What do $6000 race engines from the engine mafia have to do with driving? How on earth is a $6000 motor STOCK???? The same goes for $3000 shocks.
This is out of control and the SCCA should change the rules to bring the cost of FF back down to earth.
If you want all that go race FA or FC.
In 1985 I built a very HOT cortina engine for less tha $2500. This is the same very stable engine design used by a known C sports racer in the SE region. Since I was intending to convert my Royale RP-3A to a C -Sports, I put this engine in it and ran as a FA in the regionals.
The regional FF ranks were dwindling even back then, I was still put in with the FF's.
I started with a Cortina engine out of the junk yard. Here are the mods:
1. Flywheel cut down to 7.5 lbs
2. Head ported by hand(not flowed)
3. Flat top pistons to increase the compression ratio to 11 to 1
4. Balnce job at a local engine shop
5. FF valve springs
At the first pratice session at my drivers school at Charlotte Motor Speedway(3.2 miles) I put at the back of the field that included two super V's and 3 FF's. WITH THIS ENGINE, I PASSED THE ENTIRE FIELD BEFORE THE END OF THE FIRST LAP.
At my first regionl race at Road Atlanta, I showed up too late to qualify. Again I started at the back of the pack of 12FF's. Two of the FF's were front runner national cars. On the first lap I deliberately stayed back until the back straight away. When we hit the straight, I PASSED ALL 10 OF THE REGIONAL CARS........I stayed on the same lap as the National FF's until I blew a lifter and DNF'd. (I could not buy a new set of lifters in time so I used the ones that came with the engine from the junk yard.)
Now if I could make this engine for real cheap, why can't the SCCA come in and change the rules to make all engines this cheap. But NO!, the engine builders have more say than the drivers.
As the FF field further dwindles, the engine builders will have to charge more money for their engines(marketing). Hey, but with a 50% increase in the filed, the engine builders will make the same amount of money with a $4000 engine that they currently make with $6000 engines. What is the SCCA doing to incrase the FF field - nada.
Fellas, while you all are arguing over how many nats asses you can shave off your valve clearance, your class is melting away.
Go to a regional race. A FF "race" is about three or four cars thrown in with the few FA's, FV's and F500's that are left. What kindof "race" is that?
Does anyone know or care that the race occured. Did that race at all advance the winner any further to and eventual indy ride.
