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IN PRO MOD RACING SIZE IS
IMPORTANT!
The Agent has been told by several nitrous
Pro Mod racers, including Rickie Smith and Shannon
Jenkins, that the additional cubic inches for
maximum nitrous engine size that
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recent
rule changes gave those racers wouldn't make much
of a difference in engine performance. Well, the
facts would indicate otherwise. Mike Castellana's
6.17 lap at E-town with power from an engine that
he says was only 731 cubic inches indicates that
indeed the additional cubic inches make a difference.
Just as an example of how close the two types
of cars in Pro Modified are, consider this.
The difference between the lowest E.T. for a
blown Pro Mod and a nitrous injected car at
E-Town was just about nine-hundredths. The difference
between the quickest Pro Stocker and the slowest
Pro Stocker was about seven-hundredths.
For a complete story about Mike Castellana
and his record-setting time, go to the features
section of this magazine. [5-19-2003]
TOP FUEL HARLEYS A NEW PRO
CLASS FOR NHRA IN 2004?
One of the Agent's operatives told him that
several NHRA Pro Stock bike racers are convinced
that NHRA will make the injected Top Fuel Harley
a professional class next year. What we're hearing
is that Harley Davidson's Screamin' Eagle division
will back the series and that several prominent
and current NHRA Harley drivers will build nitro-hogs
for the class.
The Agent suspects that the outcome of the
Pro Stock Truck fiasco will have something to
do about whether nitro Harleys become a class,
although we hear that NHRA was very impressed
with the crowd reaction to the bikes at NHRA's
Bristol Dragway event. (Jeff
Burk photo) [5-19-2003]
ROCCA'S 'DARK HORSE' NEEDS
NOSE JOB
 Johnny
Rocca was uninjured when his chutes failed to
open after his last qualifying pass at Old Bridge
Township Raceway Park in Englishtown. Rocca
skillfully slowed the 2700 lb. Mercury Pro Mod
down from the almost 230-mph speed it was running
at the finish line to about 75 mph — with
just the hand brake — before he went into
the net at the end of the track. Rocca was unhurt
and even had the cool to tell the rescue team
to be careful and not hurt the Dark Horse's
body while they were digging him out.
Crew chief Darren Mayer called the Agent to
tell him that Rocca slowed the car down enough
to keep the frame from being damaged and that
the team would be in Chicago at the end of the
month, "come hell or high water."
With the weather in most of the country so
far this season, the latter is a distinct possibility.
(pre-crunch photo by Jeff
Burk) [5-19-2003]
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