hray Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 How about some reconsideration on the rules? Let the Chevy chassis cars cut the bottom off the cross member for better ground clearance and safety. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Realfast Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 Safety ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hray Posted February 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 Yes, since there is no ride height rule, the chevy chassis cars cannot get the ride height as low as the Ford chassis cars without scraping the crossmember on corner entry. If you scrape the crossmember, I can promise you will not hold your race line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
top_shelf_12 Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 And I would think something that's scraping may eventually fall off too. Don't think a flying chunk of metal would be very safe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Realfast Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 How come some people always want to change rules instead of racing at the tracks they always wanting to change the rules at? If you would go and race your car, the track might try to help out. Maybe the track should only allow fords to run but that is just my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
top_shelf_12 Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 I don't have a dog in this fight and couldn't run HMP even if I wanted too, just saying how it could be a safety issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hray Posted February 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2015 Boy realfast, did I hit a nerve? Maybe you're not familiar with the history of this topic. For years (going back as far as TAMS) 99% of all asphalt mods had Chevy chassis. A couple, including Chris Swenson's, had rear steer Ford chassis. The rules required a 4" ride height so the cross member height was not an issue. The TAMS traveling series dissolved and each track established its own ProMod class and developed the class rules. They all still required a 4" ride height. About that timeframe John Heil started building his ProMod chassis using the metric Ford chassis which has a higher cross member. About the same time, the tracks did away with the ride height rule giving the Ford chassis cars an advantage in setting ride height, so those of us with Chevy chassis simply cut 1 1/2" off the bottom of the cross member and , in the case of our car, welded a 1/4" thick steel plate to the bottom for strength and in order to stay competitive with the Ford chassis cars. For some reason, John Mandebach decided that should be illegal unless you bolted 75 lbs to the cross member (a rather absurd rule). The only alternatives were buy a Ford chassis or don't race at HMP. We chose the latter. Since HMP is under new management, I thought they might want to reconsider this rule - it's as simple as that. If this is going to cause you some hugh hardship I certainly wouldn't want there to be any changes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Realfast Posted February 24, 2015 Report Share Posted February 24, 2015 I don't think it matters if fords run 4" ride they still get down to the same spot with bump stops. When we ran a chevy front clip we had no problem getting it to work with bump stops. With the cost of front clips right now being so expensive to get a chevy it is more cost effective to get a ford and run up front. But I don't think that matters because some people just sit back and complain about rules just to come up with a reason not to race. I don't remember y'all running at cts but four time even though they allow you to run your front clip with no penalty. If I'm also right it never said in any rules that you could cut front crossmembers. Also Wayne from Hogg chassis was the first one to use ford clips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hray Posted February 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2015 Chris' cars were the 1st in this area to use Ford chassis although they were rear steer. When Wayne's and Chris' Ford chassis cars were running, the ride height was 4". The cross member height didn't matter. The facts are the facts. A stock Chevy cannot achieve as low a ride height as a Ford without cutting the cross member. If it doesn't cost you anything to let the Chevys be more competitive, what are you afraid of? Right now you've got an advantage just because you can afford a Ford chassis car. I can't see your point unless your point is that you want those with the money to have the advantage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Realfast Posted February 24, 2015 Report Share Posted February 24, 2015 My point is you have a place to race and you don't you would rather sit back and complain about rules at other tracks that you don't even go too. Be happy we have a place to race. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hray Posted February 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2015 Man, you've really got a bee up your a$$. We've raced at HMP for years with TAMS, ROMCO, ProLate and ProMods. In recent years work has had a higher priority than racing, but we've still managed to get in a few races each year and we did support HMP until they decided on this stupid cross member rule. All I want is to be able to race at HMP again without having to break the bank. People like you are the reason rules get changed in the first place with no thought for the unintended consequences. It would cost nothing to any racer to allow cut cross members on Chevy chassis cars and it would make the class more competitive. Unless your one of the new owner, why don't you just let them answer my original post. If they decide against it, we'll just keep racing at CTS only. We've been satisfied there, just wanted to go to HMP every now and then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Realfast Posted February 24, 2015 Report Share Posted February 24, 2015 There was never a rule saying you could cut crossmembers every rule I have seen says the clip must be full and complete which you can not cut crossmembers. It started getting a little out of hand is why they wrote it in the rules for people like you who don't understand full and complete. Fords were also winning before they got rid of the ride height rule. I'm just saying the facts. But if you have a problem with the rules " that you want changed" maybe you should call Ricky Brooks who is the tech inspector for Houston this year instead of whining on this form. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uhcougs Posted February 24, 2015 Report Share Posted February 24, 2015 Here's a thought: www.racehmp.com under contact information is the Technical Directors phone number and email. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hray Posted February 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2015 My recollection is that Doug Lege was kicking everyones butt with a Chevy clip car. I could be wrong, but I don't remember Fords dominating until the ride height rule was changed. One nice thing about this forum is that it allows public discussion of things like rule changes. Ricky Brooks or any other HMP official can post on here, or if they would prefer, they can PM. I don't care, I would just like a response to the question in my original post. We've always enjoyed HMP and miss racing there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Realfast Posted February 24, 2015 Report Share Posted February 24, 2015 I don't even remember Doug racing modifieds but the only changed the ride height rule 2 years ago. Joe was winning before that with a 4" ride height With a ford I think. But good luck getting a answer to your original question on here. Or maybe they will let you run your car the way it is so you can be competive and win some races. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hray Posted February 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2015 I don't even remember Doug racing modifieds but the only changed the ride height rule 2 years ago. ......................................................................Or maybe they will let you run your car the way it is .............................. Doug was the car owner. Zak Hausler (sp) drove it. How funny, you finally came around to my original request. That's all I want - to be able to run my car the way it is! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uhcougs Posted February 25, 2015 Report Share Posted February 25, 2015 Hray, if you want an answer, you're going to have to call Ricky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hray Posted February 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2015 I've already emailed him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSRSONETWO Posted February 25, 2015 Report Share Posted February 25, 2015 Hope this guy isn't the voice of HMP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uhcougs Posted February 25, 2015 Report Share Posted February 25, 2015 hopefully there's a clarification coming. I've been watching this one since last year, and never understood the weight penalty myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hray Posted February 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2015 I honestly think, for some reason John Mandebach decided there would be no cutting the cross member, so when an uproar arose over his decision, that was his way of sarcasticly saying 'fine, if you want to cut your cross member be my guest, but I'm going to make the penalty so bad you won't want to do it'. In actuallity all it did was run off all of us that had already done it. Thank goodness CTS didn't take the same action. And, btw, the Fords still dominate at CTS so it certainly hasn't hurt the class. We're just glad to be able to race at CTS, which we consider our home track and will still consider it our home track even if HMP changes the rule. It will just allow us to periodically run there also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91spotter Posted March 4, 2015 Report Share Posted March 4, 2015 By the way, Larry Hausler owned the car that Zak drove. Doug Lege was the crew chief Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MUmscheid 51 Posted March 12, 2015 Report Share Posted March 12, 2015 Maybe domination at CTS is a stretch. Maybe the majority of cars running up front are fords but I happen to know that the current track record still stands from a Chevy front clip car...maybe the faster Chevy cars haven't had the opportunity to race lately Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Realfast Posted March 13, 2015 Report Share Posted March 13, 2015 Every car that won at cts last year was a ford. And I'm pretty sure Raymond's cars were there a few times. I'm sure that's what cars you are talking about Michael. And the point is I don't care if you cut your crossmember, it's that people just get on the computer and complain and they don't ever race. They just come up with reasons not to bring there car to the track. And come up with reasons they run in the back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Realfast Posted March 13, 2015 Report Share Posted March 13, 2015 Also I was just wondering if you allow the chevy to cut there crossmembers. What's going to stop the fords from doing it and getting down in the track even more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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