Not going to well for Mr.Finch

mike honcho said:
Phoenix Racing could close shop at end of 2012 season: James Finch, a 20-year-plus veteran NASCAR team owner, who this year has been fielding #51 Chevrolets for Kurt Busch, says unless there is a big change in economics in this sport "I'll have to hang it up at the end of this season." Finch says the new 2013 NASCAR stockers will obsolete his entire fleet of race cars. "I'll have to throw everything away," Finch says. Finch has no major sponsor this season, and his hauler here is painted stark black. He used Hendrick engineering, at a price of course, and he leased Hendrick engines, at a price too of course.(MikeMulhern.net)(9-8-2012)
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Did I read that article right? There are only 4 Cup engine builders? When did this happen? Wow talk about living under a rock I had no idea, that needs to change. I don't know how but Nascar needs to do something to lower the cost of building engines so any team can build their own.
 
Dwayne said:
Did I read that article right? There are only 4 Cup engine builders? When did this happen? Wow talk about living under a rock I had no idea, that needs to change. I don't know how but Nascar needs to do something to lower the cost of building engines so any team can build their own.
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If you were a low budget team with a chance to buy Hendrick engines or build your own ,which would you choose?
 
Dwayne said:
Did I read that article right? There are only 4 Cup engine builders? When did this happen? Wow talk about living under a rock I had no idea, that needs to change. I don't know how but Nascar needs to do something to lower the cost of building engines so any team can build their own.
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There's five engine builders this year and Penske switching makes just four for next year. With the money spent on R&D, it's cheaper for these teams to lease them and buy the horse power then to go out R&D and try to compete building their own. Chevrolet is the only manufacturer with two motor programs.
 
Both good points. It's just that I remember a time not so long ago you could walk into any makes dealership and order most every part needed to build a Cup engine. Every block, crank, head, rod and intake had a parts number on it all you had to do was suply the carb ignition gaskets etc and go racing. Anyone know when this changed?
 
Dwayne said:
Both good points. It's just that I remember a time not so long ago you could walk into any makes dealership and order most every part needed to build a Cup engine. Every block, crank, head, rod and intake had a parts number on it all you had to do was suply the carb ignition gaskets etc and go racing. Anyone know when this changed?
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When pushrod engines went out of style.
 
Dwayne said:
Both good points. It's just that I remember a time not so long ago you could walk into any makes dealership and order most every part needed to build a Cup engine. Every block, crank, head, rod and intake had a parts number on it all you had to do was suply the carb ignition gaskets etc and go racing. Anyone know when this changed?
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I would say forty years ago give or take five.
 
I'm not so sure. I remember a show where blocks for GM, or maybe it was Ford, were cast differently using slightly different material.
We have a crank we bought with a bunch of other engines parts from a 4 cylinder ARCA team. It's a raw casting, our machinist went nutz turning it down. Said he never experience a crank that hard.
There's a lot of machine work to be done in a off the shelf block and heads, lots of work to make them race ready.
 
BobbyFord said:
When did that happen? 8,000HP Top Fuel motors are pushrod motors. Pushrod motors went out of style in passenger cars, not racecars.
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That's what I meant, because NASCAR is supposed to be some what stock. OHC is stock today because that's what's in these cup cars when they are sold. I'm sure nascar teams starting using racing parts long ago, but I think the blocks were still based off of a retail block until Toyota came in. now they are racing specific bocks made from compacted graphite iron rather than the gray steel or aluminum we get. I think the volt's gen motor is the only CGI motor sold. Not sure though.
 
FenderBumper said:
That's what I meant, because NASCAR is supposed to be some what stock. OHC is stock today because that's what's in these cup cars when they are sold. I'm sure nascar teams starting using racing parts long ago, but I think the blocks were still based off of a retail block until Toyota came in. now they are racing specific bocks made from compacted graphite iron rather than the gray steel or aluminum we get. I think the volt's gen motor is the only CGI motor sold. Not sure though.
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Your slipping.I keep hearing that YOU know EVERYTHING.:rolleyes:
 
Dwayne said:
Sorry Smoke but at Ford you still can. This is the Cup aproved block, scroll down you'll find the heads, yes they need work but I knew you could buy this stuff off the shelf.
http://www.fordracingparts.com/parts/part_details.asp?PartKeyField=11169
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The FR9 engine is unique and does not share any components with previous 351 Windsor or Cleveland based engines
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Come on... Is that something that is run in a car I can buy off the showroom floor? In the mid sixties the frames for cup was made out of hollow tubing. Has ther ever been a production car made out of tubing? In the fifties drivers were running after market axles and wheels because "stock" wouldn't hold up.
 
FenderBumper said:
That's what I meant, because NASCAR is supposed to be some what stock. OHC is stock today because that's what's in these cup cars when they are sold. I'm sure nascar teams starting using racing parts long ago, but I think the blocks were still based off of a retail block until Toyota came in. now they are racing specific bocks made from compacted graphite iron rather than the gray steel or aluminum we get. I think the volt's gen motor is the only CGI motor sold. Not sure though.
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Yup, everything now is smaller cubic inch with multiple valves, OHC's and variable cam timing. More HP out of a smaller mill.
I like that NASCAR still uses pushrod motors.
 
playing by the numbers.

Cup motor: ~850 HP for 355 CI = 2.40 HP per CI

5.7 challenger: ~370 HP for ~350 CI: 1.06 HP per CI

Nitro Engine: ~9250 HP for 500 CI: 18.5 HP per CI [boost]

Our engine: ~850 HP for 505 CI: 1.68 HP per CI

Dodge SRT-4: ~230 HP for 148 CI: 1.55 HP per CI [boost]

Lambo Murcielago: 572 for 378 or 630 for 396 CI (1.51, 1.59 HP per CI)

Bugatti Veyron: 1000 HP for 487 CI: 2.05 HP per CI [boost]
 
Get rid of the top 35 rule. Sponsors aint gonna help the bottom when they are guaranteed at the top. if JJ or Earnhardt arent fast enough one week they go home plain and simple.
 
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