There are advantages and disadvantages to both so it's all good. For example a well built turbo motor has pros in TT/ST racing, namely being able to dial in your power level to run in different classes. Of course you can still do that with a large naturally aspirated motor and ballast (I have done it with my car) but there is more potential to retain a flatter horsepower profile on the turbo car (with a good boost controller) when drastically changing power levels. Also, forget about running in TTB with a V8 Miata. It is almost certainly not going to happen.

The big advantage to the V8 IMO is that it is simple and 'bulletproof'. Not having to futz with engine and drivetrain problems during the race weekend is huge since you can focus more on driving improvement and suspension/aero tuning.

 

^Would using a restrictor to dial back the HP be more effective than adding ballast?

(Just curious)

 

That is the million-dollar question. The simple answer is, it depends. At higher speed tracks one would be better off with more power (add ballast) to hit higher top speeds on long straights. At low speed tracks with lots of corners and short straights one would be better off with less weight (use a restrictor) for the higher cornering speeds. Track conditions and tire selection are also important. The only way to know for sure what is optimum is to test both at whatever particular track.

With NASA you can only add 250 lbs of ballast so depending on how far down you are trying to drop down in class, you might have to do both. I cannot only add ballast to be legal for TT3. I still have to restrict the motor.

 

Threads like this make me glad I'm an oddball running a 1st gen SBC in lieu of an LS motor!

 

99% of the tracks out there ask the corner workers to stay clear of any incidents on track and or are not expected to respond to any incidents. They are not there to help with incidents on track that is what Safety/Rescue is for. They are there to prevent further incidents by helping drivers be more aware of what is going on downstream of there corner station. IE yellow white red cross surface or whatever the case may be. Anyone blaming a corner worker for there car burning down is a and should be nowhere near a track.

I should note that i have worked and still work many PRO-DE events.

 

At 4:29 you can see a big dust cloud in the top left of the screen. Thats johnwag driving jeff man's nb, spoolin2bars in the red Miata, i'm in the white Mustang, folled by the camera car a V8 AE86, and Hustler was in there somewhere too I believe. Corvette popped a motor on the first lap while everyone was bunched up. Johnwag was directly behind him and slid off track. What you can't see is where he went off there is a 50ft drop off.