The 4.1 640 LPS class
Published January 19, 2012 07:18AM, by Dick Morgan
One thing that I enjoy most about events such as the one I just attended in Gordyville is the opportunity to visit with pullers, fans, promoters or anyone that just loves the sport of truck and tractor pulling. It was also a great time to pick my friend Bryan Lively’s brain on the direction he felt the 4.1, 640 cubic inch class is heading. Bryan always has a very clear and concise view of the sport. Here is a compilation of our conversation:
The one topic that seemed to be in the forefront was the 4.1 Limited Pro Stock class. While I realize that the LPS class is not new, it does seem that the class is at a defining crossroads in its evolution. After watching some of the new LPS that were at Gordyville it is becoming apparent that the class is showing tremendous growth . Some of the concerns that were voiced to me was the direction that the class may be headed in. The talk at Gordyville was that one, if not more of the LPS where in the 2000 HP territory. While I realize that 2000 HP in itself is not too amazing it does beg the question: what now? Is the class moving into the component chassis area? Are “box” turbo’s and pump rules needed?
While I realize that every puller will approach this issue different is does make me wonder. I wonder did this class see such dramatic growth because it was an alternative to the guy that wanted his SF to go a little faster or the puller with the state level OEM PS that wanted to stay in the sport and still keep a wife and farm? Was the growth because pullers convinced themselves that this could somehow be a “low” [wishful thinking] budget class? From where the class was headed to now where the class has the potential of going what will transpire? One has to ask themselves, how can this class not grow? As every pulling fans knows there seems to be about 5000 Supers Farms out there. Bolt on a bigger turbo and make a few other changes and bingo 600-800 new HP!
LPS sits where SF did some years back , lots of growth but the potential to head in different directions.With my crystal ball in the shop for cleaning I have a couple of guesses;
1-the class will splinter into a box turbo class [SF on steroids] in some clubs and in other clubs it will grow to a component, 640 4.1 PS class.
2- With the potential growth of the 4.1 class the state level PS will become a thing of the past and the current PS will become a national only class, i.e. Open/Unlimited Super, 5-6 engine mods. The current PS’s will run only national events, with the possibility of only one of the two major organizations offering the class.
3-Will state/regional level pulling become the 540 Lt PS, SF and the LPS class. Will the state level DSS and PS’s disappear?
One thing for sure this, for smoke fans these are exciting times. For the benefit of this class and the organizations who are tying themselves to it, a set of uniform rules need to be locked in. History does not need to repeat itself when we see how SF became fractionalized with three different sets of rules nationally. The pullers in this class need to work together to keep a good thing going, to keep the current excitement for the class at a high level.
Dick Morgan
www.PULLOFF.com
Independent Pulling News
Edited 8 time(s). Last edit at 01/24/2012 08:29AM by Jake Morgan.
