RPW Column: The Battle To Build A Better Racecar; Getting Everyone On The Same Page?

RPW Column By: BOBBY CHALMERS / RPW – NEW LEBANON, NY – On Thursday, we talked with Teo Pro Car’s Matt Hearn about the newest rule to be implemented by DIRTcar during the 2020 season regarding four-link rear suspensions.

Hearn, whose company has spent the last year or so working on a new creation in an attempt to have the “next big thing” in Dirt Modified racing, feels like this is stifling ingenuity among drivers and teams, especially those who’s budgets aren’t the biggest.

The concept of a four-link suspension isn’t new and neither is the coil rear geometry that has taken the Modified world by storm since late in the 2018 season. However, there are different aspects of the ‘entire’ package that are, and that may be what is making the concept work very well as of late.

While torsion bars have been, for lack of a better term, the industry standard, for quite some time, chassis builders alike, Bicknell, Troyer, and Teo, among others, have worked to come up with their own versions of the coil program to appease their customers who wanted to try it. This is all the while trying to entice more teams from other car brands to come to their side.

It’s a never-ending battle, but what we have right now is a reactive situation. One company began work on this concept, so then all had to do the same. That’s what makes the research and development Hearn and Teo did with their four-link car and the subsequent rules changes so interesting.

Did this rule just stop anyone from trying to build a better mouse trap? Are we going to see people just continue racing the same cars? Will smaller teams give up because they can’t compete with the bigger ones?

I proposed the question of the rule book to Hearn. Instead of being more stringent, like the new rule which is specifically about the four-link design, should things be a little more open?

“I don’t know if that’s right answer either,” Hearn said. “However, I think this would have to be something that’s decided on as an entire body. You also have to think about the guys that already have those types of cars. Four-links have been around forever so who’s the person that makes that decision? Who says you can’t have one anymore?”

Hearn states that he’s tried to contact Dean Reynolds, the DIRTcar Northeast Series Director, just before the Thanksgiving holiday. He wanted to discuss this concept and other things but his calls and texts were never returned.

“That’s the part that really bothers me,” he said. “Talking with him before the rule was made would have been better. I think if everyone’s not on the same page, we could have a mess.”

While Modified racing is strong at the present time, it is no way as popular as the Sportsman division. With the introduction of the 602 crate engine a handful of years ago, the class has exploded. Car counts continue to grow.

Weekly fields, such as at Albany-Saratoga, Brewerton and Fulton, have amazing car counts. All three of these, in particular, just like others around the region, even run a ‘Rookie’ class for those drivers just starting out or that have less experience.

Furthermore, Brewerton and Fulton have so many regular Sportsman cars each week that they break the field up into two features. That’s their way of making sure they don’t send more than half the field home weekly without qualifying.

If you read Thursday’s column about this topic here in RPW, you’ll see that those are the type of teams that the new rule, according to Reynolds, is aimed at. If they don’t have it already, most are going to spend this off-season getting their cars fitted to take rear coils and a left-side panhard bar.

The idea of a possible third option with the four-link is where DIRTcar took their stance. However, what does Hearn think about the lower classes?

“Honestly, it’s hard to say what it will do to lower guys,” he said. “This year, you’re going to see Sportsman teams all have to buy coils and different rods. Who’s to say we don’t make rules to keep them torsion bar to save money? Who makes that decision for our sport as a whole? What’s the right or wrong decision? I’m not sure but it needs to happen together across the board, all series.

The two main series in Dirt Modified racing right now are DIRTcar and the Short Track Super Series. Brett Deyo is the Super Series’ head man, and did not wish to comment on the rule itself. He stated that’s because it’s a DIRTcar decision with no bearing on his series. However, he did talk about the industry and how their needs to be some continuity among all parties involved.

“I agree with what Matt Hearn said in that a decision like this should include everyone,” Deyo said. “All series and tracks need to be part of a roundtable. We are all part of the same niche.”

Deyo did say that, in the past, communication between his series and DIRTcar wasn’t a problem, but it’s gone away in recent years.

“Mike Perrotte (former DIRTcar Northeast Series Director) was very good with including everyone,” he said. “Since Dean took over, there has been a communication void and a huge step backward for the sport. I met with Tom Deery and Jeff Hachmann from DIRTcar last week at PRI (the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show in Indy) so this isn’t a corporate directive.”

While trying to save teams money to keep them racing is the ultimate goal, is it realistic? Hearn has his ideas about that.

“You have to wonder how all of these tracks going to police a rule like this,” Hearn said. “Unfortunately, some tracks barely have the officials to tech engines. Now you throw in suspension rules. What about all the tracks that are not DIRTcar? What will they do?”

Truthfully, only time will tell on this one. Now that this rule, basically outlawing four-link rear suspensions, is in place, will tracks enforce it? Will a team be turned away if they show up with it?

Will this stop teams and chassis builders from trying to build a better race car? We’ll have to wait and see. This story is far from over.

Please Note: Since the first story in RPW about this topic on Thursday, my phone, text and email has been blowing up with people wanting to discuss it. Over the next few weeks, you may see other columns regarding pro’s and con’s about this rule, about four-link geometry, and those who think it may, or may not have been, the way of the future.

Stay tuned to Race Pro Weekly for all your racing news as this topic is not going away any time soon.