IT'S NOT A HEMI, IT'S A CHEVY...SORT OF!

DRO is going to have an in-depth article on the new generation Sonny Leonard Chevy motor in the August issue, but we couldn't resist giving you a little sneak peek at the cylinder heads in their raw state. So here you go. By the way, while we were there Sonny was testing one of the motors for IHRA racer John Montecalvo on the dyno and it made over (way over) 1700 hp and 1200 lbs of torque on a day when the air was terrible. [7-14-2003]

CUBIC INCHES DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

DRO was at Sonny Leonard's Lynchburg, VA shop for a dyno test of Leonard's new generation Chevy engine with heads that feature 180-degree opposed valve position, but without a hemispherical combustion chamber. During the test, the subject of Leonard's new 737 cubic inch nitrous Pro Mod motor came up. Sonny told DRO that his 737 engine makes 100-125 hp more than the 710 inch engines he has built in the past. DRO relayed to Sonny that both Rickie Smith and Shannon Jenkins told DRO that more cubic inches wouldn't make a difference in horsepower. The famed engine builder just laughed at that suggestion. DRO did see that three or four of the 737 engines were in the process of being assembled. [7-14-2003]

NUMBERS IN THE NEWS

When was the last time a Pro Modifed's winning time at an IHRA or NHRA National event was in the 6.50s? When was the last time the low qualifier was in the 6.30's? At the just-

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completed IHRA National Event at Milan, MI. [7-14-2003]

INTO THIN AIR?

With the NHRA in Denver for the Mile-High Nationals, the question of altitude and oxygen is sure to be on the racers' minds. The naturally-aspirated engines in Pro Stock may be most affected as they strain to create horsepower.

Warren Johnson estimates that the cars lose between 250 and 300 horsepower running in the thin air, which means that they don't run as fast as at other tracks.

"Today's engines are different," WJ explained," so you have to adjust accordingly. This includes changes in the gearing as well as the mixture to the carburetor. The lack of power also means you can't use the same suspension set-up as you do at sea level. From a performance standpoint, it's certainly not as fast as we like, but on the competitive side, I don't care if it takes an hour to cross the finish line, as long as I get there first."

Johnson quipped, "You know you're in trouble when you get to town and the air is so thin that even the birds are walking." Man, the Professor cracking a joke . . . maybe the thin air affects more than the engines. [7-14-2003]