Top Five Products and Race Car Cheats - Top Five Madness! - On The Gas

Top Five Products For 1998

1.51st Anniversary Rib Bibs from NASCAR
2.Straight-up (vs. the offset jobs) pave-ment Late-Model bodies for NASCAR
3.Unleaded race gasoline
4.Race tires made in Mexico (don't laugh)
5.Team Tabasco collectible litigation papers-the full set

Top Five Long Shots That Will Come True in the Next Two Years

1. Hoosier will start producing all the tires for Goodyear's race-tire program.
2.NASCAR will develop stars in the BGN series since that is what fans come to see-driver battles.
3.Most racers will use race car equipment (safety belts, driver suits, and so on.) with no product name (e.g., Simpson, and others) on them-under the guise thatall signage will be bought in the big leagues.
4.Fans will no longer be able to get autographs of their drivers in the garage area-oh, sorry, that's happening already.
5.The intense amount of money flowing into all forms of circle-track motor-sports will create the next generation of tainted, moneyed-elite sports figures, and their ensuing troubles and slime will ooze out into the media. My hope isthey check their egos and remain down-to-earth before we have to be submitted to it.

Top Five Misguided Non-Fan Questions of 1998

1. Hey! Was there an anniversary of some sanctioning body or something last year?
2. This Gordon kid, is he a good driver or what?
3. Has the King won any races this year?
4. What's it take to race one of those NASCARs?
5. Why do those ESPN guys always talk about Dick Trickle?

Top Five Cheats of 1998

1. Acid-Etching Iron
Cylinder Heads
The Late-Model racers are up to their ears in acid to hide the porting mischief they have been up to in the supposedly "unmolested cylinder head" classes. Looks like the sanctioning bodies need to go to spec heads, just like ASCS and IMCA, if they are serious about this rule. We're told this can be worth up to 40 hp.

2. Two Cups of Nitro in 5
Gallons of Methanol
This little trick is hard to smell, can work with existing mag settings, and, we're told, can mean 10 to 15 hp. So, the Sprinters, IMCA Mods, and some Late-Model locals are playing with this stuff. The top dogs get fuel checks too often to make it a regular thing, but it's happening.

3. Soaking Tires
It's been going on for years and will continue to go on. In general, this provides a few good laps and on a one-groove track can make the difference, but it can be detected. Our suggestion is to learn chassis setup and beat them legally.

4. Proplyene Oxide in Gasoline
This stuff is nasty. Racers use it, but if you value life, you'll find another way. I don't even want to talk about it, but so many racers are experimenting I wish more sanctioning bodies would fuel-check to get rid of it. Do your kids a favor, don't use it.

5. Weighty Shenanigans
Weight savings are everything today. Look for more and more exotic products coming out to reduce weight on every corner of the car. The grandest trick is to have titanium or another material coated to attract the tech inspector's magnet. Lovely. Can you say second mortgage? Good, because that's what it's going to take to play this low-weight game.

Top Five Bad Photos of Will in 1998 (by Zep)