Why Smokey Yunick is my hero.

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Jan 25, 2026 | 05:09 AM

#31 (permalink)

senor honda

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Why Smokey Yunick is my hero.

"If it's not in the rulebook, it's not cheating"

Quote:

Originally Posted by treekiller

Besides being Born next to my home town, I truly believe he was the MASTER of "racing in the gray" or finding loopholes in the rules that gave the cars he worked on a significant advantage..

Founder of "It didn't say you couldn't" foundation
"If it's not in the rulebook, it's not cheating"
Owner of "The best damn garage in town"

In the 60's NASCAR invented Soft walls to save drivers and air jacks to save jackmen Neither was implemented byNASCAR until Dale Earnhart died when safe walls were implemented.

some stories that I thought would be interesting.

Invented an inflatable bladder which could be placed in the fuel tank to pass maximum fuel capacity rules. after which nascar changed their rules

Built a 100% accurate 7/8 scale replica of their Chevelle race car and won, after which nascar mandated templates.

That car was the inspiration for Ricky Bobby's car in Taladega Nights.

This One was the race car, but the really clever bit was the other he built as a standard car and parked in the car park. When challenged by the officials, he said lets check it against a stock one in the car park....... of course they were the same size. (this story has not been confirmed)

Having just had his car taken apart during scrutineering - which included the full removal of the fuel tank - was informed that his car was illegal on 20 counts. With the fuel tank still on the ground Smokey then jumped into it, fired it up, drove away and yelled:
"You'd better make that 21!"

He would regularly rig up fairly harmless illegal modifications going through tech and when the scruitineer would find it, feeling good about "catching" him he'd get a "fix it before the race" slap on the wrist. which purely acted as a diversion for the REALLY sneaky stuff going on.

He would often make sure to get to inspection in the last allowable minuites, when the inspectors were ready to call it a day.

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Jan 25, 2026 | 05:17 AM

#32 (permalink)

senor honda

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Kinds of people who accuse someone of cheating: Aholes who have never read the rules

Kinds of people who accuse someone of cheating:

Aholes who have never read the rule book or raced.

Artificial intelligence which copies articles written by Aholes who never read a rule book or raced.

People who don't apply every single rule in the book.

People who don't work hard enough to stay on top by testing and keeping records

At 19 minutes the video tells you everything Bob Glidden did which we know about.

No one else worked as hard....except maybe Smokey Yunick....

If he did 1,000 things, he had 1,000 X 1,000 combinations.
Most people reading this won't even multiply to count how many,
because it's easier to accuse than it is to do the work needed to win.

Log books?
As an example, I won only 5 Road Course Championships, and
no one had a log book that included pavement imperfections or could consistently put the wheels in the right spot...
even when airborn.....

Bob Glidden's Secret: Engineering Genius or Cheating Legend?

If he did 1,000 things, he had 1,000 X 1,000 combinations.
Most people reading this won't even multiply to count how many,
because it's easier to accuse than it is to do the work needed to win.

Regal Rides
4.13K subscribers

Jan 24, 2026
Bob Glidden's Secret: Engineering Genius or ~~Cheating Legend~~? Bob Glidden dominated Pro Stock like few ever have. Some called it pure engineering genius. Others whispered about rule-bending secrets. This video explores the truth behind Bob Glidden’s legendary success — skill, innovation, and the controversies that followed.

Last edited by senor honda; Feb 11, 2026 at 09:48 PM.

Feb 11, 2026 | 09:45 PM

#33 (permalink)

senor honda

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And when I get out of this damn hell hole, I'm gonna race stock cars!

And when I get out of this damn hell hole, I'm gonna race stock cars!

On the last lap you either win it, or you blow it up!

Generals BANNED His 'Illegal' Engine Mod — Until He DOWNED 38 Zeros

Untold WW2 Stories
12K subscribers

25,231 views Feb 11, 2026
#p38lightning#thomasmcguire#dogfightWhen the Generals banned pilots from tampering with their engines, they didn't account for the desperation of being outnumbered five to one. The P-38 Lightning was fast, but against the agile Japanese Zero, it was a "flying brick" in a turn fight. The manual said the engines had a strict red line—a limit that kept the plane safe but the pilot vulnerable.

But one mechanic ignored the regulations and wired the safety valve shut, creating a "Hot Rod" that defied physics.

This is the story of how an illegal modification melted an engine, broke every rule in the book, and saved an Ace's life. In the humid skies over New Guinea, Captain Thomas McGuire faced a death sentence: trapped by five elite Zeros with no altitude advantage. Standard procedure called for a dive, but McGuire had a secret weapon—the "Miller Mod."

By wiring the turbocharger wastegates closed, his mechanic had unlocked suicidal power levels that would destroy the engine in minutes but provide rocket-like thrust for seconds. McGuire didn't just survive; he used the raw, unchecked horsepower to turn his heavy fighter into an interceptor that the Japanese couldn't catch, proving that in war, the only engine limit that matters is survival.

Generals BANNED His 'Illegal' Engine Mod — Until He DOWNED 38 Zeros ✅In this video we cover: -The "Miller Mod" that bypassed safety regulations on the Allison engines -How Thomas McGuire used 60 inches of manifold pressure to survive a 1-vs-5 -The technical flaw of the P-38 in a dogfight against the agile A6M Zero -The destruction of the high-altitude Ki-46 "Dinah" reconnaissance plane -Why the Army Air Corps eventually adopted "War Emergency Power" tactics -The legacy of Thomas McGuire, America's second-highest scoring Ace This World War 2 story reminds us that innovation often happens in the field, not the factory.

McGuire’s "Hot Rod" proved that manuals are written for safety, but modifications are made for victory. Sometimes you have to break the machine to win the fight.
And when I get out of this damn hell hole, I'm gonna race stock cars!

Last edited by senor honda; Feb 11, 2026 at 09:56 PM.

Apr 24, 2026 | 05:19 PM

#34 (permalink)

senor honda

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The 'Invisible' Exhaust Mod That Added 50HP and NASCAR Couldn't Prove It

The 'Invisible' Exhaust Mod That Added 50HP and NASCAR Couldn't Prove It

103,922 views Mar 24, 2026 #StockCarRacing #NASCAR #ClassicCars
The 'Invisible' Exhaust Mod That Added 50HP and NASCAR Couldn't Prove It. Description: Picture this. It's 1951 and a mechanic in Daytona Beach pours what looks like liquid sandpaper into a stock exhaust manifold. Six months later his Hudson Hornets are pulling away from every car on the track and NASCAR officials can't find a single illegal modification. No grinding. No cutting. No tools ever touched the inside of that manifold. Yet somehow it made 50 more horsepower than every other identical engine in the field. This is the story of how Smokey Yunick, a World War II B-17 bomber mechanic turned racing genius, discovered a chemical porting loophole so brilliant that NASCAR had to completely rewrite their rule book just to stop him.

He read the regulations like a contract lawyer, found that the rules banned mechanical modification but said nothing about chemical modification, and exploited that gap with valve grinding compound, an air compressor, and eight hours of patience. What he achieved was a 35 percent power increase on a stock Hudson 308 inline six engine without changing a single part or altering a single dimension. The manifold passed every measurement NASCAR inspectors could throw at it. It matched the factory blueprint perfectly. But the mirror-smooth exhaust passages told a different story to anyone who looked inside. This video breaks down exactly how the process worked, why the physics behind it produced such massive gains on the L-head engine design, how Smokey refined the technique using knowledge from maintaining bomber engines at 25,000 feet over Germany, and why NASCAR officials were powerless to stop him even when they knew something was different.

We cover the metallurgy of sand-cast iron, the fluid dynamics of exhaust flow, the difference between laminar and turbulent flow in rough passages, and why this single innovation forced Hudson to redesign their production manifolds for 1953. Whether you are a racing history enthusiast, a weekend engine builder, or someone who appreciates creative engineering at its finest, this is one of the most ingenious stories in all of motorsport. Smokey Yunick never broke a rule. He just read them better than anyone else.

This is Automotive Ancestry and we spend way too much time thinking about the mechanical mavericks who built the sport we love. Disclaimer: This video is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The techniques and modifications discussed are historical in nature and were performed under the specific rules and conditions of 1950s NASCAR competition. Do not attempt to replicate any procedures described in this video. Always follow the current rules and regulations of any sanctioning body and consult qualified professionals before modifying any vehicle or engine component.

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976: Allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. All auto-visual content is used under fair use for educational and transformative purposes.