Keep your eyes on the "echo tec's". They can give a full midget a hard way to go right now and they are a lot cheaper to own. The motor it self is a lot closer to a race motor to start with than the Focus, block, crank valves and ports. The big problem with 2 valve motors is those big old valve springs required to keep those big old valves, rockers, and push rods under control, that is why the Esslinger motor does so well, but they are still held back with a poor combustion chamber and big old heavy valves. A good 4 valve head does not need a lot of spring pres. to keep the valves under control and are much more efficient they can make more HP with less cubic inches.
That little 4 valve V8 scared all the midget people to death at the Chili bowl a few years ago and all it was was 2 motorcycle jugs and heads bolted to a special crank and crankcase. Typical race response "OUTLAW THAT THING BEFORE IT MULTIPLIES". Seems a little stupid to me. If it works use it don't outlaw it. They didn't say anything to Runyon about his V8 20 years ago because it wasn't up front, had he had more time with it he would have been outlawed too.
An Esslinger with a 4 valve head would be really fast and rebuilds would be a lot further apart because of the stress removed from the valves and springs. Them old guys used to make race heads for their Model A's and flat head Fords, Esslinger's head are anything but a stock Pinto head. Why not a 4 valve Esslinger, because they would either outlaw it outright or make rules to slow it down.
Are we trying to keep the cost of racing engines down or the cost of rebuilding race engines UP? Like TQ's "God love" them they have a policy of racing an engine for at least for 30 years before changing them Crosley's 30 years Honda 750 cc 30 Years, they run them until they have to buy them out of a museum and the price skyrockets.
Racing is suppose to lead technology and not follow it, people in racing right now are way way behind the curve !!
"LETS GET WITH THE PROGRAM."
Honest Dad himself
