Well this is odd but the only way i guess to clear up what I meant is
to reply to my own post...
I am not saying that every record set in a gas class the person was
cheating, I know of some I am sure they were not cheating as I was there
when the car was fueled... I don't think for the most part that anyone
would cheat at Bonneville as it was said the circle people is way to small
in the first place. All I said about the fuel check is that it really does
nothing to stop it. It is an interesting procedure that keeps you busy but
does nothing to enforce a rule. What I did suggest is that if there is any
question as to whether the seal is ok or if the is any question about the
fuel to just check it while you are there. Protests resolved at a remote
location with the person being protested not in attendance can do nothing
but cause a problem.
Using the pump to verify the engine size within 1% works on the same
honor system the fuel check does as well. If the racer says the
engine is a 372 inch engine and it pumps with in a couple of inches do
you think he is kidding the inspector. Most of the time a cylinder
pump pumps on the small side from what I have seen anyway. Does anyone
honestly think that if I have a 374 inch engine it will make any
measurable difference in power than a 372? Do you think that if I was
that close to a displacement break I would lie about it. I don't think
anyone else would lie if that close. If you pull the heads and use a
tool that can not repeat a thousandth on the bore and stroke it will
make a legal engine illegal was the reason for using a dial bore gauge
and a quality dial indicator to check the stroke. The long reach dial
bore gauges are available to go through the plug holes and measure a
bore on a twin cam engine. Bruce Johnson used to have a set and they
worked well. Would anyone have a problem if I brought a set to measure
a twin cam without pulling a head? Along with a micrometer and a
standard to check it with?? Or use your own dial calipers though I
suspect most are not as accurate as a micrometer on their best day.
I was looking for ways to make it easier (and less expensive) for the
racer and in fact use the belief in the basic honesty we have in
them. The tear down costs are real to many and I was looking for a way
to not have as many. Most of the class breaks come very close to
popular engine combinations that can be built pretty economically...
Dave Dahlgren wrote:
>
<snip>
>
>
> This does bring something up in my mind as well. Inspection... We as
>competitors
> are expected to understand the rules of racing under SCTA and USFRA and this
>is
> exactly as it should be. All the rules are for the most part spelled out
>pretty
> clearly, you don't have to agree with them per se but they are the rules and
>that
> is what the guidelines are so you follow them or keep it on the trailer. That
>is
> also the way it has to be in the end. Some one has to have the last word at
>some
> point in time. If you don't agree with them there are ways to change them over
> time. The second side of this coin is inspection to verify that everyone is
>in
> compliance of the rules. Most of them are visual things or can be checked
>with a
> tape measure, ex. body work spoilers etc. Safety equipment is the same it has
>to
> have the proper tags sizes placement and roll bar construction is simple as
>well.
> There are only 2 areas that can be an issue that I see and those are engine
>sizes
> and fuels, your case being a good example. I would expect that as we are
>expected
> to own all the safety equipment required to race a vehicle at Bonneville
> correctly, SCTA / USFRA has the responsibility to be able to inspect the cars
>in
> the least intrusive way as possible. To me this equipment ought to have at
>least
> the following items..Along with at least one person well versed in using them.
>
> A pump for checking engine displacement
> dial bore gages for checking bore sizes if the pump can not be used.
> A high quality dial indicator that measures up to 5 inches accurately
> High quality micrometers and standards to set the dial bore gages and other
> measuring equipment
> A long reach dial bore gage to check the displacement(bore) of twin cam
>engines
> without removing the head.
> Extensions for the dial indicator to do the same for stroke on twin cam
>engines.
>
> A way to check the fuel for being legal, dielectric comes to mind here.
>
> This would eliminate all the check the tape / don't touch the tape or god
>forbid
> something happens to the tape during a run issues associated racing in a gas
> class which I suspect has to make up at least half of the vehicles if not
>more.
> This method of policing the correct fuel while simple in concept does nothing
>but
> add a layer of hoops to jump through but does nothing to stop someone from
> cheating anyway. Any one even the slightest bit creative can get around the
>tape
> on the cap thing. The ways are so numerous I would not even want to bore
>anyone
> with them. I personally have no faith that any gas class record I am racing
> against has been set on gasoline as it is that easy to get around this rule. I
> will use gasoline to break them, but that does not make the record verifiable.
> The current method also eliminates doing something as simple as running pump
>gas
> if you choose, many cars run best on low octane fuel if the engine is
>basically
> stock, Chucks engine another good example. I would suspect that 93 octane
> unleaded is just fine for a 9.6/1 compression rotary.
>
> Having the proper pumps and dial bore gages also eliminates the need to pull
>the
> heads off what is becoming a more complicated and expensive process. I will
> grant you that the heads come off a top fuel car every round and are back on
>in
> 45 minutes or so. That is all well and good until you are leaning over the
>fender
> taking the heads off a twin cam V-8 or something similar. I would be willing
>to
> bet if you got them off and back on it the same day you would be doing well.
>If
> you have an engine professionally built it is even more complicated and
>expensive
> as now it needs to be pulled from the car and shipped back for cleaning and
> reassembly as well as a short run on the dyno to make sure all is ok.. If
>anyone
> can do this for under 3 or 4 thousand they are better than me.
>
> The point of all this rambling is most of these tools to inspect are currently
> owned and I am sure there are people in place that can use them properly. If
>any
> items are missing from the list to inspect a car properly why not buy them and
> use them? The cost is trivial in the long run compared to the cost to the
>racers,
> and it will speed up inspection a lot in the long run. The same goes for
>pumping
> the engine, if it is within 2% of the minimum or maximum size I would bet it
>is
> the right size or so close as to provide no measurable advantage.
> If the cost to do this seems like a lot do the math.. I would bet there are at
> least 750 entries annually to a SCTA event at Bonneville. 750X $300.00 =
> $225,000.000 USFRA has a good turnout as well.. You would think that
>somewhere in
> this there ought to be found a few bucks for the inspection tools that are on
> this list and not owned by the sanctioning bodies. It is not as though there
>is
> prize money to pay out, and yes i know it is expensive to put on the event, by
> the same token if you pull the heads off 10 engines a year that have to go
>back
> to the engine builder to be assembled again then you have no doubt spent 30 or
> $40,000.00 of amateur money to race for the year..
>
> Dave Dahlgren
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