Hello again race fans. A lot is happening around the shop here in wintry Michigan (or the “Mitten” as some like to refer to the Wolverine State). Of course, most of the land mass of the country’s 11th largest state does resemble the shape of a wooly-warm mitten, but where does that leave the Upper Peninsula (or “Yoopers” as the residents like to call themselves)? That’s another topic for another day. Back to the bloggin’ business at hand…

In this installment, Jon “O” Oberhofer, crew chief of Dave Grubnic’s Zantrex-3 dragster, answers this question from Bob Wantz.

What’s the life expectancy and cost of various parts of a nitro car? For example, piston and rod assemblies, cranks, cams, tires and wheels…

Thanks for the question Bob,
The life expectancy of pistons and rods is anywhere from one to 10 runs. Cranks usually last a bit longer, somewhere around 14-15 laps. It all really depends on the tune-up of the race car. If the motor is a happy motor, parts last longer, but if we have an unhappy motor, parts may only last for one run or even less.

We usually get about one-four runs on a set of rear tires. Rear tires cost $1200 for a set. Rods are around $140 each and pistons are $50 each. So, you can see how that adds up pretty quickly, especially if you happen to get an unhappy motor. That’s when it’s good to have some of the manufacturers like Comp Cams and Weld Wheels help us out with sponsorships and cut our costs down.
Jon “O”

(Jon “O” insisted that I take a photo of him with one of his most-prized possessions – his trophy from the 2006 Blaine Johnson Tourney. Now, this “Duffer” trophy is particularly special because it was awarded to Jon and his team for their team’s inadequacy on the links at the charity golf tournament held last November and their subsequent LAST place finish. So, it would also be prudent now to mention Jon’s fellow team members – “Big Joe”, Brian, and Jason, but their last names have been withheld to protect their otherwise stellar reputations.)