At least three cars in Comp at Pomona have Mopar engines with "P" heads.

I am pretty sure Tom Mettler has a P5 headed motor built by Patterson-Elite.

I don't know about the other two.

I don't know anything about the engine in John Edward's Neon other than its a 377.

Does anyone else (Al?) know more about these cars. I am curious if anyone has got P7 heads working at this level.


Psn--Num--Class-Driver, Home Town, Machine-----------------ET---Index---(+/-)
3 7098 PST Tom Mettler, Tehachapi CA, '01 Dodge Dako 7.371 8.05 -0.679

4 7235 C/ED Scott McClay, Tehachapi CA, N&P-Dodge 7.200 7.87 -0.670

10 703 B/ED Joe Mozeris, Phoenix AZ, Fritz-Dodge 6.950 7.54 -0.590


12 610 C/AA John Edwards, Glendora CA, '99 Neon 7.403 7.94 -0.537

Same ones that are always out west. Mozeris and Mcclay are both small W8 deals. Tom Mettler and Josh Edwards are both P5 deals. All were all RWR customers at one point before Rick closed up shop and went to work for Mcgaha. Not sure who everyone uses now. I believe Josh still uses Rick. I think Mettler was at Patterson/Elite, the acquired Patterson last year. Not sure on Scott and Joe as to who they are using now. I know they were both Slawko head deals but not sure who is doing their work now.

For those that don't know Rick Waters was one of the people who developed the P5 heads for Mopar, also was a big force in W8 stuff for drag racing. He ran Eatons PST operation back in the day and before that Pattersons PST. He at one point was THE engine builder for most of the Aussie Pro Stock guys until someone stole those customers away from him.

I am sure that was true at one time, but Brian Lohnes said they were both "NASCAR" type engines and they did appear to have those type intake manifolds on them. This is what I could see on All Access and I could be mistaken.

While he makes mistakes Brian is normally a pretty reliable source of information.

Thanks,
Bill

Cool, gotta love those fast high winding small blocks

As of last year they were both W8 deals. I have not talked to Joe or Kayla or Scott since late last year as I have been out east since November. But unless there was a BIG change in direction they are still W8 deals. Would be interesting if they have changed and I will be bending their ears if so. Never seen all access so not sure how to tell. But I will ask and see if anyone knows for sure. The headers maybe. Valve covers for sure but again not sure you can see that close


Scotts car, red dragster that has his name on it.
http://bobjohnson.zenfolio.com/p78069820

Joes car, blue and white car
http://bobjohnson.zenfolio.com/p239190744

I was lucky enough to catch this on All Access yesterday and those cars are flying. I have to learn, study, and watch this class more now that Pro Stock is dead to me. I hear the class numbers are pretty disappointing at this race but it looks like several others are too. This may interest me enough to start getting National Dragster again.

Tom Mettler has a P5 headed motor built by Patterson-Elite.

That is correct...they went from Waters to Panella to Elite.

The "Comp Cars" are the closest thing to the wild west days of Modified Production. Lots of technology of getting dissimilar parts to work together.You race with an ever changing index as to performance wanting to be demonstrated. Several teams have won races only to have their index lowered(quicker). Then the pursuit of power takes off again. I believe that Frank Aragona used to run a Mopar turbo 4 cyl. Now he's running Toyota V6 power. Its real gunfighters racing.If you may have noticed, Fox/NHRA have spent time showing rounds last year. It could be the next Pro Mod if marketed effectively. How about Allen Johnson running Factory Stock. Since his Dad was big into SS racing, they might push Mopar back on top.

This is Scott’s on the dyno

Comp Eliminator is a true "mad scientist" class. Pounds per cubic inch and sometimes the cubic inches are in a strange, one off deal. 4 cylinder half of a big block Chevy with a Big Chief head on a billet block and things like that. Very innovative and high tech. And $$$$.

I hung out with Edwards and Mettler one year at Sonoma. Mettler told me that they want the truck to be at 11,400rpm at the stripe! If it doesn't get there they change the gear so that it does! It has the meanest sound on the chip at the starting line. Sounds like it's at about 9,800 but I never learned that much. All the sportsman racers are throwing down some tight packages as they move towards the semifinals tomorrow. Two Mopars in the semis of Stock. Gilley and Chris Hall.

Nice to see the Mettlers back out with the truck. Their family business is drilling wells and thay have been to busy to race the last couple years. Clint Hairston has driven the truck a couple times which I am sure is what led to the Elite deal. All those PST P5 deals are up over 11000. Not unusual for a lot of the comp combos really.

Keep going Gilley, he is a stud for sure rocking that 4 on his window! Chris Hall to good guy.

Still have not confirmed Joe has changed combos. Not running much different than last years deal really so Id be surprised if he changed??

This is Joe and daughter Kaylas(ex Leopold record holder) SS car last year.

Isn't that the same dragster Matt Hartford had the 99 Hemi in?

Does NHRA still have the instant CCI index factoring in Comp?
I've seen guys get factored out of a race by being late and having to run to far under their index to win a round
Comp eliminator racing is a really tough way to go racing
if I had my choice and the resources to choose I would go blown alcohol racing instead of Comp Eliminator racing

Clay Millican with an .809 60' goes 3.62!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Top Dragster in the lanes at Pomona. The return of the "Flying Banana"!

Every hundredth under .500 during a race subtracts that much from your index for the next round. Go .600 under a couple times and they will permanently adjust the index for the whole country. Good way to make some enemies there. The blown alcohol guys are flying this weekend at Pomona. It's going to take low 5.40's to win in TA/FC. TAD going nearly 230 mph to the 660!

http://www.nhraracer.com/content/general.asp?articleid=65526&zoneid=175

this clears it up on the CIC

Chris Hall drives a green camaro

Interesting firing order

Just a typical A LS firing order. Pretty much everyone in Comp uses it. 4/7 2/3 swap or LS. I have used it on a few engines including the B1 and Predator stuff we have now.

Guess Andy got tired of the wrap huh. Always liked that paint job better. Dave did you see Chips new ProCharged Camaro in TS?

Thought it was a 73 or 4 Dart Sport? Sorry, musta got my Hall's mixed up.

I asked Cook to send me a pic but I haven't seen it yet. Knowing Rumis it is top notch! His little Cobalt was awesome too! He obviously had zero testing with the new car, hopefully he goes to Phoenix with it!

Just for Comp in general, the class has been declining big time over the last decade or so. Only 14 qualifiers came to Pomona for the 32 car field. There was 11 entries at the Sonoma Nat. a couple years ago. There used to be a bunch of Pro Stock guys that would test stuff in Comp. I haven't seen any of that in the last 10 years or more. Every once in a while you get a T/S or ProMod car entered. I wonder how much of the decline is the indexes themselves? I bet if you were to build a C/DA or something that the index would be pretty stout by now and ultra expensive to try to compete with? On the whole it is an awesome class with ultra lightweight cars, wheels up launches and quick ET's. I wish there was more participation...

Your thinking of Tim Hall in SS with a Dart Sport.

Yep! That's the guy! Sorry for the mixup...

It's good to have so many mopars running they get mixed up.

Lots of Hall's too!

As for Comp cost. A few years ago I was told by a former Division 3 Top Alcohol Champ it was cheaper than running Comp that he had run previously.
Doug

Comp is not for the faint of heart. I have seen what those engines cost first hand. Randy Jones new Book piece was expen$ive... That's why I would be surprised if Mozeris went another direction. Stuff is not easy to sell when used or cheap to build new. Guys tend to either run a combo for a very long time or they are rich with more money than they know what to do with.

Comp really declined in 09 or so. It is starting to come back somewhat. But same players, new blood is the biggest issue like all of drag racing. Takes a special breed to run comp for sure, just like any performance based class it is a lot of time money and dedication to run their. My wife has been told by more than one friend who is involved in Comp that if I ever say I want to try it to have me committed.

Comp is definitely a cool eliminator.

I have gotten even more interested since watching it on All Access.

It can definitely be VERY expensive.

a couple in car that you can see the tach

FWIW Larry Gilley is in the Stock Final in his Dart!

Aaron Strong made a few Pro Stock appearances and even got a W

Heads up E cars. Qualified within a few thou of each other.