Good stuff jimmie. I would have loved to meet the guy but I was just a sprout when he was getting out of the sport. The reason I listed him as an extra reference was simply that so many times young engineers have a horrid time with innovation or running up against a new situation. You can't really teach someone how to be innovative I suppose. BUT the old Power Secrets book shows the mindset of one of NASCAR's greatest mechanics.

I myself have gotten much more cautious as time has went by. I'm not sure whether it is reluctance to look foolish? The product of getting burned when you guess wrong? I don't know.

But I know the first time I saw the inside of a transmission. Had a vibration. Had a day to waste. Took out the transmission, looked it over, found a bad output shaft bearing. Took it to a buddy, pushed a new one in. Voila, almost new transmission. Sometimes you can freeze up and the best thing to do is yell 'Damn the torpedoes!' and give her the gas.

Will