Frequently Asked Questions

Q - How big is the engine that you run in Pro Stock Competition?
A - Pro Stock is limited to 500 cubic inches.

Q - What kind of transmissions do you use in NHRA Pro Stock?
A - Although there are several different brands of transmissions, we all use a five-speed transmission. Air shifters are no longer allowed in our class. We use four levers to shift from second to fifth gear. We use a Liberty Transmission with a Liberty Shifter in our car.

Q - Why do you do burnouts?
A - Doing a water burnout heats up the rubber on the tires and allows you more traction on the starting line.

Q - At what RPM do you leave the starting line?
A - This really depends on the track and the track conditions. If the track is hot and slick, cars may leave as low as 5500 RPM. However, if the track is tight, cool and "killer" we could leave anywhere from 6000 - 7000 RPM.

Q - At what RPM do you shift the car?
A - Everyone's motor combinations are different, however, most Pro Stock drivers shift between 9000 & 9300 RPM.

Q - How many G's do you pull when you leave the stating line?
A - A Pro Stock car usually generates about three G's when launching.

Q - How much horsepower does a 500 cid Pro Stock engine have?
A - Anywhere from 1250 - 1300 horsepower, depending on the engine.

Q - Why do you have paint on the tires?
A - This gives us a reference point when we video tape the car. We can tell if the tires are spinning too much when the car leaves the starting line. We can also tell if the tires are distorting which may indicate a chassis change.

Q - Why do you paint the wheelie bars?
A - This is for reference while filming the car. The marks left by the wheelie bars indicate how the chassis is working. Wheelie bars can actually drive the race car left or right when leaving the starting line. If the wheelie bars are adjusted incorrectly, they can cause the car to go left or right, as well as stand up hard on the wheelie bars, unload the rear of the car and spin the tires.

Q - How much does a Pro Stock car weigh?
A - The car has to weigh 2350 pounds with the driver in the car. It can weigh more, but not less. The key is to go across the scales, after the run, at 2350 - 2355 pounds.

Q - When you do a burnout with a 4-speed lenco, do you start in 1-2-3 gear?
A - Start with the second gear lever forward, the others back. Once the tires start turning, pull the second gear lever back, release the brake and come out of the water.

Q - Someone said that you don't use Splitfire Spark Plugs in your racer because they aren't suitable for drag racing. Is that true?
A - Our Pro Stock Pontiac does in fact use Splitfire Spark Plugs and has always used them. They, of course, are designed specifically for our pro stock engines with our specific heat range, nevertheless, they are there! Most of the time, between rounds, the plugs are actually in the engine tray so if there are any serious doubts, just come by and ask for a look. I can't understand why more people don't run Splitfire's in their cars. It's important to find the right heat range for your engine, but once you find the right plug, you can pick up performance. By the way, plugs from our engine are on Splitfire's display in the manufacturer's midway and your questions can be answered there.

Q - How do you become a prostock driver? Do you have any tips?
A - The first thing you need to do is get a license. Roy Hill and Frank Hawley have great driving schools, but Roy is the only one training in Pro Stock. If you get your license and like the sport enough to be dedicated to it, start slow and build up to the speeds necessary to be competitive. The drivers that drive over their head usually get into trouble. It's better to lift and drive another race than to drive with your ego and crash. Good luck with your endeavors!

Q - I live in NC and was wondering if you might answer an in depth question about the starting and electrical system used on pro stockers. How many batteries are on board? If there are more than one, what is the wiring configuration used (i.e., 2 to start,1 to run)? How much current is drawn to start the engine and then run the car going down the track? And how long does it take engine to start; half a second or so?
A - We use one 16 volt battery and everything is hooked to that. Approximately 200 amps are drawn to start the car and approximately 20 amps are drawn to run down the track. The engine cranks about 5 seconds before firing. We use a Holley Annihilator ICT Ignition System as well as Holley coil and other related ignition components.

Q - How does a person go about getting a job on a race team?
A - The best way to get a job on a pro stock team is to submit your resume to the various teams. The most important requirement by most of the teams is a clean CDL. All of our crew members have CDL's and drive the rigs to and from the races. The more mechanical experience you have, the better though it is not necessarily a requirement depending on what job you may be hired to do. A lot of positions offer on the job training. The crew person must be able to travel for long periods of time, stay in a room with other crew members and be able to adhere to flexible scheduling. A positive, cheerful attitude is a must!

Q - What is the compression ratio used on today's Pro Stock engines?
A - Though there are many variations, about 14:1 is a standard compression ratio.

Q - How much fuel does a Pro Stock car use on a run?
A - About 1.5 gallons.

Q - What is a typical rear end ratio?
A - Again, this varies but 4:86 is a commonly used rear end ratio.

Q - Do carbs require more fuel?
A - No - but each set of carbs is unique and needs to be tuned to each engine combination.

Q - What is the purpose of the vacuum pump used on Pro Stock Cars?
A - The vacuum pump creates a vacuum in the crankcase to help keep the oil off of the cylinder walls and out of the combustion chambers. This decreases the possibility of detonation caused by oil contamination in the combustion chambers.

Q - At what RPM do you do your burnout?
A - The burnout is performed with the engine starting at about 6,000 RPM and ending with the engine just below 9,000 RPM. The driver has to use the throttle to control engine RPM on the burnout and it is probably the hardest part of driving a Pro-Stock car. If the driver over revs the engine on the burnout he can hurt the valve springs and the performance of the engine will suffer.

Q - My son wants to become a race engine builder. What suggestions do you have for his training and education?
A - The best place to find training as an engine builder is probably at Roy Hill's Drag Racing School. He used to have engine training as part of his school. He has a web site at www.royhillracing.com.

Q - At approximately what speed do Pro Stock engines hit 5,000, 7,000, and 9,000 RPM?
A - The time it takes for an engine to accelerate from one RPM to another is a function of the load on the engine. The load on the engine is a function of which gear the transmission is in. In first gear the engine goes from 6,600 to 9,700 in about 0.9 seconds, whereas in fifth gear it takes about 2.4 seconds to go from 8,000 to 9,600 RPM.

Q - Any plans for a die cast of the Grand Am and new paint scheme?
A - We have not yet made a commitment to do a die cast car. The manufacturer requires a $40,000 order to start production.

Q - Why haven't you run the number two car, with Jamie driving, and when do you plan on his returning to the tour?
A - The current plan is to focus all of our energy on my car so we can try to win the championship. Jamie has become such an important part of our crew that my car's performance would suffer without his full time and attention. We hope that Jamie will be able to drive at one or two races before the end of the season.

Q - Is there any truth to the rumor that you are using Terry Samakow's engines this year?
A - Terry is working in our engine shop and is building motors that we are running on the dyno and at some test sessions. Until we get our horsepower level up to the point where we can win with our own engines, we will be leasing our engines for the NHRA National Events from Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins. Building competitive 500 Cubic inch pro stock engines is not an easy job but we are committed to figure it out.
Q - No Bill Jenkins this year? Are you using your own engines?
A - We have decided to use Schmidt power to start the year and see how it goes. We totally enjoyed working with Bill and his guys. We just need to try a different approach to start the new year. We are doing some R&D on our own engines with Sonny Leonard and will see how that program progresses.
Q - How many runs do you try to get out of a set of slicks and how many heat cycles do you try to get into them before you use them in competition? Also, what are your thoughts on the Hoosier tires that were tried out last year by some teams?
A - Typically we try to put at least 4 good, long, burnouts and 2-3 runs down the track before we use our tires in competition. With the new bead-lock Goodyear tires we can get anywhere from 18 - 30 runs on a set of tires. Of course, each set of tires has it's own characteristics so some get more runs than others. As far as the Hoosier tires go - it looked like they worked great for Max Naylor, however, I didn't notice any great improvements from any other teams that tried them at the end of the season. Perhaps the tires that Max had were different from the ones that the other teams had, who knows? Unfortunately, I don't know very much about the Hoosiers. I have been a sponsored Goodyear team for many years and therefore haven't and won't run the Hoosier tires while under contract with Goodyear. Hopefully, Goodyear will keep working away at finding a new and better tire to fit the ever changing Pro Stock field!