TC SK Mod wreck @ The New London-Waterford Speedbowl

[Phil Jacques]

I assume you are saying that in regards to the tire?

[OldSchool+]

Yes.

You like the narrow tire on your Sportsman due to the skill and driving style required.

Look, your NE mods are the bomb--who could argue that? Supers too, and I darn sure don't them on airplane tires.

But our cars, man they are exciting to watch. I like the sideways action, and like your class, at least some of that is due to the (lack of) tire.

I just wish the price of admission under the hood was more appropriate.

[Weftracing96]

It's apples and oranges though. Northern Mods are made for fat tires. Southern Mods as Scotty detailed aren't. Not to mention, the tires Phil runs are good bc it creates as lack of incentive to built a ridiculous cheater motor that you can't hook up.

[Phil Jacques]

Yes.

You like the narrow tire on your Sportsman due to the skill and driving style required.

Look, your NE mods are the bomb--who could argue that? Supers too, and I darn sure don't them on airplane tires.

But our cars, man they are exciting to watch. I like the sideways action, and like your class, at least some of that is due to the (lack of) tire.

I just wish the price of admission under the hood was more appropriate.

And you are saying all this why?

I have never said put your class on the 15" rubber we have. The cars are not built for it or designed to run with them. The only thing I have ever really eluded to is trying to find a way to allow a northern mod chassis to work with your mods. Southern mods days are numbered. Stock parts for the old front ends those cars run are becoming increasingly more difficult to find, and the aftermarket stuff for them is just as expensive as anything for a north mod if not more expensive, with less adjustability. There aren't many places still running that kind of mod anymore on asphalt. Putting a northern type mod on a smaller tire has been done and makes for some outstanding racing. Both Wall and Bowman Gray tun them on 10" tires and up in Washington State and parts of Canada where these cars are now replacing the old Imca type cars like yours, they are running on 8" slicks. When things get harder to find such as suspension parts etc, the cost goes up. It's all about keeping costs under control. The reason I brought the engine discussion up earlier was a cost thing. The SK Spec engine costs less on average by quite a bit than probably 75% of OWM engines. There is no doubt a southern OWM puts on one hell of a show... But competition wise, not many can afford to run them at the top level of the division anymore. They have gotten so far out of hand cost wise it seems from talking to some guys that the division is becoming less and less appealing which is likely why you are seeing a bunch of new Sportsman cars showing up or coming to the track more often.

We had a division at Thompson called TIS mods. They were nearly identical to a FL OWM... They disappeared really fast when the costs skyrocketed.

[Phil Jacques]

It's apples and oranges though. Northern Mods are made for fat tires. Southern Mods as Scotty detailed aren't. Not to mention, the tires Phil runs are good bc it creates as lack of incentive to built a ridiculous cheater motor that you can't hook up.

Yeah, our tires are hard as a rock... They suck great big donkey balls to drive on. But it makes a damn good show for the fans and it's fun as hell to hang the car out sideways lap after lap

[OldSchool+]

Phil's back. Just keep, as you put it, "manhandling" those great big... tires!

"the tires Phil runs are good bc it creates as lack of incentive to built a ridiculous cheater motor that you can't hook up."--Weft (if that's your real name {lol})

Indeed, and

a) that is why I kind of believe in them
b) I like loose and close racing. Like the Sportsman cars deliver.

A question though, our mods do seem to be able to hook up a big motor to their advantage...how do they manage that?

[Weftracing96]

My real name is Matt Albee.

[OldSchool+]

I knew it!--Bobby

[Phil Jacques]

Phil's back. Just keep, as you put it, "manhandling" those great big... tires!

"the tires Phil runs are good bc it creates as lack of incentive to built a ridiculous cheater motor that you can't hook up."--Weft (if that's your real name {lol})

Indeed, and

a) that is why I kind of believe in them
b) I like loose and close racing. Like the Sportsman cars deliver.

A question though, our mods do seem to be able to hook up a big motor to their advantage...how do they manage that?

In reality, they don't hook up. Those guys are working the throttle the entire time, I promise.



The last time I ran this car, I ran on a tire very similar to the 750R and was struggling to keep the tires on it with close to 600hp under the hood. It takes a lot of finesse and understanding the car to keep the power planted on a small tire. Guys like Tank Tucker and Jerry Symons, got that figured out. There is not a guy out there that can just mash the pedal and put all the power down.

Northern mod racing is a more rough and rugged type of racing than I have seen with FL mods. Lots more contact and use of the bumper. We call it the Chrome Horn. Guys like Ted Christopher have a 3 tap rule, other guys like Preece and Pitkat will drive in deeper than you and give you a door check with the nerf bar. It's a different kind of racing

[Weftracing96]

You could almost make a case for it. I mean, we have proper spelling and grammar for the most part. However, I think I would just kill myself first. The good news is, Rick could probably establish we aren't one and the same via our IP's.

[Phil Jacques]

My real name is Matt Albee.

You're as full of it as he is...

[jbonez21]

This is going to make this post VERY long, but here are the SK engine rules here... They have a Built and Spec option. Last I asked, Built engines run close to $20-21k and Spec run $12-13k depending on builder. The Spec makes more power but requires a midseason refresh.

Just curious how much a refresh typically costs?

[Phil Jacques]

I knew it!--Bobby

Same age maybe?

[Phil Jacques]

Just curious how much a refresh typically costs?

As I have been told, 3500 or so unless you start needing parts on the spec. And I shouldn't have really said REQUIRE. It's suggested by most builders that you refresh mid season. Not everyone does. As the engines loosen up during the season, they do lose a little power. That's really the main reason.

[Matt Albee]

That doesn't sound like a deal breaker. Unless the refresh has to happen 4 or 5 times a year.