Frank, I can empathize with your confusion, because you probably don't know the history of FAST.
The rules make perfect sense when you understand. The rules do not allow aluminum fasteners or titanium fasteners or aluminum petal assemblies. They simply do not prohibit them.
So here is why the rules are the way they are: there is a race called the pure stock musclecar drags.
https://www.psmcdr.com/ FAST developed from that. There was a point in time where the pure stock muscle car drags had only a visual inspection of the cars. So some racers were cheating (allegedly). They started to do all the sneeky stuff to their cars that they could to make them faster that would not be revealed in this visual tech inspection.
Then one year the PSMCDR decided to tighten up their tech inspections. At that point a bunch of the alleged cheaters got together and started FAST. So the concept was that the car would need to pass the visual inspection. All of the stuff that they checked for at the pure stock drags, like correct heads, carburetors, manifolds, wheels, tires, body panels, interior, exhaust, ignition, and a whole bunch of other stuff that could easily be checked in a visual inspection were also required of fast cars. As the rules were created and evolved, they built on that concept. For clarity certain things for defined, and certain things were required, and certain things were prohibited. it was also clarified from what vantage point to the underside of the car would be inspected, how the engine compartment would be inspected, and everything else. Considering all that, it is up to the racer to understand those concepts, to understand the letter of the rules, and then to use their creativity to make improvements to the car that are not prohibited.
Have you read the fast rules? If not that would provide some clarity as well.
https://www.fastdrags.com/fast-rules
