Congrats to Jon Clifton...

[Fast Orange]

Congrats Jon on making the top 10 in points...
I know you wanted it, and couldn't make as many races as you would of like to.

Now if only us pushrod guys could get a break from NMRA against these 4V's :D

[Jonathan Paulk]

Maybe with Shawn's .30s it will finally get their attention.....CONGRATS JOHN!!! GOOD JOB!!!

[DARRIN P/S 5006]

Congrat's John on your #10 spot....I'll cya in Mich.

[Shawn Johnson]

Maybe with Shawn's .30s it will finally get their attention.....CONGRATS JOHN!!! GOOD JOB!!!


Well the NMRA gave the 5.0L rule changes for 2005... who took advantage of them????
The 5.0L could have ran 50s at least last year (proven by Jamie at BG) and then the NMRA gave you some changes and the best run was still in the 50s.
If no one is taking advantage of the rule changes already given... no one should be asking for more changes!


Good Job John...


Shawn

[Jonathan Paulk]

Here we go again.........it doesn't matter anyway, your crew chief said "Screw the rules"........

[Shawn Johnson]

Here we go again.........it doesn't matter anyway, your crew chief said "Screw the rules"........


I heard that from him...:D

With the air that was at BG we thought we should be able to run a good number...
That was the best conditions that we had seen all year...

[Jonathan Paulk]

How 'bout the air at MI?

[Shawn Johnson]

How 'bout the air at MI?


We didn't get to run at MI during the evnt to get the set up right for the track conditions... Remember how cold it was.... Bowling Green had good air and good sticky track... Last year the MI race was better then the BG race as far as conditions....

[Fast Orange]

Well the NMRA gave the 5.0L rule changes for 2005... who took advantage of them????
The 5.0L could have ran 50s at least last year (proven by Jamie at BG) and then the NMRA gave you some changes and the best run was still in the 50s.
If no one is taking advantage of the rule changes already given... no one should be asking for more changes!


Good Job John...


Shawn

My Heads are 52.5 cc's. It takes a 4cc eyebrow in the piston to get there, so is it really any help or is it just easier on tech???

Lets compare You and Holten. .30's vs .50's in two maxed out "Race Cars". That looks like an obvious 2 tenths.
4v's don't even Ice their stuff or over gear the p!ss out of it like a pushrod car has to...

I'm not looking for a mericle, just 2 tenths before I drop the $$$ in a shortblock that has a chance to make it to a final.

I'm not a complainer, it took me 10 races to make it out of first round. I've enjoyed every race, and I know it takes more than what I have in my shortblock to go further.

Shawn, you and your "Boys" worked your butts off and did a great job this year. I have nothing againts 4v's they are just hands down a better desighned air pump.

[Jamie R.]

Well put Orange. I'm curious and waiting to what rule changes will be made for next year.

Jamie R.
F/S 6500

[Shawn Johnson]

My Heads are 52.5 cc's. It takes a 4cc eyebrow in the piston to get there, so is it really any help or is it just easier on tech???

Lets compare You and Holten. .30's vs .50's in two maxed out "Race Cars". That looks like an obvious 2 tenths.
4v's don't even Ice their stuff or over gear the p!ss out of it like a pushrod car has to...

I'm not looking for a mericle, just 2 tenths before I drop the $$$ in a shortblock that has a chance to make it to a final.

I'm not a complainer, it took me 10 races to make it out of first round. I've enjoyed every race, and I know it takes more than what I have in my shortblock to go further.

Shawn, you and your "Boys" worked your butts off and did a great job this year. I have nothing againts 4v's they are just hands down a better desighned air pump.

Jamie ran in the 50s this year with the rules changes and 50s last year without...
He hasn't been out the rest of the year and no one knows how much he has done with his combo.... is it maxed out to the rules? has he tested all he could test??? has he tried all the combinations he could??? we don't know .... and who on the 5.0L side has???

You cut your heads down and what about the 0 deck rule.... have you been to the dyno tuning it since the head work...?

Were you watching us at BG we sure did ice our stuff down to get both of the 30s numbers plus we did it during the run against Jamie and we didn't run a 30.. So don't give me this we don't even ice our stuff down BS...

And what is this about over gearing....
As far as gears I run a 4:56 gear with a 50 tire... how much gearing do you want...

I don't have a two step like you do.... maybe we should say no one can run a two step...

We started the season in the 60s and had to do the following to get to where we are….

We have tested 4 different clutch combos this year..not counting last seasons testing.... We changes clutches at BG and lost @ 1.5 tenths... are you sure the 5.0L have the best clutch for the combo???
We have tested three different intakes...
We tried three different piston designs..
I tried three different air intake combos.. even three different air filters… four different spark plug designs.
I have made a trip to Cinci.. to tune the car after any change made. The car has made as many if not more passes on the dyno as it has down the track…. Who does the 5.0L tuning.. is it the best out there.. there is more to tuning these engines then timing and fuel…
Now as far as the chassis
I tested three different front and rear spring combinations…
Two different rear double adjustable shocks..
Three different front struts…
Its been to the chassis shop 4 times to scale, balance and align..
The chassis shop did three track test sessions and filmed the car to make adjustments…

These are only the things I can remember off the top of my head…

This is why I get upset when you guys say the rules need to change…. We are the only car in the 30s…. if we ran the same as Jeff would you be saying that the 5.0L need help..
Jeff is still working on his combo and finding what helps and what doesn’t… What are the 5.0L guys doing…
No 5.0L was torn down this year so the NMRA has no idea what you guys are running…
5.0L were given rules for this year and have run no better then last… how do we know that you guys have used what you have been given already.. and used it to its full potential???
If it was so easy to get these mod motors to out run the 5.0L guys like all of you are trying to imply then Jeff, Carlos and Ryan would be running the exact same as us but they are not…

Jeff and Ryan have been working and working on they stuff so how can these motors be so much easier to run…

I know Jeff has at least three different motors and many clutch and other stuff he’s been trying…

How much testing and parts have the 5.0L guys tried this season… and don’t give me that since the 5.0L has been out longer all the parts have been tested either… There are new clutch companies out there with better designs… There is better engine tuners with better technology get more out of them.. The is better chassis parts etc…

We keep testing and searching all the time…..
This takes a lot of money and time and I have spent both this season to get here that is why I get mad a when people say we need the rules change to help us when they haven’t spent the money and time to get everything out of their combo like we have…

It’s like say hey guys you have worked you’re a$$ off to get that car running good but we don’t or can’t spend that kind of money so we wont the rules change so we don’t have too… That is BS…
I don’t mean to make any mad… this is my opinion about the rules issue


Scott your a cool guy so don't think this was directed at you... we have heard all this stuff from other 5.0L guys and I wonted to address it one time..

Shawn

[Jonathan Paulk]

Ummmm....we still need a rule change........

Jon, sorry we hijacked your thread....it has happened to all of us....

[Ian Mullane]

Congrats Jon. It wasn't an easy year to make the top 10 Well deserved






Here we go again.........it doesn't matter anyway, your crew chief said "Screw the rules"........

Yeah, but I don't pay the bills. I just like to go fast.

I like things being fair but I have talked to several racers and watched what everyone else is doing and I just cannot imagine that others have gone as far as Shawn did in testing new and innovative parts and ideas. Obviously I could be wrong and if so then maybe some of you guys have an arguement. Lets here it. Other than Shawn, the 5.0's and 4V's have been very competative with each other this year. Jami, Jeff, Jonothan and Ryan were all very close in BG. Carlos' car might have been judging from mph and I wish Denny would have come as I'm sure he would have been in the thick of it as well. Jeff's car is as purpose built as any pushrod and Ryan's car is "The most technically advanced F/S car ever built" (says so right in the JPC add). Why are they not running away from the pushrod guys? If Moduar Performance wasn't so heavily invested and involved in Shawns program, I'd suggest putting a pushrod in it just to see how far it can be taken. Then again like I said before, I don't pay the bills.

P.S. Trust me it's over geared to get it to work on the front half. It aint easy to get 3420 lbs moving with peak torque so high up in the powerband without gearing the heck out of it. Going trough the traps 1200 rpm past peak and when this thng hits peak the hp falls off like a rock.

[Fast Orange]

As far as gears I run a 4:56 gear with a 50 tire... how much gearing do you want...

I don't have a two step like you do.... maybe we should say no one can run a two step...


Jeff and Ryan have been working and working on they stuff so how can these motors be so much easier to run…

Shawn

Whoa Whoa Whoa!!!! I never said 4V's are easier to run.

I can't compare my combo to yours, I'm using Holtens because he's the fastest Pushrod, and he's been a big player for more than two years.

as for 0 deck rule.... I'm running .039 quench because of piston rock. at .030 I'd probally have to sacrafice another cc in the piston.

(4.56 gear X 120 mph X 336) / 25.5 tire = 7200rpm I'm guessing you shift higher than that.

Jeff Schmells car is Difinitly not purpose built. the spare tire & Jack in the trunk is all he has for ballast. Thats why his car won't run with yours (OK plus a coulple other small details you pretty much know about)

the 2 step thing... You know a car actually leaves harder without one, so why bring it up. I like it for good lights, and consistancy.

No I didn't watch you ice you stuff down, I don't make it a point to see what everyone ealse is doing. my fault, sorry.

As far as Testing, yes I'd say you were very busy, thus thats why your the Champ...

It may not look like it, but I worked my ass off too. My goal for the year was to run 11's w/ junk and I came up short with a 12.000

I tried 3 different spring settups, 4 clutch set ups, 2 different heads, 3 different head gasket thicknesses, 3 differnt pushrod lenghts, two different rearend gears, 3 different lower intakes and Alternative Auto did my Dyno tunning.

and thats probally only half of what Denny did.

Here's a pic from BG that I have on order...
http://www.photoreflect.com/scripts/prsm.dll?eventorder?photo=00SL00BT040086&start=0&album=0&adjust=-1

[Shawn Johnson]

Scott
Nice pic... looks like your chassis isn't twisting like it use to..

[stangfireman]

Think I'll see if I can get the E7's down to 11.30's. :D

[Shawn Johnson]

the 2 step thing... You know a car actually leaves harder without one, so why bring it up. I like it for good lights, and consistancy.




See its things like this that add up..
If the 5.0L cars leave harder without one and runs a better ET then don't use it.. This is heads up not bracket racing... Your not the only one who has made that statement about the two step..

We don't becuase we run better...

It takes a lot of practice to get it down..

This is one more thing to add into the rules debate...

We are the only ones running our car this way..
It helps to make us faster..
If guys are not using this step in addition to any other to go faster them why penalize me by changing the rules so its easier to run then work at it to get there...

[Jon Clifton]

O.K. O.K. enough with the discussion, now back to the important stuff ME:D

Thanks for the congrats guys, I truly had a great time this year. You guys are a great bunch to hang out with, and true competitors on the track. I would just like to say I can't wait to get back out there next year.

Thanks again and congratulations to all those who placed in the top 10.

[SlowLX]

What it comes down to is MONEY. Obviously Shawn Johnson has plenty to spare, not to mention the backing of an established performance shop. That's the name of the game in class racing unfortunately, it didn't used to be the case in F/S, but everybody knew it would eventually happen

[SlowLX]

and I didn't mean for that to sound like Shawn doesn't know what he's doing and he just strokes a check every month, obviously he is very knowledgeable