Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

Would think now that the TSR team has shown that it can win with a Ford powerplant, would it not make sense for Ford to add at least one more WoO team to get additional input on development?  

One motor in a single car TSR team is good, but 2 or cars more would bring much more data to quicken the development.  

Of course none of us know what the contract between TSR and Ford states.

I gotta think you'll see more guys running them.   I'm curious if anyone who wants to run one would be able to buy it.   

There's an article  in SC&M about it

Not available to the general public quite yet, but it seems inevitable that they will want to sell them....

I would think so. TSR and Ford have put in the leg work and now its a full go. If its working for them it will work for others.

Next question is, does Toyota get in on the game ??

Ford had a capable available ASCS motor too, its not like they are some new ground breaking option. A few guys ran them and I dont think there was a huge gap one way or the other there either. The 410, unless sponsorship required or used in Ford Cup drivers (Stenhouse has been a vocal advocate to TSR in getting one) personal teams, I couldnt see teams uprooting and selling off ones current motor program to make that switch this early in the offering. It sounds like the horsepower is the same as the current "chevys" with a different torque curve. That may suit some drivers better than others, and most motor builders can move that torque curve around with the current platforms anyways. My opinion is Ford will never see that initial developement cost recovered, and they are probably OK with that given they had to develope something given Stewart-Hass' alignment with Ford at the Cup level. For Toyota to sell a dozen or so engines to a few 410 teams with Cup ties wont be worth their investment either, unlike their midget program and ties to those teams. Ford tried with the factory backed RY45 open late model motors and cut ties shortly after when it was obvious the return wasnt worth the investment, and Durham personally took the ball and ran from there. I think you will see a few Ford 410's, not many, and no Toyota interest over the next few years. My personal opinion.

I thought  stenhouse was gonna be in a Chevy?

He is now.   

That makes sense, we'll see...

If HP is almost equal, no point in changing

If a team decides to change from Chev to Ford,  how much else needs to be changed also beside the long block? 

I'd guess fuel injection also, what about torque tube mounts or engine mounts?

Or is it the kind of thing if I blow my chev in TT and Donny feels generous could I bolt the Ford in at the track?

Just wondering about extra costs and modifications. And if a team swaps how much inventory could go to a swap meet?

Even though I may not know you, I 
care what most of you think!

Motors are complete with the injection already on them.  You'd need a different rear motor plate for the different bolt pattern.  Or possible have a plate that has both sets of holes in it.  And different headers.  And a longer coil wire to reach the mag on the front instead of the back of the motor.  Even changing motor plates it wouldn't be that difficult and could be done at the track pretty easily.    

The RY Ford ASCS motor was directly responsible for causing nearly all 360 racers to have to spend more money to catch back up. ASCS had to open up the rules for Chev heads. Everyone had to get their heads updated or buy a new set. RY realized they weren't going to sell hundreds of them and bailed after just a few years. In the end it just cost everyone a bunch of money to get back to the same place. And was the catylist to 360 motors becoming ridiculously expensive. Or illegal, or both, whichever way you decided to go.  

Bingo. Well said.

That being said, back when Blaney was running the Casey Luna Ford, as I was a bit young to realize what was going on... was that Ford 410 backed by Ford in any way? were there more than Blaney running them?

Bob Fetter campaigned a ford sprinter for several years in PA, late 80's to early 90's I'm thinking, and they had some success with it.. Dan Dietrich also drove a sprinter owned by Cooper Motors in PA which was powered by a ford I think this was the car he was in when he came from last to win at the grove on a tire blistering Sunday afternoon. I'm not sure how much if any the Ford Factory had to do with development. I think the biggest complaint about the ford engine those days was it was a good bit heavier than its chevy counterpart.  I remember of hearing that the Luna Ford was labeled as the penalty box many of those years. Bobby Davis jr. won the Woo championship with Luna in 1989 although another racing series was competing against the Woo.

Jeff Swindell ran Fords for awhile

Cahills tried to run Fords at Knoxville at about same time as Blaney.  I do not know why, but they broke most every night.  The new TSR fORDS ARE NOTHING LIKE THE OLD fORDS AT ALL.  eVERY PART S NEW DESIGN.  mY GUESS THEY WILL SELL FOR $60-65 GRAND.We will see.  I guess if you are a Ford fan or a big Ford dealer is your sponsor it might make sense to switch if you have the money to do it.