A poll on CompetitionPlus.com revealed that a large contingent of the readership (52.9%) would prefer to see the rules of NHRA Pro Stock changed to reflect current Detroit production. This poll was inspired by an article focusing on the 323-inch, electronic fuel injected and turbocharged Mustang of Steve Matusek.

The current universal 500-inch displacement and 2,350 pound weight minimum was adopted in 1982 as a means of breaking from the traditional pounds-per-cubic inch formula used since the inception of the Pro Stock division in 1971.

The balance of the poll choices were split as to whether the sanctioning body should keep the current rules intact or implement a larger displacement allowance of 650-inches or larger. Poll Suggests NHRA Pro Stock Would Be Best Served With Small Displacement, EFI Combination …

A poll on CompetitionPlus.com revealed that a large contingent of the readership (52.9%) would prefer to see the rules of NHRA Pro Stock changed to reflect current Detroit production. This poll was inspired by an article focusing on the 323-inch, electronic fuel injected and turbocharged Mustang of Steve Matusek.

The current universal 500-inch displacement and 2,350 pound weight minimum was adopted in 1982 as a means of breaking from the traditional pounds-per-cubic inch formula used since the inception of the Pro Stock division in 1971.

The balance of the poll choices were split as to whether the sanctioning body should keep the current rules intact or implement a larger displacement allowance of 650-inches or larger.

CompetitionPlus.com readers believed the current rules should remain intact before considering a displacement increase, by a scant 3.55 percent.

The subject made its way onto three message boards, CompetitionPlus.com, YellowBullet.com and Nitromater.com, where the subject drew a mix of opinions on the topic, some positive and negative.

A couple noteworthy posts:

That's what "Pro Stock" should be IMO. Can I go buy a RWD Cobalt? Never mind the engine configuration. How about a RWD Dodge Stratus? Pontiac G6? It can be 2dr or 4dr, It should be representative of a car you can buy at a dealership. Bring on the Stangs! - Dave Patterson, Nitromater.com


It's only my opinion but I feel we've passed the time for carburetors in Pro Stock. How to implement EFI and, more importantly, how to police it would be the big hurdle. There will always be those who'll bootleg in traction control, $50K feedback shock absorbers, off-degree boring, etc. but with the correct specs in place, I think this could, once again, let the true innovators sift their way to the top. Only real problem is $, rule making/breaking and the transition timing. - Bobby Miller, Nitromater.com


The original premise for pro stock was that it looked like a car you could buy right off the showroom floor and reflected what was happening in technology of the day. Pro stock has gone so far away from that in its development that it no longer accurately reflects what is happening. Cars of today are EFI, blown [turbo/blower] and have a certain look to the stock body panels. Have you ever put a Pro Stock up against a stock version of the car to really see just how distorted these cars really are from stock????

And really it is time to lose the hood scoops. As far as I know we don't have any cars with hood scoops made today. A bubbled hood is fine as they are in production.

It is about time they update the cars and class to accurately reflect what is happening in the real world. - Hellfirejim, YellowBullet.com


Since Turbos put me to sleep, my guess is the Class would bust! - Kingnitro, CompetitionPlus.com Message Board


Sounds like a good idea on the surface, but it won't happen...at least any time soon. For one...the switch would cause enormous expense to the current Pro Stock teams. Several teams are currently not funded or have received scaled back funds for 2009. There is no way any of the current teams would be interested in re-tooling for an entirely new combination or the enormous cost of R&D and testing. Secondly...establishing rules for parity would be a controversial task to say the least.

Like it or not, Pro Stock is what it is and won't be changing. - John Caran, Nitromater.com


Goal is win on Sunday, sell on Monday . . . . the cars have more in common with what is sitting on the showroom floor than just a badge in the front grill (painted on at that).

Stock body lines, no stretching, chopping, channelling.

No FWD to RWD Conversions! If you want to run FWD, that's fine, but only factory RWD cars run as RWD.

Any car or light truck engines (under 8500#, F-150/1500/etc) from the same manufacturer acceptable. Bore limited to allowable factory block overbore. Stroker cranks ok withing production block.

Allowed to use the same type and number of power adders as the factory engine configuration. Single Turbo allowed any size single turbo. Twin turbo allowed any size twin turbo. Supercharged allowed any size SC of same type. (?? too much?)

Maybe allow N/A entries to run up to two stages of Nitrous?

Could be a good show and put the "Stock" back in Pro Stock - gryphon68, YellowBullet.com


I'm all for it.....But with that said, it's unlikely to happen, because,

1) The GM teams set the rules for the class, and this is a Ford.

2) Modern technology frightens NHRA. - Willy, CompetitionPlus.com Message Board



That would certainly return some relevance between what is being raced and what is being produced by the car companies.

I have never been able to discern what incentive there is for the car companies to be involved with pro stock. After all there are only so many people who don't know they have absolutely nothing to do with production cars. Win on Sunday, buy on Monday, has been dead for a long time.

I think Ford understands this which is why they have no support for the class. In Chrysler's case they used it to hype the introduction of their partial hemi motors in production cars. For GM I have no clue since the only American cars recently with decent high performance motors have been Corvettes and Cadillacs neither of which is in pro stock. - Ron Burke, CompetitionPlus.com Message Board


Personally all I’d see going to a change like this doing would be to kill the class. You’d absolute millions of dollars worth of engine technology, and make all of the 100K + racecars into 40K bracket cars. Without major factory backing the teams could not keep up with the changes in bodies, and engines, plus there would be no incentive for ANY of the current teams to continue to race.

There are numerous stock classes for stock cars!

Bottom line win on Sunday, sell on Monday has gone away a long time ago. It’s not really there in any form of motorsport anymore. Most people realize that what they’re racing whether it be drag racing, oval track, motocross, power boats, etc. it’s not what you’re getting from the local store. Racing has become entertainment, you don’t have the brand loyalties in today’s generation that you once had. The sports are about promoting the sponsors, teams, and drivers, not the parts… It won’t ever go back to that.

Pro Stock is fine the way it is and the technology learned from it gets passed on to other classes and forms of Motorsports. - Carbguy, CompetitionPlus.com Message Board