Thinking that when the new block was installed, the weight on the rear wheels of the 262-inch car was going to be significantly reduced and make the car more prone to wheelspin, we weighed the car (without fuel or driver) and came up with a base weight.

The Intercomp system is easy to use and provides a precise weight for each corner of the car. They are so sensitive that you can watch the weight shift from side to side pound by pound on the front end when you ever so slightly turn the steering wheel. Even the slightest air pressure adjustments are measurable at each corner showing how little it takes to change the balance factors.

Intercomp also has leveling pads, which are well made and precise in adjustment. You can also order ramps to roll up on the levelers. The levelers are more useful in computing the CG of shorter wheelbase cars, as the length of a dragster would require lifting to a height beyond their capability.

We calculated the fore/aft CG using the percentage of weight on the front and rear wheels, as related to the percentage of wheelbase measurement. This placed the CG just at the front of the engine, which confirmed the calculations of the Intercomp scales.

Steve Nicoll Racing Engines delivered the new, much lighter short block assembly utilizing the BMP block, and when the engine was completed and installed in the car, the scales indicated an overall weight reduction of 146 lbs. This put Mark very close to his target weight, so now he could consider reducing and/or moving some of his ballast weight on the front end, to compensate for the weight reduction from the rear wheels.