Thats how I look at it. The last time Morgan ran fulltime in NHRA Pro Stock was in 2015. Larry Morgan, in the background jokling with John Nobile, believes leasing motors is only a viable option for some drivers for financial reasons. Note the extensive support at the pin boss, narrow ring grooves and shallow skirts. NHRA returns to Southern California to open 2015 season, John Force Racing to take Chevrolet Camaro down track in 2015, NHRA update: Virginia joins schedule, top teams make lineup changes, NHRA update: Virginia joins schedule, top teams make lineup changes Steel offers durability while aluminum has a cushioning effect that some builders prefer. I cant say anything. DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE THE BIG HAMMER NOW BECAUSE YOURE NOT EXPERIMENTING LIKE OTHERS? I have won at Indy a couple of times, and I have been runner-up there two or three times. For well over 20 year I have been using flow disruptors (Flow Balls) in order to hone in on boundary layer and air speed problem areas in intake ports. And it fits a DRCE2 or DRCE3 head, says Allen. We promise not to use your email address for anything but exclusive updates from the Power Automedia Network. McClure spent eighteen months in jail and works at a family car dealership. MOSE NOWLAND: It would be more like the mid-90s. Famous Pro-Stock racer Larry Morgan announced earlier this year that he would be making the transition from racing a Dodge Stratus to a Ford Mustang in 2010 for the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. That puts the crankshaft stroke as low as 3.520-inch. Theres room for that class, Morgan said. We were excited about the performance of this thing. Were just so excited for Ford to get the Ford Mustang out there and show off what Mose has been working on for the last few months.. This past year the 4th-generation DRCE4 cylinder block was released to racers, and the allowable deck height reflects the continued shrinking of that engine spec. 2023 Power Automedia. My back was a mess. Morgan became the first driver to take a Ford to a final round in. Lest you think Larry Morgan is just another racer, hes got 17 national event victories - ten of them in NHRA Pro Stock - and has raced to 43 final rounds. It will be the first time it has ever been raced. Englishtown shuts down drag racing operations with immediate effect, John Force gains honorary doctorate from UNOH, John Force gains honorary doctorate from UNOH We dont have to be quite as sophisticated in a lot of ways. Mild to Wild, Street to Strip. Working with David Reher and Bruce Allen for 22 years has been a real privilege. Morgan started competing in some serious Mopar muscle in the late-'70s with the famed Rod Shop team out of Columbus, Ohio. And its all fixed now. Im not a very good statistician when the last time Bob won one, because he won so many and they all sort of run together in my mind. Ring packages are incredibly thin: as thin as.021 (and .110-inch wide) for the top two rings and 2mm oil rings. Ever notice how Pro Stock drivers release the safety chutes before reaching the finish line? Youre still trying to find a favorable connecting-rod length and compression height on the piston, says Kenny Duttweiler, noting one Bonneville engine he built had a 2.850-inch stroke and he wanted a 1.350-inch compression height. I know its going to be different, and Ive got to respect the car a little bit more than I did the car that I was racing. While he releases his hold on that in-house engine program for his Pro Stock efforts, Larry Morgan will continue to develop cylinder heads for the Arana family, as Hector Arana and Hector Arana Jr attack the Pro Stock Motorcycle championship with their S&S-based Buell motorcycles and engines. But I do respect what cars can do, he said. We can get twice as much done in half the time., Morgans fascination with airflow dynamics and cylinder heads started early. IS BOB PART OF THE MIX AT ALL? They look a lot wilder, thats for sure. His team owner/race partner and sponsor wont be announced until next week, but Morgan said in a telephone conversation from his home in Newark, Ohio, that the operation is based in California. Im not scared or I wouldnt do it at all. Im going to do it for sure, he said. More information about advertising and tracking in our Data protection notice, the List of our partners and in Data protection information center. If you want to make good power up high, you have to have a short intake runner.. But as technology increased to support larger bores and shorter strokes, the rod lengths could be adjusted to support more aggressive rod ratios. It takes at least 10 years of working hard at it to become proficient at what you do., Nevertheless, Morgans extensive background building race motors for a broad range of applications is what enables him to provide maximum value for customers. Everything gets covered. Dragzine delivers the hard-hitting news, rumors, and event coverage that drag racers crave from NHRA, IHRA, NMCA, PDRA, Outlaw, and Drag Radial events, not to mention videos, in-depth car features, tech articles, and interviews. . Vous souhaitez faire le dpannage de votre automobile Fontaine ? Anchoring the rotating assembly is a custom steel billet crankshaft that has been lightened considerably to around 50 pounds, about 20 pounds lighter than a standard big-block crankshaft. Development is so secret that teams rarely offer peeks at the top of the engine while in the pits. At the turn of the century it was rare for a Pro Stock engine to rev over 9,600 rpm. In 1982, the NHRA settled on a single cookie-cutter formula of 500 cubic inches, 2,350-pound minimum weight and maximum 105-inch wheelbase. Being able to work with a team of engineers and designers to perform CAD work, 3-D printing and make custom tooling all in-house is a dream come true. Theyd done all they could to get to the top of the heap, but with only a one-car team competing against multiple-car squads and a budget that paled in comparison to his competitors, Morgans efforts got him into eliminations most of the time but rarely past the first or second rounds. Larry Morgan and Tony Christian, two great and colorful drivers from Pro Stock history, will be the guests of honor at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals as part of NHRAs yearlong salute to 50 Years of Pro Stock. Tunes are so different on the carbs that switching them could result in a loss of 30 to 40 horsepower. WHAT ARE YOU EXPECTATIONS ON THE FORD PRO STOCK ENGINE? Theres a [test session] prior to the Gainesville race, in Orlando, and were going to do that deal. Im a challenge junkie, said Morgan. Two veteran Pro Stock racers will release the clutch on their new rides for the first time on Monday, Dec. 14. The introduction of large cam cores that support more lift at the lobe have eased back on the rocker arms to around 1.9:1. Like us, Larry puts family first but he also knows how to get things done, and we know our relationship will only get stronger as the year progresses. Larry Morgan Racing It was always about the intake manifold, says Maskin. So I hope that I dont go over my head driving it. It did fit into the EXP he was driving at the time but reportedly drove like a fuel altered. Ford archives photo. With the purpose-built DRCE cylinder heads, they had the option of shaping the combustion chamber to their liking, but also positioning the valves at more desirable angles to optimize airflow into the cylinder. All rights reserved. Many components are custom made for Pro Stock engines; however, a few aftermarket manufacturers have part numbers that serve these engines. Fuji 450km SUPER GT schedule, how to watch, entry list, Happiness and frustration at RLL as Lundgaard stars at Barber, Happiness and frustration at RLL as Lundgaard stars at Barber After we have all this information, its then and only then that we can design a set of heads for a car. I think its [Pro Mod] a real good class, and I think its going to step up this year and become something real serious. These younger kids are coming in, and apparently they all like Pro Mod 319 percent viewership, thats what I look at, he said, with a warning to the NHRA. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHY YOU PICKED LARRY AND HOW YOU WORK WITH HIM? These GibTec Pro Stock pistons are three years old but offer a glimpse at the design factors needed for durability and low friction. Switching to EFI would also make the cars more relevant to todays production vehicles and reduce the size of the air scoop, which would help increase driver visibility. I would not know what to do without them. After two decades of engineering and designing some of the most powerful induction systems his expertise is sought out by many of the top teams in motor sports. Christians last of six NHRA Pro Stock final rounds came at the 1990 World Finals, where he fell to Glidden. Early 500-inch Pro Stock engines using the old Bow Tie block had a bore around 4.600-inch. Pro Stock teams are extremely protective of their setups and go to great lengths to keep the engine away from prying eyes. Ive always enjoyed teaching people because when I was young no one wanted to teach me!. Larry Morgan will debut his new 2010 Mustang while Allen Johnson will make his inaugural laps behind the wheel of a new Dodge Stratus. A couple years ago we got close enough to find Roger Brogdon, left, and Larry Morgan checking on their engines. I had two herniated discs, and it was pinching my sciatic nerve, but its100 percent better than it was.. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Where the nitro cars all run pretty much the same equipment, in Pro Stock its every competitor for themselves and the secrets start long before the firewall of the car. However, the longtime NHRA Pro Stock driver, who sat out last season without sponsorship, has an extra spring in his step this winter. Stevens family business is Stevens Used Auto Parts in New Orleans. Heres the bottom line . The DRCE2 and DRCE3 are no longer manufactured, says GM race engineer Roger Allen. The use of Flow Balls are just as important as the velocity probe or the flow bench itself. Engine builders are split between aluminum and steel on rod construction. I think we did it for one reason, and it ended up being multi-faceted, remembers Richard Maskin, president of Dart Machinery and a leading pioneer in Pro Stock engines. Theyve done a fine job and I think weve done a pretty good job ourselves.. These are the Black Ops of Pro Stock drag racing. She was the first non-NASCAR recipient of the prestigious Russ Catlin Award and has covered the sport for the Chicago Tribune, Newark Star-Ledger, St. Petersburg Times, and Seattle Times. Im good. However, the longtime NHRA Pro Stock driver, who sat out last season without sponsorship, has an extra spring in his step this winter. Perkinson will be piloting a car owned by Mark Wolfe out of I know that is probably best that Mark has someone temporary to come in and do this because thats Richies ride. There is no traditional front cover bolt pattern as the cam is held in place with a Jesel cartridge-style cover that keeps oil off the belt drive. The big difference is what happens when an engine blows. Small-blocks mirror Pro Stock in a lot of ways, adds Duttweiler. Automotive Store Morgan and Son Racing Engines | Grand Prairie TX ENGINES PARTS SERVICES ONLINE STORE NEW PHOTOS! Its similar to our NASCAR block, explains Allen. Despite his lack of experience in these sometimes-outrageously rowdy doorslammers, Morgan said he expects to perform admirably in his first year. He was also forced to pay back $60,000 to Eastman-Kodak for falsifying an invoice. Six-time champion Warren Johnson has been perhaps the most prominent advisor in the development of the DRCE platform. But we like a challenge., Ill probably have to go to Vegas or Tucson or somewhere out there [out West] and just do some burnouts and stuff, he said. You have to look at all the variables as a whole, Morgan stated. Hows that? Morgan said. OWard on wrong strategy Thats the roll of the dice, Grosjean: Fifth runner-up finish hurt after leading so much, Grosjean: Fifth runner-up finish hurt after leading so much I want everybody to understand this our engine and they are just working to try and make it better. Morgans most recent Pro Stock win came in Denver in 2015 and he has only competed sporadically since then. A number of advanced features found on race-only blocks are built into the DRCE4 block, such as an enclosed cam tunnel, a true racing oil system and compacted-graphite-iron construction. The main oil galley is between the camshaft and crankshaft, and the oil circuitry to the lifters is controlled with a billet rear cover. Richie has shaken that car down pretty good, Morgan said. We realize our competition is tough and weve got the Mike Edwards and the Johnsons and others out there. Nacogdoches, TX Opening the next chapter in a distinguished motorsports career that spans over 30 years, Darin Morgan will join the Mast Motorsports team effective immediately. One question that often pops up when discussing Pro Stock engines is why teams never adapted aluminum cylinder blocks. Ive lived every day for this stuff. Morgan is well-aware that qualifying for the 16-car Pro Mod class wont be any easier than doing so in Pro Stock, that a surprising number of experienced drivers fall below the cutoff line at every event. Larry discusses his legendary career, Pro Stock engine technology, and tells several stories that will. Oil from the main galley to the lifters on the DRCE4 is controlled with a billet plate mounted in the rear of the block, similar to NASCAR designs. A large cam, such as this example from Comp Cams, improves torsional stiffness and allows for more aggressive lobe designs. That means the camshaft core could be 16mm larger than the crankshaft mains. Aside from the 2012-13 championship runs from the highly talented Hemi drivers of Allen Johnson and Jeg Coughlin Jr., the DRCE engine has dominated the Pro Stock ranks since Gliddens glory days. I think they will be fun.. When NHRA rolls into Pomona for the season-starting Winternationals the first weekend of February, Morgan will be wheeling a Chevrolet for the first time since 1999. Most of the horsepower gains these days come from the valvetrain, cylinder heads and proper manifolding. If done correctly, that frees up about 10 pounds for the final few feet, which could be the difference in a dead-heat finish. Unless theres a big challenge, Im not comfortable and working on heads is the most challenging thing professionally that Ive ever had to do. Mike Magda is a veteran automotive writer with credits in publications such as Racecar Engineering, Hot Rod, Engine Technology International, Motor Trend, Automobile, Automotive Testing Technology and Professional Motorsport World. This unit can produce a complete cylinder profile within one micron. The DRCE4 has provisions for nine cam bearings and support cam cores up to 80mm. Darin Morgan started porting heads in his fathers race engine shop over 25 years ago. I feel good, but I just have to get some laps in the car., LARRY MORGAN FILLING IN FOR STEVENS JR., TO DRIVE BEAVER MOTORSPORTS PRO STOCK ENTRY IN INDY. He turned out to be the singular full-time competitor for the Ford Mustang through its current tenure; it was lonely for Morgan and his crew, particularly when Nowland was forced into retirement. Honing is the most critical operation, not only for establishing the best cross-hatch pattern for sealing the rings but also for ensuring that the cylinder is perfectly round. . Force after 150th win: The monkey taught me so much, Fuji 450km SUPER GT schedule, how to watch, entry list, Fuji 450km SUPER GT schedule, how to watch, entry list Stop guessing where your turbulence or problems areas are and start designing better ports. I had two herniated discs, and it was pinching my sciatic nerve, but its100 percent better than it was. To put that in perspective, the traditional big-block Chevy, upon which the DRCE platform traces its heritage, has a deck height of 9.800 inches.