In reality, even the most cheated up crate out there might make 30 HP over a stock one.
Its also very interesting that that guys that go through the center like a missle and carry that additional speed down the straightaway, are ALWAYS the ones labled cheaters when they run crates.
I hate crates, but really when you combine a car that goes through the center, with next to no wheelspin from the crate, you wouldn't be able to beat them with 50 more horsepower........
This is true whether there is a crate or built engine in the car and anyone that has been around the track for a while and has broken a lap down into segments and is not biased in their opinion can tell if the car is fast because of extra power or because the driver is wot 2 car lengths before anyone else.
The problem is the free pass and it is not getting addressed.
A little more cam (lift) on a built motor (some tracks already do this) and stiffer penalties for cheating up a crate (some tracks do this too) would do 2 things. Equal the playing field and punish the ones who cheat. Keep in mind, there is parity with builts and crates when the rules are written properly and enforced. Not that I endorse the crate, I think they should be eliminated (just my opinion). But for the whiners who think a cheated up motor, crate or built will win races, think again. Cars that turn and dont fade, combined with a good driver win races and championships.
Put a set of vortec heads on a built and dyno it Maybe they can tell everyone go ahead build your crate or run stock but no weight break.
Rob,
You're right when you say that "crates are here to stay" but unfortunately there are very few crates that haven't been turned into "magic motors" when they've been freshened up. A stock crate from the dealer is becoming a thing of the past.
Thewrench66,
The problem is when you combine "Cars that turn and dont fade, combined with a good driver win races and championships. with a "magic motor". Now there are very few drivers who are good that need to cheat but I'm sure there is the odd one. Most of the drivers I've run into are average drivers when you take the "special equipment" away from them.
Ajay,
It still boils down to what you said, "the free pass and it is not getting addressed".
On the horizon, and this is just my personal gut feeling, is the elimination of the LLM and then turn it into a full blown Late Model division. If this is the case, hang onto your butt because something going to get jammed up there when that happens.
That is an excellent point bfe, and one that I have made over the last 3 off seasons. I would assume out of the box vortecs would make a minimum of 20 hp over open chamber heads (lest we forget they are 64cc's)
Leave the crates as they are, an economical option to continue/start out in racing, and let the builts run vortec heads.
In the event you have a crate and wish to make more power with it, declare the engine unsealed and put in a flat tappet camshaft and put whatever bottom end you want under it.
I can attest, the lions share of the engine builders charges lie in the 40 year old cylinder heads, flat milling, installing hardened seats and screw in studs, bowl cutting, retrofitting to positive seals etc.
Not only would the vortec heads cure the cheating issues, they would also remove 1000$ + from a built engine.
My #1 complaint about the crates lies in the fact they are illegal in any class, vortec heads, 10 to 1 compression, racing intake manifold and roller cam. So even if they are sealed, they are STILL cheated up for any class they run in.