Factory stock showdown rules
Nationals in Indianapolis, and since that time, the Factory Stock Showdown has done nothing but snowball. As the program has grown, it has also become more and more refined, and it draws ever-increasing interest from both racers and spectators. Is it any wonder? The heart of drag racing beats steadily and the American muscle car is alive and well within the walls of what is now known as the SAM Tech Factory Stock Showdown. The competition was a way to showcase the drag-racing ready, factory-built vehicles coming out of Detroit that had captured the attention of veteran racers, and that first Indy event drew a handful of fierce and recognizable competitors in both naturally aspirated and supercharged entries.
Why NHRA “Factory Stock” Is The Hottest Class In Drag Racing!
On a given weekend, any one of these cars is capable of winning, and it usually comes down to a hundredth of a second or less between these competitors. This class has stringent rules that the competitors have to abide by, keeping the competitors closely-packed.
But what makes this class so attractive? Dave started racing when he was years old and is now in his 23rd season. No one knew how to run the show yet.
The naturally-aspirated cars got a handicap start, which was a good attempt to bring everyone together, but it would never work. Nobody wants to watch a heads-up race with a staggered start.
I was on top of the world driving a Chevrolet Camaro. Unfortunately, he was stuck with a naturally-aspirated HEMI engine. Nobody looks at those cars in that same way anymore. The Factory Stock Showdown brings excitement back into drag racing again, and the factory wars are more alive than ever. You could run down to the dealership today and buy a new Challenger, Camaro, or Mustang and make it look just like a shootout car. You can even buy the same parts if you decided to step up the performance using off-the-shelf components.
Since these vehicles are designed to go fast in a straight line, several changes have been made. Overdrive transmissions have been shelved for the lighter and stronger three-speed units. The independent rear suspension has also been replaced with a tried-and-true solid rear axle.
Safety equipment, like roll cages and other necessities, needed to be installed to keep the drivers safe. All of the creature comforts, like air-conditioning, power steering, and luxury seats have also been removed to free up some room as well as weight. Even with all of these modifications, the Shootout cars can be a handful to drive. We are limited to a 9-inch wide tire, and the suspension has its limitations. We are constantly living on the edge in the traction department.
The track conditions make it tough on the crew chief, and they have to decide how far they want to push the envelope each round. This is why the NHRA intends to keep it a small-tire class. It keeps it interesting, to say the least. ATI has a long legacy in the racing world and builds some of the top racing products in the industry.
The company manufactures transmissions, torque convertors, and engine dampeners for these now 7-second cars. Harvey explained to us that ATI Super Damper is a harmonic damper that is designed to reduce the harmonics in the engine caused by crank vibration.
This unit is an elastomer-style harmonic damper that works like the OEM-style assembly. The difference between a Super Damper and a factory part is the use of multiple O-rings and a captured inertia ring.
We took the Super Damper that we offered for the street version of the Factory Stock cars and modified them to fit the rulebooks.
Unlike OEM-style dampers with a press-fit elastomer material, a Super Damper employs a combination of various 70 durometer O-rings and a unique, full-captured inertia ring to dampen harmful crankshaft vibrations. Testing by General Motors has shown that the ATI damper is very efficient when it comes to displacing crankshaft twist. ATI was able to take this technology and integrate it into the supercharger pulley, creating the Supercharger Super Dampers, adding powerful protection inside the crankshaft blower pulley.
This design also eliminates the need for an additional blower pulley on a stock balancer. The assembly also features an external belt drive that will accept a wide array of blower belts. Since ATI manufactures the Super Damper for a variety of makes and models, one might think that an off-the-shelf unit would work on a Factory Shootout car.
However, this is not the case. One of the many challenges for ATI Performance Products when developing products for these shootout cars is the sheer size and weight of the vehicles.
So now we have to take what we know about this type of setup and adapt it to a Factory Stock car that could weigh over 3,pounds. These cars are heavy and have a lot of power. We know that everything needs to be stronger to survive. Since the weight of the vehicle determines what components are used in a transmission, a heavy car needs the most robust parts available to live under the harsh conditions of drag racing. So what kind of transmission does it take to survive under these massive cars with modern-day power?
The Turbo was a versatile design of its time and one of the most capable drag race transmissions ever. Its only problem is that the original GM case has not been produced in years, leaving racers and enthusiasts digging through wrecking yards, Craigslist, and even swap meets.
A weak, worn-out case is less than ideal for your average drag car, but especially for a 7-second 1, horsepower shootout contender. Not a chance. They needed a new three-speed transmission that could take a beating and was readily available.
The case, bellhousing, and tail housing are all cast from T6 aluminum and was specifically developed to eliminate all weak points found in the original GM transmissions. The addition of the safety liner eliminates the need for any external shields. These units are used to keep the driver safe in case of catastrophic failure that can occur with an OEM transmission and case.
Typically, these shields mount over the bellhousing and transmission and require the body of the vehicle to be modified for fitment. Not only are these parts a pain to install, but they also do nothing to strengthen the transmission.
Our castings, which are produced in the USA, add rigidity to the part. ATI manufactures everything, making it a brand new unit. In the past, transmission builders had to use the existing gear sets and other components from a used transmission due to a lack of parts availability. The more desired gear set was a 1. We developed a 1.
Now the racers with a lot of power want to start with a lower gear, like a 1. The SuperCase features a removable bellhousing that bolts directly to the transmission case instead of the pump bolt locations. You can bolt a variety of bellhousing combinations on the transmission, including small- and big-block Chevrolet and the LS and LT engines.
ATI makes bellhousings to fit most Ford and Dodge engines, as well. The cases are engineered to accept all internal Powerglide, Turbo , or Turbo components. The SuperCase two- and three-speed transmissions are a good fit for race cars, but this transmission would be overkill for most street cars. Plus, some people like the added driveability that comes with the four, six, and eight-speed units. The wider gear ratios help in performance as well as fuel mileage, giving you the best of both worlds.
Fortunately, ATI has something for its customers that want a high-performance overdrive, too. The company builds these units to take the abuse of a heavy car for street driving and hitting the dragstrip on the weekends. These units are rated up to 1, horsepower, which is serious power for anyone wanting a dual-purpose machine, unlike the Factory Stock cars. These vehicles need the most robust transmission built.
David gave us his input on the future of this class. With that being said, I can see this going on for decades. We need to stick to our roots and keep it simple. If you think about it, this class is a win-win for everyone. Teams like the Bartons will continue to push the limits of the Factory Stock Showdown car while offering a unique test-bed for the companies involved. The latest products and technology will make its way to the market, helping build better race cars and street cars.
Plus, we get to watch some of the coolest cars and best drivers on the planet battling it out on a 9-inch tire.
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NHRA Announces wiacek.com.au NHRA Factory Stock Showdown Rules and Procedures. Competitors will qualify & compete in their own. The Factory Stock Showdown is a specialty drag race series in the NHRA. changes that are within the rules to help power them to well over horsepower.
A year ago, the SAMTech. Throughout the eight-race season, maintaining parity among each of the three brands was an ongoing process with the NHRA Technical Department issuing multiple rules changes, mostly adjusting minimum weights and supercharger overdrive. In the end, the racing was extremely competitive with the top eight cars rarely separated by more than a tenth of a second. Likely more of the same as teams gear up for the traditional season opener in Gainesville.
Go behind the scenes with the people who race these amazing 7 second cars. Hosted by Joe Castello, featuring Brian Massingill.
Document Revision History. At the eight SAMTech. Those not qualifying will not be permitted to run in the Stock eliminator as in past years.
FACTORY STOCK PODCAST
When it comes to muscle car bragging rights, nothing beats a good ol' drag race to settle the score. This is nothing new, as production car drag racing has been going on since the s and '60s. Around , Pro Stock was born and the performance escalated quickly. Fans of modern muscle will be instantly attracted to these insane, often unpredictable, and blindingly quick, low 8-second Factory Stockers that eclipse mph. Each of these are factory-built, strip-only cars that represent the ultimate in technology and performance, using production-style engines while retaining the street-car look.
A Look At Factory Stock Showdown With Dave Barton And ATI
On a given weekend, any one of these cars is capable of winning, and it usually comes down to a hundredth of a second or less between these competitors. This class has stringent rules that the competitors have to abide by, keeping the competitors closely-packed. But what makes this class so attractive? Dave started racing when he was years old and is now in his 23rd season. No one knew how to run the show yet. The naturally-aspirated cars got a handicap start, which was a good attempt to bring everyone together, but it would never work. Nobody wants to watch a heads-up race with a staggered start. I was on top of the world driving a Chevrolet Camaro.
All other motorcycle minimum weights remain the same, with two-valve, cid Suzukis at pounds and cid Suzukis at pounds. This news, announced on the first day of spring, brought veteran Suzuki racer Steve Johnson to announce he was looking forward to eating again, with the pound advantage his motorcycle will have over the V-Twins and Harleys.
Veteran racer Chris Holbrook recorded the quickest and fastest factory super car run in history at the NMCA season opener. Reducing costs is of paramount importance to the longevity of the NHRA's professional eliminators. Build your own custom newsletter with the content you love from Dragzine, directly to your inbox, absolutely FREE!
NHRA Mandates Tech Changes
The race, which takes place May at Memphis International Raceway, will include the popular class as one of the marquee attractions on Saturday, May 23, with Cummings already receiving commitments from many of the top names in the class. The class has grown — both in popularity and participation — at an incredible rate in recent years, and will be given marquee billing and a marquee payout at the Great American Guaranteed Million in Memphis. He noted that 85 percent of the entry money will go back into the purse, meaning the greater number of entries, the bigger the purse. That makes for a massive payout to the racers in the class, and whatever rules package in place at the time will be used at the event. Cummings said certified NHRA tech people will also be on-site in Memphis and the class will race quarter-mile. With an impressive list of star power already, Cummings is excited to see it all come to fruition next year as the class gets major billing at one of the top events of I saw them go down and nobody in the bleachers left. Cummings believes it adds another thrilling layer to what will be one of the most anticipated races of the year. Testing kicks off the event the following day, with the first of the Triple 40s taking place on Thursday. On Friday, each racer will get a timed entry and then they will run the opening round and the re-entry round before finishing for the night. Drag Racing news. E3xtreme Drag Racing news.
2019 NHRA Factory Stock Showdown Rules
After the teams receive their cars from the factories they get to work making changes that are within the rules to help power them to well over horsepower. Once the field of 16 is set, the teams compete in heads up, side by side drag racing. These supercharged race cars have a minimum weight of lbs and are running well into the 7s at over miles per hour. You'll find all the technical specs in this write up from the NHRA. Jump to. Sections of this page. Accessibility Help. Email or Phone Password Forgot account? See more of Factory Stock Showdown on Facebook. Log In.
