So let me toss this out there...  

Well said John. I raced Crates and enjoyed the money saving aspect.  Kept me racing. Without the 602 I would not have raced because I was done spending money to keep up or stay ahead.  The 602 I raced cost $3400 in 2007.  I understand it is now $8400 for the same. The engine builders killed the crate engine by cheating them up.  They did this mostly because that was a whole sector they could not make money with. 

• 1950 an engine was $350. 
• 1960 an engine was $650.  
• 1970 an engine was $1,500. 
• 1980 an engine was $8,500.  
• 1990 an engine was $16,000. 
• 2000 an engine was $24,000.   
• 2010 $36,000.
• 2020 $40,000.