Bracket Drag Racing Basics
Motor
There is a lot to say about the motor you are going to use. I will be covering Motors and Motor Parts in a Generic, as most motors are pretty much the same thing, only different. First off we’ll talk about the difference between Small Block and Big Block V-8 Motors. There have been some big improvements in Small Block Motor Building and Parts. It seems they are getting more and more Horsepower out of them all the time. So for Drag Racing, it maybe cheaper to build a Small Block Motor, than a Big Block Motor. The price for just a Big Block Motor, these days is soaring as there are just not that many around anymore. A Small Block Motor in Stock form can weigh in around 500 Lbs, were a Big Block Motor can start out around 700 Lbs. Now, a lot of weight can be cut from these Motors whether Small, or Big Block by the use of Aluminum Heads and Aluminum Intake Manifolds. You can even get Aluminum Blocks, if you can afford them. This would cut the weight way down and put more Horsepower to the ground. It all depends on how deep your Wallet is. Big Block Motors have more Horsepower from the start, because the Piston Bore is bigger (the diameter of the Piston) and stroke is longer (the distance the piston moves up and down).
To make a Small Block more Powerful, you can Stroke the Motor. What you do is put a Special Crank Shaft in the Block that has a Longer Stroke than a stock Motor. You will also have to have Special Pistons and Rods to go with the Crank Shaft. There maybe so machine work that might have to be done to the block for clearance of moving parts. Basically the longer the Stroke of the Motor, the more Low end Torque and Horse Power the Motor will produce.
One of the Best and Cheapest ways to go Racing is to buy a Motor that is already built Race Ready, they call these Crate Motors, as they come in a Crate. These Motors are ready to bolt in, all you do is add your Induction, Exhaust and Ignition and your ready to go. Well, There is a lot more to it than that, but it is far easier to do it this way than to build your own from scratch. You can get them in a wide variety of Cubic Inch and Horsepower combinations. These Create Motors can even be bought with the parts you want in them or you can buy Motors they have ready to ship. Either way, you will get a Motor that has plenty of Horsepower right from the start.
You can also have your local machine shop build one for you, but, I will tell you that if you do not have the money to lay down right away and sometimes even if you do, you maybe on a waiting list to have a Motor Built for you. This could be from weeks to months down the road. A lot of Machine shops have regular customers and they have to keep them happy or they will go someplace else. So, if you are looking to get a Motor built in their busy season, it may take a while.
