I am no longer a 4 cyl driver...well thats not 100% certain, but like 99%. And if I were staying I would want the rules to be opened up a lil more with regards to suspension. I think allowing spring runners...a certain brand of aftermarket shock...things of that nature, maybe moving up may not seem as impossible as some feel now....i think some drivers are a little affraid to move up cause of allt he extra work...or they just dont have the time...

I'm not a 4 cyl driver, so if you dont want my input charger, tell me and i will remove it. After all, i am a loud mouth. 😛

The 4 cyl class is ultra hard to tech. So many different makes with different weights and engine sizes. A couple of points

No sticky directional tires. 200 bucks or more for a tire? come on.
Rule no 1, no directional tires. Now everyone is a liitle more equal.

Winning weight. Since a golf with 140 hp weighs 2200 lbs and mustang with 110 weighs 3000, and a 240 with 160 hp weighs 2700, How do you equalize competition? How about every feature win gets you a trophy and 50 lbs?
Rule #2 All cars must run a weight tray in a track specified location, so feature weight may be added to your car by a track official and added to your minimum weight as teched. So if steve johnson goes through tech opening night and weighs 2550, tech records that, he wins the feature and from this point on has to weigh 2600. If he wins another feature he weighs 2650. Easy. You cant tech engines, Because i build engines and i have no idea what a subaru or nissan looks like stock, never mind modified.  This rule would make everyone happy, because the tech guys dont have to spend hours researching what the cam lift is on a 1987 accord, and racer A is happy that racer B wont drive by him as easy next time. Now if he's cheating give it a couple of weeks, you'll be passing him.

Target lap times.  If the above idea doesnt work out maybe consider a maximum lap time. You all have transponders, if someone is 3/10ths faster than the whole feild, stick some weight in them. Joe might lay back and finish 2nd in the feature if he knows he'll get 50 lbs, but you can bet in a heat when he's chasing someone down from half a track, he's going to be going balls to the wall and cut some fast laps.

Fuel injection.   Now i dont really pay alot of attention to the 4's, but it seems to me guys with injection are very fast. With a injection system you could probably make 50 hp with a computer chip, or custom burnt computer. And the engine is still "stock". if it is an issue maybe dummy the injected cars with a weight penalty. Like 100 lbs to start.

Dont forget, the 4 cyls are a "starter" class. it was meant for guys who didnt have the bucks to race thunder cars, to get out race and have some fun. Now you get people building 2, 3 and 4 thousand dollar engines, and spending big bucks on chassis, fuel etc. The only way to sort it out is to throw weight to the fast guys. If they complain they can race thunder cars, they are spending almost as much racing 4 cyls. Look at what NASCAR is doing to toyota now in trucks and busch. Tapered spacers under the carb, it's like adding weight to them. Toyota did nothing wrong, they just built a strong engine. NASCAR is doing it to equalize the competition and make the racing more exiting for the fans. Barrie could easily do the same with 50 lb blocks of lead.

I'm not a 4 cyl driver, so if you dont want my input charger, tell me and i will remove it. After all, i am a lound mouth. 😛

Dude, you aren't an anything driver...

I think moving up just costs way too much money. I know of a few thunder drivers that came in on a shoestring and watched them get the itch to move up from the back of the pack and I seen the money they poured into their cars. It just blows me away. I ran a good season this year but had problems the last few races and still came in 6th (4 points shy of 5th). My only expense was 2 right side tires I replaced twice for a total expense of about $350 for the season. Even a last place payout got me in the gate, $10 for gas and a hot dog. This is kinna what that other thunder thread was about having to spend $15,000 on a engine to compete.

I know that this thread has been posted in Barrie but we face the same things at Sunset. I think we both have 2 very different 4 cylinder divisions now (I feel Sunset's four fun will be like your charger division next year) so the upper division could be opened up a little allowing more competition. I suppose the 4 cylinder division was meant to be a cheap way to start out in racing but I think with the addition of a division below us that isn't so much the case anymore. When I hear of some mustang guys that have spent $4,000 on a motor you know that class has evolved.

For Barrie I think they need to welcome 16 valves. We have had your fast cars compete at our invitationals and our 16 valves didn't really clean you guys up at all. I think the tire rule could be opened up to allow some slicker or performance tires. I think suspension rules could be opened up and just like the thunder car thread I think some of the rules we have are ok the way they are if they just caught things in tech.