Duster Breaks FAST Small Block Record

I've always thought this class was one of the coolest things in racing. I didn't realize it was actually as restrictive as it was though. I thought it was exactly what the name said "factory appearing, stock tire", otherwise no holds barred. I swear I remember seeing articles and videos about some of the crazy stuff they did like hiding nitrous lines in stock fuel lines and stuff like that, but they make it really clear that nitrous isn't allowed. Am I just crazy or did they gradually hone and change the rules over the years?

And the other thing to keep in mind is that a racecar is a full system. The engine is a very important part of it, but the suspension and dynamics are just as important if not more so to some degree. One of the recent Cleetus videos kind of pointed that out in how their 2500 hp car couldn't hook worth anything to make it down the track while their 5000 hp could stick like glue and make a full pass. Steve Morris had another video like that talking about traction control. You could have two cars run down the track and run the same ET, but one is blowing parts up left and right because the traction control is pulling timing and it's bouncing back and forth all over the place while the other car just runs steady the whole way. You have to build it all to work together. Incredible work regardless to see these cars put up those kinds of numbers though.