No turbo, no supercharger, no nitrous, only a few cubic inches-no problem. American V8 drag racing has always relied on one of three properties to generate horsepower. Either run a huge-displacement engine-and we mean huge (600-700 cid)-run a single, dual or three-stage nitrous system or run a forced-induction system such as a supercharger or turbo for power production.
If you plan on running in the all-motor class, then two of the three choices for power have obviously been eliminated. But at least you still can rely on sheer engine displacement for thrust.
In the world of four-cylinder, front-wheel-drive, all-motor competition, not only do you lose the first two options, you also lose the third option. In spite of a deck stacked against them, import drag racers have prevailed. Today, we have witnessed extremely quick, all-motor racers clicking 10-second timeslips. Such performance was well beyond the realm of possibility and was never thought possible without the aid of a nitrous or turbo system. With the enormous popularity of all-motor racers, many sanctioning organizations have developed a dedicated class for all-motor racers and some of their times are good enough to qualify for the Quick Class. That's impressive.
On a recent trip to JG Engine Dynamics, we spotted a possible up-and-coming all-motor racer that will be doing battle in the near future. Joel Mandl, a veteran of the import scene, has been had at work for the past year building his all-motor CRX. There has been countless hours spent on the CRX and the hard work clearly shows in the details.
Some of the unique features you can spot in the pictures are the careful detail to welding of seams of the entire uni-body and closing off all unnecessary openings. The complete roll cage and custom steering column were custom fabricated by NuFormz' Shaun Carlson. The factory rear trailing arms and suspension components have been replaced with custom spindle mounts and suspension components that still bolt to the factory location. The front suspension has also been reworked with custom tie rods and engine mounts. The wheel and tire package will consist of Weld Racing ultra-light drag wheels mounted on M&H gumballs.
Powerplant specs have been kept a secret, but you can most likely bet it will be a B-series engine built with all the right goodies. If you are an all-motor advocate, start drooling; be on the lookout for Joel Mandl's CRX. It could be one of the possible contender for the all-motor title.
Owner:
Joel Mandl
Powerplant:
B18C
Engine Builder:
JG Engine Dynamics
Tuner:
Javier Gutierez
Sheetmetal Fabrication:
TBA
Sponsors:
JG Engine Dynamics, others TBA
Goal:
Prove you don't need to cut up your car to run good in the all-motor class.