Team Summit’s Greg Anderson currently races a Chevy Camaro in the NHRA’s Pro Stock class. New rules will give him more body and engine options. (Image/Summit Racing)
At the request of the race teams, NHRA Pro Stock competitors will be allowed to run any NHRA-accepted body and engine combination for the 2018 season, NHRA officials announced.
That means teams can run a Chevy motor in a Dodge body or a Dodge motor in a Chevy body, or (gasp!) a Ford motor in a Chevy body.
As long as the body and engine are NHRA-approved, you can drive it in Pro Stock. In other words, next year’s Pro Stock class just got really, really interesting.
NHRA officials hope this move will create more diversity within the class. The field is currently dominated by Chevy Camaros. In fact, the last non-Chevy to win Pro Stock was a Dodge Avenger driven by Allen Johnson in 2012.
In addition to Dodge, Ford’s Mustang may return to NHRA Pro Stock competition.
According to the NHRA announcement, the current rules stipulate the following:
“Body choice must be from a 2009 or later NHRA-accepted 2-door or 4-door coupe or sedan (domestic or foreign) production vehicle. Body, drivetrain, chassis, etc. may not be altered, modified, or relocated, except as outlined in Requirements & Specifications in the Rulebook. Minimum weight at conclusion of run: 2,350 pounds, including driver. Minimum weight on the rear axle at conclusion of run: 1,100 pounds, including driver.
“The engine still must be an internal-combustion, reciprocating, naturally aspirated, single camshaft, 90-degree V-8 (i.e., cylinder bank must be at a 45-degree angle from the camshaft/crankshaft centerline, creating a combined 90-degree angle) automotive-type engine with a maximum 500 cid. Aftermarket blocks permitted if designed and cast with OEM approval, and currently accepted by NHRA.”
This engine/body news comes on the heels of NHRA’s announcement that it is re-instating the 16-car field. (A move that reverses an earlier decision to reduce the number of cars competing in Pro Stock in select events on the 2018 calendar.)
You can read more about the decision in this story from our friends at BangShift.
Sad, sad day. Time to dump PS and replace it with Pro Mod.
Pro Crate Motor Stock. no thanks!
Another nail in the future of Pro “Stock.” Bodies haven’t been stock for decades and now the engines can be from anywhere. Time to get rid of this millionaires’ playground as a special class.
There is no doubt that every team will run the GM engine that has had more money thrown at it than the space program, call it generic or what ever, No more NFL no more NHRA stupid people running national events.
Well go back to stock blocks and chevy would still kick their asses
Ask them Chevy boys about Bob Glidden who used Ford engines. He kicked Chevy’s ass most of the time. And this is another way for GM to buy their championships.
They should go back to stock block, and take away the single cam rule which says “only Chev engines are allowed in this class”!
The car builders say there is very little difference between bodies (air flow). Now, pretty much all Chevy engines. This just makes another Chevy division.
Just another stupid decision by nhra, put pro Stock in to comp and make pro mod full time.
Another way for GM to get their way in racing. They buy their championships and quite frankly I’m sick of it. And in my opinion pro stock will be a thing of the past before long.