BYE-BYE "LEGAL" FIVE-SECOND DOOR CARS

The IHRA tech department has announced another new rule for blown Pro Modified competitors, this time reducing maximum overdrive for high-helix superchargers from the current 29 percent to 24 percent. The rule won't be enforced until July 1 allowing IHRA/NHRA supercharged racers attending events at Edmonton, Alberta, Canada or St. Louis (Madison, IL) to compete under the current 29 percent overdrive.

This action comes just about a month after the IHRA gave the nitrous oxide-injected cars an additional 30 cubic inches of engine displacement, raising the maximum engine displacement from 710 to 740 cubic inches. It also comes approximately 30 days after Mike Castellana recorded the first elapsed time in the 'teens by a nitrous car. So, in the space of just five races IHRA has essentially made two rule changes designed to make

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the nitrous cars quicker and to slow down the blown cars. Interestingly, more nitrous cars have qualified than blown cars at several IHRA events this year, including the most recent event at Virginia Motorsports Park.

The IHRA's decision leaves some racers and series with questions. If the IHRA World Championship comes down to the rescheduled Spring Nationals which will be run as part of the season ending IHRA World Finals in October, will the Spring Nationals be contested under the rules that were in place when racers qualified for that event in March or under the new rules? With nine of the races on the IHRA schedule still to be contested, current points leader Mitch Stott (supercharged) could possibly go from first to worst if the blower cars are slowed down by the couple of tenths that most tuners are expecting.

Racers like Fred Hahn and Mitch Stott also have issues on the NHRA circuit. They are in a very close fight for the DRO/NMM Pro Mod World Championship for the AMS Staff Leasing Pro Mod Challenge. Stott is in line for some big bonuses from his sponsors should he win a Championship on either circuit. In fact, Mitch Stott is at or near the top of the points chase in both sanctioning bodies.

Then there is the issue of the AMS Staff Leasing Shootout that is to be held in Dallas. Making the field for that event is based upon qualifying positions and should the rules drastically slow down the blown cars, then several racers who are in that elite eight could be bumped off if nitrous cars start qualifying near the top of the field at the next three races as a result of the mid-season rules change.

This rule change probably guarantees that there won't be an IHRA-legal Pro Mod car in the five-second zone anytime soon, nor will there likely be any more 230+ mph passes, especially considering that the last two races under the current rules will be held either at the 5000+ ft elevation track at Edmonton or the usual hot, slick and humid conditions of St. Louis.

Chances are good that if you missed the 6.0's and 230+ laps that occurred earlier in the season at Houston, Bristol and E-town, it will be a long time before you get another chance after the new rules are implemented. (photo courtesy Mitch Sott) (6-18-2003)

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