1000 ft vs. 1320 ft (1 Viewer)

[Dennis]

No, not trying to start THAT discussion....haha

This is just a more curious type of question - since 1,000 ft. is here to stay, why do all other categories compete to 1,320? I'm not really looking for judgement on which is better, I'm just trying to understand why almost 13 years into the 1,000 ft. era NHRA still preps for two different finish lines.

Seems like if 1,000 ft. is the way to go just make that the distance for everyone. Or is there something I'm missing?

Thanks!

 

[Cliff]

No reason they couldn't. We'd just hafta get used to different speeds & ETs.

 

[sutton]

No, not trying to start THAT discussion....haha

This is just a more curious type of question - since 1,000 ft. is here to stay, why do all other categories compete to 1,320? I'm not really looking for judgement on which is better, I'm just trying to understand why almost 13 years into the 1,000 ft. era NHRA still preps for two different finish lines.

Seems like if 1,000 ft. is the way to go just make that the distance for everyone. Or is there something I'm missing?

Thanks!

Dennis
I have gone 284 MPH not like today they are going over 330 mph. the extra 330 feet for stopping is a big help in stopping. the others cars are mostly safer at 1320 feet. the TAD an TA/FC and Pro stock are close to the trouble zone at stopping. but if you change all classes to 1000' a lot of racers in the index classes would need to make big changes but it could be done put for now it won't happen. I would loved to have gone faster but with the non carbon brakes it was a bitch to stop a car during my days of driving. I did drive some cars with the better brakes. wow what a difference.
Larry Sutton---Lions Starter an racer (RET.)

 

[Jim]

This is just a more curious type of question - since 1,000 ft. is here to stay, why do all other categories compete to 1,320? I'm not really looking for judgement on which is better, I'm just trying to understand why almost 13 years into the 1,000 ft. era NHRA still preps for two different finish lines.

1,000 feet is only for two classes of cars at events totally under the control of NHRA. If NHRA were to start using 1,000 feet for all classes, it would have to find a way to get every drag strip in the country to go to 1,000 feet. Otherwise, you would be putting sportsman racers in a situation in which they would have to go back and forth between 1,000 feet and 1,320 feet depending on the event. That is one more variable that they do not need.

 

[Dennis]

Ahh great point, I hadn't even considered the cost to change every track nationwide.

 

[twostep]

1,000 feet is only for two classes of cars at events totally under the control of NHRA. If NHRA were to start using 1,000 feet for all classes, it would have to find a way to get every drag strip in the country to go to 1,000 feet. Otherwise, you would be putting sportsman racers in a situation in which they would have to go back and forth between 1,000 feet and 1,320 feet depending on the event. That is one more variable that they do not need.

Personally, I don't support changing everything to 1000 feet although it's certainly doable. As for having to change back and forth between tracks, as far as I know, there's no other motorsport in the business other than NHRA drag racing that races the same distance at every track year in, year out - not even horse racing. NASCAR routinely jumps from a half mile track (Martinsville) to 2 1/2 miles (Talladega, Daytona) and everywhere inbetween - so does F1, sprint, and all forms of motorcycle racing (other than NHRA). It wouldn't be that big of a deal....SG cars would run off an index of around 8.50 instead of 9.90 and really wouldn't have to change much; PS cars would run 5.50s instead of 6.50s; they'd have to change more but primarily gearing. So it's doable, but is it advantageous? In my opinion, not really, and besides, the carping would NEVER end.

Best to just let that sleeping dog sleep.....

 

[Nunz]

I think it's fine leaving things the way they are. For those who complain about fuel cars having to run 1000 ft., I gotta tell ya, today's cars cover the last 320 so fast after clicking off that visually it's really not that different. But for everyone else, let's keep 1320 while we still have quarter mile tracks to enjoy. JMO.

 

[Old21stud]

Easily doable as a lot of 1/4 mile tracks also run 1/8 mile events with a couple computer clicks in the tower. Just adding the option for 1000' wouldn't be that expensive as the 1000' "eyes" are already there. Having watched and raced both 1/8 and 1/4 mile for almost 60 years, it's still "racing is racing". Both lengths can be great and both can have a bummer race. There are many good reasons for staying 1320 and many good reasons for the shorter length, but its the timing of any change in the racing program that's critically important. I seriously doubt the timing for changing distances is remotely correct this year.
However, safety is always important at any time, so maybe it time to add a 300 mph speed limit on 1/4 mile racing for all classes to the rule books. Once that barrier is broken by any class, that class would go to 1000' the next year and beyond. How cool would it be to be a member of your class's 300 MPH Top Ten Club! Talk about exclusive as the classes length would shorten the next year.

 

[twostep]

However, safety is always important at any time, so maybe it time to add a 300 mph speed limit on 1/4 mile racing for all classes to the rule books. Once that barrier is broken by any class, that class would go to 1000' the next year and beyond. How cool would it be to be a member of your class's 300 MPH Top Ten Club! Talk about exclusive as the classes length would shorten the next year.

Makes sense, but I can't envision any class other than the nitro classes being able to reach 300mph in the foreseeable future - and of course, they're already at 1000 feet. The closest to it are AFDs...and they've been no faster than the mid to upper 280s for at least ten years.

 

[Huge]

1,000 feet is only for two classes of cars at events totally under the control of NHRA. If NHRA were to start using 1,000 feet for all classes, it would have to find a way to get every drag strip in the country to go to 1,000 feet. Otherwise, you would be putting sportsman racers in a situation in which they would have to go back and forth between 1,000 feet and 1,320 feet depending on the event. That is one more variable that they do not need.

I'm not trying to be argumentative or pushing for any kind of change... I'm just asking because I'm curious about a couple of things and I haven't worked on a sportsman car since the mid 90's to really know for sure. Doesn't a lot of the sportsman racers race brackets at some 1/8 mile tracks and 1320 already? I'm also a little curious how big of a change the sportsman would have to make? For heads up racing they have to go past 1000 ft to get to 1320 anyway... and with throttle stops on the index cars I don't see what big change they would need to make to run either distance. I know a lot of guys use to run the 7.90 Super E class at division 7 races and then run 8.90 Super Comp at the national events just by dialing the throttle stop back more. I remember the car I helped on would run 7.50 off of the stop and we ran SE and SC with no problems at all.

 

[TD5023]

I'm not trying to be argumentative or pushing for any kind of change... I'm just asking because I'm curious about a couple of things and I haven't worked on a sportsman car since the mid 90's to really know for sure. Doesn't a lot of the sportsman racers race brackets at some 1/8 mile tracks and 1320 already? I'm also a little curious how big of a change the sportsman would have to make? For heads up racing they have to go past 1000 ft to get to 1320 anyway... and with throttle stops on the index cars I don't see what big change they would need to make to run either distance. I know a lot of guys use to run the 7.90 Super E class at division 7 races and then run 8.90 Super Comp at the national events just by dialing the throttle stop back more. I remember the car I helped on would run 7.50 off of the stop and we ran SE and SC with no problems at all.

I don't know how much of an issue in translation it is, but the ones that seem more difficult to convert are those with sub-class indexes (stock, super stock, and comp). When they run the divisional at Galot, those are the only three classes (not counting juniors) that run 1/8. Everyone else, including the .90 classes, runs to 1000' with adjusted indexes.

 

[Jim]

I'm not trying to be argumentative or pushing for any kind of change... I'm just asking because I'm curious about a couple of things and I haven't worked on a sportsman car since the mid 90's to really know for sure. Doesn't a lot of the sportsman racers race brackets at some 1/8 mile tracks and 1320 already?

Technically, it is very possible. I am thinking more of the sportsman drivers who would now have to keep another set of data for a third track length. They may already have data for 1/4 mile and 1/8 mile. Now they'd have to add for 1,000 feet. Some change gearing for 1/4 mile and 1/8 mile. They'd have to think about that for 1,000 feet.

All very doable but is it worth the effort?

 

[Nunz]

Why are we discussing how viable it would be to have all classes join the fuel cars and run 1000 ft.? The fuel cars are an entirely different animal and we all know why the change was made. It's funny how many threads there have been about how to get fuel cars back to 1/4 mile, now we're trying to figure out how to get every other class to go to 1000 ft.? There's a ton of 1/8 mile racing around the country, which for some of the obscenely powerful door cars that run PDRA and different series' is smart. But let's hang on to 1/4 mile race events wherever we can. Again, JMO.

 

[Dennis]

Why are we discussing how viable it would be to have all classes join the fuel cars and run 1000 ft.? The fuel cars are an entirely different animal and we all know why the change was made. It's funny how many threads there have been about how to get fuel cars back to 1/4 mile, now we're trying to figure out how to get every other class to go to 1000 ft.? There's a ton of 1/8 mile racing around the country, which for some of the obscenely powerful door cars that run PDRA and different series' is smart. But let's hang on to 1/4 mile race events wherever we can. Again, JMO.

Well this is a "discussion board" and rather than the tired "Why can't we run 1,320?" I simply asked why everyone doesn't adopt to 1,000 ft. Why mess with the timing, the cones, why set up the "finish line cam" at 1,000 foot. The point is why not just standardize everything?

I think it's a fair question and there was no complaining (b*tching, moaning) on my part. It was simply a question.

 

[Nunz]

Well this is a "discussion board" and rather than the tired "Why can't we run 1,320?" I simply asked why everyone doesn't adopt to 1,000 ft. Why mess with the timing, the cones, why set up the "finish line cam" at 1,000 foot. The point is why not just standardize everything?

I think it's a fair question and there was no complaining (b*tching, moaning) on my part. It was simply a question.

It is a fair question! Wasn't trying to be argumentative Dennis, I guess while I've accepted 1000ft. for fuel racing, I kind of cringe at the thought of trying to ratchet every class back to shorter distances. The way we're losing tracks, I would just like to see 1/4 mile racing be a part of the sport for as long as possible.

 

[Dennis]

I hear ya and I know the whole 1,000 ft. vs. 1,320 is (still) a touchy subject. My question was a genuine one, but it appears that there are too many moving parts at this point to standardize everything.