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X275 Rules Suck - John Sears loves turbo cars...

Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2011 8:51 am
by John_Heard
I see NHRA picked up John Sears X275 rules for the Unleashed Series which one of the races will be at Tulsa. Was looking over the X275 rules today and WTF? Talk about a serious love feast for turbo boys, they really put the hurt on Nitrous Big Blocks.



http://www.nhra.com/UserFiles/file/Unle ... eashed.pdf

Re: X275 Rules Suck - John Sears loves turbo cars...

Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2011 9:22 am
by supernova
After reading the rules I would have to say "how much to reconfigure for a turbo set up"?
I'll tell you WTF it means, it means the NHRA is grasping at anything to try and save their asses from extinction. It's the wrong move for them in my opinion. Definitely looks one sided.

Re: X275 Rules Suck - John Sears loves turbo cars...

Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2011 9:46 am
by John_Heard
First of all, I'm glad to see NHRA getting more involved with heads up racing, even at this limited level. Those x275 rules are a joke though - that is if you have a Big Block Nitrous car.

Re: X275 Rules Suck - John Sears loves turbo cars...

Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2011 10:59 am
by 71Hellride
John_Heard wrote:First of all, I'm glad to see NHRA getting more involved with heads up racing, even at this limited level. Those x275 rules are a joke though - that is if you have a Big Block Nitrous car.
Wow John I couldn't agree more. The bad thing is everyone on the bullet thinks a bb nitrous car is going to be the thing to build. You can have an 800 or 900 hp small block with three systems on it at 2950, but a convential heading bbc has to weigh 3200 with one system. Plus God forbid you have a tall deck then you have to weigh 3400. Everyone uses Al Marlow as a measuring stick on what a big block can do.

I don't know if you seen the thread on turbos on the bullet but they asked enough times that Sears finally let them have large frame turbos. Monte Smith made a good post about the parity of the class. He said "you have small block nitrous cars running 5 teens at 3200 and a single plate. Now you take 250 pounds off and allow all the nitrous they want?"

My motor is too big to run anyway (598) but even if it was allowed, no way I could run with those guys on one system.

Re: X275 Rules Suck - John Sears loves turbo cars...

Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2011 11:09 am
by John_Heard
Or 3400 lbs for the privilege of running a tall deck (but at the same ci)... Extra 150 lbs for nadda... To me it looks like the rules were written at one time for 632 max ci or so, then somebody stuck that 588 max in there for some goofy reason.

Re: X275 Rules Suck - John Sears loves turbo cars...

Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2011 1:10 pm
by supernova
I now have a 572 nitrous motor and a t/d at that. With weight and nitrous restrictions i'll never be in the mix.

I am glade they're do'in something new. We'll have to see what happens.

Re: X275 Rules Suck - John Sears loves turbo cars...

Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2011 2:15 pm
by 71Hellride
Saw a post by John that said originally there was going to be no tall decks at all, but decided to allow them. Then he said they get a weight hit because you can get a better ring package in a tall deck and spray more. In my book a tall deck 588, 598, 632, or whatever are going to make about the same power with a big hit of nitrous and are really no advantage over a short deck. I guess we're going to have to start 8.5 racing our car. They aren't as brutal on bb and the weights are better.

Btw totally off subject John but have you weighed your nova after all the work you've done, or have an idea what it might weigh?

Re: X275 Rules Suck - John Sears loves turbo cars...

Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2011 3:04 pm
by John_Heard
Anyone that has a BB N2O car knows those rules are off. Guess when they want to bump car count they'll change them.

No, haven't weighed it, still working on it. Before we took it apart, it weighed 3350 loaded. I've taken approx 300 lbs or so out of it, but added a few things too. Somewhat hard to tell yet, but I certainly think it'll be at least 3200 or less race ready. At least I hope so!

Re: X275 Rules Suck - John Sears loves turbo cars...

Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2011 9:58 pm
by BracketNova
What is in your car John? Mine is 3210 with me, and I weigh 185. All I've done is a liftoff hood and no inner fenders. I still have a full interior and a cage.

Re: X275 Rules Suck - John Sears loves turbo cars...

Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2011 10:08 pm
by John_Heard
I'm gonna guess your car is a small block, 8.5" rear end, glide? The big parts that make a difference are the Iron big block, 9" rear end, full 25.3 cage. My car would weigh 3500 lbs easy with just an fiberglass hood and no inner fenders without all the other work I've done to take weight out of it. The Dart block is HEAVY.

Re: X275 Rules Suck - John Sears loves turbo cars...

Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2011 10:20 pm
by John_Heard
Just looked at your signature - 3200 with OEM iron headed big block + driver? That car ought to weigh in at about 3400, maybe 3500. Where did you weigh it at?

Re: X275 Rules Suck - John Sears loves turbo cars...

Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 7:37 am
by ytnova
Well, so far the cars that have ruled the two X275 races here this year have not been turbo cars. Nitrous small blocks and supercharged small blocks have been king. I do feel the nitrous bbc are at a disadvantage also, especially the tall decks like mine, but we will have to see how it plays out next week in georgia. I will also say that Robbie Blankenship's natrually aspirated mustang on 28x10.5's did well at bradenton in X275. If the combo was up to me, I would build a big 23 degree sbc or a 20 degree sbf either n/a or with a single plate and take the HUGE weight break.

Re: X275 Rules Suck - John Sears loves turbo cars...

Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2011 12:46 pm
by Mike Peters
John Sears is my buddy and a good guy. My advice is to contact him with ideas, suggestions, and solutions. I'm not saying the rules are fair but, John Sears is all about trying to put the best product out there. Like ytnova stated, sometimes it takes a lopsided race to show the faults that are in place.

Re: X275 Rules Suck - John Sears loves turbo cars...

Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2011 9:21 am
by ytnova
I am loading up tonight and heading up tommorrow for georgia. I will post back up monday and tell ya'll how it went. I spent the earlier part of the week at TRZ installing my rack and removing some weight, so we will see what happens. We are bringing a few cars to the race, mine, a green 88mm turbo mustang and a yates headed sbf nos mustang. One of the cars to watch will be my friend Clint Lonnon's black sn95 mustang, Bischoff sbf powered, and 2 new foggers. It has been 4.9X's on a single plate in X275 legal trim. I think I am going to be outgunned!

Re: X275 Rules Suck - John Sears loves turbo cars...

Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2011 9:34 am
by John_Heard
Good luck and have fun at SGMP - Lonnon is bad fast, should be a great race...