Traction Control:
drag racing's dirty little secret

By Jeff Burk
Photo by Ron Lewis
7/31/03

ll of a sudden traction control has become a serious issue in professional drag racing, especially in NHRA drag racing. Apparently NHRA tech officals and racers in the Pro Stock field have decided that traction control devices may being used.

Now, this isn't a new issue in drag racing. The NHRA has addressed this problem in the last year by not allowing certain MSD ignitions to be used in NHRA competition, specifically the 7531 with a slew-rate rev-limiter that is a de facto traction control device. Although a version of it is being sold like crazy to NHRA sports compact racers and to NMRA and NMCA racers where it is legal. According to a source at MSD, they are selling them as quickly as they can make them to those who run "outlaw" high-dollar, 10.5 wide-tire races with heavy "street legal" race cars. On top of that, a gentleman by the name of Shannon Davis has been selling (on the internet for several years) a traction control device that he installs in a stock MSD ignition box. He makes no bones about what he is doing and claims that it is "virtually undetectable." You can check this guy's product out at www.moretraction.com .

This year, NHRA's Ray Alley let it be known in no uncertain terms that if anyone was caught at an NHRA event with a traction device it would result in something like a "Death Penalty" no matter who the racer was or how important he or she was. One can only assume that would mean a lifetime suspension from NHRA competition.

In an attempt to prevent traction control devices from being used, NHRA has been making Pro Stock racers give up for inspection or switch their ignition boxes at random. Recently, they've even taken to marking the coils on Pro Stock cars when a rumor starting going around that the devices could be concealed in the coil. (My sources tell me this is virtually impossible.)

The problem for NHRA is not that there are traction control devices available, but whether they are being used and how to detect and find them. According to my sources, any engine with a crank trigger-type ignition or a magneto-style ignition with just one wire

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could have a traction control device. The problem, again, is finding the device. I'm told that a traction control device can be made so small that it could be concealed almost anywhere and I mean anywhere.

The real problem for the sanctioning bodies that have outlawed traction control is how to police the problem. Will they strip search every car and driver of every class in the semis and finals? After all, a racer doesn't have to win every race to win a championship. Consistent semi-final appearances will win almost every points race. And what if a racer just needed to go a couple of rounds for two or three races? What if a racer just needed to make sure he or she qualified for an event? The mind boggles at the various scenarios.