MORE PRO MOD RULES NEWS

The Agent had a little talk with IHRA Tech director Mike Baker during the recent ACDelco U.S. Open at Cordova Dragway. Baker said he felt that on average there was about a half-

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tenth difference between the average qualifying time for nitrous oxide-injected Pro Mods and those using supercharged powerplants, with the edge going to the blown cars. He also said that before any changes came down he would have to see how the nitrous cars ran with 740 cubic inch engines.

The Agent did forget to ask Mr. Baker one thing. Which engine will the nitrous racers that have qualified for the postponed event at Rockingham have to run when they run that race in the fall? The 715 they qualified with or the new 740? Also, if Baker decides to make a rule change for the blown contingent, will that change apply for the postponed event?

Baker also has told some racers that a 4.30 gear rule was not one of the options that he was considering. The Agent hears the most likely rule change would be a blower overdrive reduction. Mike Baker has a very tough job. [5-12-2003]

ATHEY GOING BIG FOR CANADA!

Quain Stott informed the Agent that teammate Paul Athey had already ordered the parts to pump his 710-inch nitrous engine up to the new 740 maximum cubic inch limit and that they should have that motor in for the IHRA race at Grand Bend, Canada. [5-12-2003]

VICK GETTING A SUPERCHARGED ENGINE?

The Agent has heard that nitrous stalwart Steve "Quick" Vick has talked to engine builder Darren Mayer about building a supercharged engine for his Camaro Pro Mod. [5-12-2003]

NEW CHEVY "HEMI" FROM SONNY LEONARD?

One of the Agents' operatives told him that IHRA Pro Stock racers that are currently racing Sonny Leonard five-inch bore center, "wedge-headed" engines will soon have a new head. According to the source, Leonard is having a "Hemi/Chevy" head cast for use with his block. The Agent's source said that one big difference between the current Sonny Leonard Chevy head and the new head will be that the Hemi will have 20 studs per side instead of the 10 it now has. Sounds suspiciously like a cylinder head for a blower motor to the Agent. [5-12-2003]

MIKE FUQUA GOES TO SUPER STOCK

Multiple national event winner and World Champ, Mike Fuqua, is the latest on a long list of .90-class racers to move into the Stock, Super Stock, and Comp arena. He acquired a 1991 Pontiac Firebird and currently races in IHRA and NHRA Super Stock. The Agent overheard the veteran racer tell another racer, "Yeah, I bought a $50,000 super stocker to win a class that pays about $800 not including contingency." [5-12-2003]

EARLVILLE RE-SCHEDULES NHRA OPEN

The NHRA open event scheduled at Earlville, Iowa May 9-10 which was the same weekend as the IHRA-sanctioned Sportsman national event at Cordova, Ill had way less than 50 cars, probably due to the terrible weather all over the Midwest that weekend. The event has been rescheduled for September fourth, which is the Thursday prior to the U.S. Nationals and is still open for entries. [5-12-2003]

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