Originally Posted by ryoung99 How many times do you rebuild per year and what is the cost? If you are the average guy, the answer is 2-3x at $5k+. Simple math (conservatively speaking, assuming you can get 60 races out of the new engine prior to rebuild and the rebuild cost is similar to a Focus).... Year 1 (20 races) = -$10k (new engine) + $10k (rebuilds saved) + $10k (selling your old motor) = $10k savings Year 2 (20 races) = +10k (rebuild cost saved) = $10k savings (accumlative $20k) Year 3 (20 races) = +10 (rebuild cost saved) - $4k (long block swap out at seasons end) = $6k savings (accumulative $26k for three years). Now you have raced 60 times and your cost to race is $26k less, that is equivalent to $433 per night of racing. That is probably more than your average take home from racing right now. And this model is conservative at only 60 nights. If the engine has the same reliability as the Focus your total savings will most likely be even more than what I have illustrated (80 races = $36k or $450 per night savings). Thus you might have a cash flow issue at the start, but you will end up with less engine costs that you probably see today.

I am not disputing your cost saving analysis, nor do I have a dog in this fight. BUT, all a spec engine does is shift where people spend their money. Racers will spend whatever they have available to race, and if you equalize the engines, they will just spend it somewhere else to gain an edge....... Just look at what happened with the Focus cars. What's to keep a "have" from buying 10 of these spec engins, dynoing them, keeping the strongest two and selling the others? What's to keep a "have" from putting his car on a 7 post chassis rig?

If you REALLY want to control costs, how about implememnting a salary cap, like all the other major sports have done to keep themselves from spending more than they can afford.

[ryoung99]

Dano,

You are correct, but the point is not to keep the haves from spending, it is to give the "have-nots" a chance to compete.

Controlling engine and tire costs provide a mechanism for leveling the playing field. You are correct the haves can buy a bunch of engines and see which have the 5% more, then if they get everything else right they increase their chances of winning. But we are reducing the risk for all competitors. As opposed to now where a guy with a Pontiac shows up and cannot even think of competing against the new Fontana, Mopar, Eslinger and/or Toyota.

Take Scott Nail for instance, he is leading the BCRA points with a 12+ year old Stealth/Pontiac. Scott really stands zero chance of winning a race, but he battles out top 5 finishes every week and runs every race (even ran one in one of my Focus cars). In a spec class, Scotts budget would not only allow him to lead the points but he would be a threat every week to win, no matter how many engines Richie Rich's father was to buy him.

The other thing that it does is encourage multi car teams and increased car count. If you have a very reliable engine package it increases the likely hood that you can field a multi car team, I know this as I have 3 Focus cars right now. If I was running full midgets I would have one. This is not only because of the cost, but also the maintence that needs to be completed week in and week out. Belive it or not even though I work 60+ hours a week I can still keep up with 3 cars if all I have to do is check the belts and fluids on the engine. Not to mention but the self starting sure helps you know that every thing is running fine between events.

In racing I only see two ways to implement a salary cap, spec and claim. And claim does not work because nobody wants to be the a$$ who takes another guys engine, thus in my opinion we are left with spec as the only true way to set a spending limit on the engine.

Rick

[LEADERS EDGE]

Keith,

I'm going to play devils advocate here, but these are the first questions that come to my mind.

How are you going to overcome the problems you had when building the Focus Engines? There was often a long wait to get motors, especially in the beginning?.

Will this be like the Focus Series where the rebuilds had to be sent back to your shop?

Will the motors be tagged like the Focus Motors?

Maybe you don't have all of the answers to these questions yet, but these are some of the questions that people will ask.

In the USAC Focus deal there seemed to be alot of finger pointing on both sides, but I have to say that from my experience and until Ford really got involved, engine delivery times to the midwest where eratic.

Frankly, If a powerful and REALIABLE spec motor can be delivered for $10,000 and the purses are $175 Start and $1,200 to win, then I would be very flexable to the idea.(Not that I am a person of power, but a skeptic on this subject as a whole.)

I wasn't happy with the way the Focus Series was brought in and implimented, but it did do one thing that Keith was right about all along and I have to say history proves my fears to be somewhat misplaced; it brought people to midget racing. The Kenyon cars should not be overlooked in this area as well and Powri was able to use the micros in that same way as well.

My fears were that the Focus Series would take races from the mdgets and it did to a degree, but in the areas where the Focus,Kenyon and Micros all competed along with the midgets, many of those areas have fairly healthy car counts for the midgets.

I just am always uncomfortable when rigid and one set of specific rules on things such as engines are put in place because then that means there has to be a good and easy way for someone to tech them and someone willing to do so.
Good Luck

Edge,

Your points are all well taken. As you say, there are many aspects of the focus program that proved to work out well, and there were also some importamt lessons to be learned about things that did not go as well as we would have liked.

Now is not the time for me to go into all of the lessons learned - just know that I hear you loud and clear, and there are some things about this program that I promise will be different. Right now I just need to work on the engine and produce a good product, but once we have some solid information to pass along we will put up a website and publish email and phone numbers for folks to call and write to. One thing that will not change is my pledge to always take the time to talk to you guys who might have an interest, and to take your suggestions to heart.

Thanks,

Keith Iaia

[Revolution Racing]

Now that the cat is out of the bag...

For those of you wishing to contact me about the new Chevy engine project, you can email me at;

keith@revolutionracingengines.com

I know, its kind of a mouthful (or should I say, a keyboard full...)

We are starting to hear from the various sanctioning bodies around the country, and I'd like to say that I am particularly interested in gathering input from every Midget group or potential new group that I can. This is our chance to start with a "clean sheet of paper" so if you have input, please do write to me.

Sincerely,

Keith Iaia
Revolution Racing Engines
"The Revolution Starts NOW"