Please Welcome Dave Morgan to the Chassis & Suspension F

[John_Heard]

It's my pleasure to introduce a new moderator to the Chassis and Suspension forum, the one and only Dave Morgan, author of "Doorslammers: The Chassis Book".

For many years Dave has been helping racers figure out and improve their programs with a drive that few have in this industry for sharing information. Curiosity about someone often prompts the question,"What drives this person?" In other words, why do they do what they do with so much dedication and focus?

In Dave Morgan's case, the inspiration behind his tech writings and seminars is simply based on helping racers flourish through education. The ideas for his seminars came from his background as a real estate agent in the 1970's. That industry emphasizes self-education. Morgan saw a need for racers to become better educated through seminar presentations.

He began his seminar career in SCCA road racing where his efforts as an organizer gained national recognition. Virtually every road racing publication praised his efforts.

Seeing the results of Morgan's program, Tom Alston, then the president of Alston Engineering hired Morgan to run the sales program in 1980 where the seminar program and dealer program that Morgan instituted drove company sales past the million-dollar mark in 1981. Through his national "Tech Tour," Morgan became nationally-known as a chassis-tuner and teacher. He remained in the manufacturing sector throughout the '80's, working at ATI Transmissions in Baltimore and Zeeker Performance in Northern Ohio.

It was at this point in his career, 1989, when Morgan began writing tech articles. "In those days," said Morgan, "A tech writer had some kind of hands-on background. Now, anyone with a PC and a tape recorder can quote a manufacturer's sales rep and write an infomercial that's called a 'tech article.'"
His writing efforts led Morgan into a relationship with Walt Weney of S&W Racecars, who helped Morgan publish his well-known book Doorslammers: The Chassisbook. This led a role as NHRA's first technical editor where he launched the popular tech column called PitSide, which according to then publisher Neil Britt, was the best-read portion of NHRA's magazine National DRAGSTER.

"The NHRA experience taught me a lot about the incestuous relationship between advertising and publishing," said Morgan. "While I can't say that all my technical approaches were correct, they were technical in nature and I got a lot of manufacturers angry with my writings. Rather than debate a technical issue, they chose to take a political route and destroyed the technical legacy I was building for drag racers. Now look what we have. In drag racing, you can hardly ever find a "tech article" that is not trying to sell the reader something. Compared to the ethics of magazines in other motor sports, like road racing, the publishing industry in drag racing is mostly unworthy of their readership."

After working for NHRA, Morgan focused on his seminar tour and a series of test sessions, which were sponsored by AutoMeter, which provided data acquisition systems for him to install in racecars on a trial basis. "Those were the most intense events I've ever organized," Morgan said. "Imagine sheparding 10 racers through a test session, none of whom had ever tested before. Each was a great experience, but I'd never want to do it again. Consulting with a single team is one thing, working with 10 drivers and crews is nuts!"

After a two-year stint as the editor for IHRA (2002-2003), Morgan now works as an instructor at the University of Northwestern Ohio (UNOH), in Lima, Ohio. "I finally found my home," he said. "I'm surrounded with some of the finest young people who will be joining our sport and I have a group of peers who are second-to-none in their intelligence and devotion to educational issues in motor sports.
"The UNOH facility is amazing. We have two shock dynos, two chassis dynos, two engine dynos, a half-dozen flow benches and a 60-foot launch pad. I often come to work and feel a deep sense of amazement and joy at having received this opportunity to evolve from giving seminars and tuning customer's cars to becoming an instructor in a mainstream university."

Please give Dave a big warm welcome to our little corner of the net! He's going to participate as his schedule allows so when asking him questions allow some time for him to reply. I for one am really looking forward to the discussions we're going to have here soon!

John Heard
DragStuff.com

[sc racing]

WELCOME DAVE!!!! I hope we dont overload you with too many questions. I have a few dozen myself.

[DOTracer]

Welcome Dave!

[Mike-Casella]

Welcome Dave!!!

[amature]

Welcome aboard!

[bbc68nova]

welcome

[Mike Tritle]

Good to have you here, Dave. Still having success with the leaf springs and pinion snubber and have found a few things even with that ancient (but rules driven) system from our combined experience.

Welcome aboard!

Email me when you get a minute so we can catch up.

<cuda474@msn.com>

[Maliboost]

Welcome to the board Dave. I could not tell you the number of times Ive read & re-read your book. as a matter of fact, I just got it out again, looking for some idea's on how to mount my chute.

Bob

[rharveysr]

Welcome...

Rick

[Mike Peters]

Welcome Dave. I am privileged to call you my friend. I have enjoyed the seminars I have attended and encourage anyone who is even remotely interested to contact Dave for setting one up for your group. The reward gained by setting one up is well worth the effort.

[gearjammer]

Welcome aboard Dave, I would 1st. like to say thank you for ALL that you have already done for all of us and thank you for whats about to come.

You are a much needed and welcomed asset to Dragstuff.com

Now what the latest and greatest on leaf spring cars

[julven]

Welcome Dave. I also have learned alot from your Doorslamer book.Thanks!

[BSeery]

Thanks for joining the board!!

I picked up your book about a month ago and have learned so much already.

I hope between the book and your help on the forum a solution for some of my car's problems can be found.

[71 Nova]

Welcome aboard, Dave! Good to have you.
Just got your book, a lot of good info in it.

Ken

[sc68z28]

A great BIG Welcome, Dave.

Got your book a few months back and its paying dividends allready.

THANKS ---Bill.