Fuel injection expensive? What the...?

[Chaparral66]

I was calling into a local talk show in Philadelphia tonight that was talking about NASCAR, and they had Larry McReynolds on as a guest. I asked if the time had come for NASCAR to update their technology such as replacing the carbs with fuel injection? Larry Mac said that the reason why NASCAR sticks with carbs is that the development of fuel injection would be very expensive almost to the point of being cost prohibitive.

Huh?

I don't buy this for a minute. Maybe I'm wrong, and if so, tell me why. I can't believe that NASCAR can't mandate a fuel injection system that would get everyone on the same page, much like what happens with restrictor plates, and use strict controls as to what the teams can do with it. This doesn't seem to be an issue with Indy Cars, ALMS, Grand AM, or others (lets leave out F1), and those teams have lower annual budgets than most NASCAR teams. NASCAR already worked with it in the old Goody's Dash Series, which shocased 4 cylinder powered cars, if memory serves. NASCAR needs to join the state of the art, and that might make it an even more useful test bed for new technological innovations that Detroit might come up with in the years to come. If anyone knows about this, I'd like to hear it.

[call_me_andrew]

Now you know exactly how I feel.

I believe Goody's Dash used V6 engines.

I think a fuel injection system would be cheaper in the long run.

A sole mandated carberator being cheaper in the short run.

[colinspooky]

and sensible tyres too

[RaceFanStan]

My guess is that it would expensive for NASCAR to police fuel injection ...
I have seen it printed that traction control can be concealed in the fuel injection computer & is undetectable ...
NASCAR is set against the use of traction control, I don't know why because it would make the cars safer ...
it appears that NASCAR wants to avoid high technology at any cost ...
as always in NASCAR, take things the way they are or go away, that is NASCAR's policy.

[Alexamateo]

Now you know exactly how I feel.

I believe Goody's Dash used V6 engines.

I think a fuel injection system would be cheaper in the long run.

A sole mandated carberator being cheaper in the short run.

Just fro clarification, the series started out as a 4-cylinder racing series, but changed the rules in 1998 after v-6's were phased out of the Busch series. The rules allowed either a 168 in. 13:1 4 clinder 2650 lbs, or a 268 in. v-6. 2750 lbs.

[call_me_andrew]

My guess is that it would expensive for NASCAR to police fuel injection ...
I have seen it printed that traction control can be concealed in the fuel injection computer & is undetectable ...
NASCAR is set against the use of traction control, I don't know why because it would make the cars safer ...
it appears that NASCAR wants to avoid high technology at any cost ...
as always in NASCAR, take things the way they are or go away, that is NASCAR's policy.

Yeah, it's entirely feasable to use fuel injection as a means of concealing traction control.

The easiest way to prevent this is to just have one common PCM. These would be controlled by the sanctioning body and could not be purchased from third party suppliers. NASCAR would only have to issue them in the same manner that they would issue wings or restrictor plates and require that each team change PCMs between practice(s), qualifying, and the race.

Grand AM does this and they're NASCAR's puppet. F1 did this and it eliminated traction control.

[Chaparral66]

Yeah, it's entirely feasable to use fuel injection as a means of concealing traction control.

The easiest way to prevent this is to just have one common PCM. These would be controlled by the sanctioning body and could not be purchased from third party suppliers. NASCAR would only have to issue them in the same manner that they would issue wings or restrictor plates and require that each team change PCMs between practice(s), qualifying, and the race.

Grand AM does this and they're NASCAR's puppet. F1 did this and it eliminated traction control.

This sounds feasable to me. This could work.

[colinspooky]

F1 did this and it eliminated traction control

Maybe

[AndyRAC]

Carburettors - how quaint! What year is this??

[call_me_andrew]

It would also reduce non-sanctioned testing because unlike wings and tires, custom made PCMs are hard to duplicate.