuration, granted that it chassis dynos at no more than say 600 hp and is stock based. It would allow innovation without an unfair advantage. Consider it a Modernized Outlaw Super Late. Puts the Stock back in Stock Car racing too. A pipe dream? Maybe, but if we continue to ignore progress we will become dinosaurs left behind. The modern Super Late Model motor has become this super expensive piece that is made more and more fragile (lighter internals and tighter clearances) to achieve more power. Expensive and Fragile is a bad combination. Cap the HP at a certain # and letting people get there how they see fit would save a ton of $. I wish someone like NASCAR (who would have the power to implement this) would jumpstart a project like this. Problem is Brian France cares more about counting and maintaining his family's billions and NASCAR gave up on being the caretaker of weekly short track racing when his father died. One can dream tho....

[BVS40FL]

4wd INDY CAR

REMEMBER THIS ?
Sorry , couldn't get the image to load . It was a photo of Andy Granatelli's turbine engine indy car . Some folks didn't know that the car was 4WD.

[OldSchool+]

I disagree, but you may be right.

To me, simplicity + low cost = a field of cars.

And the reverse is also true.

I read recently that the current generation prefers their freakin' phones to cars, period, so...we are appealing to them at our (actually your) expense?!

I also read an article featuring "The Snake" Prudhomme and his take was that drag racing has levelled off as well as all other forms of racing as a "niche sport".

You can see the same trend in everything from slot cars to go carts.

Today's youth ain't the "Route 66" generation, and that is simply...that, IMO.

Rather than pander, let's polish our own deal and they can come, or not.

[Matt Albee]

I know we're drifting off topic here (pun intended) but using the Circle Track model of using a stock port injected ecu motor to CUT costs of Super Late racing while modernizing it could lure a younger crowd back to our sport while making it healthier.

Here's the concept: Maintain the chassis rules, ditch the ABC bodies and require ANY Stock body no older than 5-10 years modified with any ground effects you like, but no chopping down. Find a way for one manufacturer to develop an ECU that eliminates the techman's headache of traction control (like F1 did). Then allow any engine configuration, granted that it chassis dynos at no more than say 600 hp and is stock based. It would allow innovation without an unfair advantage. Consider it a Modernized Outlaw Super Late. Puts the Stock back in Stock Car racing too. A pipe dream? Maybe, but if we continue to ignore progress we will become dinosaurs left behind. The modern Super Late Model motor has become this super expensive piece that is made more and more fragile (lighter internals and tighter clearances) to achieve more power. Expensive and Fragile is a bad combination. Cap the HP at a certain # and letting people get there how they see fit would save a ton of $. I wish someone like NASCAR (who would have the power to implement this) would jumpstart a project like this. Problem is Brian France cares more about counting and maintaining his family's billions and NASCAR gave up on being the caretaker of weekly short track racing when his father died. One can dream tho....

Excellent idea. I like the idea of any engine configuration. It would be interesting to open the racing up to front drive, rear drive, and even all wheel drive. NASCAR is busy positioning themselves for the death of racing by building new facilities that are football friendly, so i wouldn't look to them for any help at all.
Say......don't you own a Pro Late? Take that body off, put on an import or small domestic body, throw in a computerized injected engine combination ( i'd recommend a turbo 4 or V-6, let's see how it compares to a current V-8 ) and let's get this show on the road. It's going to take one person to be a groundbreaker.

[OldSchool+]

"Say [Scott]......don't you own a Pro Late? Take that body off, put on an import or small domestic body, throw in a computerized injected engine combination ( i'd recommend a turbo 4 or V-6, let's see how it compares to a current V-8 ) and let's get this show on the road. It's going to take one person to be a groundbreaker."--Matt

Or drop the car off the jack on your favorite personal body part.

Faster and cheaper.

(no offense intended, Mr Albee)

[jacko241]

Scott, I really like your idea about the injected LS motor in Super Lates. I even like that CT525 GM crate for them. I would probably get another Super if they did something like that, but the current engine rules are just way too costly for the average racer.

[scottgarrity07]

Hey Joe, I wish that was my idea! It was originally done in that circle track article with Dalton Zehr. The car ran competitive with the Super Lates at NSS. My friends at Marsh Racing will be fielding a K & N car for Dalton at NSS on 2/15. I'll ask him what happened to the car. I do know that the 525 crate is being used in the Nesmith Dirt Late Model Series. They come to East Bay for a week soon too.

And Matt, I have a Sportsman but if I put the import motor and body on it then I'd probably end up like a drifter. Racing against no one! Probably be only legal for drifting too! Nah, I'm just gonna buy me a trusty new crate and run Desoto and New Smyrna this year. My last crate lasted 5 yrs until it gave me trouble. A lot of bang for the $3200 bucks!