Say Y.E.S. To Developing The Next Generation Of Motor-Culture's Life Blood

Tasca Racing and its driver, Bob Tasca III are looking for young minds to train and place into their organizations. Motor Culture and Motorsports for life. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2023)

Say Y.E.S. To Developing The Next Generation Of Motor-Culture's Life Blood

To spend a day at the NHRA's infamous annual Winternationals event weekend is always a special treat. What most who attend do not know is that the NHRA is serious about investing in developing the next generation of functionaries that would be needed to keep the next generations of racing superstars performing at dragstrips across the country in pursuit of their claim of the national championship.

Just this last Friday, for example, a group of friends were able to be invited to take in the introductory portion of the NHRA's enticement and engagement program directed at High School aged students to have them to begin thinking about the future of their lives as having careers that involve skills needed in support of automobiles, mobility, and communications engagement to others. 

This program goes by the name NHRA Y.E.S. Program which stands for Youth & Education Services Program. It was formed in 1989 with the expressed purpose to provide quality programs and activities for schools and youth organizations nationwide that focus on the importance of goals and continued education so that students learn about and explore various career opportunities. The program will also show students how S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) is applied to both, real world situations and NHRA Drag Racing, which they will have the opportunity to see live, in action, at the track!

On Friday, large groups of students, and educators, totaling over 800 persons in each of three sessions - over 2,500 registered participants, were given a 25 minute presentation by four members of organizations that are directly involved in the goals of the NHRA's Y.E.S. Program and its powerful effects in career guidance. Panelists were: 

Hernan Cortez - Mac Tools- Franchise Recruiter

Susie Frausto - Gerber Collision & Glass - Vice President of Marketing

TSgt. Armando Munoz - U.S. Air Force

Bob Tasca III - FORD - The driver of the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Funny Car

All introduced and presented by Alan Reinhart: NHRA Announcer. NHRA Y.E.S. Program Emcee 

First year, newly christened, venue title sponsor proudly displays new signage as IN-N-OUT Pomona Dragstrip. Not a better marriage could be made given the past history of association between these two Southern California born icons of drag racing. Further, it doesn't hurt to have access to a title sponsor Double-Double along the way as one takes in the activities at the Winternationals. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2023)

This excerpted and edited from John Dinkel - Contributor to the SAE's Automotive Engineering magazine -

Say Y.E.S. to the NHRA

I spent Friday, March 31 at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, California as part of the NHRA’s Y.E.S. (Youth & Education Services) Program.

----

My role, beyond photographing the activities and being my usual Editorial Irritant, was assisting one of the student groups, Parkway Ford Heritage Mission (https://parkwaymission.org/), that participated in the YES activities.  

FORD Motor Co. Follow & Win awareness booth. Image Credit: John Dinkel (2023)

As part of the Parkway Ford Heritage Mission apprenticeship and spirituality program, students learn skills such as how to bend, cut, grind and weld metal, working in a shop along side real life race cars. So, YES, students learn how to go fast with God.

Heritage Mission founder, Jack Burns, knows of what he teaches. He’s the founder of Burns Stainless, one of the premier engine header fabricators in the country. You’ll find Jack’s headers in most every known racing series: NHRA, IMSA, SCCA, IndyCar . . . and more.

 Jack Burns studying header design .Image Credit: John Dinkel (2023)

So when I refer to Mr. Burns as a”complete fabrication,” what can he say, he knows I’m telling the truth. 

Jack’s in the process of rebuilding a Pro Comp Ford Mustang, which will have a very trick motor, and I’ve promised not to let the pistons out of the bag until Jack is ready to unleash his unfair advantage on his unsuspecting competitors.  

So . . . you’ve been warned! 

The speakers at the Winternationals YES program included representatives from Mac Tools, Gerber Collision & Glass, the US Air Force and Bob Tasca III representing Ford Motor Company.

Panelists: from R to L in order of presentation - Hernan Cortez - Mac Tools- Franchise Recruiter | Susie Frausto - Gerber Collision & Glass- Vice President of Marketing | TSgt. Armando Munoz - U.S. Air Force | Bob Tasca III - FORD - The driver of the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Funny Car. Image Credit: John Dinkel (2023)

For those of you who have just moved here from another planet, Bob is a third-generation Ford dealer with a home base in Rhode Island.  

Funny Car Driver Bob Tasca III. Image Credit: John Dinkel (2023)

Bob Senior wanted Ford to get involved with NHRA drag racing in the 1960s and used a letter writing campaign by his customers and other friends to catch Henry Ford II’s attention.  

Of course, the Cobra Jet 428 engine Bob Sr. and his dealership team built from parts found in the Ford service parts catalog didn’t hurt. Especially when Tasca’s Mustang Cobra Jet race cars were blowing the doors off the competition at the drag strip.

Tasca Sr. coined the phrase, "Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday,” had a major influence on improving Ford’s durability and reliability, and was a driving force behind the “Quality is Job 1” initiative.

Today, Bob Tasca III continues his grandfather’s legacy.

Photo Courtesty Bob Tasca Racing (2023)

Bob races one of the baddest and fastest Ford Mustang Funny Cars (https://www.tascaracing.com) on this or any other planet. And he is a great representative for Ford, for kids, for racing and for education. Everyone needs to spend a few “motorvating” minutes listening to Bob explaining in simple terms the connections among education, setting goals and planning to achieve those goals. 

Ford’s involvement in the YES program also included the opportunity for students to talk to several dealer training reps from area Ford dealers.

 Tasca Racing support pit. Image Credit: John Dinkel (2023)

After this “schooling,” I took a small group of the Parkway Ford Heritage Mission students, instructors and parents over to Bob Tasca’s paddock trailer for a look-see. A big ”thank you” to all of Bob’s crew who took time out of their busy schedules to chat with our group and give them a close-up look at what goes on behind the scenes of a successful racing program, including a tour of Bob’s car and his motorhome/work shop inner sanctum.

Image Credit: John Dinkel (2023)

Image Credit: John Dinkel (2023)

Image Credit: John Dinkel (2023)

Image Credit: John Dinkel (2023)

Image Credit: John Dinkel (2023)

Image Credit: John Dinkel (2023)

It was a day they will long remember as they explore education pathways and post graduation career opportunities.

Image Credit: John Dinkel (2023)

The rest of the day was spent grabbing burgers at In-and-Out, checking out the NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Dragsters, which are half-scale versions of Top Fuel dragsters offering kids ages 5-17 the opportunity to experience the thrill of drag racing in a controlled environment, watching practice and qualifying runs, and standing close enough to the starting line to feel the thunder from Tasca’s Funny Car punching you in the stomach.  

Image Credit: John Dinkel (2023)

Image Credit: John Dinkel (2023)

Image Credit: John Dinkel (2023)

Image Credit: John Dinkel (2023)

Image Credit: John Dinkel (2023)

A great day for learning about earning, the importance of schooling and goal setting, and having fun around drag racing and drag racers.

Can’t think of anything better. . .

And don’t forget, this is drag racing where Funny Cars like Bob Tasca’s Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang cover 1000 feet in less than 4 seconds at more than 325 mph. This is about 1000 miles in around five hours, give or take a burnout!  If you’re living within a 1000-mile radius of Pomona, you’ve still got time to make the Finals on Sunday, April 2.

So step on it!

[Reference Here]

The NHRA Y.E.S. Program will be a part of most all of the NHRA Drag Racing Events throughout the rest of the year - check listings for your own 2023 event location and take part.

2023 NHRA CAMPING WORLD DRAG RACING SERIES YES PROGRAM SCHEDULE

March 10              Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals Gainesville, Florida

March 24              NHRA Arizona Nationals Phoenix, Arizona

March 31              Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals Pomona, California

April 14              NHRA Four-Wide Nationals   Las Vegas, Nevada

April 21              Career Day at the Racetrack” Mid America Dragway Ark City, Kansas (Virtual Program)

April 28              Circle K NHRA Four-Wide Nationals Charlotte, North Carolina.

May 19                Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance Joliet, Illinois

June 2                NHRA New England Nationals Epping, New Hampshire

June 9                NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals Bristol, Tennessee

June 23               Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals Norwalk, Ohio (Virtual Program)

July 14               Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile High Nationals Denver, CO (Virtual Program)

July 21               Flav-R-Pac NHRA Northwest Nationals Seattle, Washington (Virtual Program)

July 28               DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals Sonoma, California (Virtual Program)

Aug. 11               Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor Topeka, Kansas (Virtual Program)

Aug. 18               Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals Brainerd, Minnesota (Virtual Program)

Sept. 1               Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals Indianapolis, Indiana

Sept. 15              Pep Boys NHRA Nationals Reading, Pennsylvania

Sept. 22              NHRA Carolina Nationals Charlotte, North Carolina

Sept. 29              NHRA Midwest Nationals Madison, Illinois

Oct. 13               Texas NHRA FallNationals Dallas, Texas

Oct. 26               NHRA Nevada Nationals Las Vegas, Nevada 

Nov. 9                In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals Pomona, California

* Please Note any event listed with a (Virtual Program) notation involves watching the Virtual YES Program Presentation at any point during the school year and receiving a free Friday Race Ticket for the Date of the event to attend in Person.  You can find the virtual Program by visiting the Virtual Y.E.S. Program page in the main menu above.

All rolling stock need a Human to be trained up and focused to take care of it in order to deliver the desired results in performance. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2023)

Are you a Parent, an Educator, a Mentor, an influential business/civic leader and wish to give undirected kids a path for personal growth and a possible living-earning six-figure career within just a few years without huge college debt????  

Contact and schedule to have High School, or after school social groups/associations attend a NHRA Youth & Education Services (Y.E.S.) Program and expose young lives to a path of stability, abundance, and fulfilment based in the life-science found in Motor Culture. 

Raise up the next generation of motor-culture's life blood - S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) - toward a land of accomplishment. The next mobility device you save may be your own.

... notes from The EDJE

FEATURED ARTICLE >>>

TAGS: Ford, NHRA, Youth & Education Services, Y.E.S.,  Tasca Racing, MAC Tools, Pep Boys, U.S. Air Force, Gerber Collision & Glass, John Dinkel, SAE, Automotive Engineering Magazine. The EDJE

Chevrolet Sets Table For 2021 And Gives Hints On Future Hybrid Engine Evolution Development

Felix Rosenqvist taking a break between testing sessions at the 2-Day IMS Open Test in his new Chevrolet-powered Arrow McLaren SP Dallara. This will be the first year he will compete in a Chevrolet-powered NTT INDYCAR SERIES ride. He posted a 16th fastest time in the 2-Day IMS Open Test. Image Credit: Chris Jones via NICS (2021)

Chevrolet Sets Table For 2021 And Gives Hints On Future Hybrid Engine Evolution Development

A pre-season NTT INDYCAR SERIES ZOOM Call was held in advance of the first race of the 2021 championship season. The call, held with members of the world press, was fairly open-ended and highlighted current developments on the 10 year old turbo-charged 2.2 liter specification racing engine, and gave additional information on the developments of the 2023 Hybrid 2.4 liter specification racing engine.

It was stressed that nothing will be left on the table for 2021 or 2022 in terms of continued evolution of improving performance power bands and reliability on the current 2.2 liter power plants as the all new 2.4 liter specification comes forward for 2023.

CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES - INDY GP OF ALABAMA - APRIL 17-18 - BARBER MOTORSPORTS PARK - LEEDS. ALABAMA

CHEVROLET ZOOM CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT - APRIL 15, 2021

MARK STIELOW, DIRECTOR OF MOTORSPORT COMPETITION FOR INDYCAR, IMSA,NHRA (CHEVROLET AND CADILLAC) 

ROB BUCKNER, CHEVROLET RACING ENGINEERING PROGRAM MANAGER FOR INDYCAR 

CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT - MEDIA VIA ZOOM AND DISCUSSED OUTLOOK FOR NEW INDYCAR SEASON STARTING WITH THIS WEEKEND AT BARBER MOTORSPORTS PARK, THE INDY 500 AND OTHER FUTURE ENGINE DEVELOPMENT TOPICS. 

THE MODERATOR:

First of all, some introductions of two people who you probably have heard of but may not have met yet, we’re going to make that right today. 

The first is Mark Stielow, the General Motors Director of Motorsport Competition Engineering for the INDYCAR Series, IMSA, and NHRA for Chevrolet and Cadillac. 

We also have Rob Buckner, the Chevrolet Engineering Program Manager for the INDYCAR Series, as well.

 

Mark, let’s start with you. Please talk to us about what your overall expectations and goals are for the Chevrolet INDYCAR program ahead of the opening weekend at Barber.

 

MARK STIELOW:

“I joined the team back in September and am getting up to speed. We kind of got INDYCAR racing going after the COVID-19 hibernation we did; so, I got to the last couple of races in the season and then went into the off-season. There was a lot of work done by our engine partners and our teams to get us ready for this season. And I think we’re going to have some strong teams and I think things are going to look pretty good for us this year.”

 

Rob, it’s been a long time since we’ve been in action, but you were in Indianapolis recently for the open test. Talk with us about some of the highlights of that session and what you think we can look forward to in the opening couple of rounds.

 

ROB BUCKNER:

“Thank you everyone for taking the time to talk with us today. I know a lot of familiar faces, and miss seeing you on pit lane. We’ve been so limited. We used to do these types of things in person and now everything is a video call. Thank you for everything you have done to try to cover motorsports during COVID-19 and people not being at the track. Going into this year, it’s always great for us when we can run at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Track time testing there is very limited. We had a great two days there. We’ve already run over 8500 miles on our 2021 race engines and 4900 of those came from Indianapolis. So, we really ran a lot of miles over those two days in preparation. I think we learned a lot. We’re always working with our teams. Our engine program is always looking for any opportunity to improve and we’re excited to get going.”

 

Q&A’s:

 

Q.) A RECENT GENERAL COMMENT BY PENSKE DRIVERS WAS THAT THERE SEEMS TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE TORQUE OUT OF THE HONDA ENGINE OVER THE CHEVY ENGINE. WHAT IS YOUR VIEW ON THAT EVEN THOUGH WE ALL KNOW THE ENGINE PERFORMANCES ARE EXTREMELY TIGHT AND EXTREMELY CLOSE?

 

ROB BUCKNER:

“Yeah, it’s interesting. The 2.2 liters have been in competition for 10 years. And I think over that time, both us and our competitors have recognized and addressed some weaknesses that we’ve had, individually. Or, sometimes we’ve got a slight advantage somewhere and they always catch up. The general thought is we’ve always had a very strong top end and they’ve always had a very strong mid-range. I think we’ve kind of converged to a very similar torque delivery but all we can control is our own power profile going into this weekend, and I think we’ve got a very robust package for Barber. 

Team Penske's Will Power is looking forward to getting back on the track in his Verizon sponsored 5G machine. He's had great success at Barber Motorsports Park and he believes this season opener will be his. Image Credit: Joe Skibinski (2021)

To Will’s comments, the surface has a lot of grip. A lot of times at road courses we’re struggling to put power down and Barber is kind of unique in that I think this weekend, the car and the tire is going to be able to take all that the engine can give it. And that’s what we’ve been preparing to do. I think we’ll be in a pretty good place come this weekend.”

 

Q.) YOU COVER ALL THE OTHER MAJOR RACING CIRCUITS HERE IN AMERICA, WHETHER IT BE IMSA OR NHRA OR NASCAR OR WHATEVER; WHAT DO YOU SEE AS YOURBIGGEST CHALLENGES OVERALL?

 

MARK STIELOW:

“The biggest challenges that we’re working on right now is you know, folks spend a lot of time on Sports Car racing. So, the GTLM class is going to converge into GT Daytona Pro. So, we’ve been working a lot on a conversion package for that. And there has been a lot of investigation, a lot of work has been done, on our end studying the LMDh proposal. 

LMDh is very interesting to us and there’s going to be a lot of manufacturers in that space, so we’ve been heavily looking at that. So, there’s a lot of activity going on in that space. My counterpart, Eric Warren, has got all the NASCAR stuff and with all the work going into NG7 car, and with that getting ready to launch next year, there’s a lot of activity in that space also. So, there’s going to be some exciting stuff going on in motorsports in the next few years.”

 

Q.) ON THE CHEVROLET DETROIT GRAND PRIX WEEKEND, IT’S BEEN A BIG INCONVENIENCE WITH THE RE-SCHEDULING OF EVENTS THIS PAST YEAR. RECENTLY WE’VE LEARNED DETROIT WILL BE THE TRADITIONAL IMSA/INDYCAR DOUBLEHEADER AND A HOMETOWN DEBUT ON THE CORVETTE C8.R. WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT WEEKEND TO SHOWCASE GM RACING’S TECHNOLOGY WITH CADILLAC, CORVETTE, AND CHEVROLET?

 

MARK STIELOW:

“It’s always good to play on a home field. We’ll be racing in the shadow of the Ren Cen. In my previous jobs at GM, I’ve actually driven some of the parade cars down there. So, it’s nice to run that event and for us to do well. Unfortunately, our competitors won’t be showing up to race against the Corvettes, so we’ll be running exhibition only. There are some prior commitments that Porsche has that they can’t get out of, so we’ll be running the Corvette exhibition. And the Cadillacs will be there strong and INDYCAR also. It’s always a fun event. I’m hoping that COVID-19 turns around and we can have it be a well-attended event, but that’s still kind of up in the air right now.”

 

Q.) ONE OF THE BIG QUESTIONS WE’VE GOTTEN SINCE LAST YEAR’S INDY 500 IS WILL WE HAVE CHEVY BACK, HOPEFULLY ON EQUAL TERMS; MAKING IT A TRUE QUESTION MARK AS TO HOW THE 2021 EVEN WILL PLAY OUT. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WERE ABLE TO TAKE FROM THE OPEN TEST HERE THAT MIGHT LEAD BOWTIE FANS TO HOPE AND BELIEVE THAT THERE COULD BE A REALLY HARD AND COMPETITIVE RUN HERE IN MAY THAT MIGHT LEAD INTO A REVERSAL OF FORTUNE FROM LAST YEAR’S EVENT?

 

ROB BUCKNER:

“I think so. I always joke with our group that hope is a very bad plan. So, we’ve had to really dig deep and try to look at where we missed it last year. Collectively, our groups have never worked better together when you look across the Chevrolet performance team with Ilmor and Pratt & Miller and everyone at Chevy, and then our race teams. I can’t thank them enough for all that they’ve contributed in the off-season. And we didn’t play a blame game. We just left there frustrated with our overall performance and have done everything we could since late August there to address it for this year. I think that the cars have changed enough that it’s kind of a re-set from 2020 when you look at the new aero parts that INDYCAR is introducing there. It seemed like at the test that guys could follow closer is maybe a little easier to pass with the barge boards and some of the different floor configurations that INDYCAR has come up with. But that was a pretty favorable day. It was cool and cloudy. I’m sure if we have a 95-degree sunny race day it’s still going to be really difficult. So, we’ve put a lot of emphasis on how we are going to qualify better, how are we going to get the most out of our engine package; like I said, we’ve visited every area of performance and tried to polish on everything. Our group is very detail-oriented, so I think we’re going to have a strong package.”

 

Q.) THE END OF 2022 IS THE END OF THE CURRENT INDYCAR ENGINE REGULATIONS. YOU ARE PROBABLY WORKING RIGHT NOW ON THE NEW ENGINE CONFIGURATION. BUT FOR THIS CURRENT ENGINE, IS THERE STILL DEVELOPMENT GOING ON?

 

ROB BUCKNER:

“Yeah, we’re very fortunate to have a lot of depth and talent and motivated people. So, there’s still things we can work on in the 2.2 liter. There are some areas that are always open. And we’re running 2.4 liters now. We have our first engines on the dyno. We’re very happy with where that program is at and we’re multi-tasking. It’s very busy times for the engine program. We still have to go to the track. We’ve got to race the 2.2 liter approximately 32 to 34 more times. We’re not looking to give up anything there. And then we’ve got to have a prom debut in 2023 as well. So, the engine-side of things is flat out at the moment.”

 

Q.) JOSEF NEWGARDEN WAS TALKING LAST MONTH ABOUT HOW THE COVID RESTRICTIONS HAVE REQUIRED THEM TO WORK SMARTER AND MORE EFFICIENT AND THAT THEY STRUGGLED WITH THAT LAST YEAR AND WEREN’T ABLE TO USE OPTIMIZATION ACROSS ALL THE CARS. FROM A CHEVROLET PERSPECTIVE, HOW ARE YOU APPROACHING THESE CHALLENGES?

 

ROB BUCKNER:

“COVID-19 has affected motorsports and everyone in the paddock kind of the same. We don’t look at it as an excuse that we have less track time because it’s the same for all the competitors. There has been a trend in the last five years that track time is reduced and you have to roll off the trailer very, very strong. If you’re completely lost Friday morning or Saturday morning, it doesn’t make that much difference. But overall, we’re all recognizing come P1, you really need to be in the window, you need to be close; and then just polish on it. Ideally, you don’t make many changes. So, the pre-event preparation, I think, circuit by circuit, how we use our DIL simulator working with teams and drivers before we ever get to the race track; all those things were already trending in this direction, and then with the COVID-19 reductions in track time, it’s really just amplified it. I don’t think anyone would have ever thought two years ago that NASCAR would only have really four practice sessions in an entire year. So, even within NASCAR, that’s the extreme; and then specific to INDYCAR, we have a reduction but not an elimination of practice. So, we still have an opportunity to learn and improve; especially at street courses where you cannot test. But Jay Frye and his group have done a great job of putting together a pretty logical plan of street courses. They’re mostly three-day events. Road courses are two days. If you really struggle at a road course you can test there in the off-season. So, I think we’re really pleased with how INDYCAR has handled this and the direction that it’s going. For us, it just amplifies the work you do before getting to the race track really matters and needs to be correct.”

 

Q.) WHAT’S THE BREAKDOWN BETWEEN ILMOR ENGINEERING AND GM IN TERMS OF WHAT DO THEY DO AND WHAT DO YOU DO ON THE ENGINE? AND WHEN IT COMES TO THE HYBRID THAT’S COMING IN, WHO IS GOING TO DO THE HYBRID PIECE? WHO IS GOING TO INTEGRATE IT?

 

ROB BUCKNER:

“Our technical group tries really hard to not operate in silos or individual company-type thinking. So, we all work for the Chevrolet program. We’re all pulling in the same direction all the time. So, we really blur those lines. A lot of times the collaboration amongst the group has been spectacular. And even breaking down, just beyond the engine program, of bringing in the race teams to these conversations and where we want things to progress over time. So, I would like to think, internally, that Ilmor and GM are all just one engine program working together to try to have the best package we can. There are certainly strengths Ilmor has that we don’t have and vide-versa. We have some analysis and tools that as General Motors and Chevrolet is very useful. And Ilmor is a very competent, excellent engine supplier in motorsports. So, I think we try to put all that together and that makes us have an overall really good engine package.”

 

Q.) HOW POSSIBLE IS IT TO TEST THE 2.4 LITER ENGINE WITHOUT THE HYBRID SYSTEM HOOKED UP? ARE YOU ABLE TO PUT A FIGURE ON HOW MUCH THE INCREASED DISPLACEMENT OF THE ENGINE AND HOW MUCH WOULD COME FROM THE HYBRID?

 

MARK STIELOW:

“On the hybrid-side we could emulate that. Before we get the hybrid unit, we can run some simulations on our dyno to simulate that. On the power-side of the equation, I’ll let Rob answer that. I haven’t really been in all the details of that yet.”

 

ROB BUCKNER:

“I think somewhat lost in the 2.4 liter transition is the fact that we’re going up in base boost as well. So, the easy thing is to think we’re going up roughly 10 percent in displacement. We’re going to go up 10 percent in power; but also, we’re going to start operating at 1.6 bars, the standard for street courses instead of 1.5 bar. And you put all that together with the hybrid unit, I think fans will be pleased with the power projections and where the engine programs are headed overall. To answer your question, we can’t run a 2.4 liter with a hybrid. Once you delete an alternator it is gone for good. So, I think all of us, INDYCAR, Honda, Chevrolet are all in for the hybrid unit to run the 2.4 liter is going to be required, not optional.”

 

Q.) THE 900 HP TARGET AT INDYCAR, WHEN DO YOU THINK WE’LL SEE THE ENGINES HITTING THAT MAGIC MARK?

 

ROB BUCKNER:

“I’m not sure. I think a lot of that depends on the finalized specs of the hybrid unit, which is really INDYCAR’s area of development during this. On the engine-side, we’re just going to focus on getting all we can out of the 2.4 liter at all the various race levels of boost.”

 

Q.) IN THE PAST YOU HAVE USED THE INDYCAR ENGINE PROGRAM TO HELP DEVELOP THINGS LIKE DIRECT INJECTION TECHNOLOGY AND TO RUN ENGINEERS THROUGH. WITH THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE IN POWERING CARS, IS THAT STILL THE MAIN PURPOSE FOR BEING PART OF A SERIES LIKE INDYCAR?

 

MARK STEILOW:

“Yeah, my counterpart, Russ O’Blenes, has the propulsion-side of motorsports, and there are a lot of young engineers in that space that learned about racing and there’s also joint development work being done both at Ilmor like Rob talked about Ilmor and GM up at Pontiac for motorsports powertrain development. So, there is still a lot of technology transferred between the two. It’s still a viable training ground for us to learn more things and for us to develop people, processes, and tools to become better. General Motors and Chevrolet are still going to keep on making internal combustion engines for a while; so, we’re going to keep on pushing it as far as we can.”

 

Q.) I WON’T ASK ALL THE NAMES OF THE TEAMS AND ENTRIES YOU’LL BE ENGAGED WITH FOR THE INDY 500, BUT CAN YOU TELL US THE ANTICIPATED FINAL NUMBER OF CHEVY-POWERED ENTRIES? AND IF YOU ARE UN-SIGNING TEAMS OR IF THERE ARE STILL POSSIBILITIES FOR MORE TO BE HAD FOR THE MONTH OF MAY?

 

ROB BUCKNER:

“That’s a very good question given the time of year. I think that’s the most cars last week we’ve ever run at Indy during an open test which, for our group…. It’s a difficult expansion when you go from running 10 to 11 full-time cars and then I think last week we had15 and then that’s kind of an incremental step. We expect we may add another one. We’re not completely sure. But it’s getting close to crunch time, so we’re close to finalizing. For us it’s really do we have the parts and the people to do it. And if race teams put something together, we try to be good partners with our teams; and we’ll figure out a way to make it happen.”

 

Q.) REGARDING 2023 HYBRIDIZATION AND INDYCAR, GENERAL MOTORS HAS NOT CONFIRMED ANYTHING IN REGARD TO IMSA AND LMDH, BUT BY CHANCE BOTH CLASSES WILL INDEED BE GOING HYBRID AT THE SAME TIME. AT LEAST WHILE PLANNING TO BE IN INDYCAR, CONSIDERING BEING IN IMSA, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN DO AS A MANUFACTURER KNOWING THAT NASCAR IS ALSO LOOKING AT HYBRIDIZATION? WHAT DO YOU DO AND HOW DO YOU TREAT ALL THESE POSSIBILITIES FOR THE PLACES WHERE YOU ARE RACING, COULD BE RACING, SWITCHING TO THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY WITH POSSIBLY EACH ONE A BIT DIFFERENT THAN THE OTHER? DO YOU WORK WITH THESE SANCTIONING BODIES AND SAY HEY, DON’T ASK US TO BUY THREE DIFFERENT ONES OF THE SAME UNIT? HOW DO YOU TREAT WHAT COULD BE THREE VERY DIFFERENT THINGS?

 

MARK STIELOW:

“Right now, all the conversations I’ve been in and everything we’ve seen, there is very little sharing between the sanctioning bodies. So yeah, in a utopian world, it would be awesome if those guys all worked together, and we could come up with a common solution. But for a lot of reasons, everybody wants their own special mousetrap. So, what I’ve seen so far is everybody is heading down a slightly different path. But that stuff seems to be changing all the time. These meeting are constantly evolving.”

 

Q.) THERE HAS BEEN SOME TALK OR RUMORS ABOUT WHAT F-1 DOES. THEY CAPTURE MGU-H TO TAKE THE HEAT OFF THE ENGINE AND CONVERTING THAT TO ENERGY IN THE BATTERY. IS THAT ANY TALK OF DOING THAT FOR INDYCAR OR IS THAT STRICTLY A KINETIC ENERGY SYSTEM?

 

ROB BUCKNER:

“Yeah, it’s been an interesting conversation with INDYCAR because we would be the first series to run a Hybrid on an oval. So, a lot of this is very conceptual. To your point, INDY qualifying engine duty cycle is ideally 100 percent if you never lift. So, how do you get any kinetic energy from that? Other times during the race, the engine duty cycle is not 100 percent when you’re in traffic. So that does open up the possibility of the car wasting some energy there. In the end it’s an energy balance equation that INDYCAR is going to need us or going to need to tell us how that want this. It also adds a layer of complexity and cost that I’m not sure is the right fit for INDYCARS. So, I think we’re leaning more toward it’s going to be a kinetic recovery system primarily.”

 

Q.) THE PUSH TO PASS WE HAVE TODAY, IS THAT COMPLETELY GOING AWAY WITH THE HYBRID? OR WILL THERE STILL BE A TURBO BOOST PUSH TO PASS IN COMBINATION WITH THE HYBRID SYSTEM?

 

ROB BUCKNER:

“The nice thing is with our boosted engines is if any point during the development and first test of the hybrid unit we need more or less power, the engine programs function on electric wastegates. So, it’s relatively easy to change the boost limitations if INDYCAR desires that. I think that. If they need us to help push with a little bit more boost, I’m sure we would easily be able to do that.”

 

Q.) YOU MENTIONED EARLIER THAT YOU’VE DEVOTED A LOT OF TIME LATELY TO IMSA AND THE LMDH AND GTD-PRO. CAN YOU GIVE US AN IDEA ON WHEN GM MIGHT REACH A DECISION OR MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT ON FUTURE PARTICIPATION THERE?

 

MARK STIELOW:

“I would say it would be in the next 45 days.”

 

Q.) CONCERNING THE NEW ENGINE WITH THE HYBRID 2.4 LITER, CAN YOU SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THE MEASUREMENTS?

 

ROB BUCKNER:

“INDYCAR and us are working around the assumption that it will be around the same size engine, physically. We’re going up in bore size but 2.4 is not a huge architecture change. Our engine is going to be all-new. I don’t know of any carryover components that we’re taking from the 2.2 liter. So, from that perspective, it’s a clean sheet design; but fitting in the same envelope, if you will.”

 

Q.) ON THE ISSUE OF COST, IF YOU HAD TO GUESS, WHAT INCREASE WOULD THERE BE TO THE TEAMS WHEN THE HYBRID SYSTEM IS IMPLEMENTED, PER SEASON?

 

ROB BUCKNER:

“That’s pretty open-ended and not really defined at the moment as the early hardware and INDYCAR is still working through what that system is going to look like. It’s really not going to be a part of our relationship with the teams, so I’m not really familiar. I know that Jay Frye and Darren Samsum are leading that program for INDYCAR and they’re very cost-conscious; and they’ve been involving the teams in these discussions. So, we think overall, the paddock will be able to make that work. But I can’t say I know any exact figures or details as of today.”

[ht: Inside Track Communications For Chevrolet]

... notes from The EDJE

FEATURED POSTING - PERFORMANCE & RACING TECH TALK >>>

FEATURED POSTING - EVHNews - EV-Hybrid Vehicles Technology News >>>

TAGS: Mark Stielow, Rob Buckner, General Motors, Chevrolet, Cadillac, NTT INDYCAR SERIES, IMSA, NHRA, Hybrid 2.4 Liter. Turbo 2.2 Liter, The EDJE

Valentine's Day IndyCar & NHRA Style

Racecar drivers in appreciation and ... love. IndyCar DW12 / TUSCC sports car driver Graham Rahal and NHRA Funny Car driver Courtney Force publicly share via social media a moment during a Valentine's Day sunset near Malibu, CA. Image Credit: Rahal/Force Selfie via Twitter

Valentine's Day IndyCar & NHRA Style

Graham Rahal @GrahamRahal
Feeling very lucky and proud to be spending Vday with my lovely lady @courtneyforce. Can't believe how lucky I am to have her in my life, been a crazy and fun last 5 months and I can't wait for many more. ️ #cheeseball #dontcare #happiness #love #gforce #malibusunset

Courtney Force @courtneyforce Happy valentines!“@JFR_Racing: Enjoy a sweet &funny Valentine's Day message

Happy Valentine's Day From Courtney Force 

In honor of Valentine's Day, NHRA Funny Car driver Courtney Force answers trivia questions with her valentine, IndyCar driver Graham Rahal!

 ... notes from The EDJE

54th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals Gets Better With Age

This weekend's 54th annual Circle K Winternationals, NHRA's 2014 Mello Yello Series season-opener at Auto Club Raceway Pomona, will mark Tommy Johnson Jr.'s eagerly anticipated return to full-time drag racing as well as the opportunity to finally show the world the eye-catching Don Schumacher Racing Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger R/T sponsored by Terry Chandler pictured here. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2014)

54th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals Gets Better With Age

Many people who look in on all matter of motorsports generally have a little trouble getting their minds around American drag racing. It is easy to transfer an experience of driving a car on a winding/curvy road and watch F1, IndyCar (road or street course), and Prototype/GT sportscar racing. What may be a bit harder to grasp for the casual motorsports observer are automobiles that develop 10,000 plus horsepower piloted by drivers who spend a total of five to six minutes of actual competition seat time during 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season.

An 8 cylinder Top Fuel or Funny Car drag racing engine develops more horsepower in one cylinder than most of the exotic open wheel racing engines in Formula One or IndyCar do in total.That being said, visiting the season opening NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event at Auto Club Raceway dragstrip in Pomona, California this past weekend for the 54th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals leaves one with an experience that gets better with time and ... age.

John Force, 64, wins the funny car class for his record 139th victory. His run of 3.965 seconds is the quickest for funny cars in the era of 1,000-foot races. Image Credit: JFR PR

This excerpted and edited from Jacobs Media -

John Force powers to seventh Winternationals Funny Car win at Pomona 
By Pete McCole - AccessNorthGA.com

Defending NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Funny Car champion John Force set another new Nation Record en route to his record 139th-career NHRA victory in Sunday’s season-opening NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.
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Force outdistanced Matt Hagan in the final round with a record-beating run of 3.965 seconds at 323.58 mph, topping the National Record of 3.966 he himself set in qualifying on Friday as well as setting a new national speed record.

Force came in to Sunday’s eliminations as the no. 1 qualifier and got a first-round bye after Paul Lee broke in staging, then bested Tommy Johnson, Jr. and Bob Tasca to reach his eighth-consecutive final round.

In the final, Hagan was into the tire shake right off the line and had to pedal it, giving Force an easy run to the finish, becoming just the third driver in Winternationals history to set a national record and take home the win, joining Don Prudhomme in 1976 and Kenny Bernstein 1987.

The new national record also earned Force a 20-point bonus, giving him a 50-point edge over Hagan in the Funny Car standings.

“We had a good race car. It's amazing,” said Force, of his 16th win at his home track and his seventh Winternationals trophy. “We're trying to build our sport and come out here and run good for you all and the fans, and it's hard sometimes. Jimmy Prock (crew chief) and that whole brain trust did a great job. We're back in the game. Everything's just going right. I don't get it. I ain't that good of a guy. I'm just excited. There’s a lot going on (with sponsors), and man, what a good time to flex your muscles.” 
 [Reference Here]

John Force, who won a record 16th funny car title last year, believes he has everything to prove. That's because the four-driver team he owns is losing two major sponsors after this season. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2014)

It was thought by most who follow the sport that the future for John Force Racing in 2014 was exclusively held in the prospects of the family members coming up through the ranks - Top Fuel racer Brittney Force and Funny Car racer Courtney Force. One might think that after setting nearly every record in NHRA funny car drag racing, 64-year-old John Force would have nothing left to prove.

John Force Racing's Robert Hight, Brittany Force, Courtney Force, John Force, Eric J De Bord announce a multi-year agreement with Peak Antifreeze and BlueDEF Diesel Exhaust Fluid during opening day of qualifications at the 2014 NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, CA. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2014)

After this weekend's new sponsorship alliance announcement as a major associate sponsor in a multi-year agreement with Peak Antifreeze and BlueDEF Diesel Exhaust Fluid, Force is on a roll. He is working hard to impress new sponsors to replace the drop in income in 2015 when Castrol and Ford leave as the major sponsors of his enterprise. Further, after crew chief Austin Coil left John Force Racing, new crew chief Jimmy Prock is doing a good job as the #ProckRocket showed in its performance on the track in the #Winnats.

In the other racing category that features engines that develop 10,000 plus horsepower - Top Fuel, Al-Alabi Racing's owner and Quatar Sheik Kalid alBalooshi took down top qualifier Doug Kalitta in the final, running a 3.974 at 324.36 mph for his third-career NHRA victory after Kalitta went up in smoke right at the tree.

It was the third career victory for Kalid alBalooshi, 34, a Dubai native who lives in Los Angeles and is starting his third season in the NHRA's top ranks driving for the Al-Anabi Racing team. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2014)

This excerpted and edited from The National -

Al Balooshi opens NHRA season with a win for Qatar Al-Anabi
The National Staff

Emirati drag racer Khalid Al Balooshi of Qatar Al-Anabi Racing Top Fuel Team won the first race of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing season in California on Sunday.

Al Balooshi entered the Cirlce K NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, California as the seventh-seeded driver. He beat seven-time world champion Tony Schumacher, Al-Anabi teammate Shawn Langdon, Steve Torrence in the semi-finals and No 1 seed Doug Kalitta in the final to take home the title.

“I am so excited. There is nothing better than to leave the first race of the season with the first trophy,” Al Balooshi said in a press release.

The victory was the third of Al Balooshi’s Top Fuel career. The Al-Anabi Top Fuel team have won the last three races at Pomona’s Auto Club Raceway, where Langdon was victorious twice last season.

“The Al-Anabi car had a strong day today,” Al Balooshi said. “It’s a good win, especially when you have Tony Schumacher first round, Shawn Langdon second round, and ‘Steve-O’ (Steve Torrance), who’s been doing a good job. Doug’s (Kalitta) car was the best car all weekend, so it made it a very big day for us to take him down in the final and get the trophy.

“Last year, our car started to get better and better. I felt like our car was better down in Florida (during testing), and I’ve been telling people, ‘I think we have a hot rod to start the season with.’ I feel like our car got better and better each round.”
[Reference Here]

Khalid said in another post event interview that once he beat Schumacher in first round that he had a good car for the day, he felt his was the best, and it was ... Alan Johnson (Al-Anabi crew chief) is tough to beat, too. He's sharp and knows tons about car setups. What surprises most in this early season showing is how Tony Schumacher had lost his dominance in Top Fuel that he had achieved in the last couple seasons.

Bob Tasca III on first qualifying run at the 54th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. Here, the left side gives up spewing fuel out of the pipes. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2014)

Pit access in one of the incredible things common at a NHRA event. Fans were in the Tasca Racing pits when they fired up the just rebuilt Funny Car engine. Look at the crew member's hands in photo right. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2014)

To the casual observer - 16 time national champion Force came through as expected but Kalid alBalooshi of Al-Anabi was a big surprise - it can be said about the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series after round one in a 24 event series (to paraphrase the saying "nobody can be too pretty or too rich") ... it pays to be too old (64) or too rich (Dubai Sheik) in order to win at the #Winnats!

... notes from The EDJE

NALSR - Street Racing Made Legal, Bracketed, And With Punch

The National Association for Legalized Street Racing (NALSR). Click Here to become a member of the fastest growing racing series in the nation. Image Credit: NALSR

NALSR - Street Racing Made Legal, Bracketed, And With Punch

The concept of Street Racing has been around ever since the first vehicles were produced and a flat and open space was found where two or more people could gather with their machines and do what humans do naturally - Compete.

We all compete in one way or another. In school it is who can be the most popular, the most athletic, or the smartest. At work we admire competence, productivity, or the greatest producer in sales volume. At play? ... Isn't it said that the one with the most toys, wins?

Recently, the SEMA Show (Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association) 2010, the premier automotive specialty products and automotive culture market trade event in the world, took over all three halls and the front (Westside) parking lot of the Las Vegas Convention Center. The entire focus of this show has to do with what people can do to improve the look, performance, and functionality of the vehicle they purchase to the purpose they wish to have it serve.

Rich Evans of Rich Evans Designs in front of one of his latest creations - The Red Knight Mustang. Pictured here in the Vertical Doors Booth # 12459 at SEMA Show 2010. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

A major portion of this show is dedicated to the improvement of the power and performance of vehicles ... but to what end? Well, to compete in the most common environment that exists ... the street - it's free and every major intersection has a timing light (traffic signals).

Back in August 2007, the son of famed WWE Wrestler Hulk Hogan crashed his modded yellow Toyota Supra in Clearwater, Florida while allegedly street racing. Caption and Image Credit: Zimbio/Clearwater Police Department

The problem with this simple and direct point of view, however, is that large, powerful cars can deliver a very damaging and lethal unintended consequence. Street Racing can hurt people and damage property and this is what makes this entertaining performance pursuit against the law and illegal. Since the end of World War II there have been many attempts throughout the years to make this "pick-up" pursuit safe, organized and legal but all fell short primarily because processes were complicated, expensive, and performed no greater purpose than to provide a venue to race at a point in time with little in the way of a greater goal than the event of that one race date.

NALSR's Jeremy Ford (center) talks with Toyota Speedway at Irwindale's Communications Director, Doug Stokes (left-center, red shirt) about the drag strip venue located next to the track for future NALSR events. This chance meeting took place at the Continental Tire Media Center at the SEMA Show 2010. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

Enter the National Association for Legalized Street Racing (NALSR). A concept born out of a way to protect and promote original reality television programming about street racing. This concept has even caught the positive attention of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) as a potential partner.

TV program producer (and former street racer) Jeremy Ford felt that if there was an association that set up organized street racing in regions at safe venues and have winners in brackets/classes that could then meet at the end of a racing season for top national honors, and have the added attraction and access to this association be inexpensive ($40.00 online registration) ... this would be a great way to create entertaining TV content for the potential street racing enthusiast in all of us.

Further, if this association were able to offer prize money - say, a minimum $10,000 to champions - and a chance to be featured on a reality television program to the participants and winners ... this would provide the punch.

This excerpted and edited from NALSR (pronounced nal-sar) website -

NALSR GOAL
By Jeremy J. Ford, CEO & President - NALSR - 171 Days, 7 Hours, 6 Minutes, Until the 2011 season

The goal of this organization is to address the growing concerns associated with street racing by providing racers with a safe, entertaining and controlled environment, thus minimizing street racing associated injuries and fatalities.

Originally established in 2008 by CEO & President, Jeremy J. Ford, NALSR (National Association for Legalized Street Racing) was established to give credibility to this outstanding sport and some of the best drivers on the road. No longer will street racing be stigmatized by its reckless past which has been highly publicized and profiled in detail by the media in a negative light. The media will now be invited to profile the street racing community for their talent, fast cars, and racing sport credibility.

Street racing now has a time and a place on the track in a sophisticated and organized manner. NALSR is currently teaming up with tracks across the US, to give street racers the opportunity to race in a safe and entertaining environment, enhancing the fans experience in the process, and free of legal interruption. When racers join NALSR, they will become recognized for the athletes they are. They will also be able to establish an identity and brand themselves, thus growing their fan base and helping establish an organized sport.
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SPONSORSHIP
Does your company want to tap into a new market? Does your company want to get involved in the next hottest trend? Put your company on the scene of some of the hottest and fastest cars and largest upcoming car venues.

We are supported and sponsored by NHRA (announcement pending) and Vitamin Water as having a founding interest in this viable solution to street racing. Join these and other companies that are backing the next hottest thing and reaching out to a potential untapped market for your product or enterprise.
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STREET KINGS ON MAVTV
The hottest Street Racing Reality TV "STREET KINGS" Show has been optioned by MAVTV for 13 episodes (official announcement pending). The show will be shot in Los Angeles and St. Louis. If you are a real racer and want to showcase your skills, then come out to one of our casting calls.
Reference Here>>

So if one is into tuning, tweaking, beefing up, and all-around customizing a car or motorcycle for performance and speed and is seeking a way to test out how good these upgrades are without subjecting the public to an unintended consequence of human and machine performance gone awry ... join and participate at a NALSR venue going live in the Spring of 2011 near you.

... notes from The EDJE