Pro Import vs. Pro Stock: Bullish Racing to Match Race Bob Benza
ENGLISHTOWN, New Jersey (June 30, 2005) - It's a showdown that's been talked about for over a decade. Ever since the first import-powered tube chassis Pro Import door slammer took to the 1,320, import fans have clamored for the ultimate domestic vs. import showdown. Thanks to the BFGoodrich Tires Summer Sport Compact Slam event and Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, the first ever Pro Import vs. Pro Stock match race will be taking place this weekend, July 2-3. And fittingly representing the import camp will be none other than Ara Arslanian and Bullish Motor Racing's StreetGlow-sponsored Solara.
Arslanian, the first man to drive an import-powered car into the six-second range, will be matching wits and horsepower with Bob Benza, a veteran NHRA POWERade Pro Stock racer from the Northeast. While the twin-turbo, 3.4 L HKS Stroker 2JZ Inline-6 powered Solara of Arslanian is a familiar sight to the estimated 30,000 fans that will attend the 9th annual event this weekend, Benza's 500 cubic inch naturally aspirated and carbureted V8 Pro Stock might be a fish out of water at the sport compact event. Despite its V8 status though (a point of contention for small displacement import and sport compact fans), sport compact fans will appreciate the Chevy Cobalt body style of Benza's car.
Arslanian's Solara really needs no introduction for import and sport compact fans. With three years of racing in its chassis, it's been a class pioneer, mainstay and veteran - respectively - over the years. After running the first 6-second import pass in 2001, the Bullish Motor Racing Solara powered Arslanian to two consecutive NDRA championships in 2003-2004 and second and third place finishes in the 2003-2004 NHRA Sport Compact title fights. In fact the team, with the sport's first two-car effort, dominated the past few years with four total NHRA and NDRA championships in the last three years. For 2005, the team went back on the pioneer trail by switching to a twin-turbo, 3.4 L stroker configuration for its Inline-6 2JZ (Toyota Supra) engine - a unique combo in a class filled with competitors using the 2JZ formula made popular in part by the Bullish team. The twin Turbonetics turbos, hooked up to a HKS stroker kit outfitted 2JZ pushed the Solara to a best ever 6.64 pass at the NHRA season opener in Moroso and ran a 6.70 recently at an NDRA event.
Bob Benza's BNB Racing Chevy Cobalt is powered by a Tom Martino-built 500 cubic inch, naturally aspirated V-8. In only four NHRA POWERade outings, the car has already run a best 6.810/204.82 at the recent 2005 Englishtown K&N Filter Nationals - near Benza's career best ET mark of 6.76/205. The Cobalt will leave the starting line with about 1,250 horsepower on tap. While that is a significant amount less than the 1,650 or so horsepower that Arslanian's Solara uses to twist its slicks, the field is evened out by the torque and power characteristics of big cube naturally aspirated V8s vs. small displacement, force fed engines like the Solara's Inline 6 - the V8 will leave the line smoothly with most of its available torque right away; the turbo 6 will launch almost violently - causing a lot of tire and clutch issues - and reaches its power peak near the top end of the track when engine RPMs catch up to its displacement disadvantage.
Regardless of advantage or disadvantage arguments, the close ET's of the two cars and the fact that both drivers call Englishtown their home (not to mention the Reaction Time factor) will make for an extremely close matchup. As well, the two racers will have three total shots to prove who the king of the 1,320 is. Summer Sport Compact Slam attendees will be able to see the mega showdown, in addition to the regular sport compact mayhem that has been a trademark of the 'Slam for almost a decade, on both Saturday and Sunday. The best 2 out of 3 series starts on Saturday and will finale on Sunday. As well, NHRA Sport Compact category-based racing will be taking place all weekend as well. If the match race wasn't enough for race fans - a huge Team Puerto Rico vs. Team USA is also set to drop (with 13 of Puerto Rico's fastest - rotaries included - cars).
Before the big showdown, we popped 10 questions for Ara. Ever the colorful commentator, here's what "the champ" had to say about this weekend's showdown.
1. The first ever Pro Import vs. Pro Stock showdown has just been announced for the July 2-3 Summer Sport Compact Slam event at Englishtown; tell us about the event for those who have never been there.
AA: Englishtown has been promoting and hosting the SSCS event for 9 years, and it has become one of the most anticipated racing events in the East Coast. Besides drag racing, we get to see some of the quickest national and Puerto Rican racers, wildest sport compacts and low riders in the country, some of the most unique show cars, and a few of the hottest bikini chicks of the east coast.
2. As the first real Pro Import vs. Pro Stock showdown, how big is this?
AA: Finally, thanks to the Napp family (owners of Old Bridge Township Raceway Park) and Javier Ortega (Raceway Park Events Director), after years of talking it up, my team gets to race a Pro Stock V8. And to do it at Englishtown, my home town track, is huge. We are racing Pro Stock veteran Bob Benza, who according to my crew chief Fred Bauer, has been racing for at least 25 years - 8 of which has been in the POWERade Pro Stock category. I believe Englishtown is also Bob's home town track. So, no one will have home track advantage. It's a day that import and domestic drag racing fans have been looking forward to since the first Pro Imports took to the track over a decade ago. I just feel fortunate and honored to be involved in the first race - hopefully, it will set a lot more and elevate both domestic and sport compact drag racing.
3. Some people will say that this is apples and oranges, how do Pro Imports compare with Pro Stocks technically?
AA: Pro Imports and Pro Stocks cannot and should not be compared technically. Other than both category cars weighing in at 2,350 lbs. and the basic chassis, their cars are dinosaur era technology in our standards. But don't let that fool you....these guys are very good at making those dinosaurs go down the track very quick and fast - every time. This will no doubt be a battle of small displacement vs. big displacement, turbocharged vs. naturally aspirated, 183 cubic inches vs. 500 cubic inches, and big ego vs. big ego. This is for bragging rights. He gets to go home and brag to his carburetor buddies how he almost whipped my butt. I get to walk through the Pro Stock pit at the next POWERade event and ask, "who's next?"
4. What about on the track - do the physics behind the way a turbocharged Pro Import and a naturally aspirated Pro Stock give either a starting line advantage?
AA: I can't really say without exception that either car has a starting line advantage. A few years ago, when most of us were still trying to get consistent starting line boost, I would say Pro Stockers had the advantage. But now, we all know how to make boost instantly. If anything, we have to fight tire shake issue once the clutch is out. We make more power and torque than they do, and need to be able to tame the cars down on the starting line.
5. How closely do you follow the Pro Stock season?
AA: I follow NHRA Pro Stock racing very closely, as do most in Pro RWD. I am a big fan of many of the drivers there.
6. While this race will certainly cause a lot of buzz, it might also be fodder for import/sport compact critics if you lose. Why take the risk?
AA: Taking risks makes me tick. It's part of my makeup. Remember that with risk comes reward and I am looking forward to the reward.
7. You recently switched to a twin-turbo, stroker engine combination after three years of running a 3.0 L displacement with a single turbo. Why the change? Is this the future of 2JZ racing?
AA: We are fortunate enough to have partnered with HKS in 2005. The consumer-ready HKS 3.4 liter stroker kit definitely works and has made a big impact in our engine program. It's still very possible to go fast with the non-stroker kit; but now that I am getting used to the extra torque the HKS kit produces, I don't think I can switch back.
8. Bullish recently also made the on-track debut of the twin-turbo 3.0L 2JZ AEM Import Dragster. What do you think is the future of import-powered dragsters, and why?
AA: Our AEM Import Dragster is definitely generating alot of buzz, and rightfully so. No matter how one looks at it, a dragster is a natural evolution in the quest for quicker times and more speed. With AEM electronics and the tuning help of Jason Siebels of AEM, our dragster will go into every uncharted sport compact and import territory imaginable. My team of Fred Bauer, Kevin Macvaugh, Loui Aspras, Bert Gaertner, and Scott Draper are spending day and night learning all they can about the dragster to make the learning curve short as possible.
9. Once the AEM Import Dragster reaches its full potential, would you be up for a "Top Import" vs. Top Alcohol dragster showdown?
AA: Absolutely. My team craves competition. Right now, and for the last 4 years, we have done nothing but compete every waking minute, all year-round.
10. The match race is set up for a best 2 out of 3 scenario. What's your prediction?
AA: I am going to whip his butt so bad that he'll have to build a Pro RWD just to chase me around the country for a second chance. Really, I think it'll be a lot of fun and a great event for fans, racers, and sponsors - import or domestic. I know there'll be a lot of side betting going on - I know who my money would be on.
More info about the BFGoodrich Tires Summer Sport Compact Slam can be found at www.racewaypark.com.
