IS DIRT RACING READY FOR THE LS? SPRINT CARS ARE LEADING THE WAY
THE DIRT TRACK RACING MAGAZINE
KARTS TO STOCK CARS THE LATEST NEWS AND TECH UPDATES
TIPS TO GET MORE SPONSORS & KEEP THEM
VALVE TRAIN SECRETS FROM THE PROS ISSUE 1, 2014 PUBLICATION OF XCELERATION MEDIA OD2014-1
onedirt.com
HOTTEST PARTS WIN MORE!
AND MORE: ONLINE GUIDE * VIDEO REWIND * EVENT PREVIEW
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Shop TALK FROM THE EDITOR
100% Dirt Track Racing
Let the Green Flag Fly!
Staff
Welcome to the very first print edition of OneDirt. Yes, OneDirt.com the website has been around for a couple of years now, but this issue marks the beginning of some big changes for us. We are staking our claim that both OneDirt the magazine and OneDirt.com are going to become the go-to resources for dirt track racers nationwide when it comes to finding the info you need to run better at the track and win more races. And that’s not just rah rah marketing talk. If you need proof, just check the contents of this issue. We worked with Keith Jones of Total Seal to figure out how you can reliably run modern low-tension rings in standard Jeff Huneycutt pistons to gain an unfair (but very legal) advantage in your Street Stock or Mini Stock race engine. And speaking of pistons, we know hypereutectic pistons get a bad rap in racing, but we share a few secrets to get them to run just as reliably as forged pistons in your claimer engine for half the cost. Finally, we know every race car burns money just about as fast as it does gasoline, so we’ve got a great feature story filled with some unique viewpoints on how to find and keep sponsors that need you just as badly as you need them. Those are just a few of the great stories in this issue of OneDirt, and we hope you enjoy them all. We’ve got lots more great stories cooking in the old editorial pot, so if you want to get a look at those as soon as they are available, make sure to keep an eye on OneDirt.com. Our website is constantly updated with the latest news updates, how-to articles, and the best racing videos to be found on the internet. In fact, we know that racers are mechanically minded people, and mechanical people generally would rather see how to do something than read about it. So not only are we packing the website with videos of fantastic racing action, but many of our tech stories also include video clips embedded right in the article illustrating critical steps. It’s just one way we are taking advantage of the digital age to help make your racing life a bit easier—and hopefully, more successful. So please take a look at the magazine in your hands, and don’t forget to visit OneDirt.com. We’re working awfully hard to stack one great story on top of another in both the magazine and the website, and we’re pretty happy with the results so far—but by no means are we finished. We’d love to hear what you think. No matter if you race a Pure Stock, Modified, Sprint Car, Late Model or a Kart, we want to know what kinds of stories you are looking for. So give us your two cents. Where should we keep pushing, and where have we missed the mark? What types of tech stories are you looking for, and do you have any great tips you are willing to share with the rest of your dirt racing brothers and sisters? You can find my personal email address below, and while I can’t reply to every email I definitely read ‘em all. Don’t be shy. Keep your foot in the gas,
G reaDy Fo
spRINT caR
s aRe Lea
BILLY OGLE, JR.
r The Ls?
dINg The wa Y
COVER
The DirT Trac
KarTS TO STOcK carS The
TAZEWELL SPEEDWAY, MAY 31, 2013 For more on the man behind the lens, head over to page 22.
Contributors Ben Shelton Dan Hodgdon Manufacturers Advertising
Dave Ferrato
Production
Hailey Douglas
Art
Jason Wommack Zach Tibbett
OneDirt is published semiannually to promote the growth of dirt track racing as well as recognize the parts and services from participating manufacturers. The magazine consists of dedicated information from partner companies with the mission of disseminating unfiltered editorial on companies, products and services directly to dirt racing participants and fans. Editorial and advertisements for each issue originate from partner companies participating in the magazine. OneDirt is a hybrid of content that was originally published at OneDirt.com as well as original content that was created for this semiannual print magazine. Magazine distribution occurs through selected placement of the publishing company and the internal distribution methods chosen by partner companies. OneDirt is a property of Xceleration Media. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written consent from Xceleration Media. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.
SPECIAL THANKS
is DirT racin
Photo by Rick Schwallie
Jeff Huneycutt
The staff of OneDirt would like to express our sincere gratitude to all the talented photographers that supplied the images found in this issue. Without their talents and willingness to help, there would not be a OneDirt print magazine.
Jeff Huneycutt jhuneycutt@xcelerationmedia.com
ON THE
Editorial Director
k racinG maGa
LaTesT aNd Tech News UpdaTes
Rick Schwallie latemodelphotos.com Woody Hampton woodysracingphotos.com
TIPS TO GET MO SPOnSOrE rS
& Keep The
m
ValVE Tr SEcrETS aIn FrOM THE PrOS ISSuE 1, 2014
OD2014-1
zine
Publication Xceleration of Media onedirt.com
and MOrE: ONLINe gUI
HOTTEST ParT win moreS!
de * VIdeO
RewINd
* eVeNT pR
CONTENTS FEATURES
TECH
22 JACK OF ALL TRADES
14 UNFAIR (BUT LEGAL) POWER
28 PROFILE OF A CHAMPION
18 A WELCOME ADDITION
34 SHOW ME THE $$$
24 TOP SECRET
48 KNOWLEDGE IS POWER
30 THE WAYS OF THE CARB
50 ALL IN THE FAMILY
38 THE RIGHT STUFF
63 ONE-ON-ONE
42 PRACTICE SAFE RACING
71 THE MAN BEHIND THE MIC
60 INTRODUCING THE LS
78 QUARTER OF A CENTURY
64 WHAT’S YOUR NUMBER?
86 RETURN OF RACER’S COMPANY
68 CLUTCH AT THE TRACK
92 HELLO AGAIN!
72 THE SHOCK FACTOR
Rick Schwallie gets dirty to get the shots Rodney Sanders has winning in his blood Sponsors help cut the cost of racing The AETC Conference is the place to be The racing community is one big family Behind the dirt scene with Bill Schlieper Meet dirt announcer Ben Shelton
Tracey Clay has the I-30 Speedway buzzing Lunati returns to its racing roots
A number of closed dirt tracks get another shot
Total Seal’s advantage ring kits
FAST EFI Comes to Saturday night racing Decoding proper valve train selection Holley upgrades two popular carb designs Finding the balance in race pistons Do you have the right safety gear?
The LS engine finds acceptance in dirt racing Knowing vehicle’s weight leads to perfect setup Selecting the best racing clutch Rebuild your own race shocks
74 MAKING SPARKS FLY
Crane Cams’ trigger ignition systems
82 BEWARE OF THE HYPE
Know the truth about your racing oil
2 OneDirt.com / Issue 1, 2014
SPEED SHOP
Conical Valve Springs COMP Cams..................... 52 Ultra HP 2 BBL Carburetors Holley...................... 53 Power Ring Filer Total Seal................................... 53 Pull Bar Adapter Kit Intercomp............................. 53 Voodoo Crankshafts Lunati................................... 54 Carburetor Kits Jiffy-Tite....................................... 54 Angled Carb Spacer Pace Performance............... 54 SportMod Helmet RaceQuip.................................. 55 Brake Pedal Assemblies AFCO........................... 56 Driveline Fasteners ARP....................................... 56 SHX Shock Fluid Driven Racing Oil....................... 56 RY45 Aluminum Block Roush Yates Racing......... 57 Sportsman Solid Roller Lifters COMP Cams...... 57 Predator Transmission Brinn................................ 57 SL/14 Modified Shocks JRi Shocks...................... 58 10.4” Street Stock Clutches Quarter Master....... 58 Titanium Hollow Stem Valves Ferrea.................. 58 TMS Traction Control Units Davis Technologies....... 59 23° Alum. Intake Manifolds Racing Head Service... 59 Hi-6RC Digital CD Ignition Crane Cams............... 59
DEPARTMENTS 01 SHOP TALK
Letter from the editor
05 SPEED NEWS All the “dirt” from the dirt racing world
08 DIGITAL GUIDE
The best sites, apps & social media centered around dirt
10 VIDEO REWIND Racing, product & entertainment videos
46 SNAP SHOTS
Dirt track racing defined
52 SPEED SHOP Hottest products to hit the dirt
81 PEOPLE FUELED People that power dirt track racing
91 SOCIAL MEDIA SOUND OFF
Your online comments to OneDirt topics
94 FAST FORWARD
Schedule for dirt track racing’s main events
96 PARTING SHOTS On to the next race
Issue 1, 2014 / OneDirt.com 3
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Speed NEWS
NEWS / HEADLINES / HOT TOPICS
Sprint Cup Driver Returns To His Roots David Reutimann starts his own chassis building business Lots of NASCAR’s top drivers learned their craft racing dirt tracks across America. Many still enjoy occasionally getting into a Dirt Late Model or Sprint Car for the fun of it, but few have made the commitment to dirt racing that David Reutimann has. Reutimann says he’s always been a chassis guy just as much as he is a driver. When he was driving Dirt Modifieds and Late Models in Zephyrhills, Florida, as a youth, Reutimann says he often either built or modified his own chassis. Now, despite several years in NASCAR’s top touring series (Reutimann drove the 2013 season for BK Motorsports) the driver has started his own chassis building business. BeakBuilt Chassis is Reutimann’s new operation constructing Dirt Modified racing chassis—the name comes from Reutimann’s nickname referencing his prominent nose. Reutimann is more than the money man allowing others to do all the work. The chassis is, in fact, Reutimann’s own design, and
New Rankings for Dirt Late Models John Blankenship introduces computerized rankings for Dirt Late Model drivers Just like fans of other sports, fans of Dirt Late Model racing—and the racers themselves—love to have friendly arguments about who is the best. But it can be hard to find a clear-cut winner when the best drivers are split among different series racing across the country and rarely race head-to-head. Driver John Blankenship may have solved that particular dilemma with his “Wizard” rankings. BlanJohn Blankenship kenship’s Wizard is a computerized ranking system that helps determine which drivers are having a better season based on lots of stats and some complex computer algorithm that we don’t pretend to understand. We’re told the system takes into account not just how drivers finished in their races but also the strength of their racing schedule and the car count in the races that are run. It penalizes drivers for not taking part in highly competitive events and forgives events missed because of injury. Blankenship updates the driver rankings each month, and it is interesting to see not only who is sitting in the top spot but also to compare each driver’s stats. You can check it out yourself at www.johnblankenship23.com/wizard.html.
we’re told the driver even built the jigs used to construct each new chassis. BeakBuilt is already enjoying success with several appearances in Victory Lanes at many different race tracks. For more on BeakBuilt, you can check out their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/beakbuiltchassis.
More Musical Chairs Rick Eckert slides into driver’s seat for Rocket Racing House car Despite being one of the best rides in dirt racing, Rocket Chassis is having a little trouble keeping a driver in its house car. Fortunately, the changes are only happening for the most noble of reasons. It all began when championship-winning driver Josh Richards announced before the season that he would be stepping away from the ride temporarily for medical reasons. The Rick Eckert reasons weren’t announced, and we’ve still got our fingers crossed that Richards will recover and be back in the car soon. Until then, he’s working in the Rocket shops building cars. Brandon Sheppard started the season in the Rocket number 1 and performed quite capably in Richard’s stead. He was actually second in the World of Outlaws Late Model standings when he made his own decision to give up the ride in March. After the birth of his son, Sheppard understandably wanted to spend more time with his family in Illinois (Rocket’s shops are in West Virginia). Now veteran Rick Eckert has agreed to fill in indefinitely as Rocket’s lead driver. Eckert is a proven winner and should be able to guide the familiar blue number 1 back to Victory Lane. Issue 1, 2014 / OneDirt.com 5
Speed NEWS NEWS / HEADLINES / HOT TOPICS
CHECK OUT THIS
1965 MUSTANG DIRT CAR
Mike Huey’s ’65 Mustang turns heads at the race track In the world of dirt track racing we are, by-and-large, a pretty practical lot. Flat surfaces make for good aerodynamics and are easier to repair, so slab-sided bodies have become the norm. Maybe that’s why we always love seeing the vintage classes race whenever we are at the track. And this Mustang driven by Mike Huey at Lancaster (SC) Speedway definitely caught our eye. At first you might think this car is too beautiful to race, and Huey, in fact, said he heard that comment a few times when he first brought it to the track. After all, 1965 Mustang fastbacks are pretty collectible pieces. But he says the truth is the ‘65 Mustang shell he literally dragged out of the woods to start his build was a basket case. The floorboards were completely rotted out, and all he was able to use was the roof, rear quarters and rear decklid. The hood comes from another car, and the fenders 6 OneDirt.com / Issue 1, 2014
and door skins are repop pieces from the auto supply store. The chassis is an old NASCAR Nationwide chassis that had been purchased and raced by an ARCA team. Huey says he thinks it is a 2001 chassis but isn’t sure. When the ARCA team decided to move to newer equipment it sat in storage until Huey picked up the roller for $700. The motor, he says,
is made up of almost all used pieces Huey’s dad had laying around the shop and screwed together. So even if this isn’t a big-budget build, we still think this race car looks like a million bucks. We’re working on a story complete with video on Huey and his fantastic race car, so make sure to keep an eye on www.OneDirt.com for that.
Speed NEWS
NEWS / HEADLINES / HOT TOPICS
Mountain Creek Added to USMTS Slate USMTS Mods Make First Visit to Grand Prairie during stops in Texas, Oklahoma The USMTS (United States Modified Touring Series) has announced that the Mountain Creek Speedway in Grand Prairie, Texas, has been added to the 2014 schedule for the USMTS Casey’s Cup powered by Swan Energy. The USMTS Modifieds’ debut at the high-banked quarter-mile clay oval will take place on Thursday, June 26, as part of five straight shows in the S&S Fishing & Rental Southern Region presented by Day Motor Sports. Due to this addition to the schedule, the event at the Superbowl Speedway in Greenville, Texas, will now be one day later on Friday, June 27, and replaces Timberline Speedway on the calendar. The week kicks off on Tuesday, June 24, at the Heart O’ Texas Speedway near Waco, Texas, followed by a visit to the
Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas, the next day. The five-event run wraps up Saturday, June 28, at the Southern Oklahoma Speedway in Ardmore, Oklahoma. Seventeen shows in 26 days are scheduled for the month of June for the USMTS before the tour gets a two-week summer vacation in July.
Sponsor for ROTY Program Announced Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series partners with Dunn-Benson Ford for Rookie Awards Officials at the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series have announced Dunn-Benson Ford has come on board as the title sponsor of the 2014 Rookie of the Year program. In addition to this sponsorship, Dunn-Benson will also be the “Official Pace Vehicle” for the season. This year’s Rookie of the Year program will pay $10,000 cash, plus product awards, to the top rookie driver that earns the most points over the course of the season. The Rookie of the Year runner-up will receive a $2,500 cash award at the series year-end banquet. Additional cash and product awards for the Rookie of the Year program will come from Midwest Sheet Metal. Chris
Davis, owner of Midwest Sheet Metal (www.msmfab.com), has agreed to post a $50 cash award and $50 product award to the highest finishing rookie driver at each series sanctioned points event. This year’s group of rookies includes three drivers that are separated by a slim margin in what is shaping up to be a tight battle for the 2014 Rookie of the Year title.
No. Ala. Speedway Makes Moves North Alabama Speedway Joins NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series North Alabama Speedway in Tuscumbia, Alabama, has joined the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series for the remainder of the 2014 season. North Alabama Speedway promoter Wayne Burns wanted to create a separate class of Late Models for the competitors using the Chevrolet Performance 604 and 602 circle track engines. Burns also wanted his new Late Model class to be sanctioned by the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series so the drivers could compete for not only a track point fund, but also for the $20,000 national point fund that pays $10,000 to the National Champion and pays back through the Top 10 in the national point standings at the end of the 27-week season. In addition to the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Late Model Division, Burns also signed up for the NeSmith Performance Parts Street Stock Division presented by AR Bodies. NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Late Model
drivers at North Alabama Speedway will compete against drivers at other participating at NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series sanctioned tracks through a points system that counts their 14 best weekly point totals over the 27-week season that runs through September 28. Issue 1, 2014 / OneDirt.com 7
Digital GUIDE WEBSITES / FORUMS / APPS
HELPING RACERS INTO THE
WINNER’S CIRCLE ONE CLICK @ A TIME
Looking for the dirt? We’ve got you covered
OneDirt.com is your go-to resource for all things dirt. This is the dirt racing website that covers Sprint Cars, Late Models, Modifieds, Street Stocks and much more. Updated daily by a staff of dirt racing experts, OneDirt.com features news and videos from around the dirt racing world, along with profiles, opinions, product reviews and tech tips. The site has the dirt scene in every corner of
Follow OneDirt facebook.com/onedirtdotcom twitter.com/onedirt pinterest.com/xceleration/
8 OneDirt.com / Issue 1, 2014
the country covered, meaning that it always includes a steady stream of new and relevant information. You can also join over 100,000 dirt enthusiasts on the OneDirt.com Facebook page for even more up-to-theminute news and the opportunity to talk with other dirt fans around the world. Whether you’re a fan or racer, OneDirt.com is designed to keep you in the know each and every day of the year. onedirt.com
Shout Out Already a fan of OneDirt on social media? Then check out the OneDirt Social Media Sound Off page to see if your comments made the cut. See page 91.
With all of today’s technology, the digital world can be overwhelming. Let’s face it – with so many websites, forums, apps, social media and everything else out there, it can be pretty tough to navigate through all of the nonsense (if you even understand how to use it in the first place) to find the information you need. Not to mention how little time you have when every spare minute is spent trying to win races, right? Here at OneDirt, we’ve done the dirty work for you. We’ve waded through all of that nonsense and extra stuff for you to find some of the best sites, apps and other resources to help you make it to Victory Lane.
&
Websites FORUMS Hoseheads.com
LateModelRacer.com
STLRacing.com
RacinBoys.com
IBRacn.com
DirtOnDirt.com
RacinDirt.com
CircleTrack.com
Features great stories, results and images from Sprint Car racing around the United States. Includes the latest news for Late Models, Modifieds, Sprints and Midgets in the Missouri and Illinois area, as well as a forum. News and stats for World of Outlaws and Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Dirt Series. All-inclusive site that gathers all of the dirt on dirt track racing, including news and videos on demand from a wide variety of sanctioning bodies.
Anything and everything related to Late Model racing across the United States. A website for all things racing organized by type so that you can easily look up your favorite dirt car series to follow all the action. Late Models across the country broken down by region with a full schedule for each month. Website based on popular magazine with editorial features on engines, chassis and drivetrain, as well as safety and tech tips.
Photo by Rick Schwallie
Sanctioning BODIES LucasDirt.com
USMTS.com
AmericanModifiedSeries.com
WorldOfOutlaws.com
ASCSRacing.com
DIRTcarUMP.com
The official site of one of the premier national touring sanctioning bodies for Dirt Super Late Models. This website highlights nearly 50 events in 19 states, with the official event and television schedule as well as highlights of the tracks and drivers in the series. As one of the main sanctioning bodies for Sprint Cars and Late Models, this site has a separate section for each racing platform. Each includes up-to-date news, race results, the official race schedule, points standings, driver bios, track info, a guide for first-time dirt trackers and much more!
The site for this popular and rapidly growing Dirt Modified Touring Series features news, videos of sanctioned events as well as regional races, a complete schedule broken down by region, points standings, driver bios, links to the official USMTS tracks and more. Following a similar format for other dirt track sanctioning bodies, ASCSRacing.com features 300 c.i. Sprint Car series news, schedules, results and points on a national level. You can also search for that information based on the region you are in.
The American Modified Series is a fast-growing Open Wheel Modified tour that holds events in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee. The series has a stated mission of generating added exposure for competitors and sponsors, offering elevated prize money and providing the best in regional competition. Everything Big Block Modified, Late Model, UMP Modified, 358 Modified, Sportsman Modified, Pro Late Model, Sportsman/NE Pro Stock, Limited/Pro Modified, Stock Car, Factory Stock and Sport Compact. Yeah, that about covers it.
Issue 1, 2014 / OneDirt.com 9
Video REWIND RACING / PRODUCT / ENTERTAINMENT
DOUG WOLFGANG: “HIS STORY” An in-depth look at the career of legendary Sprint Car pilot Doug Wolfgang. Love him or hate him, there’s no disputing that Doug was a throwback driver that did it his way from start to finish. youtu.be/CVLUmpKc4Yw
Scan QR Code to watch now!
Dirt Track PROBLEM SOLVING
FRONTSTRETCH FIGHT AT PENNSBORO SPEEDWAY In this footage from the late 1990s, a massive front straightaway pileup leads to fisticuffs and hurt feelings between several wellknown Dirt Late Model drivers at the famous Pennsboro Speedway. youtu.be/31qNWDTd2GA 10 OneDirt.com / Issue 1, 2014
RUMBLE AT THE RACEWAY This epic race track meltdown filmed at Southern New Mexico Speedway is highly entertaining and helpful in that it shows how NOT to handle your emotions at the race track. youtu.be/DGk9sSK6lwM
ABANDONED TULSA SPEEDWAY Closed in late 2005, Tulsa Speedway was a hotbed of Open Wheel talent in the Midwest. This video shows what the facility looks like today in a sight that has become all too familiar to dirt racing fans. youtu.be/sHpHi1HmrCU
VINTAGE DIRT TRACK RACING Some of the oldest dirt track racing video footage we’ve ever come across online. It’s really cool to look back at the infancy of the sport, and you’ll immediately have more respect for the drivers from that era. youtu.be/rhWjHiXQd78
1986 WORLD 100 FROM ELDORA SPEEDWAY This video from the first ever World 100 night race shows the stars of that era battling for the prestigious victory. When the dust settles, Jeff Purvis claims his 3rd World 100 title. youtu.be/QAGZcb91hLU
AMAZING HOBBY STOCK RACE This Hobby Stock race from Bakersfield Speedway is full of non-stop action from the drop of the green flag to the checkered flag. With a full field and hard-nosed racing, this one is worth your time to watch. youtu.be/Cga4Ki1Nmvc
50G TO WIN KART RACE It might be hard to believe that there really was a Dirt Kart race that paid $50,000 to the winner, but it happened in Clay City, Kentucky, and we found the video to prove it. youtu.be/zmUaae3WELU
DRIVE: KYLE LARSON This video produced by Target reviews the career of NASCAR Sprint Cup rookie and dirt track hot shot Kyle Larson. It’s a great look at what it takes to groom a future racing superstar.
DALE JR GOES DIRT RACING For years his legion of fans have clamored to see Dale Jr. do some dirt racing. Finally the wait is over. This is one dirt racing video you don’t want to miss. youtu.be/L8Fb5jXV5YA
youtu.be/bmqEJxRkTHo
Tech CORNER
TECHNOLOGY EXPLAINED: COMP CAMS 4-PATTERN CAMS
Power AutoMedia explains how COMP Cams has incorporated NASCAR-derived technology in a new series of camshafts that offer better performance and combustion efficiency. Issue 1, 2014 / OneDirt.com 11
Nothing Else Matters
You can’t help but feel like all is right with the world when experiencing moments like this.
Issue 1, 2014 / OneDirt.com 13
THE
UNFAIR
ADVANTAGE
TOTAL SEAL’S ADVANTAGE RING KITS MAKE LEGAL POWER IN CLAIMER CLASSES LET’S BE HONEST, it can be really
tough making power on a budget in the lower classes in dirt track racing. For one, the rulebook almost always requires mainly stock or stock-replacement components in the engine. And besides, if you could afford all the top-dollar stuff, you’d be racing a Super Late Model in a touring series, right? Of course, even if you don’t mind spending the money, claimer rules in the lower classes make putting too much of an investment into your race engine a dicey proposition. At OneDirt we’re always on the lookout for ways that you can improve your racing program without breaking the bank, and Total Seal’s Advantage Ring System is a perfect example of how you can do exactly that.
SMART ENGINE BUILDERS have
known for a while now that an excellent way to cut the parasitic drag in an engine is to use thinner rings. Thinner piston rings create less friction as they move up and down the cylinder bore, and every ounce of force not required to overcome drag is that much more power that can be put to the rear wheels. That may not sound like much, but Keith Jones of piston ring manufacturer Total Seal says in a race engine those ounces really add up. “Typically, a 5/64-inch thick piston ring, which is what is commonly considered a standard size, makes about seven to eight pounds of tension against the cylinder wall per ring,” he explains. “Our modern 1.2 millimeter thick
14 OneDirt.com / Issue 1, 2014
rings make just two-and-a-half pounds of tension. Generally, that adds up to about a 10 to 15 horsepower gain in a running engine. I’ve had one gentleman that changed just the top ring and saw a nine horsepower gain. Because when you reduce friction in the rings, even a small change gets multiplied by several thousand RPM, and it really adds up.”
BUT THE THINNER RINGS actu-
ally offer more advantages than simply just a reduction in friction. Because there is less mass changing direction every time the piston reaches TDC or BDC, thinner rings are less likely to suffer from compression-robbing ring flutter. Plus, thinner rings breakin more quickly and actually provide a better seal to imperfect cylinder walls
TENSION: WHAT A DRAG Total Seal's engineers did the science behind this chart, but it is true for any ring. The moral of the story here is thickness equals tension, and tension equals drag. The key is to find the least amount of tension your engine combination can get by with. To find that out, give the tech line for your ring manufacturer a call.
RING TENSION
Total Seal’s Advantage Ring Packages ingeniously use a spacer that allows you to run modern 1.2 millimeter thick low-tension rings in standard pistons made for standard 5/64 rings. The result is less drag and more power to the rear wheels.
than larger, stiffer rings. Many racers and engine builders worry that a thinner piston ring won’t hold up as well, and the race engine will suffer from blow-by too soon, but the reverse is actually true. Once the rings are properly seated, the reduced friction against the cylinder walls means the rings will actually last as long, or longer, than conventional rings. The only thing a modern,
Compression Rings Axial x Radial Tension 5/64” x .190” 7.3 – 7.5 lbf. 1/16” x .190” 5.5 – 5.7 lbf. 1.5mm x .160” 3.0 – 3.2 lbf. 1.2mm x .155” 2.3 – 2.5 lbf. .043” x .155” 1.8 – 2.0 lbf. .0325” x .135” 0.8 – 1.0 lbf. .0274” x .110” 0.5 – 0.7 lbf.
thin ring doesn’t handle as well as a thicker and heavier ring is detonation, and if you are trying to race with a detonating engine you’ve got bigger problems than ring seal. This is old news for upper level touring classes, but the advantage of racing with thinner rings has seen slower acceptance in the Street Stock and claimer classes because many
Oil Rings Axial x Radial Tension 3/16” x .187” 20 – 25 lbf. 3.0mm x .145” 9 – 11 lbf. 2.0mm x .125” 7 – 8 lbf.
times the rule book requires a “stocktype” or “stock-replacement” piston — and those simply aren’t available with narrow ring grooves. Plus, highend pistons with narrow ring grooves are simply out of the budget for these race engines, and when there is a $500 or even $1,500 claimer rule, it doesn’t make sense to invest too much into the rotating assembly.
Lower or entry-level racing classes often have a claim rule or a requirement for stock or stock-replacement engine parts. Being able to use modern, low-tension oil rings in these engines can free up significant horsepower.
When you reduce friction in the rings, even a small change gets multiplied by several thousand RPM and it really adds up. – Keith Johnson Total Seal
TOTAL SEAL’S ADVANTAGE RING PACKAGES are de-
signed to allow the Street Stock level racer to take advantage of modern piston ring designs without breaking the bank. They actually allow you to install a 1.2 millimeter first and second ring into a conventional piston with a larger groove for a 5/64-inch ring by utilizing a hardened steel spacer that takes up the extra clearance and allows the thinner ring to work optimally. The best part is this is a significant power upgrade that is totally legal in most racing classes. Jones points out that while rulebooks will often require a stock-type piston, they never say what size ring package you have to put in them. So for a street stock engine you can go out and purchase a set of hypereutectic flat top pistons for a couple hundred bucks, install a set of Total Seal Advantage Rings with the spacer and get the performance advantage of low-tension rings without having to purchase an expensive set of custom pistons.
INSTALLING AN ADVANTAGE RING PACKAGE really isn’t any different than a standard ring set with the exception of the spacer. The spacer hides totally within the ring groove so it should never touch the cylinder wall and shouldn’t have to be gapped. And because the bottom ring land in the piston is the
16 OneDirt.com / Issue 1, 2014
most critical for helping the ring to seal, the spacer rides on top of the ring so it stays out of the way. You can purchase an Advantage Ring Kit with either Total Seal’s signature gapless ring technology or with a standard gapped top ring. Either way, Total Seal offers steel rings with diamond-finished edges that will provide excellent sealing. Pair that with a thinner, napier-style second ring and one of Total Seal’s low-drag oil-ring packages, and we’re talking about a horsepower difference you can actually feel from the driver’s seat. This is an engine building option that we love here at OneDirt because there really isn’t a drawback for the racer. Yes, the modern rings are slightly more expensive than previous-generation cast iron rings, but they provide better sealing, lower rotating weight and less parasitic engine drag without a penalty in usable lifespan. And now you can install them in a wide range of affordable piston packages that are legal for your racing class. So the question becomes: What can you do with an additional 10-15 totally legal horsepower in your race car? Source Total Seal 623.587.7400 totalseal.com
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THE
FUTURE IS
HERE When the sanctioning bodies didn’t move fast enough for his liking, racer and engine builder Dave Arce worked with FAST to put fuel injection on a refreshed stock engine and is testing it in his race car to prove it can be done economically.
Innovative Engine Builder Brings Fuel Injection to Saturday Night Racing
18 OneDirt.com / Issue 1, 2014
IT SEEMS THAT SOME THINGS
we’ve been told are coming never seem to get here. Flying cars for example, or dishwashers that unload themselves. It seems we’ve also been told that electronic fuel injection will inevitably be making its way to racing, but by and large, we’re still waiting. NASCAR made waves a couple of years ago when it finally introduced EFI to its Cup Series engines, but their package turned out to be astronomically expensive and it isn’t even close to being used in the Nationwide or Camping World Truck Series yet. Obviously, when we talk about keeping costs down in racing so that more people can get involved, the Cup solution really isn’t viable for the rest of us. In the dirt racing world, with the exception of mechanical fuel injection systems utilized by Sprint Car racers, we’re still depending on carburetors to get the job done. Now don’t get us wrong, we aren’t saying carburetors should be outlawed—quite the opposite, in fact. We believe that racing should be all about
innovation, and if there is a way to improve the life of the average dirt track racer, then we should at least look into it. We recently learned of a racer and engine builder that has taken the bull by the horns and is forcing innovation into the series he’s racing by making the benefits impossible to ignore. Dave Arce of Arce Engines has built and plans to campaign a fuel injected, LS-based race engine that powers a Modified race car in the Lucas Oil Modified Series (LOMS). Yes, the Lucas Oil Modifieds race on asphalt, but we think Arce’s innovative engine package will work equally well in a dirt racing environment—and in a variety of different classes. (If you know of a dirt racer or engine builder doing similar things, please let us here at OneDirt know about it.) We know Arce is truthful about his intentions to help Saturday night racers be able to enjoy their sport more affordably. As an engine builder it is easy to see how his best interest would be served by continuing with the status quo and sell-
ing expensive custom engines for racing. Instead, he used himself as a guinea pig and campaigned last season with a rebuilt street engine. “I really believe we have to have something more affordable for the Saturday night racer,” he explains. “It has to be more efficient, and it has to be readily available for the average guy. So I started out with an LQ series motor. Everybody talks about the LS engine. Well, the LQ series is in the LS family, except it is a cast iron block version that came in trucks and other heavy vehicles. The LQ9 was the top performing engine in the family, and it came in the Escalade and some other stuff. “So I bought a 5.3 from a wrecking yard, bored it oversized to make the displacement 5.7 liters (350 cubic inches) and put it all back together. It’s a 5.7 now, so I call it an LQ9. I kept the original block and heads, and it was very easy and inexpensive to do. “I put it in my Modified that I race in the Lucas Oil Modified Series. We use a rule book that is a lot like the IMCA except we don’t have a claim rule. If you have a thousand dollar claim rule you wind up with a lot of people building junk, and I don’t think that leads to good racing. You achieve the same thing with the eight-inch tire rule and shock package that we have, which really limits how much power you can put to the ground. “And I have to give the racing series a lot of credit. To run the LQ9 I needed them to change the rules so that you can run an engine with more than one coil and also allow a crank trigger instead of a distributor, and they were willing to work with me on that.” Arce said his LQ9 ran very well all last season. One thing he did find is that the up-and-over design of the headers put a lot of heat into the coil packs which are normally mounted on the valve covers, and coil failure became a problem. The location for the coils also created issues in finding a way to run the spark plug wires from the coil packs to the plugs without contacting the hot headers. So he designed a mounting plate that moved the coil packs to the back of the engine and underneath the headers where they do not see nearly as much heat. In this location the plug wires can also be routed underneath the header tubes, curing the second issue. For the 2014 season he wanted to push the envelope even further. Now
We think the innovation on this Asphalt Modified is worth investigating. The engine runs mostly stock parts and burns pump gas, but it is already approximately as fast as the more expensive custom-built race engines in the series.
that he felt he had a solid foundation with the motor, he wanted to add fuel injection to the mix. “I went to the SEMA show last year and someone I trust recommended the FAST EZ-EFI system to me,” Arce says. “So I went to the FAST booth and told them what I was trying to do. That’s when I met Brian Reese (the Vice President of Product Development at the
tem before bringing it to the race track. He says he answered only the baseline questions in the EZ-EFI’s removable hand-held tuner. Arce wasn’t allowed to compete with the EZ-EFI system in the first race of the season at Havasu 95 Speedway in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, but he was allowed to test with it before switching to a carburetor for qualifying and the race itself.
I really believe we have to have something more affordable for the Saturday night racer. – Dave Arce Arce Engines COMP Performance Group, which includes FAST). He was very interested in what I was trying to do and said he would commit to helping me any way he could. He told me he really wanted to see this thing work, and I could tell he really believed his EZ-EFI system could do what I needed.” Arce says he installed FAST’s EZEFI system on the race car exactly according to the instructions with no modifications to any of the components. During the off-season, he had gotten the LOMS to agree to look into the viability of electronic fuel injection but no more, so Arce wanted to prove the FAST system not only to himself but also the racing series and other racers, as well. To do that he installed the EZ-EFI system in his LQ9 powered Modified and confirmed that everything was in working order but didn’t run the engine on the dyno or even tune the sys-
“The system surprised me with how well it did,” he says. “We practiced with it so that the people running the series and the other racers can see what it is all about. Like I said, we didn’t dyno it or even try to tune it before we got to the track. But on the track within a couple of laps it started tuning itself to the engine and the conditions, and you could really see the difference.” Threatening rain meant Arce had to switch over to a carburetor before he would have liked, but he says he is excited about the possibilities of bringing fuel injection to racing. “Some guys may think, ‘Hey, you’re trying to get an advantage here. But so what? What we are trying to do is make these engines more efficient and easier to maintain. Guys won’t be melting pistons because they are trying to lean out the fuel too much. The system tunes itself, so it eliminates a lot of the costly mistakes we make. It isn’t expensive, the FAST Issue 1, 2014 / OneDirt.com 19
What racers don’t need is any unnecessary complexity. With the air cleaner in place, the EZ-EFI fuel injection system is barely noticeable.
system will bolt up to any engine that uses the same 4150 intake manifold flange that the Holley four barrel bolts to, and anyone can use it. I want it to be open to everybody, because I believe we all can benefit from it.” From the driver’s seat, Arce says the FAST EZ-EFI system felt more “pure.” The computer eliminated the stumbles and hesitation so common with a carburetor when you first get back on the throttle coming out of the turns, and the engine pulled hard all the way down the straight. Even with just a minimum amount of track time, Arce–who qualified third for the race using his carbureted setup–believes he could have sat on the pole with the fuel injected setup. “But the speed isn’t the best part to me,” he says. “It is how it can benefit the racers. When I had to switch back to the carburetor for the race, I realized I really don’t want to do this anymore. I had to tear the carburetor apart twice to make jet changes with the changing weather, and both times I was trying not to spill fuel all over the engine, and we all have the cups of race gas that we end up throwing onto the ground. There is none of that with the fuel injection. I could spend all day tuning on a carburetor and not get it as close as the EZ-EFI because it is sniffing on a wide-band O2
This small ECU controls the EFI system. Arce mounted it in the driver’s compartment not only for protection, but this also makes it easy to inspect. If a tech inspector suspects foul play, removing and replacing the ECU is simple. 20 OneDirt.com / Issue 1, 2014
Arce mounted the in-line fuel pump on the left side of the car where it is protected between the driver’s compartment and the battery. In the event of a wreck, when the engine shuts off, a switch monitoring engine oil pressure activates and cuts all power–killing the fuel pump.
sensor in real time and making adjustments to the amount of fuel it is giving the engine right there on the race track.” Arce hopes to actually run his fuel injected setup in real competition in a few weeks to see how it holds up under fire. His next goal is to come up with an affordable fuel cell setup that moves the fuel pump into the cell, but as far as the actual fuel injection system goes, his development is done. “I think this system from FAST will work great for racing,” he says. “We already know that you can’t reprogram the ECU to give you some sort of traction control because it doesn’t even have the hardware to do it in the box. In fact, the control unit only requires one plug. If we are all racing the FAST system and you think I’ve cheated up my system, then fine, I undo the four bolts securing the ECU, unplug the harness and swap it out for a control unit provided by the series in just a few minutes. It’s that simple.” At this point, we don’t know if or when the LOMS will allow fuel injection officially, but we think Arce makes so much sense that a fuel injection system like this is worth considering. For example, his 11.5:1 compression LQ9 with stock cylinder heads and the FAST EZ-EFI is running comparable lap times to the custom-built race engines, but Arce is fueling his LQ9 with the same four-dollar 91 octane fuel he puts into his hauler! Inexpensive stock engine parts, cheap gas and less tuning in the pits – what’s not to like? If you are interested in learning more, or want to approach your sanctioning body about using a fuel injected racing engine, Arce has founded the Fuel Injection Racing Association (FIRA) to help the cause. You can check it out at www.FuelInjectionRacing.com. And make sure to let us know here at OneDirt if you’re looking for a fuel injection solution near you. Sources Arce Engines 888.272.3227 arceengines.com FAST 877.334.8355 fuelairspark.com FIRA fuelinjectionracing.com
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GET TO KNOW Rick Schwallie
ASSISTANT SERIES DIRECTOR & PHOTOGRAPHER LUCAS OIL LATE MODEL DIRT SERIES
Dirt racing is filled with tons of interesting people beyond the drivers who get all the attention. You may have seen one of Rick Schwallie's photos in any number of publications or websites and never realized who was behind the lens. Besides working the glass, Schwallie is also the Assistant Series Director for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. We hit Schwallie up with a few questions during his down time between races. And if you want to see more of his great shots, or even purchase one of your favorite driver, you can check out his website at www.latemodelphotos.com.
1. How did you first get into photography? How long have you been working professionally? I was a pretty young person when I first got into racing photography. I guess I was in my late teens in 1992, the first time that I took pictures out at Pennsboro Speedway and that was with a 110 camera. That was obviously film back in those days, and a 110 isn’t even what a 35mm camera was. I was doing it as a hobby because my dad and I were attending races, and I started taking pictures just as keepsakes. I still have all those pictures I took way back then, and they are some of my fondest memories. Around 1998 I started shooting professionally for some area newspapers. They gave me media credentials to get into the race track for free, which I thought was just fabulous. I was shooting for three or four newspapers back then and although I absolutely loved it, I remember it being a huge pain having to get rolls of 35mm film developed, write your captions on the back of the prints and then get the stuff FedEx’ed out to the publications right away. I wasn’t actually making any money, but that never mattered. I was getting to do what I loved to do. Now my full time job is working for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. I’ve been with the series since it started
22 OneDirt.com / Issue 1, 2014
4. Do you have any interesting stories about the drivers you shoot?
in 2005, and while I’m at the race track I am afforded the luxury to take photos when I can. But if I’m needed anywhere else at the track, then that is my priority.
The coolest thing to me is that I grew up a fan just like everybody else. As a teenager I liked Scott Bloomquist and Donnie Moran, and I considered them idols in my youth. Now in my travels, because of my job duties with the series as well as my photography, I’ve gotten to know them pretty well. I see fans idolize the drivers, and to me now they are just the people I go to work with. So I really enjoy having gotten to know all of these drivers that I used to look up to as idols.
2. Have you had any formal training as a photographer?
5. Of all the photos you have taken, do you have a favorite?
No, I am totally self taught. I’ve never done any courses or classes.
Sure. In 2007 I was at K-C Speedway in Chillicothe, Ohio, which is now known as Atomic Speedway, and Steve Shaver’s kid, whose name is Dylan, was still pretty young at the time. He went up to Steve’s car and gave his dad a fist bump. I just happened to be at the right place at the right time, and in the photo you don’t see anything but Steve’s arm coming out of the car to give this little kid a fist bump. I’m a parent now, so things like that mean more to me than any single photo of just a car ever will.
3. What is your favorite race track to shoot? My favorite race track to shoot pictures at is Lucas Oil Speedway. I know that’s going to sound like I’m a big homer but it’s true. The reason is because in dirt racing there are very few tracks that are as picturesque as Lucas Oil Speedway. It’s cleaned up, it’s got pavement, there is signage around it and there are good shooting locations. Our shows are usually the closest thing to what you might call “NASCAR-style” photographic opportunities when it comes to dirt track racing. Plus, the racing is always very exciting.
6. What’s the behind-the-scenes life of a traveling motorsports photographer like?
8. Any tips for aspiring motorsports photographers on getting great, dynamic photos?
A lot of hours! If there’s one thing that I dislike about it, it’s the photo editing. Working a typical race weekend for the Lucas Oil Series is pretty grueling and exhausting. Plus, I’m a truck driver for the series, so when I get home—usually on a Sunday—after the race all the equipment has to be unloaded. I usually spend Sunday night and most of Monday editing and uploading pictures. That part of it I could really lose. I love taking the photos, but going back through and editing and uploading them to different websites isn’t my favorite.
I’m not one that likes to sit in the infield and shoot from the same spot all night long. To me, that’s the key to it all: You’ve got to have variety. Try different locations with different lenses and experiment to see what works for you. Always try to find something unique. So be patient. Be willing to learn and experiment. And don’t just shoot from one spot in the infield all evening.
7. Do you shoot anything besides racing? No, I do not. I don’t shoot anything besides racing and my family.
9. What is a typical race weekend like? A lot of stress! Usually, we’re some of the first people at the track and one of the last to leave. I like to get to the track the night before each race. We usually have roll call for all of our staff and officials around noon the day of the race. I’m there to manage the staff, and I also
manage our promoter relations down to every nut and bolt with the race track. So I am usually working very closely with the track promoter. Usually, the most relaxing point is when we get to racing. Once everything has started, that means everyone is in position to do what they need to do, and I am freed up to where I can start taking pictures.
10. Can you give us an up-andcoming driver to keep an eye on? Oh, that’s no problem. A very talented young driver racing with us right now is Bobby Pierce. He just captured his second series win with us this year. I don’t think he’s even 18 years old yet, and he’s already winning races. I have no doubt he’s a star on the rise. To see more of Rick’s work check out www.latemodelphotos.com.
Photo by Rick Schwallie
PROPER VALVE TRAIN SELECTION
Photos by Woody Hampton
SETTING UP A VALVE TRAIN PACKAGE for dirt racing is never an easy task, even for the most experienced racer or crew chief. The cam is often considered the brain of the engine, meaning that it is the control center for all of the valve train functions. The patterns and position of the lobes on the camshaft determine the timing and lift applied to the valves, which in turn move air through the system and create horsepower. However, all valve train components need to work together—as well as with other engine parts—to create the optimum power and torque needed for the track on any given day. Budget, the rulebook, driving style and engine upkeep all are significant areas to consider in the selection of a camshaft and related valve train components. We got the thoughts from some of the leading minds at a few of the world’s top valve train companies on the best way to select a dirt valve train package. ALLAN BECHTLOFF OF CRANE CAMS is a circle track
specialist for the Daytona Beach-based company. He says that the first two major considerations in selecting valve train parts are the rules and the budget. Each racer must be aware of what the rules will allow him or her to do and not do. Some race sanctioning bodies have strict rules on what type of cam can be run and what its specifications must be, other sanctions are wide open with a “run what you brung” attitude. “First, know your rules,” Bechtloff says. “Secondly, be aware of the old adage that speed costs money. We all want to go fast, but what is realistic for your budget? All cam companies have catalog cams at reasonable prices that may be fine for your application. These cam selections are based on past experience and are designed to fit the most likely engine combinations.” He goes on to say though that if you are trying to take full advantage of the rules and/or to finely tune your engine combination, a little more expensive custom ground cam that is deIssue 1, 2014 / OneDirt.com 25
signed exactly for you may be the key to success. He believes these custom options are well worth the time and investment. Bechtloff also gives a great overview of the various types of dirt racing and the rules associated. The entry level Bomber and Street Stock classes are designed so that the dollar investment is easier on the pocket book. These classes usually have rules packages that limit what you can do with the engine with the sole intent of keeping the dollar investment at a minimum. Here is where you find rules that limit the type of cam you can use to a flat tappet design (either hydraulic or mechanical/solid). The valve lift may be specified and in some cases even the vacuum the engine can generate. As you move up to the mid-level classes the rules become less restrictive, the horsepower output increases and the cars go faster. These classes are where the Modifieds and Late Models compete. Here the use of a roller tappet camshaft might be legal. If you continue up the ranks, you find at the top of the list the Unlimited Late Models and open wheel, winged Outlaw Sprint Cars. At these levels the engine cubic inch and compression ratio are allowed to increase. Roller tappet camshafts with needle bearing journals and high ratio shaft-mounted rocker arms become the norm. “With each class the engines become more powerful, the complexity of the racing increases, the cars go faster and of course the dollar investment increases,” Bechtloff explains. “But no matter the level of competition, if you are trying to find an edge in a Bomber Class or an Outlaw Sprint Car, the camshaft selection is still a very important part of the process. “
MEANWHILE, DAVID CHAMBERLAIN OF LUNATI
in Olive Branch, Mississippi, is a tech support and sales representative. Like Bechtloff, Chamberlain explains that before getting too far,racers in any discipline of dirt racing should check the rulebooks. He goes on to say that the size of the track, engine size, type of fuel and compression ratio are some other major factors to consider. Chamberlain also says that RPM is usually key—especially the RPM out of the turn since it is important to not over-cam the engine. “For most circle track applications we keep in mind that the engine is only running within a certain RPM range and not a broader operating range,” he says.
TERMINOLOGY: CAMSHAFTS The internal combustion engine is a giant air pump. The camshaft is the metering device that opens and closes the valves, and the more efficiently the air moves through the system, the more horsepower is created. Camshafts differ in designs for several reasons but the three main factors are: duration, valve lift and lobe separation angle. DURATION determines the RPM potential of the engine and its power band. It is how long the valve is open, measured in degrees of crankshaft rotation. Small duration numbers mean the engine operates best at lower RPM, concentrating the power, building it quickly and then peaking. Larger duration numbers hold the valve open longer, allowing more air to enter and exit, thereby enabling the engine to reach higher RPM. Larger duration cams have less bottom-end power but more mid-range to top-end power. VALVE LIFT is the distance the valve travels. This determines how much of the air/fuel mixture can enter and exit the engine, thereby producing more torque. It is created by the lobe lift of the camshaft and is increased by the rocker ratio to arrive at total valve lift. Lift is measured in the thousandths of an inch in travel. Increased lobe lift and/or increased rocker arm ratio will lift the valve farther. LOBE SEPARATION ANGLE (LSA) On a given cylinder, this is the angular distance by which the centerline of the intake and exhaust lobes are separated, measured in camshaft degrees. If we consider duration to determine RPM potential and valve lift to determine torque, then consider lobe separation as a modifier of these two things. Lobe separation is important in determining the shape of the torque curve and where horsepower is made across the overall powerband. Tight lobe separation angles bring the torque on earlier in the RPM range and concentrate it for more power off the turn. Wider lobe separation angles soften the launch and build more power past the flagman. If your car has lots of tire with good grip you can run tighter lobe separation angles. If you have a tire limitation (with a narrow or hard compound tire) the tight separation angle would tend to spin the tires and lead to loss of traction. A wider lobe separation angle would lessen the shock to the tire, helping to prevent spinning and traction loss.
– Courtesy of Crane Cams
Lots of people just think bigger is better, but when you figure the whole power curve you need to find the cam that is best for your program. – James Fry COMP Cams This piece of information plays a major part in how the cam profile is designed. Most circle track cams have a tight Lobe separation angle. The tighter LSA will narrow the powerband but make it peak higher and pull harder within the given RPM range. This will be a benefit because most of the time the engine is only working within a narrow RPM scope. This LSA design is common practice for most circle track cams, but that does not mean there aren’t cases where a variation is necessary. “If a driver tells us he or she has a heavy foot, we may put a wider LSA and a little more duration to make the hit on the tires a little softer off the turn,” Chamberlain explains. Lunati also tries to not make the cam too application-specific for one track because the driver often takes care of the change by switching rear gears from one track to another as needed. As for a racer on a budget, Chamberlain says that there are a couple of areas Lunati will focus on to be sure he remains competitive. “The first would be style of cam. In most budget scenarios we try to go with a solid flat tappet. Solids will make good power because of the solid design and will be easy on the car owner’s purse strings. The second area to save money is to use less-aggressive lobe designs. This will be easier on related parts, such as lifters and springs, and require less maintenance throughout the season.”
COMP CAMS’ JAMES FRY is a specialist in circle track
power plants and has worked with some of the top names in dirt. He says that one of the first things a racer should explore when selecting valve train parts is the team’s maintenance program. A race team that performs regular maintenance in the form of frequent valve lash, normal spring pressure checks and overall visual awareness can probably run a stouter cam than those who
don’t have the time or resources to go through these rigorous tasks each week. However, the type of abuse the engine faces on the track plays just as much of a role in cam selection as does how it’s treated in the garage. Race lengths are vital in the type of valve train setup a racer uses. For instance, a 20-lap Street Stock race may lend itself to a harder-hitting valve train than a 75- or 100-lap Modified or Late Model race. The way the driver treats the car in those races also is an important factor in choosing precisely the right cam. “A camshaft is just an extension of a person’s driving style,” Fry states. “It is very important to match the cam selection to his or her type of driving. A driver who likes a smooth power curve would use a camshaft that is less torque-y than someone who requires a snappier throttle response.” Racers who lack this knowledge often make critical errors in camshaft selection because they simply want the biggest cam possible. “Lots of people just think bigger is better, but when you figure the whole power curve you need to find the cam that is best for your program,” Fry says.It is also important to consider the relationship of the entire valve train package when buying components. If a racer buys the latest trick cam or rocker arms, but has the idea to use them with stock parts in other areas, there actually is a greater chance for engine failure. It’s crucial to work within a budget to select compatible components. After taking all of these ideas into account, Fry sums up the basics of valve train selection this way. “The first thing to remember is that you always have to finish a race. It doesn’t matter how you start, you have to finish well. Choose a valve train package that is friendly and durable but aggressive enough to make horsepower. Consider your whole package and think about compatible components within your budget. And be sure that your maintenance program is in order. Those are the keys to success.” Sources COMP Cams 800.999.0853 compcams.com Crane Cams 866.388.5120 cranecams.com Lunati 662.892.1500 lunatipower.com Issue 1, 2014 / OneDirt.com 27
PROFILE OF A CHAMPION
RODNEY SANDERS Just to go and root for my dad each week was about the most fun thing I remember as a kid. Well, until I got my hand on a steering wheel the first time. – Rodney Sanders
Photos by Rick Schwallie
IT TAKES ALL KINDS of personalities to make the sport of auto racing go round. Some racers are loud and boisterous, while others are quiet and reserved. Happy, Texas, native Rodney Sanders definitely fits the latter mold as the soft-spoken driver who does almost all of his talking on the race track. Sanders grew up watching his dad, Marcus Sanders, race divisions ranging from Stock Cars to Late Models and always looked forward to heading to the track each week. “Just to go and root for my dad each week at the track was about the most fun thing I remember doing as a kid,” the younger Sanders says. Then after a pause and with a smile he continues, “Well, it was the most fun thing, until I got my hand on a steering wheel the first time. That’s when I found the real fun.” Rodney’s introduction to driving came in 1998 at the age of eight when his dad bought him his first Kart. He was instantly hooked and won his very first race. Sanders spent the next five years enjoying his wildest dreams of being a winning race car driver. But soon he had the desire to dive even deeper into the world of motorsports. By the age of 14 he found himself as the driver of a B-Modified at Route 66 Speedway in Amarillo, Texas. 28 OneDirt.com / Issue 1, 2014
“It was quite the jump from the Kart to the B-Mod,” Sanders remembers. “I was really nervous early, and it took me a while to get a handle on my new surroundings. It definitely wasn’t easy, but I really enjoyed the challenge.” Rodney and his dad spent the next few years racing together before the elder Sanders parked his own race car to focus on his son’s career. With the focus solely on Rodney, the team began to enjoy success around the local scene as he progressed into the Open Wheel Modified class. The 2006 season found Sanders claiming the track championship at Route 66 Speedway as well as a $5,000 triumph late in the year in Kansas. Soon thereafter he began branching out to more tracks in the region. “I really enjoyed traveling, and I especially liked the challenge of trying to learn new tracks,” he says. “I knew that to get better behind the wheel, I had to take on new challenges.” Being a lower budget team with limited replacement parts presented one of those challenges during the team’s early days of traveling. However, they would progressively begin to gain sponsors as their runs continued to improve. By 2009 Sanders had become a frequent flyer on the ultra-competitive United States Modified Touring Series (USMTS), and on June 26th of that year at LA Raceway in La
Monte, Missouri, he solidified his spot on the national scene by racing to his first career feature win on the tour. “To be 19 years old and get a win against guys like (Kelly) Shryock, (Jason) Krohn and (Jason) Hughes, it was just an amazing feeling that I’ll never forget,” he reminisces. With confidence in his corner Sanders made serious noise across the nation in 2010 with several big wins including a $12,000 payday in the USRA Fall Nationals at Mississippi Thunder Speedway in Fountain City, Wisconsin, as well as a $10,000 triumph in the Fall Nationals at Southern New Mexico Speedway in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The 2011 and 2012 seasons found Sanders continuing to amass wins nationwide, and those strong seasons set the stage for a career year in 2013 in his number 20 Open Wheel Modified. He began the season with three wins during the annual Winter Extreme at Tucson International Raceway in Tucson, Arizona. From there he went on an absolute tear in the Open Wheel Modified division with 17 total wins for the year with various sanctions. The icing on the cake came in the form of the 2013 USMTS National Championship. “Those wins meant a lot, but that USMTS Championship was something that I wanted more than anything else,” Sanders says. “We came so close to reaching the goal in 2012, and that made me that much hungrier to get the job done for 2013. To stand on that champion’s podium at the end of the year at Deer Creek Speedway (in Spring Valley, Minnesota) is a feeling I will never forget.” Not only did Sanders wreak havoc in the Open Wheel Modified class in 2013, but he also got his first taste of Super Late Model racing courtesy of good friend, Jason Krohn. Sanders’ debut in Krohn’s new car at Casa Grande’s Central Arizona Raceway, nearly became a dream outing. He started his night by winning his heat race, and then ran at the front of the pack in front of some of the nation’s best drivers for the first half of the feature event before a mechanical failure brought his night to a disappointing end. Sanders remembers, “I was about as nervous to drive the Super Late Model as I was the first time I got in the B-Mod. It was all so new, but I fell in love with it immediately.” Not only did Jason Krohn give Sanders his first shot at driving a Super Late Model, but Sanders is also quick to note he’s also been a major factor in his success over the years. “In my early years on the road I can remember breaking a motor one night with no back-up engine in the trailer,” he remembers. “Jason heard about my problems and invited me to his shop to put one of his in my car. I mean this guy barely knew me, and yet he stuck his neck out for me. I’ll never forget that.”
Rodney Sanders powers through a turn in at the I-80 Speedway in Greenwood, Nebraska.
Sanders also lists Krohn as a catalyst in his charge to the 2013 USMTS championship. “Jason has so much knowledge in this sport, and he was constantly helping me with notes from his own MB Customs car last year,” Sanders explains. “There were many a night I was at a total loss, and he got me pointed in the right direction. Without Jason’s help I don’t know that I would have won that championship last year.” Sanders is also quick to note that the support from sponsor Swan Energy’s Brandon Davis has been priceless in his pursuit of progressing through the national scene. “Brandon came on board to help us in 2011 as a major supporter, and that allowed me to take my program to the next level,” Sanders says. “He gives me everything that I need to perform against the best drivers in the nation. Before he started helping us we were literally a night-to-night team that was one engine failure away from being headed to the house at any point. He’s brought a great deal of stability to this team. I have so many amazing sponsors that allow me to do what I do, but Brandon really has led the way. I’m beyond grateful for all he has done for me.” After the banner year that he had in 2013, Sanders knows that it will be quite the challenge to have a repeat performance in 2014, but he’s confident that his team is up to the task. “With the opportunity and equipment that Swan Energy Racing gives me, it’s really up to me to get the job done again,” he says. “All of the pieces are definitely in place for another championship run with the USMTS.” While Sanders has his sights set on another USMTS title he also hopes to do more Super Late Model racing at various events across the nation. “We are going to do our best to run some of the early season USMTS regions to lock into The Hunt for the end of the year,” he says regarding this year’s plans. “That’s definitely our primary focus. If we can do that I really want to spend a decent amount of time racing the Super Late Model. I really love the feel of those cars, and again I always love the challenge of a new division.” Looking at long-term goals in his career, Sanders, much like any other driver, has aspirations of reaching the NASCAR ranks. “Sure I would love to be running in one of the NASCAR divisions, but it takes so much sponsorship to make that happen,” he notes. “Being realistic I know it would take a lot of things to come together to make that happen. If it never does and I stay in the dirt world for the rest of my career I will be happy, too. “I’ve really had a ton of blessings in my career to get to race for a living, and there’s a lot of things I still want to accomplish in this sport.”
PUSHING BOUNDARIES
DESPITE DOMINATING MOST DIRT RACING CLASSES, HOLLEY UPGRADES TWO OF THEIR CARB DESIGNS TO WIN MORE RACES
THERE’S THAT OLD SAYING in racing that if you aren’t improving, then you are getting passed. And although there are a few other carburetor manufacturers in racing, Holley is far and away the dominant brand in dirt track and practically every other form of racing that utilizes carburetors. Still, the company recently overhauled their legendary carburetor design with several upgrades in their Ultra HP series to make sure it won’t be getting passed any time soon. Photo by Rick Schwallie
G S
When Holley reworked the 4412 two barrel carburetor they didn’t just slap on their Ultra HP upgrades, they also made several changes to help racers deal with the challenges unique to two barrel carbs.
Besides removing the choke tower, the Ultra HP 2BBL has also moved the air cleaner flange so that it is now centered over the venturis to move as much air through the carb as efficiently as possible.
A new feature on both carbs that dirt trackers will appreciate is this cap that seals the housing bore for the throttle shaft. Its purpose is to keep out dirt and grit so that you have a nice, smooth throttle all season long.
Holley’s Ultra HP Four Barrel Carburetors include as standard equipment many features that dirt track racers have benefited from to tune their carburetors more easily, run quicker, have more consistent laps, and even win more races. The list of upgrades is pretty long, but the notables include lighter all-aluminum construction, clear sight windows, larger fuel bowls that utilize cast-in baffles to minimize fuel slosh upsetting the floats, relocated air bleeds, contoured squirter screws that don’t impede the flow of air, tunable billet aluminum metering blocks and an integrated bypass valve that eliminates drilling holes into the throttle blades and helps maintain a steady idle even with the most aggressive race cams. Now Holley’s engineers have expanded the lineup of Ultra HP Carburetors to include two specialized units that caught our attention here at OneDirt, because both look like they can potentially be a very big deal for dirt track racers. We took a closer look at both, and we think you are going to be very interested in what we found.
While running E85 versus gasoline you are going to use approximately 40 percent more fuel at wide-open throttle. – Laura Shehan Holley
E85 FUEL IS A BLEND containing
as much as 85 percent plant-based ethanol and at least 15 percent gasoline. It is problematic as a street fuel, but it can be an incredible tool for racers. That’s because E85 is rated 105 octane and burns cooler than straight gasoline. And while 110 octane race fuel can sell for $10 a gallon or more, E85 is sold right out of the pump at a price that is equivalent to—or even less than—87 octane gasoline. As a result, many smart racers are looking to run E85 in their race cars because they realize that they can get the benefits of race fuel at gas station prices. But running E85 involves a little bit more than simply emptying your fuel cell and refilling it with the ethanol-blended fuel. While the optimal air/fuel mixture (also known as
stoichometric ratio) for gasoline is 14.7 parts air to one part fuel, E85 burns most efficiently at a much richer 9.76:1 ratio of air to fuel. That means the engine will need a lot more fuel than if it were burning straight gas, so besides installing a larger fuel cell, you will have to adjust your carburetor to be able to properly deliver the increased fuel load required. Unfortunately, building a race-quality E85 carburetor requires a bit more than opening up the jets. “While running E85 versus gasoline you are going to use approximately 40 percent more fuel at wideopen throttle, and there is more that goes into converting a carburetor to E85 than increasing the jet size,” explains Holley’s Laura Shehan. “In developing the calibrations for the E85 Ultra HP series, a Issue 1, 2014 / OneDirt.com 31
Making a carburetor work with E85 requires more than simply opening up the jets. The E85 Ultra HP carb has a host of tweaks to make optimal power with good throttle response on the ethanol/gasoline blended fuel.
A large drain plug was added to the bowls to make jet changes at the track much easier without spilling fuel all over the hot engine.
significant amount of time and development went into determining the correct main-well sizes and booster configurations as well as the actual restrictor sizes in the metering block and main body. In addition, the emulsion stack had to be tuned properly to the main well to lift the fuel without separating it and causing fuel distribution and performance issues.” If that sounds like a lot, that’s because it is. The Ultra HP E85 Carb may look like one of Holley’s standard four barrel gasoline carbs on the outside, but it has been significantly reworked to make best use of the new fuel. What that means is racers can bolt up an E85 carb and hit the race track without suffering through the usual tuning difficulties that come from switching fuels.
THE TWO BARREL CARBURETOR
is still the standard in the Mini Stock and a few other classes. Your track may have a variation on the name, but Mini Stock usually refers to the entry-level class requiring rear drive cars with carbureted four cylinder engines. The class is dominated by Mustangs powered by Ford’s 2.3 liter four and Toyota Corollas with that automaker’s semi-hemi four. But regardless, the carburetor is practically always some variation of Holley’s venerable 4412 two barrel carb. We spoke with engine builder Keith Dorton, who has tuned more carbure32 OneDirt.com / Issue 1, 2014
In oval track racing high g-forces can cause problems when fuel sloshes inside the bowl. A larger bowl with a “shelf” about midway up keeps fuel from sloshing on top of the floats for more consistent operation. Also notice the “trough” in the bottom of the bowl that routes fuel directly to the jets and keeps them covered in fuel.
tors for racing than we can count, and he mentioned that the two barrel carb always seems to be harder to keep tuned and operating smoothly. He thinks it may be because the two barrel lacks the second fuel bowl and the extra pair of squirters and venturis to even out spikes or dips in the fuel delivery, but he hasn’t done the testing to determine exactly why. Holley’s new Ultra HP 2BBL Carbs attempt to cure all that by not only adding the previous improvements from the Ultra HP designs, but also by making many new changes specifically designed to overcome the two barrel’s unique drawbacks. “The most unique challenge to tuning a two barrel, specifically the 4412 HP (a popular choice among racers and sanctioning bodies), is that this carburetor is undersized for most of the applications it is mandated for,” Shehan explains of the difficulties working with the typical two barrel carb. “So while on the typical four barrel calibrations are for the most part (correctly) sized for the application, the engine will be pulling a lot harder on the fuel circuits of the two barrel carburetor. “This was taken into consideration when the main well and booster configuration were developed. In addition, the power valve selection comes into play because of the amount of manifold vacuum that may be present when the engine
This is the billet aluminum base plate on the four barrel. Not only is it much stronger than the cast piece it replaces, it also includes an idle bypass system for a smooth, dependable idle—even with ultra-aggressive racing cams.
is running at higher RPM; the power valve can be tuned, or selected, such that the manifold vacuum causes it to close off and lean out the fuel mixture.” Unlike the Ultra HP E85 Carb that visually looks quite similar to other 4BBL carbs, this new 2BBL looks quite different from its predecessors. That’s mainly because all pretense at being a street carburetor used for racing has been dropped. The choke tower has been completely done away with in order to improve air flow into the venturis, and the throttle lever is a dedicated race piece with all unnecessary street attachment points and tangs removed. Holley even moved the air cleaner flange so that it is now centered over the venturis to give the carburetor every advantage when it comes to maximizing airflow. With the Ultra HP design platform plus the purpose-specific upgrades Holley’s engineers built into these two new carburetors, both definitely hold a ton of potential for dirt track racing. We’ll keep an eye out for racers running these new carburetors and report back on how well they are performing in real-world racing. Source Holley 270.781.9741 holley.com
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Your car may run on race fuel, but we all know your racing program runs on money—either yours or a sponsor’s.
LET’S FACE IT, RACING IS AN EXPENSIVE SPORT. EVEN IF YOU ARE RACING IN THE HOBBY STOCK CLASSES, THE BILLS CAN ADD UP QUICKLY. THAT’S WHY, UNLESS you’ve already earned yourself a sizeable fortune, securing a quality sponsor or two (or more, if we’re honest) is nearly as important as skill behind the wheel. After all, nobody doubts there are plenty of super-talented drivers out there that never got the chance to win championships. They were certainly capable but they lacked the finances to put a competitive race car on the track. To that end, we hope to provide you with some quality tips on finding—and keeping—the sponsorship you need to help your racing operation succeed. And the first rule is simple: Start now. If you wait until you need sponsorship from a company to start building a relationship, it’s too late. Sponsorship is all about relationships, and building relationships takes time. The key with relationships is they are always a two-way street. Simply expecting a company to write you a check in return for a decal somewhere on the car isn’t going to cut it. Even the most popular driv34 OneDirt.com / Issue 1, 2014
ers in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series make appearances and shoot commercials to help boost their value to sponsors. So if they have to go to those lengths, just imagine what you will need to do. You must also consider that even if a company is large enough to have a marketing department, they aren’t going to spend a lot of time thinking about your racing program—all their energies are focused on their products. So before you even try to secure a meeting with a potential sponsor, make sure you are prepared to explain to them how you can specifically and measurably increase their business. Securing and keeping a sponsor is a tough business. You must over-deliver at every opportunity, both before you get the sponsorship and certainly after they have agreed to support your racing efforts.
BEFORE YOU CAN properly pitch a potential sponsor, you have to know who they are marketing to. Generally, you can break down their ideal market into two areas, “the pits” and “the stands.”
Pit-area-focused marketing includes companies whose products or services are used by racers. This includes parts manufacturers, tire companies, racing fuel distributors and others. These companies don’t usually care how many fans are in the grandstands, they just want to know how you can get other racers to purchase their products. Grandstand-focused marketing includes companies with products that are purchased and consumed by everybody. These include restaurants, casinos, service companies, and companies with products that have a wide consumer base (everything from ice cream to dishwashing detergent). Companies with a grandstand-focused marketing program market to the general public and will want to know how you will drive fans from the race track to their business. At first it may seem like working with a pit-area-focused company will be the easier choice. But you have to be aware that it does have a few very specific require-
No matter what class you race, there are ways you can be beneficial to a potential sponsor.
ments. First of all, you have to be a good racer. No one will want to purchase any products you endorse if you are consistently finishing in the back of the pack. But just as important, you have to be helpful and actually willing to assist your competition. To be effective, you can’t just win, you have to be willing to prove to your competition that your sponsors played a role in gaining that victory. A perfect example is the Rocket house car team of Josh Richards now being driven by Rick Eckert. Although they are definitely at the race track to win, both the drivers and their crews are constantly approached by other Rocket drivers at the track with questions about setups and how to make their own cars faster. And as far as we’ve seen, no one approaching respectfully (when the team isn’t thrashing on the car or about to leave for staging) and with legitimate questions has ever been turned away.
YOUR RACING SCHEDULE will
play a big role in the type of companies you are most likely to be able to benefit through sponsorship. Take, for example, McDonald’s. McDonald’s has restaurants nationwide and will be looking to any marketing program to be able to cast a net as wide as possible. Meanwhile, the owner of a muffler shop with only one location cannot benefit from sponsoring a racing operation that follows a touring series that spans several states. If you race a home track each week, search out potential sponsors that also market in that area. If this describes you, the owner of a single muffler shop (or restaurant, or carpet cleaning service, etc.) will most likely be your ideal marketing partner. You can benefit each other the best. On the other hand, if you are a touring operation racing at a different
track each week, the local business owner may not be as good a match for what you can offer versus a company that is trying to sell a product nationwide.
THERE ARE TWO TYPES of sponsor-
ship you can target. The first, and probably most common, is a product sponsorship. A product sponsorship—where the manufacturer actually provides you with its products versus cash—is much easier to attain compared to a financial sponsorship. It is also the most logical place to start when searching for sponsorship. Your goal with this type of sponsorship should be to over-deliver and grow it into financial backing. If handled correctly, most product sponsors will continue to offer support for many years and in many cases, your entire racing career.
$100 for a billboard on the backstretch and be done with it. As racer though you can offer much more—you can build a relationship and actively market that company to their benefit. But that requires you to make a commitment to that company. Ben Shelton not only works as an announcer on the World of Outlaws Late Model series, he also works with many race teams, tracks and even sanctioning bodies to help match them up with potential sponsors. “The hard part isn’t getting a sponsor, the hard part is keeping a sponsor,” he says. “The reality is the hard part is getting a sponsor to stick around once you get them. Because I’ve seen so many times that once a racer or a team gets that money they forget about the sponsor’s needs and quit taking care of them.
One of the best ways to gain a new sponsor’s attention is to give them a plan they’ve never heard before. Financial sponsorship, on the other hand, is normally extremely tough to find and virtually impossible to secure without some sort of existing relationship. To gain a financial sponsor you must be innovative and able to prove to the potential sponsor that you can bring in a significant return on his investment. If you can help a company make money they will happily support your racing program, but proving it will be tough.
IF ALL A POTENTIAL sponsor wanted was for people to see its logo at the race track, instead of paying you to put its logo on your hood, it could spend
That’s why I always say the real work begins once you get the sponsor. “A lot of times you are going to want $10,000 from them and they are only going to give you a hundred bucks,” he continues. “But don’t give up on them. If you are able to make that hundred dollar sponsor feel like a $10,000 sponsor, then down the road they are more likely to up their commitment to you. “The perfect example is the COMP Cams Super Dirt Series. When I first got involved with it, they wanted COMP to be involved with the series in a big time way. But when COMP Cams first got involved it didn’t come in with a ton of money but a Issue 1, 2014 / OneDirt.com 35
SO WHAT CAN YOU DO TO KEEP & GROW A SPONSOR? There are lots of things you can do, but here are a few options: TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA and build an online fan base. Send out regular updates—not only on race results and where you will be racing next, but also any promotions your sponsor may be having. This point used to be about building a website, but these days social media like Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest are the heavyweights and not to be ignored. If you have a team website, make sure you use it to promote your sponsor as well. GET TO KNOW & BE FRIENDS with the track announcers and photographers. You will need their help and all the publicity they can offer. Always make sure the track announcer has a one-page bio on yourself and your sponsor listing. ATTEND TRADE & RACING SHOWS— both national events like PRI and local—and make an effort to meet future sponsors and career influencers. Never solicit sponsorships at these events. It’s all about forming and building relationships.
If you benefit from a product sponsorship, that means you will have to help other racers understand how that product can help them. Drivers of house cars for chassis manufacturers even have to be willing to share setup tips with their competition.
jacket. They gave a jacket to the driver that had the most feature wins during the season. In one pocket was $500 and in the other pocket was a $500 product certificate. “At the time the series was called the Mid South Racing Association, and they were kind of bummed about it. But I told them to make COMP feel like a big time sponsor and give them a reason to stick around. You’ve got to prove yourself. And they went above and beyond and now COMP Cams is the title sponsor of the series. “The moral of the story is you’ve got to be in it for the long haul, and you’ve got to grow your sponsors.”
SEND PHOTOS & REGULAR UPDATES both to existing and potential sponsors. Photos are always needed for marketing and advertising materials. Highlight your successes. Now that we live in a digital age this is easier than ever. MAKE YOUR CAR AVAILABLE to the sponsor to draw fans. Maybe you can park it in front of his facility to draw a crowd or take it to community events. Getting people to see that big logo on the hood doesn’t always have to take place at the race track. Does your community have a local fair? Even if you have to put it on a trailer, see if you can be a part of the local Christmas parade. You get the idea. Of course, this means you have to keep your car clean and in good shape. A race car that looks like its next lap will be to the crusher doesn’t impress anybody. BE APPROACHABLE & FRIENDLY. Sometimes it’s fun to play the villain on the race track but if other racers and fans in the stands have the urge to spit every time they say your name, your usefulness to existing and potential sponsors will be severely limited. The same thing holds for your personal life—don’t show up on the police blotter. 36 OneDirt.com / Issue 1, 2014
Instead of asking for money, this team worked a deal with a restaurant, Buddy’s Point, to occasionally feed their hardworking volunteer crew a good meal.
ONE OF THE BEST ways to gain a new sponsor’s attention is to give them a plan they’ve never heard before. Try to find ways that can benefit your racing program while minimizing the cost to the sponsor. For example, we know of one team that has worked out sponsorship from a nearby restaurant and entertainment venue. No money changes hands, but the restaurant feeds the crew weekly. Since most of the race crew are volunteers, being able to treat them to a nice meal is a great way to thank them for their hard work. The restaurant, meanwhile, doesn’t mind feeding a few extra mouths once a week, and the race team actually draws a crowd. Another idea is to help show other racers how to make the most of their product. If your sponsor manufactures a racing component, make a YouTube video showing how that part is installed and used to its best advantage. You are racing with the part anyway, so shooting the video can simply be added to your normal maintenance routine.
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POWER PRODUCTION FIND THE RIGHT MIX OF ECONOMY AND ALL-OUT PERFORMANCE FOR THE PISTONS IN YOUR RACE ENGINE
38 OneDirt.com / Issue 1, 2014
IF YOU RACE IN A CLASS that has an engine claim rule, you have to find a delicate balance between finding the best performance possible and keeping costs down so you aren’t out to lunch in case somebody puts in a claim for your engine. Maximizing your horsepower-per-dollar ratio is key here. And not only must you find components that give you the most bang for your buck in terms of producing power, but you also need race parts that are well-made and durable because a blown engine can be a worse drain on the bank account than a claim. One area where you can sometimes get good performance and durability at a discount is with your pistons. Stock or stock-replacement pistons are usually cast slugs with full skirts which increase parasitic drag and are often heavy and use a pressed-in wrist pin—which also causes greater drag and can create wear issues in high-RPM applications. On the plus side, they are cheap. At the other end of the spectrum is the high-performance forged piston. Forged piston designs cover the spectrum from mild to wild, but for racers the benefit is greater strength to be able to withstand lots of horsepower, more modern low-friction
United Engine Machine produces cast, hypereutectic and forged pistons through the different brands it owns (Silvolite, KB and Icon, respectively). One of the more interesting offerings is their KB Claimer Series pistons which pack a lot of features into a set of pistons that sell for around $250 a set.
Notice the small grooves just above the top ring land. These are anti-detonation grooves that disrupt any pressure waves caused by detonation before they can reach the top ring. Between the first and second rings is the accumulator groove which provides a zone for gasses that get past the top ring to accumulate so they won't cause the second ring to flutter.
designs, a floating wrist pin for better durability and less parasitic drag in high-RPM applications, and machined valve pockets with minimal wasted area to help increase compression ratio. Of course, a high-quality set of forged pistons also comes with a high-quality price tag and can often eat up the entire claimer budget all by itself. The middle ground is to go with a set of hypereutectic pistons which offer greater performance than stock but without the cost of forged. Tech specialist Marko Glush of piston manufacturer United Engine Machine (UEM) explains that hypereutectic pistons are essentially cast pistons using a special aluminum alloy with extra silicon. “With cast pistons the aluminum usually absorbs around 12 percent silicon and when they are hypereutectic we add a few more ingredients to help the aluminum absorbs a higher content of silicon, usually around 16 percent,” Glush says. “That makes it a very hard piston which reflects heat better and controls expansion.” Glush is an interesting resource for OneDirt and dirt track racers in general because he essentially doesn’t have a dog in the fight. His company, UEM, manufactures standard cast pistons through its Silvolite brand, hypereutectic pistons through its KB Pistons arm, and forged under its Icon line of performance pistons. Because of this, Glush regularly works with racers and engine builders to spec out the right pistons for their needs. Even though hypereutectic pistons have gotten a bit of a bad rap in racing circles, Glush says that he has seen many engine builders have great success with them. The problem arises, he says, when engine builders treat a set of hypereutectic pistons the same as forged. Because of the difference in material, hypereutectic pistons require a few special steps when building the engine. “With a hypereutectic piston, they will last a tremendous amount of time if you are good to them,” he says. “They are not flexible like a forged piston, so if you make them flex by allowing
With a hypereutectic piston, they will last a tremendous amount of time if you are good to them. – Marko Glush United Engine Machine the engine to go into detonation, they can crack. But if you’re good on your tune-up they can do a great job in a race engine and last a long time. “One of the characteristics of the hypereutectic aluminum is that it reflects heat better than a forged piston will. A hypereutectic piston will run cooler than a forged piston because it reflects heat back into the chamber. It also moves a lot of heat into the cylinder bore through the top ring, so it requires a larger ring gap than a forged piston does. If you treat a hypereutectic piston like you would a forged piston and run the standard 0.020 of an inch ring gap on a four inch bore, that can cause you problems. In a race you are really loading the engine, and when all that heat gets into the top ring with the smaller end gap, the ends can butt. That is when you wind up breaking the top ring lands off. “Hypereutectic pistons have a bad reputation with some people for breaking the ring lands, but really it is a preparation issue. With a hypereutectic piston you need to run the gap on that top ring quite a bit bigger, usually between 0.028 and 0.032 on a four-inch piston.” A hypereutectic piston also requires special consideration when machining the engine block. Because the hypereutectic aluminum has a lower expansion rate than the material used in forged aluminum pistons, the clearance between the piston and the cylinder bore should be reduced. Glush usually recommends a bore Issue 1, 2014 / OneDirt.com 39
Another nice feature for such inexpensive pistons is an anti-friction coating on the skirts that helps protect the cylinder bores on startup or if the oil pressure dips. A slipper skirt design helps cut parasitic friction loss by cutting away the skirt from the sides where it isn’t as useful. The slipper skirt also allows the pin bores to be moved inboard so that lighter weight 2.5-inch wrist pins can be used.
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clearance between 0.0025 and 0.0035 of an inch for hypereutectic pistons in a dirt track racing application compared to the standard 0.0035 to 0.0065 of an inch of clearance for forged pistons. Running a bore clearance that tight can make some old-school engine builders nervous, but it really isn’t as much of an issue with hypereutectic pistons. First, as we’ve already mentioned, they simply do not expand as much as a typical forged piston. Plus, the material is extremely hard and doesn’t tend to gall against the cylinder bore like a softer forged piston will. Still, there are applications where a forged piston is better suited than a hypereutectic. The general consensus is that a forged piston should be used in any engine producing 550 horsepower or more or whenever the rpm level exceeds 7,500. “The reason why is the higher-revving race engine is more likely to have a valvetrain failure,” Glush says. “If something goes wrong, say you break a valve spring, and a valve hits the top of the piston, the forged piston is more ductile and more likely to be able to take the impact without coming apart. The cast or hypereutectic piston, when they experience something like that they are more likely to break apart. So for motors that are going to see a lot of RPM, the forged piston is probably the better option.” But in the right application, Glush says a quality hypereutectic piston isn’t only a good value up front (typically cheaper than a mid-priced set of forged pistons by $150 or more) but they are also quite durable. “When you do your teardown at the end of the season, do a quick check of the pistons,” he adds. “If the pin bores are
This is UEM’s Icon FHR piston. FHR stands for “formed head relief” which means the valve pockets are pressed during the forging process and not cut after the fact. This is one of the reasons UEM is able to offer these forged pistons for less than $400 (street price) which is significantly less than most forged piston options.
in good shape and aren’t starting to gall up, and the skirts measure to their spec, then you can probably go four seasons with them. The main thing is don’t let the engine go lean or get into detonation.” Most teams racing in claimer classes don’t have the luxury of a dedicated engine tuner, so to avoid detonation issues shortening the life of your race engine, you may want to consider backing off on your timing a couple degrees. No, your engine won’t be running on the ragged edge, but it will still make very close to its maximum horsepower and you will have a race engine that’s affordable and dependable for seasons at a time. So if you are racing in a class with an engine-claim rule and can’t work a setforged pistons into the budget, there definitely is a better option for you than cast stock replacement pistons. Source United Engine Machine 800.648.7970 uempistons.com
WIN MORE IN
2014
TCI® TORQUE CONVERTERS DELIVER WINNING PERFORMANCE & MAXIMUM DURABILITY FastLap Circle Track Torque Converters TM
Looks aren’t everything…but with regards to torque converters, they can hide the secret to winning races. For sanctioning bodies that mandate the use of a “stock appearing” converter, TCI® Circle Track Torque Converters satisfy the rulebook requirements while delivering a distinct performance advantage. TCI® Circle Track Torque Converters are specially designed with a lower “positive lock-up” stall speed, eliminating approximately 10% of the power robbing slippage found in OEM and lesser quality converters. On the track, this results in huge off-the-corner acceleration improvements and the ultimate in “green flag” starting speed. Built with a heavy-duty stator, furnace-brazed fins and precision-certified stall speed to maximize efficiency, these stock appearing converters usually reduce lap times by one to twotenths of a second. In addition, these converters feature reduced rotational weight to improve engine braking in corners and lower transmission operating temperatures.
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• Small Diameter, Inferior De- • Oversized, Heavy-Load Bearsign Bearings Prone To Failure ings For Increased Durability
• Feature heavy-duty stator, furnace-brazed fins and precision-certified stall speed
• Unmachined Bearing Surfaces • Fully Machined Bearing SurCause Unneccesary Loading faces Ensure Trueness
• Can reduce lap times by up to two-tenths of a second
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42窶グneDirt.com / Issue 1, 2014
DO YOU HAVE THE RIGHT SAFETY GEAR? JUST USING THE MINIMUM SAFETY EQUIPMENT TO GET YOU ON THE TRACK MAY NOT PROVIDE THE PROTECTION YOU EXPECT IN THE EVENT OF A WRECK OR FIRE IN THE LAST DECADE there has been an increased emphasis
Photo by Rick Schwallie
on driver safety in the big league racing series’ of NASCAR, IndyCar, Formula One and the NHRA. And thankfully, much of that new awareness has also trickled down to the Saturday night dirt track racing levels. No, we aren’t seeing custom-fitted carbon fiber seats and $3,000 carbon fiber helmets in the Street Stock classes too often, but we are definitely seeing an increased use of quality safety gear, head-andneck restraints, and higher-quality racing seats practically everywhere we go. And that is much more important than the lightweight carbon fiber seat. But the trap with the personal protective safety equipment is that it can be tempting to simply turn your gear into a checklist. Helmet? Check. Driver’s suit? Check. Gloves? Check. You get the idea. Quite often, that checklist mentality for most of us simply comes from reading the rulebook. The thinking goes, if the rulebook says you have to have at least a single layer suit to race, well then by gosh, that’s what I’m going to buy. If that’s what the rulebook requires, then it must be good enough to protect me. And besides, the multi-layer fire suit is more expensive, and I can spend that extra money on tires! So you buy one of everything the rulebook requires you to have, check them off your list and go to the race track thinking you are all set. But the truth of the matter is the rulebook sets a minimum standard, and every racer should be aware of just how much safety they are getting with their hard-earned dollar. To help you determine what safety gear is best for your needs, we’ve put together a few tips with the help of safety products manufacturer RaceQuip on the major areas where personal safety equipment is concerned. We aren’t necessarily saying you have to go out and purchase the most expensive of everything—in fact, some companies like RaceQuip specialize in providing Saturday night racers top-level safety gear at very reasonable prices—but you should be aware that not all personal safety equipment is created the same. We’re all racing on a budget, so here’s how to get the best bang for your buck. Issue 1, 2014 / OneDirt.com 43
THE DRIVER’S SUIT, or fire suit, is probably
the single biggest area where racers will try to get by with less than they truly need. In the spring and summer it can get awfully hot, so we understand the desire to use the lightest weight suit possible. Plus, often the only requirement in the rulebook is that the fire suit be SFI certified. A current SFI certification is critical for any driver’s suit, but that isn’t a one-size-fits-all stamp of approval. The SFI designation for a driver’s auto racing suit is 3.2A, but there are additional levels for that designation. For example, an SFI 3.2A/1 suit is a single layer suit that is rated for protection against second degree burns in a gasoline-fueled fire for three seconds. That definitely isn’t very long, but it is better than nothing. An SFI 3.2A/5 rated suit is a multi-layer suit capable of preventing second degree burns in that same fire for at least ten seconds. There isn’t a set number of layers for a 3.2A/5 suit, and sometimes manufacturers can achieve this level of protection with one or two layers but it requires space-age (read, expensive) materials. If you think the difference between three and ten seconds isn’t very much, do a quick test. With your helmet on, buckle yourself into your race car and then have someone time you as you try to get out and see just how many seconds you need. Now imagine the car is on fire, and try it again. The major difference between suits costing $100 and those costing $1,000 are the materials used and the number of layers the suit is made from. The two main materials used to build racing suits are Fire Retardant Cotton (FRC) and Nomex. FRC can go by many trade names, like Banox, Proban, Pyrovatex, and others. All of these FRC products are created by treating the cotton fibers at the molecular level to be fire retardant. Nomex, on the other hand, is an inherently fire retardant, manmade fiber that can be woven into cloth. Since an FRC suit and a Nomex suit will carry the same SFI rating, you can make an apples-to-apples comparison. Typically a Nomex suit will be built with a lighter-weight fabric than a comparable FRC suit. However, since cotton is a natural fiber, it is hypoallergenic and also wicks away moisture so it provides added comfort. The biggest difference between the two fabric choices is cost—a Nomex suit at the same SFI-rated protection level will cost you around twice as much as an FRC suit. Regardless of which type of suit you buy, the experts always recommend a multi-layer SFI-5 suit for oval track racing—even if your series, sanction or track will allow you to wear an SFI-1 single layer suit.
YOUR HELMET, like the driver’s suit, should also meet a minimum safety criteria. Every quality auto racing helmet has an “SA” certification which comes from the Snell Foundation. You will find the certification printed on a sticker underneath the liner of the helmet. The SA testing specifications are updated every five years, and the current certification is SA2010. Even if your track allows you to race with a Snell “M” rated motorcycle helmet you absolutely should use a full face helmet with a Snell “SA” rating. A motorcycle helmet does not provide the same level of protection as an SA helmet. 44 OneDirt.com / Issue 1, 2014
The Snell foundation updates its SA requirements for helmets every five years. So even though this new SportMod helmet from RaceQuip retails for less than $200, because it is SA2010 compliant, you can be confident that it offers better protection than an SA2005 helmet that sold for several hundred dollars when new.
Just think about the differences crashing a motorcycle versus crashing a race car—namely sliding down the road vs. multiple hard impacts against a roll cage. A motorcycle helmet is designed to meet a different set of criteria and does not have to meet the same level of protection when it comes to being flame retardant and strong enough to protect your head after multiple impacts against a roll bar. It’s also important to note that an M rated helmet will not have TearOff posts or provisions for a head-and-neck restraint. Also, if you are currently racing with an SA2005 or older helmet, we strongly urge you to consider upgrading to an SA2010 model. First, your helmet is at least eight years old, the liner is starting to break down, and the shell may be fatigued. And second, the Snell Foundation seriously upgraded the requirements with the 2010 testing specification, so all SA2010-spec helmets will provide a much greater level of protection than older models. When shopping, be careful not get too fixated on the weight of the helmet. While lighter weight means less strain on your neck in longer races, it also means more expensive construction. All Snell SA2010 helmets have to pass the same tests, regardless of overall weight or shell materials used. In other words, a fiberglass helmet offers the same level of impact protection as a carbon fiber helmet.
HEAD-AND-NECK RESTRAINTS still aren’t mandatory at
some tracks, but given what we know now, no one should even consider racing without one. Even Hobby Stock cars attain enough speed to cause serious neck and back trauma or death if you hit the wall at the right angle. Currently, there are four head-and-neck restraint systems that have passed the rigorous testing and received the SFI 38.1 designation. They are the HANS and Hybrid (both owned by Simpson), NecksGen Rev and the new kid on the block, the Leatt MRX. All four systems use the same basic layout to keep the head from moving too far forward in a frontal impact, but each has its own features and design. If you possibly can, try on different
models on to see which you are most comfortable with. It really doesn’t matter which style you choose, as long as you get one and wear it every time you get in a race car.
DRIVER’S GLOVES AND SHOES have the same ratings
WITHOUT A GOOD SET OF BELTS even the very best racing seat is practically useless. We once had a conversation with Brian Butler, owner of premier racing seat manufacturer ButlerBuilt, about racing safety and were surprised that he spent as much time talking about belts as he did racing seat design. It is the belt system that holds you in place so that your racing seat can keep you cocooned and protected within its confines. Unlike every other piece of safety equipment mentioned so far, the belts are unique because they stay in the car after you get out. That means they are subjected to an extra level of wear the rest of your protective safety gear is not. When you wash the car they get wet, and when your car is sitting in the sun they are exposed to damaging UV rays while your driver’s suit and helmet are safely tucked away inside the hauler. That exposure to the elements will cause the materials to break down faster. As a result, your seatbelts must be changed regularly. SFI recommends replacing racing seat belts every two years. The science behind this is based on the tremendous drop in tensile strength of both nylon and polyester webbing after 24 months of exposure to UV rays. Wait, you keep your car in the shop so they should last longer, right? Well, your shop lights also put out UV rays, so just plan to replace them every two years or any time your car has to be brought off the track on a wrecker. If you hit the wall hard enough to have to be towed in, you probably stretched the belt webbing and/or bent the harness hardware. Racing seat belts are consumable, they only stretch one time. Once they have done their job they need to be discarded. When we spoke to Patrick Utt, RaceQuip’s President, he summed up grassroots racing safety this way: “If I made the rules for oval track racing, every racer would be required to wear an SFI-5 multi-layer suit, SFI-5 gloves, SFI-3.3 shoes, an SFI 38.1 head-and-neck restraint system, and a Snell
Head-and-neck restraint systems are a vital part of the safety equation, and manufacturers are working to make adding them as comfortable as possible. For example, this belt system from RaceQuip is fully SFI compliant and has narrower two-inch wide shoulder belts for less binding—and thus, better protection—when combined with a head and neck restraint.
Breaking Strength Retained, %
as fire suits when it comes to protection from heat and flame. Don’t fool yourself into thinking you can get by with wearing tennis shoes and no gloves at all, even if your track doesn’t check. After all, how good are you going to be at getting out of a burning car if you can’t unbuckle your harness because your fingers are too badly burned? SFI-rated fire retardant gloves are typically made using Nomex backing and a leather palm. Lately, more racers report that they prefer the feel of soft suede on the palm of their racing gloves. They say that it improves their grip on the wheel. Racing gloves are easy to get used to, and before long you will wonder how you ever raced without them. Likewise, a good pair of racing shoes is also an important piece of safety equipment. Aside from the safety aspect, a racing shoe is designed to work within the narrow confines of a race car’s foot box, typically on very small pedals. When they do happen, most fires originate in the engine compartment from spilled fuel, and your feet are the part of your body closest to that point of origin. They are also the last part to get out of the car when you are diving out of the window to get away from a car fire. That image alone should be enough to get you to consider a quality pair of fire retardant racing shoes.
100
NYLON 6.6 WEBBING –OUTDOOR EXPOSURE
80 60 40 20 0
6
12 Exposure Period, Months
18
24
This chart explains why you need to replace your seat belts every two years. As the nylon webbing is exposed to UV rays, the belt’s strength is drastically reduced over time. Only 12 months of UV exposure it has just 50 percent of the breaking strength it did when new.
SA2010 auto racing helmet as the minimum standard—regardless of the class you race in.” That’s pretty good advice in our book. Following that advice may cost you a bit more up front, but there are safety companies like RaceQuip that specialize in providing top-level gear at a reasonable cost. And if it can keep you out of the hospital after a crash, then we all know it’s money well spent. Sources RaceQuip 813.642.6644 racequip.com Issue 1, 2014 / OneDirt.com 45
Snap SHOTS MOMENTS IN TIME THAT WE BELIEVE CAPTURE THE TRUE ESSENCE OF DIRT TRACK RACING.
46窶グneDirt.com / Issue 1, 2014
MAKE MORE
POWER THE ADVANCED ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE CELEBRATES ITS 25TH ANNIVERSARY BY HELPING YOU GO FASTER
®
Advanced Engineering Technology Conference
AETC IS THE LEADING EVENT OF ENGINE BUILDERS, RACERS, MANUFACTURERS & OTHER PROFESSIONALS IN THE HORSEPOWER INDUSTRY. 48 OneDirt.com / Issue 1, 2014
EVERY YEAR THE Advanced Engineering Technology Conference (AETC) draws the best and brightest minds when it comes to making horsepower and building engines capable of winning races—and lots of ‘em. There’s no doubt the AETC is a big deal among engine builders every year, but this year it’s definitely going to be something special. The 2014 edition of the AETC will be the 25th anniversary of the conference, and we hear that planners are working to make it one of the best yet. Each year the AETC lines up several speakers that are the leaders in their respective area of expertise. For example, last year engine builder Lee Carducci of Arrow Racing Engines spoke on the secrets he found to help make power when using stock components in race engines. Chris Paulsen of C&R Racing revealed what he’s learned about how racers can use pressurized cooling systems to increase engine performance. And Keith Jones of Total Seal presented the company’s latest findings on how to improve cylinder sealing for better engine efficiency. And that's just three of the nearly 20 topics of discussion.
2014 AETC PREVIEW The benefit of getting a vast amount of knowledge in a few days is great. Most of the presentations aren’t about motorcycles specifically, but there are things we can apply to do performance work. – Greg Rodriguez Harley-Davidson The 2014 lineup of speakers was still being finalized as this went to press, but it already includes several great speakers who plan to present on some very interesting topics. Fred Husher of Crane Ignition will offer ways not only to improve ignition timing accuracy but also how to diagnose your own ignition’s weaknesses. Chris Brown of ARP Fasteners will explain how to choose the right fasteners to match both power and durability. Joe Rogers of Xceldyne Technologies has chosen to share what the company has discovered when it comes to recently developed coating technologies to benefit the valve train as well as the rest of the engine. Loannis Andrianakis of Plex Tuning will lead a presentation on how to better understand the process of combustion in order to win “the battle against knock.” And Arrow Racing Engines will be back, this time with Bill Hancock, to lead the presentation we’re most looking forward to. Its working title is “An Engineering Guide to Creative Rules Interpretation,” and we can’t wait to hear his stories on how to outwit the rulebook writers. Free stuff you say? Besides lining up great speakers, the AETC has also lined up sponsoring companies that will be giving away an incredible 30 grand in giveaways to attendees. With that much being given away in product and gift certificates, every attendee is practically guaranteed to win something at least once. When is it? As usual, the AETC will be held directly before the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) trade show in the Indianapolis Convention Center, but instead of the three-day schedule that’s been the norm for the last several years, this time around the conference will be packed into two days to minimize downtime and lodging costs for attendees. The 2014 AETC will be December 9th and 10th, and all attendees will also receive passes to the PRI show (also in the same location) December 11-13. For more information you can visit the AETC website at www.AETCOnline.com.
The AETC is popular among engine builders and racers besides simply sitting and listening to presentations, priority is also given to allowing plenty of time for attendees to ask questions.
THE
FAMILY THAT
RACES
TOGETHER Photo by Rick Schwallie
Earl Pearson, Jr. with son Trey Pearson share a moment on Feb. 7 at the Golden Isle Speedway for the Georgia Boot Super Bowl of Racing.
WE ALL LIVE LIVES that are filled By Ben Shelton
When the chips are down, remember that we are all just family
50 OneDirt.com / Issue 1, 2014
with uncertainty. Most of us spend much of our time trying to find the best possible path that we think will get us where we want to be. In our personal lives, in our professional lives, and in the faith-based sector of our lives, it’s a constant battle to try and look over the next hill to see what waits for us. Sometimes what waits is exactly what we hoped would be there, while other times our worst possible fears eagerly anticipate our arrival. All that we can do is hope for the best and keep moving forward. While there are infinite unknowns in our time on this planet, there is one thing that is undeniable, and that is the fact that one day our time on this spinning rock will come to an end. We have
no way of ever knowing when that time will be. It could be today, tomorrow, or 80 years from now. We live the best that we can, knowing that this fate ultimately awaits us all. I think most of us put it out of sight and out of mind and just assume that when the time comes we will be prepared to deal not only with our own end of days but also that of our loved ones. The reality though, as I’ve experienced a few times already in my young life, is that you never can be truly prepared to lose a loved one. It’s incredibly hard, but the support from your family and friends can make all the difference when it comes to enduring the pain. Already this year I’ve observed from afar as our racing world has suffered two tragic losses. 15-year-old Niokoa Johnson from Florida lost her life from
injuries sustained in a racing accident in her first time ever in a racecar at Ocala, Florida’s Bubba Raceway Park on Saturday, March 22nd, while 36-year-old devoted race fan Thomas Childress Jr. from Delta, Ohio, passed away unexpectedly that Saturday as well. The use of social media and internet forums in regards to the racing world can at times be total hell on earth with relentless bickering, finger pointing, etc. However, it seems like when the going gets really tough people put their petty issues aside and support those who need it the most, when they need it the most. This has definitely been the case that I’ve seen over the past weeks as I’ve watched my brethren from the racing community band together to help their friends in dark times. I never met Niokoa and to my best knowledge I never had the privilege of meeting Thomas, but I knew many of their friends and families through racing, and because of this my heart has absolutely been hurting for everyone affected by these untimely passings. Thomas was a proud member of the Turn 3 Gang (T3G), which is an avid group of race fans from the Ohio area, and he was paid homage to pretty much the entire week after his passing by his non-biological brethren. I kept tabs on Dan Rice, who was one of Thomas’ best friends, throughout the week, and I was more than touched to see how the guys who might seem rough on the exterior were pouring their hearts and souls out in public as they mourned the painful loss of their brother. I’ve only talked to Dan a handful of times, but again, despite his rugged exterior, he has a huge heart with a giant passion for racing and time spent with his friends. I consider him part of my racing family for sure, and my heart aches for the loss that he and his friends are being forced to endure. Similarly, friends immediately began an outpouring of support for Niokoa’s family in the form of moral support, as well as charities. It’s hard to lose a loved one at any point, but to see a 15-yearold young lady pass away is a loss that is just unimaginable to have to bear. Viewing all of these happenings made some of my own feelings and thoughts come rushing back to me from my own recent loss. Three years ago my mom passed away unexpectedly in her sleep. I don’t come from a big family. Just an aunt, an uncle, and my grandmother. I always thought I had no brothers and sisters until this tragedy
Niokoa Johnson always wanted to get to race more than anything else.
Thomas Childress, Jr. was a proud member of the Turn 3 Gang.
Photo by Rick Schwallie
Darrell Lanigan and “crew” in Victory Lane at the Florence Speedway in Kentucky.
befell me. I quickly learned my assumption was wrong. In the blink of an eye, my friends from the racing world embraced me and surrounded me with love and support, and I quickly learned just how big my family truly is. That allowed me to work through the pain and keep moving forward. Many of these people had never met my mom, but it didn’t matter. All that they knew was that a member of their racing family was hurting and in need, and they came forward to make sure that those needs were met. I can honestly say each and every one of those people hold a special place in my heart and always will. One day they too will unfortunately endure that same situation, and I can promise that I’ll be there for them. We all use the term “racing family” from time to time, but I’m not sure that any of us really appreciate just what it means until we encounter tragedies like this. The racing family is a passionate and feisty bunch, and for the most part we don’t pull any punches. When we disagree with someone we make sure
they know, and sometimes we let our emotions get the best of us as we say and do things we shouldn’t in the heat of the moment. However, for all of the forgettable moments that we experience together there are so many more times that together we are one amazing group. Love, support, and caring – there’s no shortage of these characteristics in this family. We take care of our own. It doesn’t matter if the guy or lady you sit next to at the track every week is your blood relative or not, because at the end of the day we are all truly brothers and sisters. I dedicate this article to the memory of Niokoa Johnson and Thomas Childress Jr., as well as the friends and families who are going through these terrible losses. I know there’s not much that anyone can say or do to completely erase the pain. But, hopefully there’s comfort in knowing that while we may not see these two beautiful people with us at the race track anymore, there is no doubt in my mind that they will still be present each and every night. Be safe my friends. Issue 1, 2014 / OneDirt.com 51
OneDirt has compiled a list of some of the hottest products to hit the dirt track market recently. On the following pages of our Speed Shop, be sure to check out the variety of racing products offered. Product and company contact information is provided should you see something you wish to purchase – and we know you will!
Less Is Actually More COMP Cams, Conical Valve Springs Looking for a revolutionary advancement in high performance valve spring technology? If the answer is yes, then you'll be happy to learn that COMP Cams now offers a new line of conical valve springs to meet all of your race application needs. The focus of this new product is the ability to provide longer spring life, which in turn leads to the ability to run more aggressive camshafts. Obviously the more aggressive the camshaft design the better the performance, which is something that every racer desires. Even better, the new design of the valve springs includes a reduced mass, which translates into an increased lifespan for all valve train components. You can grab the popular COMP Cams Conical Valve Springs individually or in sets of 16. PROGRESSIVE FREQUENCY increases RPM limit & creates ability to run more aggressive camshafts CONSTANTLY DECREASING DIAMETER from bottom to top reduces active mass and decreases applied forces—result is longer valve train component life and less parasitic HP loss BEST NATURAL FREQUENCY damping setup—dampens without wear, heat/friction or risk from interference contact compcams.com 800.999.0853 52 OneDirt.com / Issue 1, 2014
COMPLETE VALVE SPRING KITS ALSO AVAILABLE Include: Conical Valve Springs, Steel or Tool Steel Retainers, 7º Steel Valve Locks, Valve Seals, Spring Seats
Two Barrels That Think They Are Four Holley, Ultra HP 2BBL Carburetor Close your eyes and imagine experiencing the power of a four barrel carburetor from just a two barrel. That’s a pretty trick thought. The folks at Holley have raided our dreams and made our fantasies a reality with their Ultra HP 2BBL Carburetor. With almost 50% weight savings due to an aluminum build, the Ultra HP 2BBL Carb delivers proven results of the Ultra HP HBBL but now in a 500CFM 2BBL. NASCAR has already jumped on board to approve the product for use in some of their divisions with more sanctions expected to join the party soon. With more power, while simultaneously meeting rule requirements, the Ultra HP 2BBL provides two barrels of fun. holley.com 270.781.9741
Pulling the Performance Limits Intercomp, Pull Bar Adapter Kit You can have the best equipment in the world, but if you can’t get your chassis dialed into a well-handling setup you will never visit Victory Lane. Intercomp is lending us a helping hand in the setup world with their latest innovation, the Pull Bar Adapter Kit. Offering the ability to accommodate various suspension links and travel lengths, this new kit allows racers to test the resistence and travel of their pull bar setup. Flexibility and the ability to adjust on the fly are priceless in the world of motorsports, and this technology goes a long way to maximize your options. intercomp-racing.com 800.328.3336
Ring Filing & Grinding Galore Total Seal, Power Ring Filer In a sport where winning and losing is separated by thousandths of an inch, it only makes sense that the tools that fine tune your engine’s components be precise. With this in mind, Total Seal brings their new Power Ring Filer to the party. Not all of us are experts when it comes to operating machines, but this tool makes life easy and produces a highly-accurate finished product. Operating at 3,000 RPM and including a grinding wheel, deburring wheel and a diamond wheel dresser, the Total Seal Power Ring Filer is a must-have addition to the shop for anyone that builds engines. totalseal.com 623.587.7400 Issue 1, 2014 / OneDirt.com 53
Speed SHOP PARTS / TOOLS / ACCESSORIES Torture The Competition (Not Your Wallet) With Voodoo Lunati, Voodoo Crankshafts Not only does the very name strike apprehension and fear, but the performance of the Voodoo Crankshafts from Lunati will force competitors to take notice. Long known for their durability and strength in high-performance applications, Voodoo Crankshafts are back again to set the track ablaze with a new design. Strategic lightening, dynamic balancing and windage profiling to increase horsepower all culminate into a crankshaft that separates the men from the boys. Voodoo Crankshafts are available for both Chevy and Ford Small Blocks. It’s not “black magic” or “witchcraft,” rather the secret formula is better material, better design and better craftsmanship. lunatipower.com 662.892.1500
No More Corner Stumble Pace Performance, Accelerator 1 Angled Carb Spacer It’s a terrible, terrible feeling. You absolutely drive away from the competition down the front stretch, but as you exit the corner you can begin to feel the engine stumble. If this is a problem that plagues your team, Pace Performance is now standing in your corner with their new Accelerator 1 Angled Carb Spacer. This product keeps the carburetor level as the car is rocked over to the side in the corner. The end result is a proper float angle/level, which allows for quicker throttle response. Fastrak and NeSmith have already approved the design in their crate engines, and it conforms to IMCA Modified and Late Model rules. Most importantly, you don’t have to watch your advantage get erased in every corner by a stumbling engine. paceperformance.com 888.748.4655
54 OneDirt.com / Issue 1, 2014
Carb Changes Come Clean, Quickly Jiffy-Tite, Carburetor Kits It’s race night, and shortly after practice, to your dismay, you discover that you’ve got terminal carburetor issues. You have limited time to change the carburetor, and you need all the help you can get to complete this difficult process. Jiffy-Tite Motorsports introduces their Jiffy-Tite Carburetor Kits to save the day. Not only do these kits allow for a quick change, but they’re also virtually drip proof. Anybody that’s been covered in fuel when changing a carburetor can appreciate this priceless feature. Compatibility is no issue either as this unique design works with most of the popular high-performance carburetor applications available on the market today. motorsports.jiffy-tite.com 888.605.7788
Protection You Can Afford RaceQuip, SportMod Helmet Racers cut corners in a lot of areas in their racing program, but one place you can’t afford to take a shortcut is in the safety department. RaceQuip has long provided top-notch safety equipment at an affordable price, and they are back with their SportMod helmet. Exceeding Snell SA2010 testing and certification requirements, this is the perfect product to protect your noggin while you are unleashing your inner speed demon on the track. The SportMod offers both safety and functionality for the racer. HNR/HANS anchors make installation a snap, and sizes are offered in XS–2XL in gloss white and flat black. And please remember…while you might be able to risk running that set of tires a little too long, a compromise in the safety department just doesn’t add up. racequip.com 813.642.6644
We PoWer ChamPions.
crate engine Upgrades available call for Details
Winning RaceRs DemanD aDvanceD Technology. They geT iT fRom comP cams ®. Whether they’re competing in the top levels of dirt racing, or on local tracks across the nation, champions know to trust COMP Cams®. COMP® has nearly limitless camshaft options available. From off-the-shelf options to application-specific custom grinds, each cam is designed and built by the industry’s largest team of engineers – then tested and retested on the dyno and at the track. Every part is backed by a knowledgeable technical support staff. It doesn’t matter if you’re a professional racer or a weekend warrior, choose COMP Cams® for the most power when you need an edge on the competition. Don’t believe us? Ask a champion racer – COMP Cams® has powered more of them than any other cam company.
COMPCAMS.COM
CAM HELP ® 1.800.999.0853
Issue 1, 2014 / OneDirt.com 55 9385j
Speed SHOP PARTS / TOOLS / ACCESSORIES Pedal Pushing Performance AFCO, Brake Pedal Assemblies Even though nothing feels better than pushing the gas pedal all the way to the floor, sometimes we have to pump the brakes to avoid the other guy. With this in mind, AFCO brings us cutting-edge technology in the brake system market with their latest innovations. From forward and reverse mount master cylinder positioning to an aluminum H-beam design, AFCO has it all with their latest product that targets the brake needs of the circle track racing market. None of us want to have to consider slowing down, but sometimes it happens. It’s nice to know that with this new product from AFCO we can at least make it happen our way. afcodynapro.com 800.632.2320
Show Shocks Some Love Driven Racing Oil, SHX Shock Fluid
Transmission Installs Don’t Have To Suck ARP, Driveline Fasteners The performance of your transmission is only as good as the stability of its installation, and we all know that securing the driveline into your race car can be anything but easy. Luckily for us, ARP has developed a set of studs that includes a special rounded “nut starter” nose that guides the transmission into place, while also aligning the input shaft with the clutch disc hub. Best of all, this configuration works on pretty much any GM car through the 1980s. If you aren’t a GM lover, and you need help with your mountings, fear not. They’ve also developed case bolts for Muncie 4-speeds as well as bellhousing bolt kits for post 1961 Mopar Big Blocks plus 1965 and later Ford Small Blocks. These innovations from ARP give us one less piece of installation stress. arp-bolts.com 800.826.3045 56 OneDirt.com / Issue 1, 2014
Shocks aren’t cheap. Of course, this isn’t anything that you didn’t already know. As a result, it’s more important than ever to use products that not only maximize shock performance, but also provide unwavering consistency. The new SHX Shock Fluid from Driven Racing Oil achieves this very goal via the use of next generation synthetic oil technology. The end result is consistent, fade-free shock performance. As you hammer through the corners on your favorite race track, your faithful shocks cushion the blow and keep you glued to the track. Viscosity loss is the enemy and SHX Shock Fluid has been proven to show no loss under grueling conditions. It’s likely time to give your shocks a much needed drink of SHX Shock Fluid. drivenracingoil.com 866.611.1820
Big Time Tech Goes Local Roush Yates Racing, RY45 Aluminum Block You’ve seen products from Roush Yates Racing fill Victory Lanes across the world as you watched along on television. Many of us have wondered what it’s like to run their championship products in our race cars. Wonder no more. Roush Yates Racing is introducing their all aluminum RY45 engine block to the grassroots market as it looks to take the dirt track world by storm. With this product, NASCAR knowledge meets the local track. The revolutionary, purpose-built blocks target the Dirt Late Model and market with state-of-the-art technology, as well as the top-notch quality that Roush Yates Racing has built its reputation upon for decades. roushyatesparts.com 877.604.8077
Solid Lift, Small Price COMP Cams, Sportsman Solid Roller Lifters You want your race car to perform at its peak, but at the same time you don’t want to break the bank in reaching your top-speed goals. With this in mind, COMP Cams presents the Sportsman Solid Roller Lifters, where winning meets affordability. The great thing about this premium product is that it offers both a bronze bushing roller bearing option as well as a value alternative over pricier options. The pursuit of compatibility seems like a never-ending battle for most racers, but with this product there are several options to meet your exact needs. A more reliable oil feed combined with decreased weight and increased strength makes this product a no-brainer addition. compcams.com 800.999.0853
Put More Power To The Track With Less Maintenance Brinn, Predator Transmission
You’re coming side by side through the turn. You nose ahead and know you can get clear down the straightaway. But you’ve got to be able to put your engine’s power down. Brinn has you covered with their Predator transmission, which incorporates a lightweight design with low inertia to transfer every single ounce of horsepower to your rear wheels. The design that couples input and output shafts together and ignores all other internal features to allow you to enjoy true power. Best of all, if you don’t like having to do constant maintenance, Brinn has got you covered on this design with minimal effort required. brinninc.com 989.686.8920 Issue 1, 2014 / OneDirt.com 57
Speed SHOP PARTS / TOOLS / ACCESSORIES Less Pressure, More Potential JRi Shocks, SL/14 Modified Shocks It’s no big secret that racing technology is an ever-evolving field, and the folks at JRi are doing their part to lead the developmental charge with the new JRi SL/14 Modified Shocks. With this latest product, JRi is focusing on reduced gas pressure within the shock itself, as well as adding even more functionality, while also ensuring the proper range of ride height with an improved coil-over kit. Lower internal pressures result in better performance and less fatigue on the equipment. The ability to quickly adjust ride heights and bump stops only makes your life easier as you make adjustments on the fly during the course of a race night. With these advancements from JRi your chances at Victory Lane continue to grow. jrishocks.com 704.660.8346
Clutch Performance Quarter Master, 10.4” Street Stock Clutches Not all of us compete in racing divisions where the rules have allowances for countless variations in every aspect of our powertrain. Sometimes there are specific requirements that must be met. With this in mind, Quarter Master now offers the 10.4” Street Stock Clutches, which are designed for circle track applications that require stocktype components. Knowing that the weekend warrior has to both be legal and competitive, this product offers the maximum performance advantage. Equally important for the budget racer, dependability and longevity are also built into the design. Keeping the tech man happy is important, but let’s be honest, so is winning. Meet both needs with the Quarter Master 10.4” Street Stock Clutch. quartermasterusa.com 888.258.8241
Weight of the World Ferrea, Titanium Hollow Stem Valves Weight is the name of the game in the racing world. The lighter the better, and Ferrea is doing their part to slim us all down with the Titanium Hollow Stem Valves. Utilizing a newly developed manufacturing process Ferrea now provides us with valve stems that are gun-drilled and micro-polished. While you might not understand the fabrication process, there is no denying the end result. Stronger and lighter is what every power enthusiast wants to hear. Best of all, this ground-breaking product can be custom manufactured to individual specifications with the fastest turnaround times in the industry. ferrea.com 888.733.2505
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Small Block Chevy Power Superstar RHS, 23°Aluminum Intake Manifold Pumping out power and producing strong torque curves are ways of life for the RHS 23°Aluminum Intake Manifolds. As if these traits weren’t enough, it’s the only manifold designed to make your life easier with a 4150 flange and bolt machining to fit all versions of SBC heads. It’s no secret that when it comes to circle track applications the difference in winning and losing is the power and strong torque curve throughout the mid-RPM range. With the RHS 23°Aluminum Intake Manifold installed in your dirt car, you’ll no longer have to worry if you have what it takes to reach the finish line first. Variations to meet your specific needs are available upon request. racingheadservice.com 877.776.4323
Fire It Up For More HP And Durability Crane Cams, Hi-6RC Digital CD Ignition The functionality and flexibility of the ignition in your race car can be the difference in crossing the finish line first or a distant second. With this in mind, Crane Cams has developed the Crane Hi-6RC Digital CD Ignition. Imagine making easy, rev-limit adjustments at the track in 100 RPM increments with no chips required. Crane has now made this a reality. Utilizing state-of-the-art, digital components this product is the most reliable CD ignition available. With a durable design that includes protection against heat, dirt and moisture we now can enjoy fewer worries in the wear and tear department. As an added bonus, this technology allows for longer engine life, which is something we all want and need. cranecams.com 866.388.5120
Maximized Dirt “Track-tion” Davis Technologies, TMS Traction Control Units It really doesn’t matter how many horses are living under the hood of your race car if you can’t unleash all of them on the dirt. Wheel spin is bad, but losing is far worse. Davis Technologies is doing their part to make losing a thing of the past for your team with their latest innovations in their TMS line of traction control products. Boasting features like easier tuning, smarter processing and more functionality, the latest edition of the TMS has been shown to reduce lap times by 2-3 tenths, while also easing tire and engine wear. If you can’t figure out where the other guy has a performance advantage on you, then this very well could be the product to solve the mystery. moretraction.com 888.920.7746 Issue 1, 2014 / OneDirt.com 59
IS DIRT TRACK RACING
FINALLY READY FOR THE
LS
After nearly two decades in production, it seems the LS engine family is starting to find acceptance in dirt racing 60 OneDirt.com / Issue 1, 2014
FOR OLD-SCHOOL RACERS and engine builders, General Motors’ LS engine family is still considered a “new” engine. That is until you realize that Chevrolet first put out the LS1 in the Corvette all the way back in 1997. That means the engine has almost made it through its second decade of production. And nearly two decades of production also means that we have nearly two decades of engine cores sitting in boneyards and garages nationwide. In fact, these days it is much easier to find an LS engine than it is an unmolested first-generation small block. So if that’s the case, then why haven’t we seen more LS engines in dirt track racing? After all, racing is as much about innovation as it is driving, and we have always known dirt racers will flock to practically anything that offers better performance for less cost.
Currently the best performing LS heads are the LS7 design. RHS has improved on the performance of the stock LS7 head by raising the ports and CNC porting everything.
For years, the answer was pretty simple: Sanctioning bodies and track owners were afraid the engine would bring excessive costs as well as excessive cheating—in the form of traction control—and simply wrote them right out of the rulebook. The acronym “LS” is never mentioned, just some sneaky language that says the engine must have a carburetor, a distributor and a single coil. Besides the LS, that language manages to rule out almost all modern engine designs. But we’ve seen a change in thinking lately as Chevrolet’s crate motor program has gained traction in both asphalt and dirt racing. They began with the “602” and “604” crate engines which were based on the venerable first-generation small block. But with the success of those options Chevrolet Performance also quickly made available the CT 525, a 525-horsepower carbureted crate engine based on the LS3. While the CT 525 ditched the fuel injection system for a carburetor and single-plane intake, it did keep the multiple coil packs and crank trigger ignition. Meanwhile, NASCAR also unveiled its “spec” motor, an LS complete with carburetor, distributor, mechanical fuel pump and even a single coil.
NASCAR’S SPEC MOTOR isn’t found in dirt racing as far as we know, but there are several Dirt Late Model sanctions that currently allow the CT 525. Still, what’s gotten our attention is a short track Modified racer that has taken the bull by the horns and is working with his sanctioning body not only to make the LS engine family legal but also bring in fuel injection. What’s interesting about this is the racer and engine builder, Dave Arce, isn’t a deep-pockets racer that’s trying to collect wins by out-spending the compe-
tition. Instead, he is actually showing how a mostly stock LQ9 (the truck version of the LS with an iron block) because of its improved ports can run pump gas and still be competitive with traditional high compression (and expensive) race engines running 110 octane. For more on Arce’s efforts, check out “The Future is Here” on page 18 of this issue of OneDirt. “The LS architecture is significantly different from the first-generation small block,” says Kevin Feeney of RHS. “And one thing that I think will really help the LS platform gain acceptance in dirt racing is the aftermarket stepping in with parts that help the LS feel more like a first-generation small block. “For example,” he continues, “a few companies have intake manifolds for mounting up a single four barrel carburetor, and some have come up with a front cover where you can run a mechanical fuel pump and a distributor off the front of the motor. In fact, we even
have one specifically for Sprint Car racing where you can drive the dry sump oil pump, a magneto and the water pump off the front just like they are used to in more traditional Sprint Car motors. “Besides the Sprint Car front drive, we have several other products for the LS here at RHS,” Feeney continues. “And that includes our LS7 cylinder heads and our aluminum LS Race Block. I actually have two Sprint Car teams out of central Ohio that have built engines using our LS products, and one is racing in the World of Outlaws right now.” Feeney didn’t want to divulge the teams because he says they are trying to keep their efforts to themselves and he respects that, but he did say that their LS programs show promise. Even with RHS’s and other manufacturers’ support, they’ve had to fabricate a lot of components to get everything to work—particularly the Sprint Car’s iconic eight-stack mechanical fuel injection system—and the teams are still
Feeney says one of the ways to help engine builders accept the LS engine is to make it work in the same manner they are used to. So for Sprint Car racing, RHS produced a front assembly that allows engine builders to mount a traditional magneto, dry-sump oil pump and even the water pump off the front just like they do on a first gen small block.
Issue 1, 2014 / OneDirt.com 61
Y T L A I C E SP S ONLINE TOOL
Day Or Night
All of the LS blocks use mostly the same architecture. RHS’s LS race block is stronger than stock and utilizes windows in the bottom half of the block to alleviate the stock block’s windage issues.
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POWERHOUSEPRODUCTS.COM 62 OneDirt.com / Issue 1, 2014
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working their way up the learning curve. Still, it’s just another example of innovative engine builders and racers forcing the issue and embracing new ideas if they think it can help them find Victory Lane. “The big advantage of the LS design is in the valve train,” Feeney says. “The heads flow better than any production 23-degree head from the gen one small block. But then with each update with the LS they just got better, too. They put those narrow cathedral ports in the intakes for the LS1, and then they improved airflow with the LS3 by going back to a rectangular intake port. When they came out with the LS7 they improved airflow even more by raising the ports. And when we developed the RHS LS7 heads we raised the ports more on top of that to get even more power out of them. “Besides that, engine builders that have built both gen one and LS race engines will tell you that they can make good power with the LS, and the power is a little more usable because the valve train is so stable that they can push the RPM higher with the LS than they can a traditional small block.” The interesting thing about all this is Feeney has no dog in the fight. RHS has developed a broad range of performance small block cylinder heads along with their LS7 heads, so Feeney is more than happy to sell customers whatever they want. But he also understands how easy it is to make power reliably with the more efficient LS platform. “We are going to continue to evolve our LS cylinder head line as we find ways
The LS platform is gaining acceptance in dirt racing as the aftermarket steps in with parts that help the LS feel more like a first-generation small block. – Kevin Feeney RHS to benefit racers,” he says. “This year we introduced the small bore LS7 cylinder head because we had some people running UMP Modifieds, and we thought we could help them out. In that class they have an iron engine block rule, and the six-liter blocks that are available from GM (the LQ engines) they are using have a small cylinder bore. Those blocks are relatively inexpensive, and so we reconfigured our LS7 head to fit their 3.900-inch cylinder bore. When you put the two together, the racers now have a very potent package that’s surprisingly affordable. “That project was a lot of fun,” Feeney says. “I think things like that will catch on as racers and engine builders find what all they can do with the LS engine platform.” Source Racing Head Service (RHS) 877.776.4323 racingheadservice.com
IN HIS OWN WORDS Bill Schlieper OWNER, PRO POWER RACING
Racing was always a way of life in the Schlieper household. Bill and his brother, John Jr., grew up around their father’s business, Schlieper’s Speed Shop in Brookfield, Wisconsin. The Schlieper family built engines together for several years, but by 1993 Bill and John Jr. were ready to test the waters on their own and they started Pro Power Racing, while their father continued to operate his speed shop. The Schlieper brothers slowly but surely built their company reputation and customer base before actually buying out their father in 2002 as Pro Power Racing came to take up its permanent residence in Sullivan, Wisconsin. The company has built engines that have powered racers to victories on many of racing’s biggest stages, from dirt and asphalt circle tracks to the Baja to Pikes Peak. Today Pro Power remains very much a family operation, as the husband-and-wife duo of Bill and Josie Schlieper owns and operates the well-known engine company. Bill Schlieper offered his thoughts on Pro Power Racing and the engine building business as a whole.
Photo by Rick Schwallie
“
”Dad is now 75 and he works every day doing the balancing for our engines. Between him, Josie and John Jr. we are still the same family-based company that Schlieper’s Speed Shop was back in the day.” Photo by Joey Millard, thesportswire.net
“Customer service is priority number one for Pro Power Racing, and our theory is the best way to provide customer service is to be at the track as much as possible. Obviously you can’t always be everywhere, but being there whenever we can is just what we do. In a performance-based industry you have to go that extra mile for your customers.”
“
Honestly, at the end of the day I do still love it as much today as when I started. It’s in my blood, it’s a disease. Just like the racers are addicted to getting behind the wheel, I’m addicted to building them the fastest motor possible.
”
In this business you have to pay your dues to get to where you want to be. It’s not easy, but if you want it bad enough you can make it happen. At Pro Power Racing we like to show our customers that we are in it to win it. When you come to us as customer we challenge ourselves as a business to make your team better.
”
“By the time I was five years old, I was working in the shop sweeping, cleaning machines, washing parts and just doing anything needed. There’s no doubt that it was in my blood from day one.” “Winning the 2002 World 100 with Brian Birkhofer at Eldora Speedway will always be special. Unless you are part of this sport you just don’t understand what it’s like to have a race where 200 guys are trying to beat you, and only 24 make the feature, and then you win it. It was just amazing.” Issue 1, 2014 / OneDirt.com 63
MATTERS of
SCALE Photo by Rick Schwallie
ZERO IN ON THE PERFECT SETUP BY KNOWING WHAT YOU WEIGH
64 OneDirt.com / Issue 1, 2014
AN ACCURATE SET OF SCALES is a vital tool for any racing program that hopes to see Victory Lane regularly. This is true, no matter if you are racing Pure Streets, Mini Stocks, Super Late Models or Sprint Cars. Weight has a large impact on the handling of a car, and how that weight is distributed plays an equally large role in how your race car handles during acceleration, deceleration and cornering. Since we are talking about dirt track racing here, all three of those things happen at least twice every lap, so you’d better believe being able to precisely map the weight distribution on all four tires is critical for success. After all, you may be able to luck out and hit on the right setup, but without a set of scales (among other tools) you will likely never be able to find it again. We recently spoke with Intercomp’s Scott Elmgren about the questions dirt track racers most often have when it comes to using racing scales. Intercomp makes a wide range of four-corner scales as well as other setup tools for racers. Today, Intercomp has ultra-accurate scales designed not only to make racers’ lives easier but also to help them improve their setups for greater success on the
track. Besides simply telling you the weight at all four corners of the car, Intercomp has scales that can actually calculate a car’s center of gravity and include a very useful target-tune feature that helps you get your setups right where they need to be with less time spent moving lead around. There is even an option to read and record weights on your iPhone or iPad through Intercomp’s iRaceWeigh technology which definitely beats kneeling on the floor and transferring numbers from an old-school console to a spiral notebook. If you are just starting out, you can get baseline setup numbers from your chassis builder or more experienced racers at the track. These numbers will be your target when first scaling the car, and as you gain experience you can adjust from there. “To get an accurate reading from any set of scales, it is critical to make sure the scale pads are sitting on a level plane,” Elmgren says. “Small angles can throw off your readings significantly. Leveling the scales can be achieved in a number of ways, including shims or with the use of scale pad levelers. Intercomp’s Billet Leveler with a Roll-Off Pad is a popular item among racers for its durability, convenience and the ability to roll the car back and forth after adjustments to unbind the suspension.”
BEFORE SCALING A RACE CAR, you need to make sure it is as race-ready as possible. This means fluid levels should be correct, including coolant, transmission and rear end fluids and about half a tank of fuel. Your chassis and suspension settings such as camber, ride height and even wheel spacers should be set just like you plan when you roll off the trailer at the race track. Also, don’t forget the driver; he or she must either be sitting in the driver’s seat when scaling the car, or you can use sandbags or other forms of weight to simulate the driver. Before you put your race car on the scales, double check to make sure all four pads are level (as we’ve already mentioned), turn on the scales and hit the zero button so that every pad reads zero for the weight figure. Now, either roll the car up on the scale pads if you are using roll-off pads, or jack up each side of the car and slide one pad under each wheel. Before taking a scale
Intercomp’s wireless system uses transmitters in each of the heavy-duty billet scale pads so that there are not wires to untangle and run to each wheel. Each pad is labeled with its correct position on the car (notice the color-coded labels). A modern set of scales (these are Intercomp’s Quick Weigh Wireless Scales) will not only tell you the weight over each wheel, but they will also run the calculations to quickly let you know your percentages, crossweight and rear bite.
reading make sure to bounce each corner of the car once or twice to ensure the suspension is settled and not binding. This is important because frame height can influence the percentage of the car’s total weight over a particular wheel.
A QUALITY DIGITAL SCALE such as those Intercomp sells will tell you the weight at all four wheels, the total weight, and even do some calculations to tell you your percentages to greatly simplify the process of installing your race setup. Different types of racing will often place an emphasis on different things when scaling a car. For example, oval track asphalt racers will usually place the greatest emphasis on the percentage of weight over the front wheels versus the rear, the left side percentage and cross weight. Cross weight is the weight over the right front tire plus the left rear tire divided by the car’s total weight. Dirt track racers, while just as interested in dialing in the right front-to-rear percentage and left-side split, normally are much more concerned with “rear bite,” or simply “bite,” than they are cross weight. Rear bite is basically a simpler form of cross weight that places an emphasis on weight at the rear of the car. It is calculated by taking the weight over the left rear tire and subtracting from that the weight over the right rear. So, instead of talking in terms of percentages as you do with cross weight, bite is referred to in pounds. For example, if a racer says he runs 50 pounds of bite that means he has his lead placed so that there is an extra 50 pounds of weight over the left rear wheel versus the right rear.
CONTROLLING REAR BITE is very important for dirt
racing because it is so difficult to find the right balance between sliding the rear end out to help the car turn while also getting maximum forward traction on turn exit. Unfortunately, the optimal amount of bite varies wildly with several factors, so we can’t give you a specific number to shoot for. For example, just in the Dirt Late Model class, we know that rear bite can vary from one driver to the next, anywhere from 30 to 200 pounds, depending on chassis manufacturer, track configuration, tires and even horsepower and driving style. We spoke with one driver who often switches from the crate engine class, where the horsepower hovers around the 400 – Scott Elmgren range, and a limited class where Intercomp the engines produce between 600 and 650 HP, and he says simply switching engines requires him to change his rear bite by just under 50 pounds. As a general rule, if you want your car to be tighter, add more bite. This can be useful if the track goes dry slick towards the end of the night. But be careful because overdoing it and adding too much rear bite can make you lose on turn entry. Likewise, if the track has lots of grip and you’re having a hard time getting the car to turn, you can help the rear end break free by taking out some bite. When adjusting your weight bias, again make sure to always bounce the front and back of the car after any change to resettle the suspension. Moving lead ballast weights is the easiest way to change weight bias on your car, but be aware that frame height
To get an accurate reading from any set of scales, it is critical to make sure the scale pads are sitting on a level plane.
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changes can also do the same thing. So if you use coil-overs or jack screws to adjust your frame height, be aware that it will also affect your weight percentages. Of course, that phenomenon can also be useful for making small adjustments to bite. If you want to adjust your rear bite at the race track, it isn’t practical to start unbolting and moving lead. Instead, running the jack screw or coil-over adjuster down (clockwise) will increase bite, while doing the opposite will decrease it. If you need to keep your ride height consistent so that you don’t throw off other suspension settings, you can do the opposite at opposing wheels. For example, if you increase bite by bringing the screw jack on the left rear wheel down by a half turn, you can keep your
ride height stable by instead putting a quarter turn down in the left rear and right front and a quarter turn up in the right rear and left front. That’s just one of the many tricks possible when setting up your race car, but be careful to always document all your changes so that you can return to your baseline whenever you need to. For free downloadable setup sheets to help you track all your setup changes no matter what scales you use, check out www.Intercomp-racing.com. Source Intercomp 800.328.3336 Intercomp-racing.com After putting the scale pads under each wheel, take a moment to bounce each corner of the car to make sure the suspension is settled.
All four pads should be level for best accuracy. Once you’ve found the most level location on your shop floor, mark the locations for each pad with tape or paint so that you will get repeatable results every time you scale your car.
Issue 1, 2014 / OneDirt.com 67
WINNING IN TH
CLUT
68窶グneDirt.com / Issue 1, 2014
HE
TCH
Not all dirt track racers use clutches, but for those that do the right one can make all the difference CHOOSING THE PROPER CLUTCH
can mean the difference between finding Victory Lane and finding yourself a lap down, or worse, on the trailer. The best clutch for your application isn’t necessarily the lightest, the biggest or smallest, or the least or most expensive. Instead, it is better to study the weight of your race car, tire type and engine type, driveline, horsepower, torque capacity and rules package to determine the clutch you need. Lightweight applications can utilize lighter, smaller clutches, but that also means that heat will build up quicker. Heavier clutches with more discs on the other hand are more durable and withstand more abuse from heat, but they have a greater moment of inertia. The key is to find the best balance for your application. Issue 1, 2014 / OneDirt.com 69
MOMENT OF INERTIA (MOI) is a measurement of how much energy it takes to spin an object, dependent upon the amount and distribution of its mass. For instance, the heavier or larger the clutch in diameter, the harder it is to accelerate or decelerate. If two clutches are the same weight and one is half the diameter of the other, then the smaller diameter clutch will accelerate and decelerate faster with less overall energy being used. This translates to a faster acceleration coming out of a turn, and a faster deceleration going into the next one. Faster acceleration translates into a speed advantage over the competition. While it’s obvious that a small diameter and low MOI is desired, it is also not the only factor to consider when buying a clutch. A smaller clutch is equal to less radial friction surface and low MOI, but in turn it also is more susceptible to heat buildup and a higher rate of wear. This might be fine in a lightweight, four-cylinder Mini Stock application, but if you drive a light clutch around the pits in a heavier, eight-cylinder Street Stock, you will be operating the engine at a low RPM, which will cause it to stall easily, resulting in a higher rate of wear of the clutch components. A clutch with two or three discs will also be able to handle more horsepower and will absorb less heat, but it also features a higher MOI. If you do not plan on replacing your clutch frequently it is important to strike a balance and consider the best setup for performance, reliability, durability and value. TORQUE CAPACITY is another major factor to consider during clutch selection. The torque capacity for a clutch is the clutch’s highest ultimate torque rating, or the maximum torque that can be applied on a continual basis while still maintaining a normally expected fatigue life. To size a peak-torque-capacity clutch for your application, multiply the engine’s peak torque by 1.25 and choose a clutch that has as much or more torque capacity. Then add one extra disc for heat capacity and durability. It is important to choose a clutch with more torque capacity than needed to avoid slippage. KNOWING THE RULES can be complicated, but sometimes your track or sanctioning body will simplify your options. It
TIPS: INSTALLATION & MAINTENANCE Keep your race clutch functioning properly for as long as possible by following these simple steps during the installation and life of the clutch. PROPER INSTALLATION. Be sure to read manufacturer’s instructions during installation. In addition to step-by-step directions, this document will also most likely cover the importance of using an alignment tool, how to check for proper fitment and cleaning options. With the time it takes to remove and replace OE components, it is worth the bit of extra time to read the instructions. It will save hours and money. NO LOADING ZONE. To extend the life of your racing clutch do not use it to load the car on your trailer. The amount of slippage caused by doing so actually creates more wear than an entire night of racing. REGULAR INSPECTIONS. Check your friction discs, pressure plates and floater plate in regular maintenance intervals to be sure that everything is in spec. Although pressure and floater plates may not wear as quickly as the friction discs, they can still deteriorate. Also, be sure to check clutch fluid levels. Without full attention to every component within the clutch, a competitor may be sidelined prematurely.
is important to always check the rulebooks before choosing a clutch. Most sanctioning bodies indicate the minimum clutch diameter permitted for the friction/driven discs. Some sanctions also specify the number of discs allowed, along with the type of friction material. This is often limited to iron or aluminum options. In some cases the rules may even require a completely stock clutch, or one that is “stock appearing.” If you show up at the track with a trick clutch that falls outside of these parameters there is a good chance you will be going home empty-handed or with a lighter wallet. In addition, it’s important to ensure that all parts work together. For example, if you are using a stock clutch and buy an aftermarket flywheel for your race car, you need to double check that the flywheel bolts clear the clutch springs. Or if you have a new clutch you’ll want to be sure that it fits properly within the bellhousing. Otherwise you may be out of hundreds of dollars and a lot of aggravation. Again, it is important here to check the rulebooks and be sure that all of these parts are legal as well. Remember that the best policy in choosing a clutch is to do plenty of research and choose the option that strikes the ideal balance for your race vehicle. Source Quarter Master 888.258.8241 quartermasterusa.com
In classes that allow aftermarket clutches, a 5.5” diameter clutch is a popular option. 70 OneDirt.com / Issue 1, 2014
4-LAP DASH Ben Shelton
ANNOUNCER / MARKETING, MSR MAFIA
OneDirt recently caught up with regular contributor and motorsports announcer, Ben Shelton for a quick Q&A. You can learn more about Ben Shelton and his ventures at www.msrmafia.com.
addition to writing for us, we see your name 1 Inpopping up all over the place in the racing world. Give readers an idea of what all you do.
I always joke I'm a jack of all trades and a master of none. My main endeavor is MSR Mafia Marketing Services, where I do websites, PR, and anything else that needs to be done for almost 200 drivers, series, companies, etc. across the United States, Canada and Australia. I also announce close to 100 events a year, which includes serving as the announcer for the World of Outlaws Late Model Series and working in various capacities as an on-air personality for DirtOnDirt.com. Finally, whenever possible, I also write articles for publications like OneDirt and Dirt Late Model Magazine. Needless to say, I don't sleep much.
seen from your articles that you are 2 We've a guy that is not afraid to voice your opinion
when you think you see something wrong in our sport. With that said, what do you think is the biggest issue that racing faces in today's world?
The biggest issue we face is amazingly ourselves. As a whole, our sport has a way of being “cannibalistic” if you will. We book against one another, we take shots at one another, and sometimes do whatever we can to do damage. In the end, all we do is hurt ourselves and doom the survival of our sport. Racing has enough working against it without us working against ourselves. On the surface it’s not a hard fix, but jealous pride has to go away if we ever hope to remedy the problem. Hopefully we can all see the forest for the trees before it's too late.
with the negative out of the way give us 3 OK, a couple of things that you absolutely love about dirt track racing.
Not to contradict myself from the previous answer, but I truly love the fact that we are one big family. Sure we might fight and bicker, but in our times of biggest need we all come together for support. Whether it's a death, tragedy or another different situation the racing family definitely takes care of its own. Apart from that, I just love the spirit of the sport. I love the idea of a guy working all week in his garage with his buddies to get his race car in tip-top shape to take it out to the track on Saturday night in hopes of taking the win and the glory. That's what it’s all about!
question. What is one thing Ben Shel4 Final ton would like to see changed about racing?
Photo by Rick Schwallie
A lot of tracks battle having programs with too many divisions. The end result is a diluted program that often runs entirely too long. The length and lack of quality with the racing program in turn deters fans from supporting the track. It's a lose/lose situation. I honestly believe that some of the most successful weekly shows in the country run no more than four divisions. Tracks should really take this into account when trying to optimize the program. Drivers in the divisions that get eliminated will fall into line in one of the four remaining classes. I guarantee it. Less is definitely more in this situation.
RebuildYour Own Race Shocks THANKS TO MODERN DESIGNS YOU CAN EASILY ADVANCE YOUR SHOCK PROGRAM FOR BETTER RESULTS ON THE TRACK THE DAYS ARE LONG GONE when you could bolt up
a set of OE replacement shocks from the parts store and expect to have much success on the race track. Even in the entry level classes, setups have become more sophisticated, and modern, rebuildable racing shocks are definitely part of the equation. Fortunately, companies like QA1 are making high-quality racing shocks affordable for racers on real-world budgets. QA1 also understands that the average Saturday night racer operates a lean and mean operation. There are no shock specialists and no money in the budget to be shipping shocks off every week to be dyno’ed and rebuilt. Instead, many of their shocks can be completely rebuilt in your shop or race trailer with a minimum of specialized tools, and that’s something any racer operating on a budget can definitely appreciate. QA1’s tech specialist Marshall Fegers explains the process for rebuilding and revalving their 26 Series monotube racing shock. The details may differ slightly for other styles or brands of shock absorber, but the process is always basically the same. The big money teams that utilize a shock specialist will run each new shock across the shock dyno to verify performance, but that isn’t absolutely necessary. QA1’s technicians have done extensive testing with practically every combination of shim stacks and have put together a comprehensive chart to help you determine the correct shim stack to provide the valving you need. Now, we’re not going to be able to give you the blowby-blow from teardown to reinstalling the shocks on your race car. Instead, we’re going to pass along some of the highlights. For more information you can hit up YouTube. com and do a quick search for “QA1 Precision Products” (or www.youtube.com/user/QA1TECH if you’d like to go directly). QA1 has an excellent YouTube channel with several very helpful videos on rebuilding and revalving both monotube and twin tube shocks. Source QA1 800.721.7761 qa1.net
Getting the shock apart is really no more difficult than removing a couple of bleed screws and C-clips. The important part is taking your time so you don’t get shock oil everywhere.
Changing out the shim stacks—the thin aluminum wafers that control the flow of oil through the piston—will affect the shock’s compression and rebound.
One of the keys to consistent shock operation is making sure no atmospheric air contaminates the nitrogen. This bleeder screw helps seal the system after all the air is out of the tube.
Use a caliper to measure the thickness and diameter of each disc. You can cross reference this information on QA1’s build chart to determine which discs you need in your shim stack to achieve the valving you want.
Surprisingly, charging the shock with nitrogen is actually quite straightforward. This tool attaches to an everyday air hose connected to a nitrogen tank and lets you seal the shock after the nitrogen pressure is correct while keeping the shock sealed from atmospheric air throughout.
When building shim stacks the largest diameter shims always go closest to the piston with the smallest furthest away. The rebound shim stack goes on the side of the piston away from the shaft, while the compression stack always goes on the side with the shock shaft.
FC/50/60/62 SERIES TUNING GUIDE 0
1
— — — — — — 1.3” x .006” Bleed o .059" 1.3” x .006” — — — Use 2 VPs — —
— — — — — 1.1” x .006” 1.3” x .006” Bleed o .059” 1.3” x .006” 1.1” x .006” .90” x .006” — — — —
Compression
Base Valve
Rebound
Piston
2 3 Soft: #9055-293 — — — — — — — .70” x .015” .90” x .006” .90” x .006” 1.1” x .006” 1.1” x .006” 1.3” x .006” 1.3” x .006” Bleed o Bleed o .059” .059” 1.3” x .006” 1.3” x .008” 1.1” x .006” 1.1” x .008” .90” x .008” .90” x .008” — .70” x .015” — — — — — —
4
5
— — — .70” x .015” .90” x .010” 1.1” x .008” 1.3” x .008” Bleed o .055” 1.3” x .010” 1.1” x .012” .90” x .010” .70” x .015” — — —
— — — .70” x .015” .90” x .012” 1.1” x .012” 1.3” x .012” Bleed o .052” 1.3” x .012” 1.1” x .012” .90” x .012” .70” x .015” — — —
VALVE CODE 6 7 — — — .70” x .015” .90” x .010” 1.1” x .010” 1.3” x .010” Bleed o .046” 1.3” x .015” 1.1” x .012” .90” x .010” .70” x .015” — — —
— — — .70” x .015” .90” x .012” 1.1” x .012” 1.3” x .012” Bleed o .040” 1.3” x .015” 1.1” x .015” .90” x .015” .70” x .015” — — —
8 — — .70” x .015” .90” x .012” .90” x .012” 1.1” x .012” 1.3” x .015” Bleed o .038” 1.3” x .015” 1.1” x .015” .90” x .010” .90” x .015” .70” x .015” — —
9 10 Firm: #9055-122 — — — — .70” x .015” .70” x .015” .90” x .015” .90” x .015” .90” x .015” 1.1” x .015” 1.1” x .015” 1.1” x .015” 1.3” x .015” 1.3” x .015” Bleed o No Bleed .033” 1.3” x .015” 1.3” x .015” 1.1” x .015” 1.1” x .015” .90” x .015” 1.1” x .015” .90” x .015” .90” x .015” .70” x .015” .70” x .015” — — — —
11
12
13
— — .70” x .015” .90” x .015” 1.1” x .015” 1.3” x .015” 1.3” x .015”
— .70” x .015” .90” x .015” 1.1” x .015” 1.1” x .015” 1.3” x .015” 1.3” x .015”
.70" x .015" .90" x .015" .90" x .015" 1.1” x .015” 1.1” x .015” 1.3” x .015” 1.3” x .015”
No Bleed
No Bleed
No Bleed
1.3” x .015” 1.3” x .015” 1.1” x .015” .90” x .015” .70” x .015” — —
1.3” x .015” 1.3” x .015” 1.1” x .015” 1.1” x .015” .90” x .015” .70” x .015” —
1.3” x .015” 1.3” x .015” 1.1” x .015” 1.1” x .015” .90” x .015” .90” x .015” .70” x .015”
Revised 3.14.12
Issue 1, 2014 / OneDirt.com 73
Serious Spark
WE TAKE A LOOK AT CRANE CAMS’ UNIQUE OPTICAL TRIGGER IGNITION SYSTEMS
IN YOUR RACE ENGINE, getting as much air and fuel lit off
in the combustion chamber at the correct moment is the key to making power. The air and fuel part is the domain of your carburetor and induction system, but setting it on fire is all about the ignition. And to make big power you’ve got to have a nice, hot spark that consistently fires exactly when you want it to. Of course, in a racing environment that is easier said than done. The combination of high RPM, high heat and lots of vibration make it difficult for an ignition to work as well as it does in your street car cruising from stoplight to stoplight.
74 OneDirt.com / Issue 1, 2014
And that is exactly why Crane Cams says they have developed their unique optical trigger ignition system for racing. The optical trigger system originally started out for high-end, big-money race teams, but since it proved to be so helpful it has since migrated to Saturday night racing levels.
MOST DISTRIBUTORS use a magnetic system that spins an
iron reluctor wheel with eight flanges past a magnetic pickup. When the pickup “sees” the flange move past it tells the ignition box to fire. But the problem with a magnetic system is that as
the RPM increases it has trouble keeping up and tends to retard the timing. Crane’s optical trigger system is quite different. It attaches a thin steel disc to the distributor shaft that has a small window punched into it. The distributor uses an optical sensor that picks up when the window passes over the sensor and sends a signal to the ignition box. “What we use is known as an emitter sensor,” explains Crane Cams’ Terry Johnson. “There is a constant signal that goes between the emitter and the sensor, and what we do is put a reluctor wheel between them that breaks the signal. The signal is just a beam of light, and when we break that beam, that’s your trigger event. It works basically like an on/off switch, so it is extremely accurate.” The difference is with a magnetic trigger the magnetic force between the reluctor wheel and the sensor gets stronger as the reluctor gets closer to the magnet. So the system has to determine the moment of highest magnetic force, or “attraction,” and send the signal. With an optical trigger the light is either hitting the sensor or it isn’t, which helps improve timing accuracy. “Because you don’t have the inaccuracies inherent with a magnetic signal, it’s impervious to RPM,” Johnson says of the optical trigger technology. “So it doesn’t matter if you’re going 2,600 or 9,600 RPM, it delivers the same signal accuracy all the time.” The result is something we’ve seen for ourselves in engine tests. Ignition manufacturers and some high-end engine builders have expensive diagnostic equipment that allows them to verify ignition timing on all eight cylinders in a running engine accurate to less than a degree, but you can actually see the difference with something as simple as a timing light. With your timing light pointed at the degree marks on your engine’s balancer, you will probably see the timing bounce back and forth between one-half to three degrees when the engine is revved up to the RPM levels it will see on the racetrack. But with Crane’s optical distributor the timing mark is much steadier and usually only moves less than half of a degree—if at all.
The optical trigger system works by spinning a reluctor wheel on the distributor shaft. When one of the eight windows in the disk passes between the optical emitter and sensor, the distributor signals the ignition box to send a spark to the correct plug.
gine on the dyno and determined that it makes the most power at 32 degrees before top dead center. You’d love to be able to run your engine on the race track at 32 degrees, but you don’t want to take a chance with it going into detonation with the timing jumping around, so you have to allow yourself a safety margin and set the timing at 30. “You can’t truly get the best performance from your engine because you can’t lean on it and set the timing of the true sweet spot. Plus, as your engine gains RPM going down the straights, the spark – Terry Johnson timing is actually retarding Crane Cams and giving up even more potential power. But now you can set your timing exactly where you want it with the optical trigger because not only is it steadier throughout the RPM range, but it also does not change with RPM.”
We actually developed that technology for these distributors several years ago when NASCAR came out with what they were calling the Car of Tomorrow.
BESIDES HELPING the engine be more consistent from
cylinder to cylinder, Johnson says you can actually use this improved timing consistency for better performance on the race track. “Let’s say you did a series of timing sweeps with your en-
INTERESTINGLY, THERE IS also an option to upgrade the
standard optical pickup with a fiber optic unit that can increase timing accuracy even further. “We actually developed that technology for these distributors several years ago when NASCAR came out with what they were calling the Car of Tomorrow,” Johnson says. “The way they had closed off the nose on those cars caused the temperature underneath the hood to really
Crane’s Race Billet Distributor is the company’s most popular among dirt track racers. It uses the optical trigger technology first developed for NASCAR Sprint Cup racing at a more affordable price than Crane’s full-zoot Pro Race Distributor.
Issue 1, 2014 / OneDirt.com 75
The next time you check the timing on your engine, take a moment to see how much the timing marks jump around. If it is more than a degree, you are losing out on potential power.
Although Crane’s optical trigger distributors will work with most brands’ ignition boxes, Crane’s HI-6RC ignition box is incredibly popular because of its accuracy, consistently strong spark and built-in electronic ignition retard that doesn’t use any moving parts.
Here’s a shot of a standard magnetic pickup. When the iron reluctor swings past the pickup it triggers the spark. But as the RPM increases a magnetic system tends to retard the spark. Also notice the mechanical advance up top. The extra mechanical movement also harms timing accuracy. That’s why many engine builders lock it out, but that can make a hot race engine difficult to start.
This is the standard pickup in the Pro Race unit. The guts of the pickup are all sealed in epoxy to protect the unit from moisture, chemicals and vibrations so that it can provide a consistently timed spark race after race.
spike. It was elevated way beyond the survivability of a lot of parts under the hood, and the design of the motors at the time was really causing a lot of harmonics. For instance, they were exploding alternators on the cars because the temperature was so high and there was so much vibration. The manufacturers had to go in and redesign a whole new alternator for those things so that they would live through a race. “We didn’t have a (distributor) failure, but we knew that it wouldn’t be too long because the temperature was way beyond the threshold of what these triggers could stand. We already had experience with fiber optic pickups for some private customers and decided to develop it for the distributor pickup. That stuff doesn’t care how hot it is, and it doesn’t care how much you shake it, so it works really well in that environment. In fact, with the fiber optic technology, 76 OneDirt.com / Issue 1, 2014
they are rated at 200°C. And instead of a regular emitter sensor, we actually incorporate a laser so the speed of the signal is actually almost faster than we can capture on a scope. We don’t service the NASCAR Cup teams anymore since they moved to fuel injection, but we still sell a lot of the fiber optic pickup systems in our distributors. It is more expensive, but we have many dirt track racing teams that use them because they demand that accuracy and resilience.”
ANOTHER FACTOR with the optical pickup system is mechanically it is extremely simple. There’s just a disk on the distributor shaft and an emitter/sensor assembly mounted on one side of the distributor housing. Crane doesn’t even have an option for mechanical advance in the distributor because the extra moving pieces allow slop into the system that can throw off timing accuracy. Instead,
Crane’s engineers developed an ignition box that actually has a digital timing retard baked right in to help aid cranking a heat-soaked motor. The feature is standard equipment on Crane’s most popular ignition for circle track racing, its HI-6RC ignition box, and it works by automatically retarding the timing 20 degrees on startup. The timing retard is turned off as soon as the engine hits 600 RPM and is shut out so that it cannot be triggered by accident. The only way to get it back on is to completely power off the engine and ignition and then crank the engine again. That way, if your race engine stalls on the track, the automatic timing retard will kick in and make it easier to re-fire before the tow truck shows up to ruin your night. Source Crane Cams 866.388.5120 cranecams.com
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Issue 1, 2014 / OneDirt.com 77
SUCCESS ODDS AGAINST
THE
Photos by Woody Hampton
Thanks to Tracey Clay’s no nonsense approach, I-30 Speedway has increased car counts & packed stands
78 OneDirt.com / Issue 1, 2014
THE RULES ARE PRETTY SIMPLE. Nonsense isn’t tolerated, so don’t even try it. Fighting isn’t an option. You will receive respect, but you should fully intend on giving it as well. If you plan to bend the rules you better be prepared to pay the penalty. You might think it’s a man’s world, but when you get to this place it’s a woman who runs the show. The rules above don’t apply to a bar or a club, but rather Tracey Clay’s I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Arkansas, which over the past four decades has operated as one of the most successful short tracks in the country. Every weekend across our great nation hundreds of race tracks host their weekly events. Some make good profits, while others are happy to just break even, and some perpetually lose every week. For the tracks that have remained profitable through the good and the bad times, there seems to be a secret recipe. For I-30 Speedway the recipe seems pretty simple. “At I-30 Speedway we’ve always had the mindset that we don’t care who you are or who you know, you’re going to get treated the same,” comments promoter, Tracey Clay. “Whether it be one of our loyal fans in the stands or one of the great racers
in the pits, we are going to give you respect from the time you get here until the time you leave.” With a smile she concludes, “Well, that is as long as you understand we expect the same in return.” Tracey Clay grew up around the racing world as her father, Joe Clay, began racing Sprint Cars when she was just five years old. She reminisces, “From my youngest years I can remember looking forward to the weekend each and every week because I just loved going to the track with my dad. In fact, I called his Sprint Car my big brother.” The Clays spent many a weekend competing at tracks across the South, but it wasn’t until the 1987 season that the close-knit family made the transformation from racers to promoters/owners. “We went to I-30 Speedway just about every Saturday night, and in 1987 word hit the street that the track might soon fall into financial troubles,” Tracey remembers. “My dad, along with local businessmen Ron Pack and Odus Pack, just loved the place and decided to go in together to purchase the track in bankruptcy court later that year. From that point there was no turning back as the Clay family took control of the facility that originally opened around 1960.” In August of 1987 I-30 Speedway officially opened for business under the direction of the Clay family, and at 25-years-old, Tracey’s first job was to work in the ticket office alongside some of the long-time employees of the track. “The folks who worked in the ticket office had been doing it for a long time, and I quickly learned a lot of the ins and outs of the business from them. It really laid a good foundation in the racing business for me.” While Tracey spent a majority of the night selling tickets, running numbers and putting together the payouts in the ticket office, when it came time for the nightly Sprint Car feature, you could only find her in one place. The press box. “I don’t care what had to be done early in the night, there was no way I was ever going to miss watching a Sprint Car feature,” laughs Clay. She quickly began to take note of the scorers and was fascinated at how they could keep track of where each car was in the field on each lap. Tracey began scoring for fun as she watched the Sprint Car main event, and in 1994 she made the transition to full-time scorer. While the Clay family enjoyed running the track, they quickly found that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. Tracey comments, “I can remember as racers we always thought that promoters and track owners had it made, but we quickly learned it can be a really thankless and stressful job. No matter what you do, there is always a conspiracy theory floating among the racers and accusations of favoritism. We learned real quick that you just have to do the best job you can, and not take any of it personally.” In 1996 Tracey’s dad, Joe, had decided that working in the track office and managing the day-to-day affairs of the track just wasn’t his cup of tea, and with that came another role change for Tracey as she became the promoter. “Dad basically told me that answering the phone and doing the paperwork wasn’t especially his thing, so he wanted me to do it,” remembers Clay. “It was all way new to me so it was definitely a sink or swim thing, but I was able to get the hang of things pretty quick from trial and error.” Tracey, who is known as one of the toughest promoters in the country, credits her strength and sometimes stubbornness
Clay and Pete Walton, the owner of the United Sprint Car Series.
to the experiences she faced with drivers and other promoters early in her new role. “To be fair, it wasn’t everybody, but a lot of the drivers and promoters in this sport just saw a young woman who was running a race track, and I think they honestly thought to themselves, ‘I can steam roll this person to get what I want,’” she notes. “One thing I can tell you is that I might’ve been young, but I sure wasn’t a pushover, and I think it shocked a lot of people early on that I would stand up to them. Caving in to intimidation just wasn’t an option for me.”
Whether it be one of our loyal fans in the stands or one the great racers in the pits, we are going to give you respect from the time you get here until the time you leave. – Tracey Clay I-30 Speedway With Tracey Clay spearheading the charge, I-30 Speedway quickly grew with weekly car counts in excess of a hundred entries and packed grandstands. As the weekly show grew, so did the track’s trademark event, the annual COMP Cams Short Track Nationals, which was born in 1988 and is hosted each year in late October. The race soon gained mega-event status, and early in its existence drew approximately 40 cars. The four day affair now attracts more than 100 Sprint Cars each year to the ¼-mile oval. “To see what the Short Track Nationals has become is really just humbling,” Clay says with a big smile on her face. “My family, our great fans, racers and sponsors have all worked hard for over 25 years now to build this event and to see what it is now….well, words just can’t describe that feeling. It’s just amazing.” While big events like the COMP Cams Short Track Nationals have put I-30 Speedway on the national map, Clay is equally proud of what she and her family have been able to create with their weekly programs. “A lot of tracks struggle with their weekly show, but we have pretty much 100 cars in five divisions every week,” comments Clay. “A lot of people come to see the Sprint Cars, Issue 1, 2014 / OneDirt.com 79
A lot of tracks struggle with their weekly show, but we have pretty much 100 cars in five divisions every week. – Tracey Clay I-30 Speedway
but I’ll say this – our Super Stock division puts on an amazing show each and every week, and many a night, they steal the show. It makes us proud to have an entry level class that is so competitive with so many great drivers. I look forward to their feature every Saturday night.” Twenty-five years after taking the reins of I-30 Speedway, the Clay family continues to enjoy operating the track just as much today as they did in the beginning. While Tracey Clay works as the track promoter, her dad spearheads the track preparation crew, and her brother, Joe Jr., works as the weekly announcer. “It’s a total family effort for us, and we all love this sport more now than when we started,” says Clay. “Even though sometimes there are complaints and controversies we just love meeting the great people of our sport. I honestly believe folks in the racing world are some of the greatest that you will find anywhere, and I’m proud to be a part of it.” From the promoter role Tracey still feels like she is fighting an uphill battle in a male-dominated sport, but by the same token she feels that she now gets more respect than ever before. “There’s no doubt that some people just look at me and think to themselves ‘This is a woman trying to run a race track. I’m sure she doesn’t know anything.’ However, there’s just as many that now respect me and my
hard work. They know that I pour my heart and soul into making this track work, and making it as fair as possible for everybody who passes through that gate.” I-30 Speedway is planning for a huge 2014 campaign that will include a fair share of specials to go along with the benchmark weekly racing series events. As Clay looks ahead to the future, she does so with optimism but also understands that this is a different world than when she started in the racing game. “Obviously the economy has dealt us all a curveball over the past few years, but equally important, we as track promoters all have to continue to look for new ways to entertain the fans. We can’t sit back and keep doing the same thing over and over if we expect to grow or even survive for that matter.” With an eye on the future and a respect for the past, Tracey Clay and the Clay family do as good a job of running a race track as anybody in the country. One thing is for sure, when you go to I-30 Speedway, you might not like the shake you get, but there is no denying you are getting treated the same as the next person. Can we really ask for any more than that? I-30 Speedway 12297 Interstate 30 Little Rock, AR 72209 i-30speedway.com
Even though sometimes there are complaints and controversies we just love meeting the great people of our sport. I honestly believe folks in the racing world are some of the greatest that you will find anywhere, and I’m proud to be a part of it. – Tracey Clay I-30 Speedway 80 OneDirt.com / Issue 1, 2014
People FUELED OUR SALUTE TO THE UNIQUE AND PASSIONATE PERSONALITIES THAT POWER DIRT TRACK RACING.
We know you are always looking for an edge on the competition. But don’t waste money on marketing hype.
BEWARE THE HYPE:
NANOTECHNOLOGY DOES NOT MAKE MIRACLE OIL. Driven Racing Oil’s Lake Speed, Jr. helps us separate the marketing mumbo jumbo from the real deal. WHEN YOU SAY “NANOTECHNOLOGY,” most of us Speed says that in most cases, the right mix of old-school additives work better than most nanotech materials developed so far. For example, Driven’s break-in oil uses a very specific mix of Zinc and other additives to help break in a new engine quickly while protecting the moving parts from damage. 82 OneDirt.com / Issue 1, 2014
picture pointy-headed scientists in lab coats peering into microscopes and scribbling onto their notepads. In the movies, nanotechnology is often portrayed as some miracle science the hero will use to keep volcanoes from exploding or cure all the zombies.
Nanotechnology means working with materials on a molecular level, and while there are definitely some products that are useful in oil, not everything labeled “nano” is a miracle cure. But “nano” just means small. In fact, it means one billionth of something. Normally, in science the unit of measurement is the nanometer, which is one billionth of a meter, or 1/25,400,000 of an inch, depending on which side of the pond you live. Incidentally, your fingernail grows about one nanometer a second —which is both cool and kind of weird when you think about it. Over time, nanotechnology has essentially come to mean working with chemicals or materials on a molecular level. And the successes in nanotechnology are definitely pretty cool. Nanotechnology has allowed such inventions as flexible body armor that helps our police force stay safe, lithium ion batteries that make portable handheld tools so incredibly powerful and long-lasting, and even synthetic bones that surgeons use to help people recover from traumatic injuries. Heck, did you know that the carnauba (palm-tree wax) in your favorite car wax that keeps the swirls from showing up in your paint is only a couple nanometers wide? But what has happened is with each success in the nanotechnology sector, many of us have come to believe that anything labeled “nano” is practically a miracle in a bottle. Marketers have taken advantage of this, turning “nano” into a buzzword and slapping it on nearly everything. But the truth is, nano only means small, it doesn’t always mean better. Recently, two scientists, Boris Zhmud from Applied Nano Surfaces in Sweden and Bogdan Pasalskiy from Kyiv National University in Ukraine, took a long, hard look at some of the newest nanoadditives being used in lubrication to see how they worked in motor oils. Specifically, they looked at a handful of nanoadditives that scientists have held up as the most promising in laboratory tests: fullerenes (sometimes referred to as “micro ball bearings”), nano diamonds, boric acid and PTFE. Unfortunately a running internal combustion engine is worlds apart from a typical clean room laboratory, and Zhmud and Pasalskiy found that these nanoadditives did not work nearly as well in what you might call real-world environments.
I tell people all the time, there is no best oil. There is only which oil works best for your application. – Lake Speed, Jr. Driven Racing Oil In fact, in a presentation they made at a recent major tribology conference (for scientists who research oil and other lubricants) they said that one of the problems with the nanoadditives they looked at is the university researchers developing these nanoadditives often aren’t aware of other factors that can affect a lubricant’s performance outside the laboratory. For a little more clarification we turned to Lake Speed, Jr., of Driven Racing Oil. Speed has been around racing all his life, but he is also a certified lubrication specialist. That means he is one of the few people on the planet who can understand pointy-head science speak and translate it into “gearhead” for the rest of us. “The nanoadditives have promise, but they really aren’t there yet,” Speed says. “Yes, in some applications they may have some benefit, but that doesn’t mean they are an improvement in every application. It’s just like I tell people all the time, there is no best oil. There is only which oil works best for your application.” What Speed warns against is falling for the marketing hype. “You’ve got all these different brands of oil to choose from, and while we’re trying to choose we see, ‘Hey! This one says it’s got micro ball bearings. That sounds like a good thing!’ “Well, there are nanoadditives that do act like very, very small ball bearings, and it is easy to visualize how ball bearings would work to cut friction. So you can see why the marketing department would jump on that concept. But what happens in the real world of your engine is that not all of those parts are smooth. And those particles that act like tiny roller bearings get
Dirt Late Model racer Bobby Pierce currently runs with Driven’s XP5 blend quite successfully. XP5 is a “semi-synthetic.” It offers better protection and high temperature stability than any mineral oil without the cost of a full synthetic. Many Saturday night racers find XP5 offers optimum protection while keeping costs under control.
Photo by Rick Schwallie
Issue 1, 2014 / OneDirt.com 83
caught in the crevices and jam up. Then everything starts loading up and starts getting in there scraping and now you have damage to the components. “It may work well in a lab in a straightforward test,” Speed continues, “but a running engine is a very complicated and complex environment.” The same thing holds true for another nanoadditive with the very impressive name of “nano diamonds.” Nano diamonds contain extremely hard, diamond-like particles that are also extremely small. The idea is that the nano diamonds embed into sliding surfaces, making them more resistant to wear.
STUDIES HAVE SHOWN that motor oils using a nano diamond additive package actually do help cut friction at first, but over time the friction comes right back greater than before. This is because the nano diamonds act as a lapping compound. In a new engine they serve to knock off the rough edges quickly which helps to reduce friction. But the nano diamonds never stop grinding away at the material, and you wind up with advanced engine wear in a very short time. Also, that wear produces extra metal particles which get caught in the oil that will wind up causing damage throughout the engine. “We already have additives like ZDDP films or Moly that you can put into the oil that will have a similar surface smoothing property to the nano diamonds to reduce friction, but they won’t destroy the surface finish,” Speed says. “Unlike the nano diamonds, the ZDDP or Moly packages aren’t removing material to cut the friction, so there is no damage. And that’s the key difference. Even though it’s neat to say you have
Nano diamonds used as an additive in motor oil have been shown to cut friction initially because they quickly wear away any sharp edges. But the problem is after they cut away the rough edges, they will continue grinding up everything else they are pressed against, causing accelerated engine wear.
You’ve got all these different brands of oil to choose from, and while we’re trying to choose we see, ‘Hey! This one says it’s got micro ball bearings. That sounds like a good thing!’ – Lake Speed, Jr. diamonds in your engine, we already have stuff that will do the same job much better. It just doesn’t have that space age name.” Another nano additive is known as PTFE. PTFE is actually a great additive for certain applications such as greases, dry-film lubricants and chain oils. It does a nice job of creating a film between sliding surfaces that often stop and start—known as “stick-slip.” But while PTFE may be an excellent nano additive for the spray you use to lubricate your sliding glass door, it is a poor option for the oil in your engine.
CRITICAL BALANCE: DETERGENTS TO ZINC The oil additive Zinc Dialkyldithiophosphate (ZDDP) works because it is a polar molecule, so it is attracted to metal surfaces. ZDDP reacts under heat and load to create a sacrificial film that allows ZDDP to protect flat tappet camshafts and other highly loaded engine parts. Despite the presence of Zinc in oils, other detergents and dispersants in the mix complicate the situation. Detergent and dispersant additives compete against Zinc in the engine because they are also polar molecules. Detergents and dispersants clean the engine, but they don’t distinguish between sludge, varnish and Zinc – they 84 OneDirt.com / Issue 1, 2014
clean all three away. Modern API certified oils contain high levels of detergents and dispersants. The old school theory on engine break-in was to run non-detergent oils, and this allowed for greater activation of the Zinc additive in the oil. Driven BR Break-In Oils utilize the correct balance of high levels of Zinc anti-wear additives and low levels of detergents, so you don’t need to buy expensive additives to try to correct a low Zinc (ZDDP) content oil. Visit drivenracingoil.com for more information on the latest developments in oil technology.
Among other things, PTFE will clog an oil filter. It’s unlikely you will find a major brand motor oil using PTFE, but you should watch out for it in aftermarket engine treatment products. Speed says that while there are issues with many nanoadditives, that doesn’t mean performance lubricant specialists like Driven Racing Oil aren’t keeping an eye on the horizon for nanoadditives that can be useful to horsepower enthusiasts. “The key is to match the strengths of the nanoadditive to the application –
ZINC VS. DETERGENT CJ-4 Diesel Oil
Zinc Detergent
DRIVEN BR Break-In Oil
TECHNOLOGY: TRICKLE DOWN EFFECT
which is true for any oil,” Speed says. “A great example is Boron, which is a great friction reducer, plus it works well with other additives like Moly and ZDDP. The problem is the carrier for Boron is boric acid, and an acid will corrode things. It is especially damaging if you have yellow-metal in the engine like brass or bronze bushings (typically found in lifter bushings and valve guides). “So if you’ve added acid to the oil while trying to get Boron in there, that means you will need more acid neutralizer to balance it out. And that means you’ve just thrown another additive into the mix that isn’t actually helping lubrication. It all comes back to having pros and cons to all these additives, and you have to see it in the totality of what it is actually doing. “That’s why understanding your application and matching the properties of the oil to it is so important,” he continues. “Boron can actually be good in very specific applications. Say I have a Pro Stock engine and I’m running four passes before draining the oil out. In that situation using a motor oil with a Boron additive might work well. The boric acid won’t have a chance to be harmful to the engine because it is changed so often, and the engine’s lifespan between rebuilds is so short anyway. So if the boric acid gets me a little more horsepower, then I’m OK with that. In that situation you can make the additive work, but you wouldn’t want to use boric acid in an application where the oil isn’t changed extremely often. “When choosing any motor oil, no matter what additives it may be using, the key is to look at the application first and let that dictate the chemistry. Only after you have determined what best meets your application should you look at the brand.” Source Driven Racing Oil 866.611.1820 drivenracingoil.com
The key to proper oil selection is to match the additive package to the precise needs of the application. Internal engine components have very different lubrication needs from the ring gear pictured above.
Smart racers advance their programs by staying on the lookout for advancements developed in other series that can be applied to their own. Now that NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series has successfully moved to fuel injected engines, many people think that the technology is so far removed from Saturday night racing they might as well be different sports. But that really isn’t true. In fact, as someone who works with race teams at every level, Speed says he sees ideas developed at the Cup level integrated into racing engines at a faster rate than ever before. “There are all types of things smart engine builders are using,” he says. “Now it isn’t uncommon for teams to run DLC-coated lifters even in what you might consider entry level classes that require a flat tappet cam and lifters, so they can avoid wear on more aggressive cams. “They’re going to billet cams and tool steel lifters and a quality oil to match. They are not only able to go with a much more aggressive cam profile, but their cams and lifters are lasting for years. Yes, it costs more up front, but your replacement costs are lower, and you may even be winning more races in the process. And that all came from the Cup Series and trickled down.” Speed says this is one of the reasons Driven Racing Oil is willing to sell the same oil blends that it has developed for Cup teams to anyone else. After all, those tool steel lifters with a diamond-hard coating need an oil formulated to work optimally in that application. Pressurized cooling systems are coming on strong in dirt track racing because they make power—but you better run an oil that’s capable of maintaining proper lubrication under elevated temps or you can melt your engine down quickly. Another example of the trickle down phenomenon is spec motor classes where engine builders have found they can tighten up the bearing clearances legally and free up some horsepower by switching to a lighter weight oil. Previously, the lighter oils couldn’t hold up to the stress of racing at high RPM for extended periods, but by going with Driven’s blends that were originally developed for the Cup cars running those same tolerances, racers can get free horsepower in those rules-limited engines while also actually improving their protection levels. Issue 1, 2014 / OneDirt.com 85
Lunati today, located at 11126 Willow Ridge Dr. in Olive Branch, Mississippi.
JOE LUNATI BEGAN AS A STREET RACER IN MEMPHIS but soon moved
LIKE MANY RACING COMPANIES, LUNATI WAS FORMED BY ONE MAN’S DESIRE TO GO FASTER AND BUILD IT BETTER
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on to safer and more legal action on the area’s sanctioned drag strips. He eventually wanted to move up to a faster ride, and in 1963 he built a homemade chassis. Exhibiting the shrewdness that would one day define his business career, Joe evaluated the A Modified Sports (AM/SP) ET record (on which racing handicaps were then based) and decided the car would be highly competitive as a Street Eliminator. NHRA’s Street Eliminator class featured Gassers, Modified Productions, Street Roadsters, Modified Sports and Stock Sports classes. It was the modern extension of the classic hot rod, with cars built specifically for racing and no street driving in question. In those days very few racing-specific parts were available for outright purchase. Racers like Lunati learned either from someone else or by trial and error the skills required to build a race car. Like most racers in the 60s, Joe built and tuned his own engines. He assembled a Hilborn-injected, 377-cubic inch stroker Small Block Chevy from used engine parts he bought from a local racer. For consistency and reliability he backed his engine with a Memphis-built Coleman & Taylor automatic transmission and went racing. The chassis was cloaked in a somewhat dented, two-seat Devin roadster body that deviously concealed the car’s formidable capabilities. Joe won often with this unlikely race car, the A-Modified/Sports class three times at the NHRA Nationals, nine separate NHRA AM/SP class ET and speed records, and Street Eliminator at the 1964 and 1966 NHRA U.S. Nationals. His careful selection of the AM/SP class allowed him to selectively increase performance just as much as he needed to best the competition. It was a nearly perfect “edge” and made Joe’s homemade hot rod a genuine killer car in eliminations. By the mid-1960s the wildly popular A/Factory Experimental class had evolved into what became known as Funny Cars, so-named because of their radically altered bodies that made them look “funny.” These early Funny Cars became a lucrative way to earn cash by match racing and in booked-up, multi-car racing shows. Brand favorites Chevy, Pontiac, Ford, Mercury, Dodge and Plymouth brought paying spectators in the gates and every track was booking Funny Cars. Still working on a hobbyist’s home garage budget, Joe bought the sheet metal from a ‘65 Corvair and molded his own fiberglass body. He lengthened the original 92" wheel-
base out to 108" to improve handling at the higher speeds he expected and dropped the body onto his homebuilt chassis. Although very sturdily built, the car weighed only 1,700 lbs., far less than the typical 2,500+ lbs. for most Funny Cars of the day. The car’s considerably lighter weight gave Joe’s Corvair an advantage, and that allowed him to stick with his proven 377" Small Block Chevy for reliable power. It all worked very well, and Joe’s homebuilt Funny was soon running high eight-second ETs. He was also winning open competition events and match races, gaining a reputation with Southeastern track owners and fans. This success came with a car dubbed “unsafe at any speed” by author Ralph Nader. One could only wonder what Nader’s reaction would have been had he known Lunati’s one-off Corvair was cranking out 170 mph speeds. In early 1966 Funny Car technology took a major leap forward with the introduction of the factory-backed Mercury Comets. These were professionally built, lightweight tube steel chassis with lift-off fiberglass bodies. They began running normally aspirated, nitro-burning engines, but soon the teams moved to supercharged engines. The “Eliminator 1” Mercury Comet of Dyno Don Nicholson forever changed the face of Funny Car racing. ETs dropped and speeds soared, but so did the cost of Funny Car racing.
One of Lunati’s warehouses that stores finished crankshafts and other rotating components.
TO KEEP UP, Joe built his own tube chassis Funny Car, once again on the concrete floor of his garage. This car featured a fiberglass 1967 Chevy Camaro body. With a nod to showmanship, he named it “The Dixie Devil.” For power Joe again reached forward, building a nitro fueled, Big Block 427 Chevy, boosted by a GM 6-71 supercharger. His outings with the new car were quickly successful. Lunati even found himself in the final round of Funny Car Eliminator at the 1967 NHRA U.S. Nationals. This meteoric rise came just one year after his 1966 Street Eliminator win. Joe’s home-built racer lost in the final to Doug Thorley’s Corvair, but this low-buck effort made many take notice. Not long after the ’67 Nationals, Lunati’s ’67 Camaro was destroyed in a crash at LaPlace, Louisiana. Rather than immediately build a new car, the crash made Lunati reflect on the rising costs and hazards of running a nitro Funny Car. Even with his quickly achieved success Joe saw ominous clouds forming on the horizon. Issue 1, 2014 / OneDirt.com 87
Joe had funded the Camaro as a weekend racing enterprise without a major financial sponsor. The expenses of fielding a competitive, nitro Funny Car were rising almost as fast as their 200+ MPH speeds, and most of the teams were either factory backed or enjoyed funding through big sponsorships. To remain competitive with the ever-escalating speeds meant teams had to push their engines to dangerous extremes, with expensive engine damage the usual result. The rapidly rising expenses came with an even more alarming increase in serious accidents.
THE FUNNY CAR CLASS became plagued with engine and transmission explosions, terrible oil fires and spectacular crashes. Many notable drivers suffered serious injuries and burns. With a wife and family to consider, Joe decided to get out of Funny Car racing before fate stepped in. He decided to turn his attention instead to the racing products business, and specifically, camshafts and valve train components. Joe’s first involvement with camshafts came after learning the craft while working for an engine rebuilder in Memphis. After he finished his day job grinding cams for engine rebuilds he would stay late at the shop and grind what became known as “cheater stock” cams. In 1968 he sold his first one, launching him into the racing cam business. Joe had uncovered a niche market with NHRA Stock Eliminator racers, a popular category in Memphis and on the east coast. The NHRA rules of those days allowed a clever cam grinder to create a cam that increased horsepower yet still checked as “legal” in the NHRA tech teardown barn. The rules stated which specs of a factory cam would be checked, and Joe’s early stocker cams focused on taking advantage of the areas that weren’t. The result was an immediate, notable increase in horsepower that helped racers gain as much as a half-second reduction in elapsed time. It was a spectacular performance improvement. Joe’s little niche was mostly ignored by the major cam companies. He gained both knowledge and a following with his Junior Stock cheater cams. These were reground on stock camshaft cores that carried the required original factory part number. In 1968 Joe purchased his first cam grinder and stepped wholeheartedly into the racing cam business. He called his new venture Lunati Cams and decided to focus his efforts on drag and regional circle track racing. 88 OneDirt.com / Issue 1, 2014
Here you can see finished camshafts waiting to be packaged and shipped to customers.
Joe’s Junior Stock cheater cams continued to be his core market and allowed him to expand into the more lucrative Small Block and Big Block Chevy drag racing and Late Model Dirt Modified circle track markets. His friendly, outgoing personality and reputation for honesty helped his new cam and valve train company grow quickly. Within a few years Lunati branched out into selling complete engine assembly products in the form of crankshafts, rods and pistons, in addition to cam and valve train products for racing. Lunati had become a one-stop source for do-it-yourself and smaller professional race engine builders. A partnership with Bill Taylor, another Memphis racer and founder of TCI (Torque Converters Inc.) resulted in a line of forged aluminum pistons, marketed as “Lunati/Taylor.”
Today Lunati valve train and rotating components are a staple for grassroots dirt racers.
DURING THESE DECADES OF GROWTH, Joe Lunati continued to be at the center of his company. His customers and fellow racers came to respect and trust him as a man of his word who backed his products. A call to Lunati often resulted in Joe himself taking the call, answering tech questions and taking orders from racers and engine builders. For assistance in growing the new company Joe turned to his wife (Peggy), daughter ( Judy) and son (Joey). The Lunati family was involved in the operation from the earliest, with Joe working both in the shop and the offices to keep the ball rolling. This dayto-day stability also allowed Joe to use his vision in reading the market and customer base as well as permitted him to expand his deal-making activities. Joe’s easy-going manner and strong code of business ethics brought a steady stream of opportunities for the former Memphis racer. Peggy, who had worried about her husband’s safety while he was driving the dangerous, unpredictable nitro Funny Cars, jumped wholeheartedly into her key role with the growing company. Assisted by daughter Judy, the mother-daughter team handled daily office and business chores, including finances and banking. Joey Lunati quickly became a multi-talented, key employee, manning the phones to answer tech assistance calls. Along the way Joe also collected numerous personal accolades recognizing his career in racing and the industry. He was inducted into the NHRA Drag Racing Hall of Fame in 2006, the NHRA Southeast Division Hall of Fame in 1987, and HOT ROD magazine’s 50th Anniversary Hall of Fame in 1977. Issue 1, 2014 / OneDirt.com 89
In the early 1990s, Wall Street’s big money interests came to view the performance-racing aftermarket as a cash-rich arena ripe with potential for lucrative acquisitions. One of these investment groups purchased industry icon Holley then set out to diversify their holdings with other performance automotive companies. Holley quickly went on a buying binge, placing Lunati squarely in its sights. After negotiations, Joe Lunati sold Lunati Cams to Holley Performance in 1998. By design of the new ownership, Joe’s company was quickly changed from its one-on-one customer base to a completely different business model. Rather than focusing on its racer-direct and engine builder customer base, the new managers decided to re-make Lunati into a wholesale distribution manufacturer. Individual service and fast turnaround were abandoned for large, bulk freight orders to national warehouse distributing firms. Long term customers were turned away and told to buy from other sources. The marketplace failed to embrace this new direction. The new Lunati struggled, sales declined and Lunati’s original, profit generating customer base fell by the wayside. Added to this, the national economy had begun an agonizing decline. After weathering increasingly tough economic times, the financial managers at Holley decided it was time to divest of some of its holdings, and Lunati was placed on the block. In 2007 Lunati Cams & Cranks was purchased from Holley Performance Products. The new owners are also investors, but this partnership is comprised of industry and racing veterans, rather than Wall Street capitalists. Where the prior owners had no understanding or involvement in the market, Lunati’s new owners are industry insiders. One of the first moves made was to return the company’s direction to the products and racer service that made Lunati successful. Products include, of course, a complete selection of racing and performance cams and valve train components. They are joined by forged aluminum pistons, wrist pins and piston rings, forged steel crankshafts, main and rod bearings, both H-Beam and I-Beam forged steel connecting rods and a variety of component matched packages and kits. All Lunati products are expertly recommended by the hands-on tech staff. Likely as not, when you call you’ll be speaking with a tech staff member who’s also a weekend racer and knows what works best. By returning to its prior successful business philosophy Lunati Power has prospered and established its own customer base, providing racers and engine builders with top quality products, cutting-edge technology, racer-friendly tech support, “I need it now” service and affordable prices. Source Lunati Power 662.892.1500 lunatipower.com
90 OneDirt.com / Issue 1, 2014
Today, Lunati travels the United States with a full parts display to show off the newest products. Also available is a fully trained technical staff to answer any questions you may have – FREE of charge.
Social Media SOUND OFF
FACEBOOK / TWITTER / MULTIMEDIA
We recently posed the question below to the 118,000+ fans of the OneDirt.com Facebook page. Emotions run deep within the dirt racing community on this issue and the responses were wide ranging from high praise to pure hatred. Below is a hand-picked sampling of the best responses. Got an opinion on this matter? We want to hear it at www.facebook.com/onedirtdotcom or via any of our other social media channels listed below.
CRATE ENGINES: SAVIOR OR SATAN OF DIRT RACING? Chip Disharoon Crate classes without claimer rule is satan because the big money teams just hop them up and reseal them Really defeats the WHOLE point
Scotty Slatter Satanic!!! Especially for IMCA Mods!! Last I heard it was the International Motor Contest Assoc. NOT the International Crate Motor Assoc. Build em, Don’t buy em!!
Kenneth Shepherd Savior we run a crate and had 18 wins last season. 5 more wins than the deep pocket boys with fully built crates
WE REALLY GET AROUND! OneDirt is active on all major social networks and digital content publishing platforms. Join us as we spread the word about dirt racing around the world.
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Bruce Kile
These are some of our favorite Twitter personalities. They’ll keep you entertained & informed about all things dirt.
Hate them. Big money guys still tweek them and re-seal them. Can’t work on them without paying someone to re-certify them. Our B-Mod built motor has way more power than a “stock” sealed crate.
@Kenny_Wallace The former NASCAR driver turned Dirt Modified racer is good for a laugh and crazy antics from the road.
Matthew Ginithan I’d say more like purgatory while they have the lower price tag and make it more affordable your stuck with what you have and even crate motors vary in power between manufacturers.
John Andrade III Satan... Spec motors would be the way to go... Less expensive and still keeps the engine builder in business
Travis Trussell Depends on tech...can be a great stepping stone or it can just be another out dollar the next guy class
Phil Krieg I like the idea of crate motor classes. The biggest problem I’ve seen locally with late models, is due to the engines being so equal, more money has to be spent everywhere else on the car to try to find an advantage. Way too expensive light weight/low drag components are almost necessary to run up front. Crates with a shock rule and other cost lowering rules would be better.
David Gourley Crates are like watching paint dry, Therefore I vote Satan
Timothy Andrews It doesn’t matter if it’s a crate motor or a built motor. Either way, money talks. Bullshit walks.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
@msrmafia Twitter account of dirt racing PR man and announcer, Ben Shelton. What he lacks in height he makes up for in hair gel and racing insight. @Cornettthunder Want to know what’s going down with Late Model racing in the Southeast? Follow this guy.
@SnotBloomquist Paraody account of driver Scott Bloomquist will keep you laughing all the way to the track. But be warned, this account is equal opportunity when it comes to offending.
@Braddoty18 Former driver and current dirt racing TV analyst is a great resource for behind the scenes stories (plus he’s an all-around great person). @EldoraSpeedway How can you not follow the official account for one of the most recognizable dirt racing facilities in the world? Just do it. @TheDirtNetwork Our brother from another mother. Based out of Western Pennsylvania, this account covers news, opinion and interviews from the dirt world.
@sooner7nc One of the hardest working guys in racing, Lonnie is always good for the latest scoops especially in the Sprint Car realm.
SWINGING THE GATES THE
OTHER WAY After a few lean years, the good news is that several promoters with a can-do attitude are bringing new life to dirt tracks across America
92 OneDirt.com / Issue 1, 2014
THROUGHOUT THE HISTORY of
our sport, watching race tracks close their doors is nothing new. However, over the past decade it seems like the rate of expiration for tracks has been stuck on fast forward as we’ve watched helplessly as facility after facility ceased their operations at an alarming rate. It’s no doubt been a tough time in the history of our sport, but recent happenings seem to indicate that maybe, just maybe, things are starting to head in a better direction.
DISCLAIMER: Before you read any further please note that this is going to be a positive article with a positive outlook for the future of our sport. If being a pessimist when it comes to viewing every aspect of the racing world is a way of life for you … well, this might be a great time to exit stage left. With that disclaimer out of the way, let’s get to it. As outlined earlier in this piece, countless tracks have seen their doors closed for business in recent times. However, over the course of the past year I’ve noticed a reemergence of some of these previously shuttered facilities with new ones also coming into existence for the first time in recent memory. Central Missouri Speedway (Warrensburg, Missouri) played host to over two decades of outstanding racing atop its clay surface before the end of the 2011 season, when promoters Earl and Susan Walls made the tough decision to close the doors of the facility. A variety of factors played into the decision, including issues with increased taxes as well as other economic woes.
However, by late 2013 the Walls had heard hundreds of requests from drivers and fans who were looking for a good track to run weekly. As a result, they decided to reopen the facility for the 2014 season. “A lot of good people needed a place to race, so we decided we would come out of retirement and give it another shot,” noted Earl Walls. “We really enjoy running the track and always have. It’s good to have it open again.” With a few events under their belt thus far this season, the track has enjoyed good crowds and good car counts and hopes the trend continues. Further to the south in Alabama, businessman Wayne Burns has already taken the reigns of one closed track and is currently looking to complete the paperwork on another. Burns, who formerly ran Thunderhill Raceway (Summertown, Tennessee) reopened North Alabama Speedway (Tuscumbia, Alabama) this season. The 1/3-mile bullring had previously been run by Jeff Greer for over a decade before seeing its doors closed late in the 2012 season due to dwindling fan and racer support. After sitting idle throughout 2013 Burns announced his intent to reopen the track in 2014 and run on Saturday evenings. While there have been some bumps early in the process he hopes to make the track profitable once again to return it to its former glory. “North Alabama Speedway is just too good of a place to not be open, and I want to do everything I can to keep it going,” comments Burns. “While weekly shows have always been a bit of a struggle, that place has had some legendary special events over the years. I hope to be able to build the fan base and car count back up so that we can try some big specials down the road. “It’s just definitely a work in progress, so I hope folks will bear with me.” As if
History has shown that the true patrons of racing don’t take “no” for an answer, and we aren’t quitters. Burns didn’t already have a full plate getting the Tuscumbia oval on its feet again, he is also actively pursuing a lease on Moulton Speedway (Moulton, Alabama), which has been closed for almost a year. The track, which is located approximately 40 miles to the southeast of North Alabama Speedway, saw its operations come to an abrupt halt in mid-2013. “I would love to operate Moulton on Friday nights,” said Burns. “I know it’s always been a Saturday night track, but Arkadelphia Speedway (another track reopened for 2014) is doing a great job on Saturday nights, and I don’t want to step on them. Plus, I hope to work hand-in-hand with promotions between North Alabama Speedway and Moulton Speedway to allow drivers to run the two tracks.” With a laugh he notes, “I know people think I’m crazy, and maybe they’re right, but I just want to do my part to try and keep racing going around here.” Several other tracks across the country have reopened over the past year, including Lexington 104 Speedway (Lexington, Tennessee), Hattiesburg Motorsports Park (Hattiesburg, Mississippi), I-75 Motor Speedway (Murphy, Tennessee), Thunder Valley Speedway (Glenmora, Louisiana), Poplar Bluff Speedway (Poplar Bluff, Missouri) and a host of others. While old tracks are reopened we’ve also seen some new tracks opening their doors for business. Owner of W&W Timber, Billy White, built Timberline Speedway (Corley, Texas), and it opened for business for 2013. The facility went through the typical growing pains in its maiden season but enjoyed some big crowds and good racing. With the track now in its sophomore season, track promoter, Chris Green,
comments, “We all definitely learned a lot last year, and we’ve used it to make the experience for the racers and fans that much better in 2014. Running a race track is a tough business, but we’ve had some great support. At the end of the day that makes it all worth it.” In East Tennessee veteran fans and racers alike have mourned the demolition of the former Atomic Speedway (Lenoir City, Tennessee). For several seasons the facility was the benchmark of racing in the area with countless big events being held at the 1/3-mile, high-banked oval. Unfortunately, the track was sold to a trucking company a few years ago and turned into a distribution center. However, over the past year on an adjacent property, I-40 Speedway has been under construction and the ¼-mile oval is nearing completion. While the facility doesn’t replace all of the history lost with the demolition of Atomic Speedway, at least racers and the fans will have a place to go. While the stories of new and old tracks reopening seem to be abounding, the reality is that some just won’t make it. It’s just the way things work. Even in the best of economic times our sport has struggled to find its feet in some markets. However, to me it’s very encouraging that some of the great racing playgrounds that seemed to be lost forever are now being reanimated. Even if they aren’t able to succeed under the new management, the fact that they are open again will present opportunities to draw new racers, new fans, and maybe even new ownership down the road. History has shown that the true patrons of racing don’t take “no” for an answer, and we aren’t quitters. We fight for what we love, and we take care of our own. And if you really think about it, isn’t that what this great country was founded upon? Never giving up and never saying die to fight for the things that hold our passion. So I say kudos to all of the promoters, owners and management giving life to race tracks across our nation. It’s not easy, and at times it’s not fun. But it’s what we love to do. Who knows, maybe, just maybe, it will lead to more tracks returning from the grave. If we don’t try, then we don’t know. Race on everybody!
Photo by Rick Schwallie
Fast FORWARD SCHEDULES / EVENTS / RACES Doug Murphrey Memorial
The Dream
The Doug Murphrey Memorial consistently draws close to 100 cars, making it one of the largest and most prestigious Dirt Modified events in the country. The race is only eight years old but has grown every year since its inaugural running in the mid-2000s. Ark-La-Tex Racetrack is nicknamed “The Land of 3-Wide,” meaning that attendees are certain to see a memorable show as the competitors battle for a $10,000 first-place check.
With a $100,000 grand prize, The Dream is the richest event on the annual Dirt Late Model calendar. Both the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series and the World of Outlaws Late Model Series have scheduled off-weekends at Dream time so that the best of the best competitors may battle it out on the Eldora high banks. The DIRTCar UMP-sanctioned event draws several dozen cars each year, so just making the A-Main is a grand feat. However, while the race pays 100 grand to win, the purse for second place drops to $20,000, often making for a thrilling, all-ornothing-style show.
May 29-31 Ark-La-Tex Speedway Vivian, LA
June 5-7 Eldora Speedway Rossburg, OH
DIRTCar Summer Nationals (The Hell Tour) This series is called The Hell Tour for good reason. Over the course of a just over a month each summer some of the country’s best Dirt Late Model teams compete for $5,000-$10,000 top prizes in blistering Midwestern heat. Say nothing about winning – just surviving this tour is an accomplishment in itself. In 2014 the Summer Nationals will consist of 34 events on dirt ovals across nine states in just 39 days. The cars chasing the Summit Modified Nationals crown also appear at nearly every stop. June 11-July 19 Variety of Midwestern & Southern Dirt Tracks
Photos by Rick Schwallie
Kings Royal
MudSummer Classic
This is one of the richest races on the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series tour with $50,000 going to the winner. It also just so happens to take place at the half-mile Eldora Speedway – one of dirt racing’s grand cathedrals. The grueling 40lap event is a test of both man and machine with the victor, or King of Kings, presented a crown, cape, scepter and seat upon an oversized throne.
Big-time NASCAR racing returned to its roots in 2013 with the inaugural MudSummer Classic, a Camping World Truck Series event that was won by Austin Dillon in front of a sold-out crowd. The popular race returns in 2014 and is once again one of the hottest tickets in the sport. Drivers and fans alike love the event’s format that includes qualifying, heat races and a last-chance race before the 150-lap feature. While a race night schedule like this is common for most short track series, it is unique to NASCAR. Dirt Late Models are also on hand during Wednesday’s main event program and Tuesday night’s undercard.
July 11-12 Eldora Speedway Rossburg, OH
July 22- 23 Eldora Speedway Rossburg, OH
94 OneDirt.com / Issue 1, 2014
World Modified Dirt Track Championship USMTS is widely regarded as the preeminent sanctioning body for Dirt Modifieds, and this race has quickly become one of its marquee events. Although the USMTS holds dozens of races each year, this 100-lap showdown at the 3/8-mile Deer Creek Speedway is one that every single Dirt Modified competitor has circled on his calendar. The A-Main pays $20,000 to win, but it’s the bragging rights that come along with besting so much other talent that keeps top teams coming back. July 23-26 Deer Creek Speedway Spring Valley, MN
USA Nationals 100
Battle at the Chip
410 Knoxville Nationals
Not only is Cedar Lake Speedway one of the prettiest settings on the World of Outlaws Late Model Series circuit, the winner of this event goes home $50,000 richer. But the real reason to check out this race is for the A-Main driver intros. Each driver gets the rock star treatment as the lights go down and a spotlight shines on his car while it makes its way onto the track. Meanwhile the fans go crazy with glow sticks in the grandstands. It is a scene guaranteed to give you chills, and one trip to this crown jewel event will keep you coming back year after year.
The site of one of the world’s largest and most well-known gatherings of motorcycle enthusiasts, it probably doesn’t take much to attract gearheads to Sturgis in early August. If you need another reason to visit though, in 2014 the trucks of the TORC Off-Road Championship are headed to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and the challenging Legendary Buffalo Chip course for the very first time. These powerful, high-flying race trucks must battle track obstacles and each other to reach the checkered flag first. When you put together TORC and half a million motorcycle fans the event is sure to be a spectacle.
Ask any Sprint Car driver on the planet which race they would most like to win and their answer is sure to be the Knoxville Nationals. This half-mile oval bills itself as the “Sprint Car Capital of the World” and plays host to over 100,000 fans over several days in early August. Legends of the sport from Wolfgang to Kinser to Schatz have reached Victory Lane in the ultra-prestigious A-Main. $150,000 goes to the winner and the total purse is more than $1 million, enticing Sprint Car teams from around the world to try their hand on the Iowa dirt. The 410 portion of the program has been sanctioned by the World of Outlaws since 2011, while ASCS puts on the 360 Nationals the preceeding week.
July 31-August 2 Cedar Lake Speedway New Richmond, WI
August 5-6 The Legendary Buffalo Chip Sturgis, S.D.
August 6-9 Knoxville Raceway Knoxville, IA
Topless 100 One of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series’ crown jewel events, this is also one of the most distinct Dirt Late Model races anywhere in the country. Each car competes with its roof sheet metal removed, providing the passionate fans a view of the driver working inside that is unparalleled anywhere else in the sport. The 100-lap race on the lightning-fast 3/8-mile oval in the hills of picturesque northern Arkansas pays $40,000 to win. August 14-16 Batesville Motor Speedway Locust Grove, AR
Issue 1, 2014 / OneDirt.com 95
Parting SHOTS WHEN THE CHECKERED FLAG DROPS IT IS NOT THE END, IT IS SIMPLY THE BEGINNING OF THE NEXT RACE.
Picture Spread
96窶グneDirt.com / Issue 1, 2014
Photo by Rick Schwallie
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