I've seen in the various threads much discussion about the option of changing to 1000' races. I even started some of the discussion. Most/some of you seem to feel that changing to 1000 ft wouldn't have helped Scott. His failure came past the 1000 ft so reason says the he wouldn't have had a problem. What most of you fail to realize is that if we leave all the rules the same and shorten the track then the castrophic failures are going to occur with much less frequency. Will the 1000 ft help when a car has a failure like Scott did at 990 ft? Probably not. But if you look at most of the failures they occur past 1100 feet. Following that path of thinking will naturally lead to the conclusion that we will have many less failures. If something isn't done to increase safety and by the way reduce cost we won't have this problem to debate because we won't have any nitro classes to watch. 1000 ft races is the least expensive, quickest, least obvious by the general fan and will produce immediate results. We as fans should insist the this is done before another car is started next weekend.
1000 ft. tracks (3 Viewers)
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Sean D, shondoo
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Most failures happen past 1100 feet because the track is 1320 feet long. When you shorten the track to 1000 feet, John, I'm afraid the crew chiefs will shorten the wick to 950 feet and we're right back where we started.
Sean D
Rich
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What I am about to say is heresy - but if folks are really interested in increased safety and reduced costs, perhaps it's time to consider transforming TAD and TAFC into pro classes and doing away with the nitro classes altogether. In fact given the current nitro mess I'm surprised someone hasn't already suggested it.
so basically you wanna turn every race into a divisional race???? never gonna happen
Just remove the biggest attraction from the sport all together..... the two categories that sell most of the tickets????
You may be correct but if you leave the rear gear the same, the cu in the same, the overdrive limit, the RPM limit, weight etc all the same as now then perhaps we can get a few years down the road without the deaths and equipment failure we are currently experiencing. Perhaps we should put all tracks on notice that within the next 5 or 10 years they will have to meet a rigid standard if they want to host national events. I don't have the perfect answer but I do have a step in the right direction.
Rick Rzepka
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ive been preaching that forever, i truly believe nitro has run its course. you shouldnt have to rebuild the short block every run! i think the racin would be great for fan s and for racers. force against payne! i dont have any stats at all but how often to alcohol cars blown up and burn to the ground?
300 is toooooooooooo fast!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Super Mod
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Although I would not like it, this thought too has crossed my mind. Maybe open up the alky rules a little. This would cut costs dramatically and make larger qualifying fields while doing away with nitro problems. OR
Alkymater?
Joker741
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The problem is if you go to 1000', there will still be explosions. Make the track 1000' and the cars will blow up at 900', set it to 660' and the will blow up at 550'. These cars are on kill and are not designed to last much past the lights if they make it that far. Sure, if they tune the car to run 1320' and you make the track 1000' this would not have happened, but how many crew chiefs are going to set thier car up and leave some on the track? I don't know what the answer is, but I don't feel 1000' or slowing them down are the answers.
For those who want to go to TAD as pro, there are issues in TAD too. There have been several blow overs in the last few years, one claiming the life of Shelly Howard and her son Brian.
For those who want to go to TAD as pro, there are issues in TAD too. There have been several blow overs in the last few years, one claiming the life of Shelly Howard and her son Brian.
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Zak
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Except that you'll have 320 ft more of shutdown
Joker741
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320' won't make that much difference. They would be covering that 320' in under 1 second (roughly .727 seconds). At 300 mph, they are going 440 ft/sec. If you want to make the track longer you need to do it by more than 320', but don't shorten the race length.
Rexfiles
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T.Smith
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Rich, you can't serve 'em beer and peanuts after you've been serving them wine and filet migon.
I really don't think that will do anything but kill the national events. I don't go to the div race and its 30 miles from my house but I drive to Mo, Co, Ks and Tx to see nitro. That's what I raced, that's what I want to see, that's where its at and I don't think..well I don't ever see KBR, JFR or DSR running a TAFC or anything but a blown nitro dragster or funny car. I sure don't think Connie would ever even give that a thought assuming he races at all. So we would lose all the top cars and most of the fans..not good. JMHO
twok4hd
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If NHRA did that, think of how much money NHRA would have to spend on their own crap tracks and Compton and the Board wouldn't like having to do that. And why wait 5 years? I would start in 2010. Tracks have to meet the new standard by their big race in 2010. If they can't then move the race to a facility that does meet the standard. Heck, some may get 2 maybe 3 races a year. Until that deadline, shorten the race to 1000'.
yoda
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I don't know about that Tony- the airlines seemed to have gotten away with that for the past couple of decades....
The filet migon I got on an airplane had just retired from service as a hockey puck.
Somebody earlier said why wait 5-10 years? That's probably right and 2010 is a better date but some of these tracks will need to sell their land and relocate to a new location. That's big bucks and will take some time, some won't make the transition. How are you going to feel as a fan when the tracks at say Ohio, New Jersey, Ga, Pomona etc can't hold national events?
Sean D, shondoo
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Like someone said, if you make those mandates, there will be facilities that won't be able to get it done in time, if ever, which will require some of the better facilities to host multiple events per year. That sounds good, but the bottom line is, the market probably won't be able to support it. The same general people in those given areas simply won't be able to afford to attend several events per year if the economy maintains the tailspin that already shows no relief in sight.
Sean D
Sean D
This thread is heresy.
1. you can slow the cars and still run nitro. I guess I'm old but I remember nitro funny cars breaking into the sixes and breaking 200. And I loved em. Look at my icon. that's from 1970.
2. 1/8 mi, 1000' ft? Unnecessary if you slow them down. Take away the blowers. take away a mag. whatever you need to do and keep the snap cackle and pop.
Nascar realized they had a serious issue in 1988 when Bobby Allison's car almost flew into the grandstands at Talladega. They brought in the restrictor plates, and put twice as many people in the stands now as they did then.
Fix it. Don't break it.
no nitro?
Heresy.
1. you can slow the cars and still run nitro. I guess I'm old but I remember nitro funny cars breaking into the sixes and breaking 200. And I loved em. Look at my icon. that's from 1970.
2. 1/8 mi, 1000' ft? Unnecessary if you slow them down. Take away the blowers. take away a mag. whatever you need to do and keep the snap cackle and pop.
Nascar realized they had a serious issue in 1988 when Bobby Allison's car almost flew into the grandstands at Talladega. They brought in the restrictor plates, and put twice as many people in the stands now as they did then.
Fix it. Don't break it.
no nitro?
Heresy.
Bullard Anderson
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The drivers/owners and NHRA should come to an agreement on suitable track length, including shutdown areas. If a track cannot fit the specs, well good night. Sports evolve to exclude tracks in various ways. And it's not just attendance, press boxes, and pit area non-improvements. GET THIS: YOU MIGHT NEED TO MOVE A RACE ,NOT BECAUSE OF DOLLARS, BUT DRIVER SAFETY. Now there's a novel concept!
GET THIS: YOU MIGHT NEED TO MOVE A RACE ,NOT BECAUSE OF DOLLARS, BUT DRIVER SAFETY. Now there's a novel concept!
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