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One Great Way to Cut Costs

Ever since I started posting about racing costs, I've had people asking me what I would do - or what rules I would make - to cut costs for short track racers.  I've already talked, at length, about my opinion that rear suspensions are one of the biggest ways to cut costs, so I'll leave that alone.  There is, however, one other way to really impact racers' costs.  Ready?  Here it is - get back to the junkyards.

Let's face it - most short track racing is still based on the small-block Chevrolet.  That's good and fine - the SB Chevy has been the mainstay of racing for nearly 50 years.  However, the last small-block installed in a new vehicle rolled off the assembly line 10 years ago, which means that junkyard supplies of decent parts are drying up.

There are, however, engines that are plentiful, affordable, and perhaps much better suited to the job of short track racing than the engines that came before them.  Where the "good" small-blocks had 4-bolt mains, these have 6-bolt mains.  Where a "good" small block might have "pink" rods, these have powdered metal rods that are almost twice as strong.  They have freer-breathing heads, good nodular iron crankshafts, and will make 500 horsepower with few changes, and do so reliably.

They are GM's Gen 3 (or LS-series) engines.  They come not only in Vettes, GTO's, and Camaros, they have been made by the millions for trucks and SUV's.  For proof of power potential, Car Craft Magazine took a 6.0L version straight from a 2000 Chevy pickup, added a 4-barrel intake, distributor (through a drive kit), and a moderate cam, and made 483 horses at 6000 RPM.  The total cost was around $3000, including the engine.

I should point out at this time that Mopar fans have learned similar facts about the 5.7 and 6.1 Hemi.  Power potential, cost, etc. are similar to the Gen 3 Chevy.  Aftermarket support runs a bit behind the Chevy, but fortunately the factory stuff is good enough that they are capable of becoming good racing engines easily.

The Gen 3 can be had with iron blocks or aluminum blocks; iron heads (1999 and 2000 6.0L truck engines) or aluminum heads (all other versions), and aftermarket cranks, rods, cams, pistons, etc. can be had to make the engine whatever you want it to be.  Even the factory stuff can peform well against aftermarket heads such as Iron Eagles, etc.

The real savings with these engines is in the cylinder head department.  The factory heads that come on Corvettes and Trucks are capable of flowing approximately 270-280CFM on the intake port without any work.  Porters have gotten these heads to 320+CFM.  2005 and up Escalades come with a different head that flows about 325CFM right off the Escalade, and can be gotten up to 360 with porting (Late Model racers, that is 18-degree head territory).  Prices?  Glad you asked - if you can't find them at the junkyard, the Escalade heads can be had with stainless valves, from the factory, for about $750 a set.  The Corvette LS6 heads are about $600 a set.

There's only one minor, teensy weeny little problem with them.  They're illegal for most short track racing.  You are perfectly free to build a $20,000 iron-head conventional small block for Lakeside's modified class  or ULMA Late Models - but build a cheap 6.0 with aluminum heads, and you're illegal.

The Gen 3 engine is 11 years old now.  By the time the conventional small-block was 11 years old, it was the dominant engine in short track racing.  It's my opinion that rules makers need to adapt to the reality that these are the engines of the future, and make allowances for them.  Perhaps a rule allowing only OEM production aluminum heads would be helpful - any set of rules, particularly in the higher end divisions, that force racers to buy aftermarket stuff while junkyard stuff is illegal needs to be looked at carefully.