PARITY AN ISSUE FOR TAD RACER
Fri, 2008-01-25 06:03
After finishing fourth in national points standings in NHRA Top Alcohol
Dragster last season, Jim Whiteley and his Norm Grimes lead "YNot Racing" team
will enter the 2008 season in a 'test' mode of sorts. Not so much in the fact
they will be testing exotic combinations on the track, instead they will be
gauging the balance of the Top Alcohol Dragster class itself. Competitors in
the Top Alcohol Dragster class are allowed to run two different vehicle types,
supercharged (blown, the combination Whiteley runs) alcohol and injected nitro
(A/Fuel). If Whiteley doesn't see an improvement in the balance of the class,
Whiteley and his team will make the move to the Pro Modified
category.
The World Championship has been claimed by an
A/Fueler every season since 2002. Despite several attempts to slow the
A/Fuelers down by reducing their nitro fuel percentage, they have maintained a
dominance in the performance department. A casual glance at nearly any NHRA
national event's qualifying sheet will show several A/Fuel cars in the 5.20's,
even a 5-teen on occasion, while there has been less than ten blown alcohol
drivers to ever run a 5.20 in the history of the class.
Whiteley and Grimes haven't taken the situation
passively hoping for a rule change to increase their competitive stance. Grimes
and the team have spent much of the offseason developing their blown alcohol
engine program and have spent several days on the dyno. The team also has a
rigorous test schedule planned prior to the season-opening CARQUEST
Winternationals in Pomona, Calif., Feb. 7-9.
"It's not like we're sitting around hoping for a
rules change to save us," said Whiteley. "We're taking the bull by the horns so
to speak and really working hard to cut into the performance gap. It's still
very hard to stay motivated to spend the time and money it takes to field a
championship caliber team when the performance gap is so prevalent. We had
hoped the increased overdrive they gave us would help, but it just wasn't the
cure we were looking for."
"Norm has some things we've tried on the dyno and
some things we're going to try on the track," Whiteley continued. "We're doing
everything we can. But, you have to draw the line somewhere. I feel like we
have one of the best tuners in the business in Norm Grimes, and there are other
smart guys out there trying to make this blown alcohol combination work, and
we're still a long way behind the A/Fuelers. We're going to start the year with
intentions of chasing the championship, but if the class is still in the state
of unbalance like it is now, we will be moving to Pro Mod."
The wheels are already in motion for the Pro Mod to
be ready for action by May. The car will be a Tim McAmis built '53 Corvette.
Norm Grimes and his team will still provide the power.
"It's not definite we're getting out of TAD, but we
will have a Pro Mod car ready to go by May," commented Whiteley. "It's about
going to a class where you have a shot at being competitive, and there are a lot
of venues to race that kind of car. Sure we could go A/Fuel, but that's not how
I want to race or spend my money."
"Make no mistake about it," added Whiteley. "We're
going to come out swinging this year for the championship. We're just keeping
our options open and an eye on the future."
Whiteley and the YNot team will test at the NHRA
National Time Trials this weekend at Firebird International Raceway just outside
of Phoenix.
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