[Seadog]

Originally Posted by illiNOISE It depends what the rules are, and the enforcement of those rules. I know some 305 tracks are more liberal on engine rules than others. At Doe Run Raceway in Missouri, there are even rules on valve size (1.94 intake/1.50 exhaust) and how much cam lift is allowed (.550). Yet tracks such as 34 Raceway in Burlington, IA or LA Racway in LaMonte, MO have slightly more open rules. But regardless of rules, if one has to spend 12k for a motor in what is meant to be an "econo" class, well, it's not really "econo" any more. So what does it cost to run up front in a 305? Well, Josh Worrell of Kirkwood, MO won the Doe Run Raceway track championship running a ten year old chassis haulded on an open trailer, and according to his dad, they only had $10k in the whole operation. http://www.stlracing.com/forums/show...hlight=sprints To me, the 305 class is meant for a specific type of racer, and for a specific type of track. It provides the street stock/sportsman/B-mod/micro sprint type racer a wonderful oportunity to move up into a class with some glamour to it, yet still be able to make the mortgage and utility payments each month. The class also is a great fit for your underfunded rural type tracks, where running full blown sprints or LM's would punch the promoter a one-way express ticket to the poor house. Granted, if you try to run 305's on a big half mile like Knoxville or Williams Grove where the fans are accustomed to seeing balls out 410's and 360's, the 305's are going to drive the fans to the beer stand. But go to some little isolated county fair 1/4 mile track where the fans rarely see anything more menacing than a claimer-IMCA modified, and their jaws are likely to drop when the so-called "limited" sprints come out.

Question 1: How do little mom and pop tracks police things like valve size and cam lift on a week in, week out basis if they only have a couple of volunteer officials? How much engine tear down is required for doing that?


Question 2: If a $12K engine does not fit into your idea of an "Econo" class, then what does? $10K...$5K...$2k? What dollar amount defines econo? I'd say it's a sliding scale, but Where I come from, a $12K engine seems pretty low buck to me. No doubt though, the feature payout for such a class would be less than enticing.

The funny thing is that the Focus Midgets are nearly there now in engine cost with a pathetic car count and pretty measly payout.

[darlandfan]

I live in central missouri and know several people that run 305's. if people would use the class for what it is suppose to be, it wouldnt be bad. some of the old timers that we used to race with 20 years ago run them, because they just cant hang it up. most of the rest are kids that have come from running other things like karts and micros. my point now is if you feel like you have to spend $17,000 on a 305, and some do, break down and spend a few extra dollars buy a used 360 and start running with the bigger dogs. all racing is expensive, but not everyone is poor like me though. im just saying that i like the 305 when used for an entry level stepping stone, not when someone wants to spend big bucks on motors and try to dominate every little race they run. :darland:

[Dwight Clock]

Placing a limit on cubic inches will not work and has never worked anywhere to save costs. As pointed out first by Al Soran, the big buck teams will spend until they find a way to get more hp out of the smaller engines. What is needed is to find ways to make getting all that hp to the track impossible. Smaller, harder compound tires that last for multiple race nights are a step in the right direction. And a whole lot easier to police than internal engine parts. You need not look past the UMP modifieds to see that this works. On the Indiana 1/4 miles they pretty much spin their wheels trying to get all that power to the ground through those skinny tires. In the long run this would save car owners both tire and engine expense and enable many to race more often and/or more competitively.:idea: