No particular racer or race team in Pro Stock has been implied as those looking for an edge, nor have any been named in rumors. The above photo of title contender Erica Enders is a file photo used for the story, with no intent of being named or targeted.
The NHRA’s Pro Stock class is one ruled by many limitations – each engine may spec out no larger than 500 cubic inches, while every car must go over the scales at no less than 2,350 pounds. The bodies that cover the tube-chassis underpinnings must conform to specific templates set forth by the sanctioning body, and a ‘spec’ fuel must be used.
This limits the options of the competitors by forcing them to look in places that are not obvious to find performance advantages and refine their combinations to the highest degree possible. Racers like Greg Anderson, Jason Line, Erica Enders, and Allen Johnson have an incredibly difficult job of trying to find horsepower to gain an edge over their competition. All the way back to when Bob Glidden famously covered his intake manifold and carburetors with his fire jacket after a rollover crash, secrecy has been the name of the game in Pro Stock.
Rumors started floating around last week that some competitors had been shaving their tires, removing some of the excess rubber manufactured into their slicks, and the NHRA acted decisively on Wednesday. Below is the text of their rules revision.
SECTION 20: GENERAL REGULATIONS, TIRES & WHEELS: 5, 5.1 TIRES
(Page 28) (9/12/2012)
Tires will be visually checked for condition, pressure, etc. and must be considered free of defects by the technical inspector prior to any run. All street tires must have a minimum of 1/16-inch tread depth. Temporary spares, space saver spares, farm implement or trailer tires prohibited. Metal, screw-in valve stems mandatory in tubeless tires, front and rear, on vehicles running 11.99 or quicker. Chemically treating or physically altering (i.e. lightening etc. ) a tire is prohibited by anyone other than the original manufacturer.
What does this mean, and why would someone try intentionally to remove the tread surface?
Well, it’s simple. Since the restrictions in this class are so strict, the racers are looking everywhere to try for that elusive advantage over the competition. The rumors we’ve heard mentioned that the teams in question were removing up to three pounds of “excess” rubber from each rear tire, and in the quarter-mile, the advantage provided by that lightening effect is noticeable. Having six less pounds to turn rotationally when the power is applied means that the car will get “up on the tire” more quickly and provide a small advantage, however minute, at the big end of the track. In a class where races are often decided by thousandths of a second, any advantage at all can mean the difference between hoisting the Wally or the long drive home after first round.
Depending upon how much actual shaving was going on, however, the integrity of the tire could be compromised.
Network
