That's a possibility, for sure, but the cowl "louvers" (openings) sitsright at the base of the windshield. I'm not sure how it works, but I have read many times, that the base of the windshield is a high pressure area if the car is going very fast, and as such, air that exists there, would be trying to push its way into the holes in the cowl, and the underhood air would stay right where it was... under the hood.
Just another thought....:read2:
RE: "...I never no that so much technology was wrapped up into the tree."
It's getting more complicated, all the time. Now, there's a movement within the Stock, Super Stock, and Comp Eliminators to alter the electronics of the tree so that in a handicapped race, wherein the two cars leave the line at different times, to not show the first car's red light (if he leaves too early), until the 2nd car to leave has launched, and to compare the "lights" for both cars, in case the 2nd car to leave has a WORSE red light than the first car's light, in which case, the red light wiould come on for him.
As it stands, when the first car to leave red lights, the 2nd car never has a CHANCE to red light, since the red bulb has already come on for the first car to leave.
That deprives the 2nd car of HIS chance to red light, since the race is over when the red comes on, an unfair situation. They should BOTH be under equal jeopardy of a red light to keep the playing field level.
When the 'tree was introduced, back in 1963, the software to implement this "worse red light" system didn't exist, so they just disqualified the first car to red light, which was always the slower car. That's the way it's been for 36 years....
Now, software has been designed to allow the computer to compare the "lights" between the two cars and delay turning on the red light for the worse offender, after both cars have left the line.
I don't think anybody is using this system, yet, but I think they willl be, down the road...