Niver

Word is that NHRA told Niver that he could not attend Pomona with his currnet motor combo. Anyone else hear about this?

We need more guys like Niver out there, not less, what is NHRA doing?

 

I heard it, too. I wasn't going to post anything about it, since it was hearsay, and I don't know that it's fact. BUT...if it is fact, then it's really confusing. Correct me if I'm wrong (won't be the first time), but I thought Niver was using the same forged block (392/Donovan style) that the heavy hitters in nostalgia top fuel are using. NHRA has given the o.k. to run these blocks in the front engine top fuelers, but has banned the late model (426) hemi in any form for that class. Now they ban the 392 style block, but allow the late model in A/Fuel? Where's the logic here?

 

There is nothing in the rules against running a Donovan or any 392 engine copy.
The prob. and I knew this was coming if Niver ran the same engine combination as last year. NHRA in their infinate wisdom not only set the maximun cubic inch for a-fuel cars but also the minimun which is 410 cid.
Niver in the past has run an engine combination that is a few I mean few cubic inches less than the minimum. It is rediculous to set a minimun cid
limit when you have a minimum weight rule.
NHRA should rethink this rule and do away with it.

 

This is what I saw on the entry list. And it is the smallest engine.

777 TAD Mark Niver Phoenix AZ '03 Frameworks Donv 411 BILLET MACHINE

 

The block that Niver wanted to use was not available prior to April 1, 2001. It is not a Donovan. Read the NHRA rule book, page 144, second paragraph down.
This was done to keep costs under control by stopping new block and cylinder head designs from outdating current parts.

 

Very Very Interesting!!!!
HOW ABOUT SOMEONE FROM NIVERS CAMP RESPONDING???

 

It true this sucks for Niver. He has been doing the a-fuel deal to long and deserves a chance to challenge the rule.

Good Luck.

 

NHRA has also put a stop to the Ford engine being Developed for AFC or is it a possibility that a few engine manufacturers have paid silently for exclusivety ? These NHRA "Rulers" are doing their very best to stifle the sport in all aspects. They are out of their minds if they think people will watch all the same things happen in all the same order. Eventually it will be like watching a new episode of M*A*S*H , after the first minute you will realize its got old quick and you've seen it all before. For God Sake .... "GET WALLY ON THE PHONE !"

 

This is terrible, I was under the impression that whatever motor combo's available in 2001 are only allowed, so no "new" motors. This way all the thinkers out there can't think no more. I have to believe that it is the cubic inches that failed Mark not the Donovan. or Maybe NHRA thinks Mark is not spending enough money by running 20 year old parts. I don't know but I look up to Mark because he doesn't follow the leader!

 

whitelightnin..it has nothing to do with cubic inches. Niver's block is NOT a Donovan. It is an updated design built by Rodeck.
The NHRA "rulers" are trying to keep the lid on the costs to run the alcohol class so it does not go off the scale and we are left with a hand full of high dollar teams. The alcohol classes do not need new engines being developed. It will not help the classes, only cost the existing teams more money to compete.

 

i SEE ST. THOMAS DRAG STRIP IN ONTARIO, CANADA JUST DROPPED nhra AND WENT ihra!
Is this stating to look like IRL vs CART- CART had all the stars and all the money, but they just went bankrupt cause no one wanted to see Penske and gang buy the races and keep out the little guys. John Force and all the other CORPORATE giants might want to pay attention!

 

St Thomas didn't drop the NHRA. The NHRA had dropped them because they had not payed their insurance fee or sanctioning fee for several years. In other words the track operator is a dead beat and won't last with the IHRA either if he won't even pay his insurance.

 

Smokey,
Do you think a billet block from Rodek is more expensive than one from TFX-BAE-KB. And by the way KB just came out with their billet. Is it illegal in TAD as well. It was built after the date. Niver could run IHRA but it would be some long hauls from AZ. I and others know what NHRA seems to be trying to do but sometimes they don't get it right. Like would you explain to me the purpose of having a minimum cubic inch rule when you have a minimum weight rule. If the car weighs
in at the minimun weight who gives cares if the engine is under 410 cubic inches. Ane what made that the magic number. A whole lot worse problem is that under the new rules 421 cid is the magic number to keep from stacking weight on the car.
Almost all of the afuel cars that were not running this engine combination had to change over the winter.

 

I think the rule has to do with cylinder bore spacing more than anything which also will affect cylinder head design....Fontana has the best bore spacing. It allows the intake ports to be wide open without any pushrod tubes in the port. Air flow isn't disrupted this way. NHRA put a hold on valve angles and so on because (AJ) was trying some stuff that was working. Most of the time NHRA tries to keep the cost down for racers. If they would of let the cylinder head threw, most everyone would of needed to buy this new head to keep up with the Jones'. Thus, they make rules like this. I have no idea what Niver has, but it does sound very disheartening.

Cylinder head manufactures still can change port shapes and valve sizes and so on Manufactures still can produce new blocks as long as it is in the current specs. My 2.5 cents worth.

 

smokey,
I thought this Rodeck has been out for a while. The nostalgia racers use it and it is a copy of a Donovan with the same bore spacing. Has any one out there seen the list from NHRA of what blocks and cylinder heads are legal?

 

Here is what I have heard, correct me if I am wrong.

The whole deal started with Austin and his Ford project, and the fact that he wants to add a second set of side bolts for the main caps. The Ford blocks that were around prior to 2001 did not have a second set of side bolts, so they should not be allowed now, per the NHRA rules. There are others, BAE, AJ and Force, who have wanted to make changes but NHRA is trying to control costs by keeping new mouse traps from making the old ones obsolete. While all of this was going back and forth, it was discovered that the block that Niver is using has additional side bolts, that were not there in 2001.

I have to feel for Niver. He is one of the nicest guys out there, and I am sure he never intended to do anything wrong. He just got caught in the middle of a fight between NHRA, Austin and others.

 

Sorry to hear about Mark's dillema.A real bummer!

About the Ford engines,if anyone is interested,I manufacture a block design with four main cap studs and two side bolts,first made in 1996. I don't know what the Austin's got going, but I do know there are many features on a Ford engine that could benefit a blown alchohol engine.

Dale Hill
DHE Racing Engines
Dhecr250@aol.com