Don,
The bell housing / starter / clutch components are all tooled up and I have six sets machined on the shelf, ready to go. We don't currently run them because right now we are competing against engines that don't carry that extra rotating weight and we are trying to reamin as competitive as possible. But to answer your question, yes we could provide the engines with starter and clutch for just about the same money. They already do come with a starter.
As for the 'stage II' engine, I agree it would be awesome if we could somehow avoid this slippery slope. Most of the guys who have seen the cars run agree that they put on a good show just as they are, and the only reason we are leaning on them is becuase under the current circumstances, we need to try and compete agianst engines that are a lot bigger, a lot more expensive, and require a lot more upkeep.
If we could develop a program that welcomed engines equivalent to our standard package, we would open the door to virtually every engine manufacturer on the planet that produces a twin cam, four valve, four cylinder automotive engine. That is a LOT of potential involvement. Honestly, I can't fully get my head around the reasons why the Midget racing community seems to have turned its back on this opportunity. These type of engines represent the cutting edge of current automotive technology, and embracing these designs would leap frog Midget racing from the back of the pack to the front in terms of technology and relavance to the marketplace.
