OBERHOFER’S GHETTO RIDE ON MONSTER GARAGE

Mac Tools/Jesse James Top Fuel dragster co-crew chief Jim Oberhofer has really hit the big time as he will appear as a member of the Discovery Channel series MONSTER GARAGE design team on an episode that will air Monday, May 10, at 9 p.m. (EST). Oberhofer contributed his drag racing know-how to help design a Cadillac Pro Mod wanna-be. He and the rest of the team did good. The ’81 model Fleetwood Caddy looks like it is ready for the AMS Staff Leasing exhibition series for Pro Mods. The agent hopes to see Oberhofer wheeling this ride at the upcoming race at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet. The agent thinks the Caddy would have been a natural for one of the Blues Brothers to be driving. “It was a lot of fun,” Oberhofer said. “I was there mainly to tell him and the other guys on the design team if things would work. Obviously, I know more about Top Fuel racing, but the basic principles can be used to make anything

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go faster – things like getting good traction and motor angles and stuff like that are what I helped with.” The agent just wants know what’s the percentage and what’s the overdrive? [5-5-2004]

BUT WEIGHT THERE’S MORE

Agent 1320 keeps hearing the rumor that if the 20 percent overdrive rule recently handed to the supercharged class by the IHRA proves to be too much of a performance penalty IHRA’s next move will be to take some weight off of the supercharged car. Considering that IHRA/NHRA Pro Mods currently are capable of running in the low six-second zone at over 230 mph weighing close to 2800 lbs. when they leave the line, the Agent thinks if this is indeed the way IHRA goes it not only makes life easier on the blown cars but it certainly makes the supercharged cars safer. [5-5-2004]