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We agree Jim and I remember you telling me about the speed difference you had experienced with your data. I know the scoop will go away as it is not needed for the Gen 3 and I will get busy this season and for the next few seasons I am sure in the NE and MidWest changing tails over, starting with mine of course Filling in part of the back of our tails will be easy for me also, but others will have an issue with that as again, a mold will help make it weight comparable. BTW, filling in the scoop area wont be easy either but a necessary task, even with a filler piece as every cut out will be different. I am sure Mike D. will be allowing a period of time to changeover to the new rules for the scooped tails. The Gen 3 owners will want the scoop out of there asap.
Also, I am "jacked" about the new engine system too...for many reasons; many of you out there cannot appreciate the thrill we all had hearing the 1.9 Ford after years of the Super Trapped Renault engine that to me sounded like the flight of the bumble bees when a bunch of us went by
Looking forward to the next couple years and beyond!

I had an opportunity to look at Gen 3 with the tail on it. This tail still had the air scoop on it. It appears that there is very little clearance between the tail and the air filter and the hole for the scoop provides a little extra clearance. The scoop also provides a "Cold Air" source for the intake which should provide better performance than warm air source provide by the engine bay. We may not want to rush to plug up this hole.

I may or may not be correct, but I read Mike D's post about adding an air box and tubing connecting the Gen 3 air intake to the left center section air intake port similar to what we do now with the right port for the 1.9. It sounds like he is enclosing the air filter some of us have seen on early models of the Gen 3. Hence if everything fits, we would not need the extra clearance you mentioned in your observation, which is a very good point to note. I saw the same air filter on the Motion Dynamics Gen 3 but did not see it with the tail on it, but the tail had no air scoop.

The Elite Autosport GEN3 has the exposed air filter and runs with a tail that does NOT have the scoop.