Antron Brown and the Matco Tools Top Fuel dragster team tested a restrictor plate concept. The restrictor plate was placed on top of the supercharged they use to race. Brown made two very productive passes with his best run a 3.89-second elapsed time at 304 mph (at 1,000 feet), slightly slower than the team’s race day performance. It was determined that a smaller restrictor plate will be tested in the future. It marked the first time a Top Fuel team has participated in the testing sessions.

“We ran a 21.56 square inch plate on top of the blower that reduced the inlet size,” said Brian Corradi. “We also ran a smaller fuel pump, backing it down 5 gpm at one point in the run and around 7 gpm at another point to compensate for less air going into the motor. I’m not sure if it will run that well all the time, given we don’t have enough test runs or data after just two runs and only one at full pass. With that said, we were happy with the car’s performance as this combination didn’t hurt any parts. Our goal at DSR is to work with the NHRA and do what we can to make the sport as safe as possible.”

NHRA plans on conducting the next test after the 10th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tenn. on Monday, June 21.

I spoke with the team manager/crew chief of a well known team (who asked not be identified for fear of reprisal from the NHRA) about NHRA’s newest engine/fuel/rear gear testing and asked him to comment on the NHRA’s efforts. He was quick to praise the NHRA for their efforts but at the same time he was concerned that what they were doing wouldn’t solve the issue the sport is facing.

“First, a 417-inch engine is not going to save teams any money,” he told me. “They will require us to develop and purchase new cylinder heads, intake manifolds, new rods and so on.” But, he continued, “It isn’t the parts that are costly to the teams, it is the amount of new parts we will have to develop and buy.”

He explained further, “When the NHRA went to the 75-minute turnaround the cost of fuel racing skyrocketed. We had to add more permanent crewmembers and we have to have more engines. Right now most teams carry as many as eight complete engines and 10 sets of cylinder heads. Add to that blowers, magnetos, clutch packs, and you can begin to see what kind of money will have to be spent if we adopt a brand new engine combination.”

I asked about possibly adjusting the rev-limiter that is part of the MSD ignition system and was told that tuners have found that if their fuel curve is correct their engines will continue to accelerate past the pre-set RPM limit.

Many of the owners and crew chiefs I’ve talked to are just tired of worrying about what the rule changes are going to be and when they will be re-instated. More than one of the men said they wished that the NHRA would just do something and soon. 

It may be that in order to really slow down the fuel cars no one or two changes are going to work, and a major overhaul of the spec engine rules would be required, but even if that were to be done, as long as engine builders are able to change compression, adjust the fuel curve, and adjust boost, slowing down the nitro cars is not going to be an easy task.