The Digs

Main - Pictures - Message Board - Engine Database
Tranny Database - Articles - Racing Stocks - Links
Automotive Math - Schedules - Chat - Guestbook
Suggestions - Apparel - Free Classified Ads


Fixing Factory Street - The Defense By Jeff Lee Since I am being challenged that the only reason that I made this Factory Street proposal was to build a class just for MY car, and MY benefit; I am going to print my original Factory Street letter to Heads Up News. This letter was written to then HUN editor Chuck Schifsky, (and other Petersen publishing editors) in July 1998 (or thereabouts). Shortly after Factory Street was proposed to the NMCA. This letter was printed in I believe the November 1998 issue of Heads up News. Along with it a bludgeoning counterpoint by CC editor David Freiburger. To which I must say: thanks a lot smartypants. NMCA still picked up the class, but made changes to it that I still do not agree with. My only point is that I did this for the good of the little guy racer. Not my own benefit. I was looking after fellow NMCA Top Stockers and EFI racers that got the axe when Petersen bought NMCA out! I also did it for the good of the NMCA. If you don't believe me, that's not my problem. So what if I wanted to race it? Wouldn't you? My only beef is that NMCA allowed too much in F/S, and now it's at the point that only a few people can afford to run it. Yes...including myself. Which makes it not work as it was planned to. So it has to be fixed. Anyway, for those of you who don't know, this is where Factory Street first got started. Hope this ends any speculation of my motivations. Thanks, Jeff Lee The Digs To: Chuck Schifsky, Heads Up News 6420 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90048-5515 From: Jeffrey T. Lee Muskegon, MI Dear Chuck (Schifsky), Ro (McGonegal), David (Freiburger), and Jeff (Smith)-(Petersen editors) I am writing to you today with my concern for the average person who wants to compete in the NMCA Comp Cams Fastest Street Car Drag Racing Series. In case some of you out there have not noticed, the cost to build a competitive "budget class" Hot Street, EZ Street, or even Real Street car has gone out of control. In order to win, it is not uncommon for these guys to spend well over 20 grand on their engines alone. Not to mention the cost of building the car itself. It has really become necessary to spend that kind of cash when the winning ET's are dipping down into the mid to low nines regularly. I will not unmask the big spenders, but a quick check in the winners circle ends many of the mysteries. Now it is not a sin to spend money on your car to make it quicker and faster to win. In fact, it has been the standard procedure in any form of racing since time began. So what does the little guy who wants to race heads up for the glory of being in the pages of Hot Rod (CC,CHP) Magazine do? We are tired of seeing our blood, sweat, and tears being passed up by the camera lens, simply because we have no other affordable options other than bracket racing our works of fine art. I am sorry if I may have offended the hard-core bracket racers out there, but bracket racing is not what the NMCA is about. It is about all out, gear banging, tire burning, heads up street car drag racing. Something needs to be done to allow the average Hot Rod (CC, CHP) Magazine reader to compete heads up at the Power Festivals with their pride and joy. There is just too much fun to be had in this heads up street car drag racing, and I don't think anyone should get left out. I am now going to share with you my idea that may enable the NMCA to do that. I have submitted to the NMCA a proposal for a new entry level class named Factory Street (F/S) which is now as I understand, being considered for next season. The rules of this class are similar to Real Street but quite a bit more restrictive. It is also a culmination of rules from many other current and former drag racing classes. I will show here a basic outline of the rules, but if anyone should want a complete copy; contact me and I should be able to send one your way. (2.00 to cover shipping costs if you could please. Thanks.) FACTORY STREET OUTLINE OEM V8 engines only with stock internal components, oiling systems and OEM iron heads 370 cid limit SB, 470 cid limit BB (to eliminate strokers) Non solid roller cam valvetrain and 10" minimum vacuum @ 1200RPM no electric fans, water pumps single accepted 4bbl carb or OEM fuel injection on cast manifolds no power adders (nitrous, turbo, supercharger) stock bodies (no fiberglass), interiors, steering, gas tanks, and suspensions 3200lbs SB cars/3800lbs BB cars; 50/50 weight distribution class spec P275/60R15 BF Goodrich Comp T/A Drag Radial drive tires 400 heads up pro tree/32 car field (64 if necessary) The class is pretty simple to understand and the restrictions are all cost effective solutions to the rising cost of racing. They all work together to prevent you from spending too much dough on building your car. To start, OEM parts are pretty darn cheap and readily available. The cam rule will limit how much head porting you need, or the fact that you must regularly change valve springs on your high revving roller cam motor. Oh, and since you don't need to rev the snot out of your motor, it will therefore last you longer as well; which will also be cheaper. I don't even need to tell you about what nitrous can do now do I? You don't have to spend money to build a stroker motor, because you can't. You also don't want to make too much power because you'll blow the radial tires away. Now I realize that some people will still spend more money to get that competitive edge. But why spend that money when you really don't need to? A great thing about this class would be that there are so many cars that would probably already fit into it, or they only need some minor changes to fit. Street cars, former NHRA/IHRA stockers, local bracket cars, former NMCA Top Stockers, EFI class cars, and some refugees from the now cutthroat Real Street and EZ Street ranks could easily fit into F/S. If Hot Rod (CC,CHP) should decide to market this new class to their millions of monthly readers, I'm sure it would strike a chord and take off. After all, this class is geared towards the average guy with the average street machine, which I am pretty sure is the majority of the Hot Rod (CC, CHP) readership. As the cost of these heads up street classes continues to rise, it becomes abundantly clear that something needs to be done before all of the competitors are driven out by high costs. This means offering an alternative such as Factory Street as well as changing some rules within the current classes to keep costs down and participation up. The bottom line here however is that the NMCA has not quite yet reached the level of Professional NHRA drag racing. So why should the costs? Most of these racers out here are here to have fun. When they can no longer afford to compete, they no longer have fun. Then they quit. I really don't want to see that happen as I'm sure you don't either. Thank you for listening. Those of you who agree with me should also let the NMCA know how you feel on this matter. I am just one voice.

FACTORY STREET OUTLINE