They are elongated from top to bottom. My guess is to make it easier to get the bolts in. On my Victor 340, I had to use a different bolt in one of the center holes because of this. As for being a Victor 340 copy, I think it's not as close as you think. There are some very noticeable differences between them. You will see what I'm talking about when this intake gets to you. I like the "looks" of this intake over the Victor 340 for sure.
