NEW GASOLINE DEVELOPED FOR PRO MODS?

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The Agent hears that fuel maker Sunoco has been working on an experimental gasoline for circle track racers that may find its way into the drag racing arena. Evidently Sunoco was working on a fuel that would stop piston burning (detonation) in circle track engines with high compression ratios.

What they came up with is a gasoline designed to work at compression ratios between 16-1 and 18-1. While chances are slim that NHRA or IHRA would approve this for Pro Stock use any time soon, you can bet that nitrous-injected Pro Mod tuners are going to want to try it. Detonation is a big problem for them.

Could this be one of those improvements that puts the nitrous Pro Mods into the six-oh ET range? [6-30-2005]

 

 

 

LEHMAN HANGING AROUND WITH BRUTON SMITH

The Agent’s favorite Top Fuel team owner Peter Lehman, who recently completed the sale of his Werner Enterprises backed team to Pro Stock racer Kenny Koretsky, was seen last weekend at the Nascar race in Sonoma hanging with the Richard Childress teams.

The Agent wonders if the young investment banker might be thinking of getting into the NASCAR racing business. Let's see -- investments, $20,000,000 sponsorships, Fortune 500 companies... yeah the Agent could see Mr. Lehman having some interest. Say, doesn’t Bruton Smith own that facility? And doesn’t Peter Lehman have a pretty good background in drag racing? You don’t suppose those two guys...nah, couldn’t be, could it? [6-30-2005]

OK, NOW IT’S OFFICIAL, CAPPS HAS A DEAL

Negotiations to put together a deal that would put Ron Capps between the pipes of a Nitro Nostalgia Funny Car have been ongoing since last fall. Now thanks to MOPAR Performance Parts and the Mopar management team Capps will be driving Jeff Gaynor's ‘70 Barracuda flopper tuned by veteran Dale Pulde at the upcoming Pomona Goodguys event. This marks MOPAR's first involvement in the Nitro Nostalgia drag racing market.

The bad news is that the driver swap will bump DRO columnist Jeff Utterback from the ‘Cuda’s seat (just for the Pomona event). But with about four weeks left, Jeff Gaynor’s team and former alky dragster champ Gary Turner are trying to finish a Plymouth flopper for Utterback to drive, so that he can earn those valuable VRA World Championship points at Pomona. (Jeff Burk photo) [6-30-2005]