I love it when we get letters from the readers. Some months we'll receive letters on a wide variety of topics, everything from the cost of safety equipment to feature topic suggestions to human interest stories. Then there are other months were one subject seems to dominate the majority of the mail we receive. Months like that are usually the result of something that was written in the magazine, sometimes it's a feature but most often it is about a column either Bob or I wrote. This month was exactly that-single subject domination.inline_mediumwraptextright32290011/techarticles/ctrp_1004_green_racing_motorctrp_1005_04_o+green_racing_motor+editor.jpgTrue

If Smokey Yunick was still with us today, I suspect he'd be smack in this middle of this issue. He once told me that carburetors are little more than "controlled leak" devices and that electronic fuel injection in everyday circle track engines was an inevitable option that should be explored and developed at a practical level. Before we dig into the subject, let's take a moment to review some combustion properties that play into the benefits of EFI, as compared to carburetors. While we won't address related topics such as system economics and complexity, both of those elements appear becoming of less user concern than in the past.inline_mediumwraptextright31638675/enginetech/ctrp_1003_fuel_injection_systemsctrp_1003_01_z+fuel_injection_systems+pontiac.jpgTrue

Don't you hate it when you're on your back under the race car and you drop a nut, bolt, or some other small fastener and it takes 10 minutes to find it on your old worn-out shop floor? Yeah, we do too. In fact, we hate it so much that from the day we signed the lease on our new race shop we knew we wanted to upgrade the floor. Our Circle Track/Project DLM race shop is located in a typical industrial park around the corner from CT's main offices. It's a 24 by 48 space and has an older concrete floor. Although stained, the surface is flat, even, and largely undamaged.inline_mediumwraptextrightThe first step is to grind off any epoxy or other contaminants that would keep the base from properly adhering to the floor.31324269/ultimateracing/ctrp_1002_rock_solid_floorsctrp_1002_01_o+rock_solid_floors+garage.jpgTrue

Oil Filter Crushers Let Shops Get Greener
Engine shops, or even high-volume race shops, will love the new RP-20FC Oil Filter Crusher from Ranger Products. In just 20 seconds, this industrial-quality, welded steel plate crusher applies 10 tons of pure, air-operated pressure to just about any used oil filter, easily reducing it to 25 percent of its original size and removing 95 percent of the oil. The exclusive X-shape bevel in the press head pre-aligns filters for an absolute vertical press, and it offers an integrated collection chamber and collector downspout for simple oil recovery. This no-mess design operates clean and efficiently to significantly reduce spill hazards. And at the drastically reduced size, oil filters are both easier to store and cheaper to dispose of, which encourages proper waste management. For information contact Ranger Products at 805/933-9970 or visit www.rangerproducts.com.inline_mediumwraptextright25849637/techarticles/ctrp_1002_rhs_aluminum_ls_race_blockctrp_1002_01_o+rhs_aluminum_ls_race_block+oil_filter_crusher.jpgTrue

Four decades ago, Bob Dylan sang about it and we're still living it today; "The times they are a-changing." Much more recently, people close to the sport of motor racing have suggested that global motorsports is facing challenging times, particularly with respect to fuel sustainability, environmental accountability, and a fundamental relationship between new vehicle technologies and what we race.inline_mediumwraptextrightStreet stocks take the green flag at Wall Stadium in Wall, NJ Jim Smith25465982/ultimateracing/ctrp_1001_future_vehicle_technologiesctrp_1001_01_z+future_vehicle_technologies+street_stocks.jpgTrue

A good portion of the advertisers in the pages of Circle Track are retailers of racing products that have both large-scale stores and mail-order/web based businesses. These companies supply a significant amount of the parts that we as racers use on a weekly basis. As the editorial braintrust of this magazine sat around the lunch table, we came up with the idea that it might be fun to pick an arbitrary dollar amount and then call up one of these retailers and see how they would spend it.inline_mediumwraptextright26710942/techarticles/ctrp_1001_day_motorsports_toolsctrp_1001_01_z+day_motorsports_tools+.jpgTrue

At one time or another we've all had to deal with pesky nuts and bolts that don't cooperate, especially at the track between heat races and mains. Maybe it's the carb nut that gets cross-threaded. Or perhaps a valve-cover bolt gets lost. Heck, it might even be as simple as trying to fit a socket onto a hard-to-reach nut or bolt. Well, the folks at Madco Fasteners have come up with a nifty new fastener that puts an end to those problems and more. Its new, patent-pending Ratchet Fit Fastener uses a stud and fastener combination where the fastener acts like a nut. The whole system essentially works just like a typical socket wrench.

Comp's Break-In Oil
Engineers at Comp Cams and Endure Performance Lubricants have been working hand-in-hand to develop a full line of auto-motive lubricants, the first being Comp's ZDDP-enhanced Engine Break-In Oil.inline_mediumwraptextright30914082/techarticles/ctrp_1001_engine_break_in_oilctrp_1001_01_z+race_products+break_in_oil.jpgTrue

I am interested in many forms of auto racing including Dirt Late Models and Modifieds, Sprint Cars, asphalt anything-including Cup sometimes-road racing, and yes, Formula 1. It was with great interest that I watched Ferrari driver Felipe Massa get hit in the head by a spring that fell out of a competitor's car during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix. He was traveling at 150-plus mph and the spring smacked him in the left temple area with the helmet taking the blunt force of the impact.inline_mediumwraptextright30874248/techarticles/ctrp_1001_road_racing_tipsctrp_1001_01_z+road_racing_tips+springs.jpgTrue

I happened to incur irony at its finest last weekend. You see, last weekend for us was our second race of the year and, while running seventh about 75 laps in to our 250-lap race, the engine sputtered like it was out of gas, and then shut off. I thought for certain I had blown it. We checked and checked for a problem underneath the hood and then finally someone thought to change the battery. Bang! The engine fired right back up. I remember thinking to myself, Wow this is ironic. When I get home from the race I have to write a story called "Battery Basics." It turns out that it wasn't necessarily a battery problem, but rather an alternator problem. However, I can assure you that the battery and alternator will not go unchecked from here on out.

Full Swivel

Have a rough season last year? Take advantage of the off-season to refine your chassis setup. Here are the top 10 most important areas of concern facing teams in dirt track racing.

While taking the tour around the annual Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council meet-ing in Los Angeles recently, we ran across the latest addition from QA1, its low-friction ball joint. This patented ball joint features an infinite preload adjustment that allows breakaway torque to be set as low as 0 lb-ft, delivering completely smooth, bind-free operation.

We approach the new season hopefully and with newfound knowledge. We now have another year under our seatbelts and, with that, a better understanding of our asphalt race cars. We can't let that go to waste as we prepare for our '08 season.

In the modern short track racing world of both dirt and asphalt competition, shocks have become one of the most important tuning tools we have. They compliment the current setups, especially the radical big bar and soft spring setups. And so, we complete our trilogy of shock technology articles with the final installment on how to tune the transitions.

Let's review a bit of physics in preparation for Part 2 of our technology transfer series on page 28. All elements in a rotating body have a measure of kinetic energy. Simply stated, this is "energy in motion." If you place a weight on a table, relative to some distance from the floor, it exhibits "potential" energy as a function of the object's weight and height above the floor. At this point, potential energy is at a maximum, kinetic (moving) energy is zero.

In this segment of the Series, you're provided some considerations directed toward component selections that form the "foundation" of a high performance or racing engine. To round out an understanding of how such choices may affect the combustion process and its ability to optimize power with reliability, some additional aspects need to be discussed.

Mention the word crate motor at any racetrack in any town around the country and you will get one of two opinions. Either they're the best thing since sliced bread or they will be the final nail in the coffin of short-track racing. In the motorsports world, crate engines are the topic, a political hot potato that is the equivalent of healthcare, Iraq and social security all rolled into one.

Bearings are usually taken for granted-until the bearing comes out in more pieces than when it went in. We'll explore the selection, installation and maintenance of various bearings which will allow you to keep your racer in top condition and give you a better shot at seeing that checkered flag.

The off season is an ideal time to upgrade the safety equipment on your racecar. So, we decided to do just that with our latest Circle Track project car, the ABC Supply Ford Fusion of Urban Force Racing. Follow along with this photo essay as the guys from Urban Force install a brand new window net system from G-Force.

There is no denying that crate motors are now a big part of stock car racing. The lower initial cost of a sealed crate motor-versus a built race engine-has allowed many new racers to find their way into the sport and made racing just a bit more affordable for veterans.

It may be the most widely-used-and most recognizable-name in racing, but Holley isn't resting on its laurels. In an effort to reduce the need for expensive carb tuners and provide racers with an even better carburetor right out of the box, Holley has introduced its new lineup of Ultra Series carbs.

We have been asked to present more basic information on subjects such as shocks. Sometimes, no matter what your level of understanding of a particular technology, it can be a good thing to be refreshed on the more basic information. So, we present a multi-part series on the racing shock.

Editor's Note: When we commissioned this article from Bob Gosch (better known as "Bob the Driveshaft Guy" in NASCAR shops), we had no idea how complicated this seemingly simple part was. It is critical that the part match the application in many different ways. Here he explains why in Part One of a two-part analysis that every racer should heed.

There are several reasons that Chevrolet's V-8 engine package is so popular among racers and widely supported by the aftermarket. It is compact and relatively lightweight for its displacement. It has a dependable oiling system that holds up well to high-rpm abuse. It's comparatively easy to build and find ways to make power. And finally, the design has remained relatively unchanged since Chevrolet first debuted its 350ci V-8 in 1968. It wasn't phased out of production until 1996, when the LS family of engines took over.