2000 Street Stock - the $15,000 question

[Tim Miller]

I am familiar with the message board and all of the the complaints about legal manifolds and illegal trannys for particular classes and rule changes from year to year. Heads Up events are not immune to such challenges and the competitors learn to work with the rule makers. As open-minded and excited as I am about heads-up racing, someone please explain to me the logic behind the 9.5 deck height, 400+ CID, essentially unlimited short blocks allowed in 2000 Street Stock. Is this some sort of Pro 5.0 trickle down effect? Until now, S/Stk was the perfect middle class featuring realistic, down-to earth naturally aspirated cars that were still very quick. In 2000, there is going to be 12 sec Trophy Stocks followed by mid-9 second "Street Stocks" with $15,000 engines. Was it because of the low turn-out at the events? What about all the guys set up to go 10.20 next year and give Roth and Barton a run for all the cash thats practically sitting there for anyone who shows up? Allowing or disallowing a manifold is a "rule change". 2000 "Street Stock" is a whole new class! Why not just add a class for the people who have the dough to go 9's with a naturally aspirated-Jesel-Oliver-picaloy-Motec-Gforce-engine and leave Street Stock essentially alone?