lovindirt

For every 1 pd. of rotating weight you take off is like adding 6 HP to the engine. so pounds matter. either here or there. I totally agree with Bob that a weight rule that is fair and average, and when I say average I mean take 10 or 20 cars weigh them then divide by 10 or 20, get the average with drivers not just cars, that way us old farts have a chance when we weigh so cotton pickin much. Then you will see who really is the bravest in haulin it in and going. Tate Martz took our old heavy steel block 406 from 16th to 4th really fast at Waynesfield a few years back, and was pressing with a broken shock tower on left front causing him to spin in turn 4, and then got run over from a car tearing up front axle, and not being able to go from there.Tate ran that car with broken shock tower for I think about 7 or 8 laps, faster and faster until it was more then it could stand for a 3 legged horse. The left front kept bouncing like a basketball through the corners. The thing weighed so much and the track was fair to med. rough but was nice , rather alot better at feature time, and Jack Hewitt gave a couple of pointers on things and he took an average heavy car and blistered the guys for a while. that same car weighed I think 1563 with driver last year if I remember right, the car is fast on a heavy track but gets slower as the night progresses on; as track slicks off, it all matters, weight , setup, and driver, period. Tate past 4 cars on the back stretch during one lap. Last year we ran in a division that had a weight rule of 1425 with driver, no engine rule or injection rule. So yes weight matters period. The light ones are hard to compete with. Our steel block starts out at 210 pds. an alum. one most start at 95 pds. average GM 400 steel block is around 160 pds give or take. Ours was never lightened just bored out to 4.155. As they say every dog has its day or every once in a while a blind squirrel finds a nut.
So good luck with your decision.