Clutch disc crisis coming?

i copied and pasted this from Drag Racing Online.

The Agent heard a rumor this weekend that the Raybestos company, which makes many of the clutch discs used in professional drag racing, has let it be known that they will discontinue the manufacture of clutch discs in three months.

http://dragracingonline.com/agent1320/2009/1320-xi_1-41.html

 

Raybestos actually announced the closing of the Crawfordsville, IN plant late last year, which is where they make the sintered iron clutch discs.

I don't know what kind of inventories Boninfante, Crower, etc.. have on hand or what they have planned for the future(like they would tell me anyway), but I think it's sad to see 400+ people lose their jobs.

http://www.indystar.com/article/20081212/BUSINESS/812120391/1003/BUSINESS

 

I guess it would be called survival of the fittest. Someone will pick up the dropped ball and run with it.

 

I had heard that too, I just couldn't confirm anything.

You can have all the specs, materials and help in the world, but getting the consistency between runs is the hardest part about these things. Change the room temperature +or- 10 degrees or the humidty and the discs come out with different properties, just like engines. I guess thats why there's really only three of us out there who even make these things.