NHRA PS DRIVERS REACT TO RULE
Tue, 2008-02-12 12:00
The NHRA is desperately trying to find a happy medium in track prep between the nitro burning cars and the Pro Stockers.
The wicker, which it the name given the ledge on the end of the spoiler, has been the focus of change for this season. Instead of the 3/8th inch requirement in 2007, the size has been increased to 5/8th.
Some drivers, particularly those under the GM banner, are finding this change to be an unnecessary adjustment while a number of the Mopar teams have noticed no difference in the manner in which their cars handle in the second-half of the drag strip.
The NHRA is desperately trying to find a happy medium in track prep between the nitro burning cars and the Pro Stockers.
The wicker, which it the name given the ledge on the end of the spoiler, has been the focus of change for this season. Instead of the 3/8th inch requirement in 2007, the size has been increased to 5/8th.
Some drivers, particularly those under the GM banner, are finding this change to be an unnecessary adjustment while a number of the Mopar teams have noticed no difference in the manner in which their cars handle in the second-half of the drag strip.
The difference, for the GM cars, is reportedly that this increased size raises the car in the front and plants the rear in the lights.
"We decided to raise the wicker height for all Pro Stock cars due to the varying track conditions that the teams are faced with at different times during each race weekend as well as throughout the season," said Don Taylor, senior director of national technical operations, NHRA. "The goal in making the rule change was to increase the downforce and stability of the cars."
Warren Johnson considers himself one of the drivers not enthused with this amendment to the spoiler.
“They did this with no forethought,” Johnson pointed out. “It’s just another one of those things we didn’t need.”
Johnson said the newly implemented combination affects his car, though he wouldn’t comment one way or another.
“It has an effect, but I won’t say what,” Johnson added.
Johnson’s GM Performance Parts was the second fastest car over the Pomona weekend with a 209.04 speed during qualifying.
Greg Anderson felt the cars were stable last year.
“We kind of felt happy about the package that we had last year,” said Anderson, who had top speed of the event at 209.39. “We felt that the cars were good and stable. We really didn't seem to have any trouble once we got near the eighth-mile or 330 on, it was always before that. I don't think that the spoiler had much to do with that.
“The spoiler really probably isn't going to affect the cars a whole lot as far as stability wise. I don't think we had a stability problem once we got down into the eighth mile so we've just got to overcome it. It's going to take more power to overcome that bigger wing back there. It's harder than you think to take all the drag away from these cars and make them run speed so it's just going to put a little more drag on them.”
Larry Morgan doesn’t see the big issue with the adjustment.
“It affects every car out here, but I think it’s a good rule and there’s nothing wrong with it,” Morgan said. “There are guys out here that just want to bitch. It’s to create more downforce and I agree with it. There’s just going to be someone who complains about everything.
“Warren went out there and ran 209, so I guess it didn’t hurt him.”
The burden will fall on the shoulders of the engine builders to come up with more horsepower.
“Us as engine builders we're just going to have to go home and find more power,” added Anderson. “That's just all that we've got to deal with. We can't worry about it because it's the same for everybody. Yes, the cars are a little different. Their a little harder to pull through the wind because of that wing so not going to worry about it, we've all got this thing to worry about we're just going to go and try to find more power to pull.”
The wicker, which it the name given the ledge on the end of the spoiler, has been the focus of change for this season. Instead of the 3/8th inch requirement in 2007, the size has been increased to 5/8th.
Some drivers, particularly those under the GM banner, are finding this change to be an unnecessary adjustment while a number of the Mopar teams have noticed no difference in the manner in which their cars handle in the second-half of the drag strip.
Warren Johnson said the spoiler adjustment for 2008 was unneccessary.
The wicker, which it the name given the ledge on the end of the spoiler, has been the focus of change for this season. Instead of the 3/8th inch requirement in 2007, the size has been increased to 5/8th.
Some drivers, particularly those under the GM banner, are finding this change to be an unnecessary adjustment while a number of the Mopar teams have noticed no difference in the manner in which their cars handle in the second-half of the drag strip.
The difference, for the GM cars, is reportedly that this increased size raises the car in the front and plants the rear in the lights.
"We decided to raise the wicker height for all Pro Stock cars due to the varying track conditions that the teams are faced with at different times during each race weekend as well as throughout the season," said Don Taylor, senior director of national technical operations, NHRA. "The goal in making the rule change was to increase the downforce and stability of the cars."
Warren Johnson considers himself one of the drivers not enthused with this amendment to the spoiler.
“They did this with no forethought,” Johnson pointed out. “It’s just another one of those things we didn’t need.”
Johnson said the newly implemented combination affects his car, though he wouldn’t comment one way or another.
“It has an effect, but I won’t say what,” Johnson added.
Johnson’s GM Performance Parts was the second fastest car over the Pomona weekend with a 209.04 speed during qualifying.
Greg Anderson felt the cars were stable last year.
“We kind of felt happy about the package that we had last year,” said Anderson, who had top speed of the event at 209.39. “We felt that the cars were good and stable. We really didn't seem to have any trouble once we got near the eighth-mile or 330 on, it was always before that. I don't think that the spoiler had much to do with that.
“The spoiler really probably isn't going to affect the cars a whole lot as far as stability wise. I don't think we had a stability problem once we got down into the eighth mile so we've just got to overcome it. It's going to take more power to overcome that bigger wing back there. It's harder than you think to take all the drag away from these cars and make them run speed so it's just going to put a little more drag on them.”
Larry Morgan doesn’t see the big issue with the adjustment.
“It affects every car out here, but I think it’s a good rule and there’s nothing wrong with it,” Morgan said. “There are guys out here that just want to bitch. It’s to create more downforce and I agree with it. There’s just going to be someone who complains about everything.
“Warren went out there and ran 209, so I guess it didn’t hurt him.”
The burden will fall on the shoulders of the engine builders to come up with more horsepower.
“Us as engine builders we're just going to have to go home and find more power,” added Anderson. “That's just all that we've got to deal with. We can't worry about it because it's the same for everybody. Yes, the cars are a little different. Their a little harder to pull through the wind because of that wing so not going to worry about it, we've all got this thing to worry about we're just going to go and try to find more power to pull.”
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