Dirt Mods. Sometime in the  early to mid 1990’s Fuel Injection went along the wayside. I last ran methanol in 2001 with a small block, carbureted. Al Deangelis may have been the last big block mod to run fuel injection in 1994 at Bridgeport. I cannot remember the rationale for fazing out methanol as well as fuel injection on modifieds. I do remember “Dirt” having a big say on this matter. Any thoughts on why everyone jumped on this? 

I believe we had something to do with DIRT ruling Carb only when we used this in 1976 but I think carb only went to far. I agree with banning stuff like this but again carb only went too far,

I don't know when the tracks decided to ban either one. However, DIRT decided to use Sunoco as a series sponsor at one point. That was the only fuel you were allowed to use. 

Methanol was probably outlawed at Flemington. When they started to adapt DIRT rules? Maybe somebody knows the reason. I think Grandview was the last track to use Methanol in the area.  I was at Grandview around 2008, and the Modifieds and Late Models were using Methanol. I don't know when Bridgeport stopped allowing it.

Anthony, I may be wrong about this, wasn't that injection system on loan from Kinsler?

Jim Kinslor probably thought he could find a market in Modified racing for his timed Injection. When he got word that my father and Uncle were thinking about it he made them the deal to pay half now and only pay the rest if they do the job. We won the race so we payed the other half. I guess they were half on loan.

Thanks Anthony, I knew there was something like that.  Did you ever run that Kinsler set up again?

Nope.  Sold them to a guy in Jersey where they still hang on his wall. 

Just got word from Jack Kromer that the picture of the Kinslor injectors isn't his. Sorry to whoevers it is.

John, you remember my car in 1990 at Flem. We switched to Alky, with a 4-barrel,339CU, 13.5 compression. the motor made tons of power and ran cold all the time. The only thing that scared me was the big fat fuel tank full of fuel. BR

You are very correct John.. Tell the whole story..  Donnely was paid from the race gas people so we had to switch so he could make $$ while we had to suffer and build very expensive motors to equal the injectors HP..Was a sad time for me...

Great time to be involved. I’ve told this before but Jimmy Horton and I were talking years ago at a Mototsports show about how the 454 Chevy bored to be a 482 on alcohol injection was the best and cheapest motor back in the day. That motor would perform at any track we ran and it would run forever. Rules cost money. 

One thing that amazes me when they basically phased out alcohol was keeping dirt cars cool.  On asphalt we need a decent size opening in front of the radiator and try to get as much air as we can with a good fan and a good shroud. Dirt  modifieds barely have that and they pull air from the track and somehow they stay cool.

Kind of forgot about that in the Karts . Ran a McCulloch on alcohol and I always had to stay after the races and purge it out. 

In the 70's we ran Big Block Chevys 427/454's on Menthol alcohol with Hilborn Fuel Injection at East Winsor and Flemington Speedways. I had to use a 40 Gallon fuel tank, because for a 30-lap feature     we would use 30 to 35 gallons of alcohol. Great power and engine cooling. Menthol price back then was around 35 cents a gallon if you would buy it in bulk. We ran three nights a week and would use      a 55-gallon drum per race. This included warm-ups, heat race and feature. Fred Menschner.

First methenol burns almost in a clear flame making it hard to detect a fire until it's to late. Second is the fact that it burns very cool vs gas which lets you remove the HP sucking fan (a good thing) and because it runs so cool it allowed us to build big bore as well as high compression motors. The bigger the bore the thinner the wall thickness between piston and water jacket making heat. When the 467ci rule came out it removed the chance for big bore. Some tracks even went to a compression rule which ended the 12/13:1 heat making compression motors. So for those reasons the benefit of Methel gets smaller and smaller.

I love the smell of methanol in the evening.

That's how you know you're having a good time

I knew that would tweak ya!

I remember fabricating some sheet metal 45+ gallon  methanol drop tanks that surrounded the quick change. A little scary at the time. I don’t think I would do that today. One time we even strapped an extra 5+ gallon tank on top for a long race. Those injected big blocks were the BEST.

Sitting here reading Fred Menschner's  comment and thought of Ploski winning the 200 in the Chesson car. That was a few 55 gal drums consumed! and the way that race unfolded was story book fashion! I can appreciate the guys responsible for dumping that fuel without having a klusterfuk. 

Rich

We won the 1979 Flemington 200 on alky /injection. Big tank and several pit stops. 

Nothing like sitting in that Modified at Flemington lined up waiting to go out on the track tears ?? running down my face, man I miss that !

The Michael Bros. 51m also ran injection on a BBM at Bridgeport with Sammy Beavers as well in 1994.