[DonMoore10]

I knew my friend Steve Stroud would come through. Steve, you need to address the weight issue and your proposal. Maybe copy your previous post from a few weeks ago.

[steveb]

I don`t know how much a spec head such as ascs would do. Take a look at what a good ascs 360 cost 35,000 plus range. Thats no cheaper then a 410.Yeah the last longer but then again your running for less $$$.The top motor builder is still gonna get top dollar. As far as dirt goes I don`t see where eliminating ti and carbon parts will do anything either. There`s a weight limit on the car.I know I have a standard wide body stealth with a gaerte chevy and to make weight w/no fuel we need to add 30lbs. So if someone wants to waste $$$ on ti and carbon fiber more power to them. But its not gonna make them any faster or win races. What we need is people that want to race and to get their cars on the track. I know what its like to be on a tight budget racing but we do what we gotta do to get to the track. It cracks me up when there`s a guy in the pits complaining about not being able to keep up because he doesn`t have the budget. But then you notice he`s towing with a 50,000 truck and a 40ft. trailer. I like that the rules they are the way they are and there are big $$$ teams. Thats what makes me want to head to the mid-west to race. Its a challange to compete at that level with less equip,$$$, ect. When we get the car right and I`m driving good and we have a sucessful night it makes us feel like we accomplished something. Tats probably not the correct way of thinking but thats my opinion. Steve Buckwalter

[AERO410SCJA]

Steve, was the motor you ran during midget week ARDC legal?ARDC seems to be growing in car count.

[SUPERDUKE]

Originally Posted by buck2 duke, whats the advantage to a steel block? Really costly to cut down and machine a v-8 to make into a 4. Can't save 'em when they ventilate. I don't see the cost savings. Most contemporary production fours are all aluminum, if your idea is to have a junkyard formula. An esslinger block with a grapefruit size hole in it can be repaired for significantly less than machining up a junkyard 2300 ford block. Ditto if it were a fontana (alum)/chevy ii (iron) or some other iron block compared to a gaerte, stanton etc.

well the sesco where steel! Cost $ 3300!!!!!!!! And the silver crown cars run a steel 355! Nascar steel blocks!

[Fontana180]

I have raced midgets since 89 and have always run an iron block. Here are some thoughts. The key is to eliminate some of the costs not necessarily take away a lot of the speed. The organizations that are doing well do alot of self and club promotion.
1. Get rid of the ti with exception of valvetrain (durability).
Don't need ti cranks, rods ect. $$$. That will put some revolving weight back in the big $ engines and weight back in the cars.

2. Some sort of tire rule, I don,t thiink we need to go to a 8" RR.

3. Here is the big one! Enforce the rules on the books and not play favorites. Such as at a recent midget event where some w/flats got 4-5 laps to change rear tires and locals & outsiders did not.

4. Clubs that run Dirt & pavement utilize combo cars & limit offsets. This would take some rule tweeking but could be done.

Carbonfiber - I don't think is a big factor as far as body panels, not much lighter than fiberglass.
I think the biggest thing is having Engine rules and enforcing them. I thiink ARDC has a pretty good set of engine rules competitively for a organization.

[steveb]

To answer the question about the motor we used for speedweek. Yes the motor is ARDC legal. It`s a 166ci pushrod chevy motor. The only difference with ARDC rules is they don`t allow the 161ci esslinger or the 174ci fontana. I tryed to get the esslinger legal so we have a better chance of getting some outside cars but everyone seemed to be against it. I don`t know much about the big fontana except Brad khun runs good with it. We have some hawks and mopars in the club but with the dry tracks we have here it doesn`t seem to be a big advantage. It`s more about set up.I think the reason the car car count is so good is we have alot of micro sprint drives that moved up and are moving up. When I ran micros we ran 3-4 nights a week. These guys just wanna race,and thats what it takes.There were 2 new car at Susky on wed. night practising thats never ran w/the club. I could see ARDC having 40 cars on a regular bases in the next couple years.

[SprintRacer4]

I say you don't start changing wheel width rules, the steel block deal & all that jive. 'Cause that is going to cost owners money. You run the same cars & wheels, no ti anywhere on the car or motor, i like the compression rule, every midget club in the country should use the same RR tire - SP3 or maybe even a SP4, can't use a LR softer then a D15. Not a big fan of the spec head rule, because there again that is going to cost all owners money. With the coompression rule that is only a set of pistons. But along with the comp. rule, like I said before no ti, have to use steel rods & valves etc. In my mind you have to look at ways to save money in the furture while being able to use as much of the equipment we already have now. Rather then spending money now & making current equipment obsolete to save money down the road

[Kirk Spridgeon]

Another reason I cheer for Steve Buckwalter.

[steveb]

I`ve been hearing alot about ti rods on here. How much lighter are they really. I talked to my motor builder and he said with the weight of the new steel rods why spend $3000 for a set of ti rods when you can spend $800 for a set of steel rods that are almost as light and you can get a couple rebuilds out of um. I know there are horror stories about what people are spending for their motors and rebuilds but I`ll be honest They`re getting ripped off. But if they feel they have to spend that kind of $$ to win races let them do it. We get 20+ shows on our motors before rebuilding them and the only thing ti is the valves. Allright guys i`ll be racing all weekend so I won`t be able to reply I`ll see ya somewhere in the mid-west GO FAST TURN LEFT SEE YA

[AP64]

Originally Posted by slide22 When's Drew gonna let you hop in his? Or take that fancy Henchcraft out?

Probably never. I have been bugging him about it. I just need to finish getting mine together.