Probably not.  The characteristic of primary importance is getting good
atomization, in other words as fine a spray as possible.  The duration
isn’t particularly important, so you’re free to vary that as needed to
get the fuel mix (lean/rich) where it needs to be.  Duration would be
varied by changing the programming of the electronics, of course,
not the injectors (I’m assuming they won’t be using the old Hilborn
system…).

That applies to gasoline, at least.  Alcohol motors may well be a different
story, since they have to flow so much more fuel, and atomization isn’t
as important.  Fortunately WC isn’t likely to go that way, regardless of
what the presidential candidates are promising in Iowa.

John

>Incidently, the question of cost is a little more complex than it seems.
>There’s definately a high up front cost to go from the familiar carb to
>FI, but on the long term it’s a lot easier to adjust FI than it is to rejet a
>carb everytime you change cams (or the weather changes), which
>would cut your running costs…

At least for a while, I’d expect to see teams swapping injectors
almost as much as they swap shocks.  I’m hardly an expert here, so
perhaps someone can enlighten me, but I’d guess that
optimum-to-the-last-single-horsepower-possible injector spray patterns
might be partially dependent upon temperature and humidity.  And/or
perhaps there’s tradeoffs in orfice size vs duration.  

Matt Thul
[to reply via email, please delete 'dont.spam.' from my address]

I’d say it’s unlikely, unless the manufacturers suddenly all decided they
wanted to showcase FI for marketing reasons (if GM & Ford showed
up in the NASCAR offices and said they needed to be running FI, then
you can be sure NASCAR would do something).  I don’t see this as
likely, the manufacturers seem to be getting plenty of advantage from
the current situation (which has little obvious connection to production
car tech, altho there’s lots of hidden things) so there’s no reason for them
to press for a change.

Incidently, the question of cost is a little more complex than it seems.
There’s definately a high up front cost to go from the familiar carb to
FI, but on the long term it’s a lot easier to adjust FI than it is to rejet a
carb everytime you change cams (or the weather changes), which
would cut your running costs…

John

Mike

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

Bill wrote:
> One of the things a portion of the motorsports community has criticized
> NASCAR for over the years is the "archaic" engine rules. I love it just
> like it is, but, to my limited knowledge, there hasn’t been a carbureted
> production car in about 15 years. Does anyone see fuel injection in the
> future?

> One of the things a portion of the motorsports community has criticized
> NASCAR for over the years is the "archaic" engine rules. I love it just
> like it is, but, to my limited knowledge, there hasn’t been a carbureted
> production car in about 15 years. Does anyone see fuel injection in the
> future?

        OK, let me reset the premise of this question. In a race application,
there is no power advantage from a carb to injection, in a gasoline
engine. Certainly not in a stock car application. I’m just asking about
what’s in the France boy heads.