1000ft drag racing in Denver

[Jenn]

To watch slower cars. Yep, that makes sense!

So it was never about the close racing, spectacular speeds, and record E.T.s.

It's all about the extra 320 feet!

 

[Toejam]

How long before the crewchiefs learn just how much more they can throw at these motors in 3.9 secs they couldn't in 4.5? More mag, static compression, you can bet your ass that AJ and Coil will do that! What happens when we start seeing more boomers at 1/8 mile we used to see at 1000'? Will Jim Head talk about the carnage suffered past 1/8 mile and how dangerous 1000 racing is? This is only the beginning, I see 1/8 mile becoming the standard in 5 years!

 

[rocketman]

Joe, If I remember right Head is all for 1000 feet. Lets give it a try!

 

[Rich]

I'm pretty sure they won't be offering up one of their drivers as a sacrificial offering to your wallet.

Driver loses his life in a racing accident, association takes preventative action, fans complain. Boo hoo. Your grief is NOTHING compared to the Kalittas and Oberhoffers grief. Are you trying to minimize that? Poor baby you are, you lost a few hundred bucks, Scott Kalitta lost his LIFE.

And I will say once again that I would have had no problem whatsoever if the NHRA would have taken measures to slow these cars down - in fact I would have applauded the action. But you act as though this action taken by the NHRA and PRO was the only alternative, which is simply not the case. Nobody in their right mind wants to see any further injuries or worse on a drag strip - and especially ones that can be prevented. And to imply otherwise, as you have just done, reveals more about you than it does about me. So please feel free to stick it were the sun don't shine.

 

[Prestaged]

To watch slower cars. Yep, that makes sense!

It works for me!

 

[Jenn]

And I will say once again that I would have had no problem whatsoever if the NHRA would have taken measures to slow these cars down - in fact I would have applauded the action. But you act as though this action taken by the NHRA and PRO was the only alternative, which is simply not the case. Nobody in their right mind wants to see any further injuries or worse on a drag strip - and especially ones that can be prevented. And to imply otherwise, as you have just done, reveals more about you than it does about me. So please feel free to stick it were the sun don't shine.

So should they have postponed Denver until they could have found an good "fan approved" method? If it takes more time than that? Cancel the next couple races too?

 

[Toejam]

Joe, If I remember right Head is all for 1000 feet. Lets give it a try!

Rich your missing my point! The crewchiefs are just going to Push the Combo's Harder to maximize Horsepower. The 3.8's we see from the Dragsters now will drop to 3.6's by the fall. And the Motor carnage will follow suit! Such political BS!

 

[hotrod]

I think that shortening the track is a much simpler solution for now while they figure out how to make the appropriate corrections. It wouldn't be fair to have the guys completely change the cars in the middle of the season. They will probably make many changes that could be implemented prior to the 2009 season. I think everyone that loves this sport will be patient and continue to follow it. Those of you that don't seem to love the sport...se ya.
I've purchased my tickets for Vegas and don't regret it one bit.
Can't wait...gonna have a blast.

I'll bet that most of the people threatening to boycott the races or cancel their ND subscriptions don't go through with it. Dragracing is addictive.
Back in the '70's, the back door of my trailer had a bumper sticker that said:
"Inside this box is a disease for which there is no known cure...Dragracing."

 

[megadeth]

To watch slower cars. Yep, that makes sense!

And you're logic is they will get faster in a shorter distance?
Everbody wants closer racing and manufactured drama what's the difference?

 

[megadeth]

So should they have postponed Denver until they could have found an good "fan approved" method? If it takes more time than that? Cancel the next couple races too?

Fine with me just give me my money back and I will call it even!

 

[Rich]

So should they have postponed Denver until they could have found an good "fan approved" method? If it takes more time than that? Cancel the next couple races too?

If you think this action was the only alternative, or that there are no ways to slow these cars down, then let me suggest that you start by read the "Slowing Them Down" thread started by Alan Reinhart. It's not about a "fan approved" method; it's about addressing a serious safety concern even while preserving the integrity and history of the sport. I am concerned that the new 1000 foot rule does little to address the former even as I am convinced that it does serious damage to the latter.

 

[megadeth]

If you think this action was the only alternative, or that there are no ways to slow these cars down, then let me suggest that you start by read the "Slowing Them Down" thread started by Alan Reinhart. It's not about a "fan approved" method; it's about addressing a serious safety concern even while preserving the integrity and history of the sport. I am concerned that the new 1000 foot rule does little to address the former even as I am convinced that it does serious damage to the latter.

Don't go and throw wrench into her cap Rich! LOL

 

[Cymon Sez]

I will no longer be attending Sonoma, Vegas 1&2, Pomona 1&2 & Phoenix if it remains 1000'

Slow them down and maintain the integrity of the sport and its current records.

 

[Bob]

I am glad you raised the issue because you make a very valid argument. In fact I think you hit upon one of the major differences between circle track racing and drag racing. In NASCAR, for example, fans prefer variety of tracks and decry the so-called "cookie cutter" tracks that are near carbon copies of other tracks. In NASCAR a championship racer has to be good on everything from short tracks to intermediate tracks to super speedways to road courses. Variety is the name of the game. Likewise, in sprint car racing no two dirt tracks are exactly the same. Even at the same track the condition of the track itself can change from one day to the next - and sometimes even in the same night. The ability to adapt to various tracks and track conditions are a major part of what dirt racing is all about. Drag racing of course also requires adaptation to changing track conditions. But unlike NASCAR or sprint car racing, the track has always been the same length. In that sense drag racing is more like football where the field is always the same size even if the conditions on the field may vary depending on weather, type of turf, etc. Sprint car racing is more akin to baseball where the dimensions of the field very from stadium to stadium. The problem is that drag racing has been 1/4 mile since the very beginning of the sport. One cannot simply alter the length of a race without also effecting all the stats and data that has accumulated over the entire history of the sport. Because of that what we will be seeing starting with Denver will be fundamentally different than what we have seen in drag racing for more than 50 years.

Thanks for that response Rich. I really do appreciate it. I agree with your perspective concerning both paved and dirt track oval and road course racing.

Already this year, I have worked races at two 1/8th drag strips that have been open for drag racing for 50 years. The quarter mile has not been the only legitimate form of drag racing. While it (1320') has been the most common distance available in many areas of the country, shorter tracks have also been (and will continue to be) an important segment of the sport for a very long time. While you aren't accustomed to a shorter racing surface being placed upon two Professional classes, I don't believe the differences are of enough significance for anyone to abandon the sport entirely. Give it a look. If you still don't like what you see, then walk away.

FWIW, the change is gonna be a pain in the butt for myself and my colleagues. We work with a historic database concerning personal best performances, as well as trying to acknowledge track and and national event record performances. The change will mean building a new database from ground zero. I still believe this is a positive move.

I'm not so blind as to think that this will prevent every catastrophic crash resulting in a fatality in the future, but I do believe it will go a long way toward reducing them. I absolutely hate it when a racer dies while racing.

 

[Bob]

How long before the crewchiefs learn just how much more they can throw at these motors in 3.9 secs they couldn't in 4.5? More mag, static compression, you can bet your ass that AJ and Coil will do that! What happens when we start seeing more boomers at 1/8 mile we used to see at 1000'? Will Jim Head talk about the carnage suffered past 1/8 mile and how dangerous 1000 racing is? This is only the beginning, I see 1/8 mile becoming the standard in 5 years!

I'll say it for the second time. Due to the rev limiters, they already were throwing everything they had to get to the point where the rev limiters kicked in. Boomers at the 1/8th mile? Ask Herbert about boomers at the starting line.

 

[Bob]

So it was never about the close racing, spectacular speeds, and record E.T.s.

It's all about the extra 320 feet!

Someone who gets it. Thanks Jenn!

 

[Rich]

So it was never about the close racing, spectacular speeds, and record E.T.s.

It's all about the extra 320 feet!

And Arena Football has punting, blocking, tackles, and touchdowns just like the NFL. They both call themselves football so means they're both the same, right?

 

[Jenn]

If you think this action was the only alternative, or that there are no ways to slow these cars down, then let me suggest that you start by read the "Slowing Them Down" thread started by Alan Reinhart. It's not about a "fan approved" method; it's about addressing a serious safety concern even while preserving the integrity and history of the sport. I am concerned that the new 1000 foot rule does little to address the former even as I am convinced that it does serious damage to the latter.

Is it the only alternative, no. We have 8 days til the start of the Mile Highs. There's no testing 7 days at a facility before the event. There's a nitro shortage. Diesal isn't cheap. The fuel racers have just had a hard hitting lesson about the importance of spending qaulity time with their families.

This is the cheapest, fastest alternative that won't really require addtional testing, won't incur extra money on all the teams, it may even save them some.

Bandimere speedway has a new racing surface and it's first rate. Temp controlled from water that's designed to be be there, and smooth. Bumps that were there before, aren't there now, it's got a longer concrete pad, full 1320 if I'm not mistaken. Some of the track data that teams had before may be not usable if they were tuning for bumps in the track/transition area.

 

[Jenn]

And Arena Football has punting, blocking, tackles, and touchdowns just like the NFL. They both call themselves football so means they're both the same, right?

Not the same, just different challenges .

I was watching the baseball training video at my brothers house and they did something that I thought was pretty neat and I think it can apply here.

Pitchers and batters are usually at a set distance every time away from each other, right? This guy has the pitcher throw the ball from different distances, same pitch, just the distance is different. Then they change the pitch and do the different distances all over again. The batter and the pitcher learn how to quickly adjust to the arc of the ball. It test the skills of both the pitcher and batter.

Adding this new variation, and for all we know, this could be a one or two time deal, or it could become permanant on the national event level, will test the skills of driver and tuner. Instead of the arc of the ball, you have fuel curves, instead of the velocity of the ball, you have timers. All of these things that can made the adaptive skills of driver and tuner shine.

Even the catchers (who I could call crew members) had to learn to catch sailing balls, and tossed balls.

 

[NitroRichFire]

Glad that they posted this now. Now I won't have to bother ordering my tickets for Maple Grove or Bristol next year.