I think Pro Stock comes down to a cubic inch issue. I don't think the Hemi works well in the 500" setup (anymore). The last two serious efforts were Jeff Wick in the mid-90's, and Bill Dempsey in the late 80's. Reid Whisnant's DLI stuff was based on a KB block with heavily modified D5 heads, which were already 10 years old when Landy was working on that program. The current Sonny Leonard Chemi stuff has some similarity to a Chrysler Hemi as far as the the valve layout and chamber, but the exhaust is slightly canted compared to the intake. The piston is mostly flat. Again, cubic inches...these things are king in the Mountain Motor world.

One of you guys posted this a few weeks back.

https://youtu.be/5Vvu-bCMg-w

No problem. No offense taken. I'm too old and cranky to be offended anyway.

I'll be 69 this year. My cousin bought a new aluminum nosed A864 Dodge and I helped on that as a teenager, until I started racing my own in 1969. Been racing them ever since. Still at it. Among my closest friends are many of the name SS/AH racers. Over the years was close to many of the legends, sadly, many of them have passed. Ronnie, Bill Stiles, Arlen.....the memories and pals have revolved around Hemi drag racing. Been a great time.

This one runs just where I want it. My doctors and wife don't get mad at me, and I don't run it hard. . I don't do this to impress anybody, and I've long since figured I'm not going to make money at it. Still having fun, grateful for the chance to have done it, and still do it when I feel like it. I've been blessed. So many never had the opportunity.

Gotta tell you, though, for sheer entertainment it's hard to beat this board. The stuff you hear. MP Hemi heads are junk. OK. You make more power with a wedge than with a Hemi. That's not what I've seen over 50 years, but, OK, if you say so. The Street Outlaws apparently have the answers. I don't argue with folks anymore, and I'm not into latest fad. You know, it's something. When I built that 65, it was top shelf. Then for years, it was "are you still running that antique?" Now, it's come full circle, it's cool again.

Keep going guys.

In Pro Stock, the issue is the big rpm range. A good pal of mine raced a Hemi Arrow in IHRA Pro Stock, the former Arrow owned by the Barnetts. Barnett still did the motors.

He would use Barnett's dyno, and Warren Johnson also used it for his Oldsmobile motors (this was in the early and mid eighties). We found that the Hemis made more power than the Olds until about 8200, then the Hemi dropped, and the Olds (DRCE) kept going. The issue is that on the overlap cycle of the camshaft the charge would blow right through the chamber, as the valves oppose each other and when both valves were open the charge just blew through.
Now, the SS/AH guys have some of that straightened out, mostly by changing valve angles and new, fancy valve trains. The Hemi 99 operated great at a lot of engine speed, too, as there were some design changes that fixed that, but NHRA's limiting the motors engine speed kind of screwed them. That's one of the reasons AJ quit.

But, for ham and egg racers, like most of us are, I'm still sold on the Hemi. Do I think you make more power with a wedge than with a hemi, with similar engine combos? No, I don't. But, I'm not going to argue about it. Do I think MP heads are junk? No, I don't, but I'm not going to argue about that, either. Whatever. Believe what you want.

I don't know why I still do this. I must be nuts, but I love it. As I mentioned, our little group runs 4 Hemi cars, 2 Indy wedges, and even a Duster with an Indy headed 416 small block that flies for what it is. But, I don't drink, don't hang out in barrooms, so, I gotta do something. Over the years I've accumulated Hemi blocks, heads, cams, all kinds of stuff. I just bought a set of Indy Victors, and I don't know what I'm going to do with them. I must need my head examined. I suppose my boys will replace one of their wedges with a Hemi one day .

Well Ill let you overly sensitive Hemi guys have your fun. But let me know when one of you can bolt together a 525" NA Hemi that can go 170 in a 2975lb car. It was not even a max effort deal, it was in a .90 car Hell it replaced a Stage V Millenium Headed 572 that could not get out of its own way and only managed to go 161 at 3100lbs, in the same car. Similar builds using similar components. Both bracket deals that ran .90 stuff. Hell I could go as fast on the stop with the wedge as the Hemi ran all out at 10.90. Hell show me your NA Hemi combos running 190 in a 2350lb car, Ill wait. Those are some of the Wedge engines I have run over the years. But wait theres more, how bout 170 with a 416" SB in a 2750lb car as well, it aint a hemi head either, but at least thats attainable power for one

Nice replies GUYS!

If it weren't for your love and passion for these 'old crates' then this site and many others 'WOULD NOT EXIST'!

The problem now is that there is a lack of CHEAP Moparts so 'lesser POOR folks' won't get involved.
Lots of guys are still running Mopars, BUT with Chevparts...!

I feel sad for them because Moparts (engine/trans/axles) are what its ALL ABOUT!

If the 'POWERS TO BE' don't get some cheap engines/transmissions available then its all gonna fade away...

All I want is a MOPAR PERFORMANCE aluminum hemi head and its 'LIKE PULLING TEETH'.

The days of hemi's running anywhere 'but in the USofA' are coming soon.

It will soon be Mopars running with CHEVPARTS here, there and everywhere... FORGET running a hemi, that's a given...

Well, OK then.

I don't know who is sensitive, I really don't care. I disagree. But, if you are running that fast with NA motors, you are messing around with big $$ and modified stuff that the average guy here is not even relating to. I guarantee you nothing in that combo comes out of a Mopar Performance box. So, good job, but I guarantee you old guys like me are not really interested. It's nothing I can relate to, nor afford. Way too fast for me.....I don't even WANNA do that. I still like using factory and factory type stuff. That kind of stuff relates to ham and egg old guys like me about as much as top fuel dragster does.

Those are impressive performances, for sure, but it's not something I can even relate to, nor am interested in.

That was me....Those things are just pure engineering jewelry at its best.

Kind of sums up the hemi vs. wedge differences from an expert. How long before this discussion turns to gas vs. electric?

They are terrible! Worst engine ever! Everyone should get rid of them ASAP!

Send all your parts to me for proper disposal.

Sounded like a toss up depending on application. There goes the Pacific ocean beach house.

Like oil that’s been on the shelf for over a year lol

That's all junk too!

Send it all to me, I'll get rid of it