A/FD down to 94% in 2009

[NitroIntern]

So how fast could Reichert go on 100% nitro? I know IHRA allowed A/F in TF a few years back...

On the technical side, what are the major differences (besides the blower, nitro percentage allowed and length of chassis normally used) between A/F and TF?

5-flat with no changes other than nitro percentage. High 4.80s/low .90s if they would allow a clutch that could actually manage that amount of power.

The main difference that wasn't mentioned is in the clutch. There are no cannon valves and timed pneumatic controllers on the clutch. The adjustments are in the amount of weight added to the centrifugal counterweights and in the air gaps.

If A/FD had a TF clutch, it would run .80s relatively easily.

 

[The Counterfeiter]

The loss of Power from 98%-100% down to 96%, cooling your fuel makes more power.

General Regulations - Section 19 1:5 "Any method of artificially cooling or heating fuel prohibited." Same language in Section 11.1 (TAD, which of course includes A/F). Section 19 1:6 - "Any participant who violates any rule regarding nitromethane shall be banned from competition at the applicable event." - or worse (as we know). -

 

[FC Girl]

What a crock. They need to do away with blown alky dragster. If you want to run blown alky, run a funnycar. If you want to run injected nitro, run a dragster.

Can't believe NHRA can't figure this out after all these years.

Jay

OUCH!!! I'm not a dragster person, but I have a lot of friends competing in both. I wonder whose gonna getcha on that comment.

 

[vegasnitro]

No shock here after Bill's pass in the semi's at Pomona.

Reichert's semi's pass at Indy was a shot too (5.22?) ... was low ET of the meet by a bunch ... in the heat of the day ... when other were struggling to get a hold of the track ... definitely raised a few eyebrows then ...

 

[FABMAN]

Reichert's semi's pass at Indy was a shot too (5.22?) ... was low ET of the meet by a bunch ... in the heat of the day ... when other were struggling to get a hold of the track ... definitely raised a few eyebrows then ...

I remember 4 or 5 years ago that Randy Meyer ran 5.23 with Gary Ormsby Jr driving and 1 or 2 years ago Reichert ran a 5.10 in Houston and NHRA never raised an issue and made changes, why now. Could it be they want A/F eliminated?

 

[Toejam]

What a crock. They need to do away with blown alky dragster. If you want to run blown alky, run a funnycar. If you want to run injected nitro, run a dragster.

Can't believe NHRA can't figure this out after all these years.

Jay

Jay, why not separate the classes? Afterall NHRA's making these guys run together, it's not the racer's fault...

 

[d'kid]

High altitude/lack of O2

my AVG found a 'bug' in your post Alan

d'kid

 

[d'kid]

Okay, it's just me, but I'd like to see NO % limit in any of the 'POP' classes and the only rule difference between double A and single A the huffer...

Bring back A/FC also

d'kid

 

[BlueStangGT]

I remember 4 or 5 years ago that Randy Meyer ran 5.23 with Gary Ormsby Jr driving and 1 or 2 years ago Reichert ran a 5.10 in Houston and NHRA never raised an issue and made changes, why now. Could it be they want A/F eliminated?

I don't think they want to eliminate the class, I think they just want to keep them out of the 4's, no matter what.

 

[d'kid]

I don't think they want to eliminate the class, I think they just want to keep them out of the 4's, no matter what.

But the real question is Why, Tom.

Don't want the world to find out you don't need a huffer to run 4's, don't want the world to find it's a matter of getting the HP you have to the track? Don't want the world to find out if they made T/F truly unlimited, that the cars would run very low 4's in 1320 feet?

d'kid
Go OKAY YOU...

 

[Toby]

I imagine alot has to do with the divisional race tracks.

But the real question is Why, Tom.

Don't want the world to find out you don't need a huffer to run 4's, don't want the world to find it's a matter of getting the HP you have to the track? Don't want the world to find out if they made T/F truly unlimited, that the cars would run very low 4's in 1320 feet?

d'kid
Go OKAY YOU...

 

[d'kid]

I imagine alot has to do with the divisional race tracks.

I know this is a bad time to be saying this, but, If a Track can't handle the cars safely, then it doesn't 'need' a divisional race.

Look at it this way A/FD was a 7.5 class when a lot of the tracks divisional races are run on were built... the cars got that much better... yet the 'song' (track) remains the same...

d'kid

 

[sammi]

It is too bad that NHRA cannot real in the insanely expensive pro nitro crowd with the same cavalier ease in which they do it to the sportsman. Low hanging fruit.

Mark

 

[Wes]

Will Hanna mentioned that this rule change is more about speed at the 1320 than anything else. NHRA doesn't have the luxury or an abundance of "perfect" divisional venues at which to conduct TAD and TAFC. Back the nitro cars down so the speeds aren't too difficult to sell to the insurance regulators. Might be the alternative to further reducing the number of events at which TAD and TAFC compete...but would that really be a bad thing right now?

Perhaps this rule change will spur more A/F racers to build door cars and go run ADRL?

 

[FABMAN]

But the real question is Why, Tom.

Don't want the world to find out you don't need a huffer to run 4's, don't want the world to find it's a matter of getting the HP you have to the track? Don't want the world to find out if they made T/F truly unlimited, that the cars would run very low 4's in 1320 feet?

d'kid
Go OKAY YOU...

I think it was 2 years ago when Randy was running consistent low 5.30's to high
5.20's he told me he was capable to get 5.0's but wouldn't try because NHRA would have ruled them out of contention. I'D say Riechart has 4.90's on his chart right now.

 

[Toejam]

It is too bad that NHRA cannot real in the insanely expensive pro nitro crowd with the same cavalier ease in which they do it to the sportsman. Low hanging fruit.

Mark

What do you think the 90% rule was, then 85%? Same deal...

 

[Professor Dave]

Here's are really radical idea-get rid of the blower in top fuel and funny car and let the crew chiefs do whatever they want with unblown cars, including 100% nitro, and go back to 1/4 mile racing. There'll be a lot less parts carnage, speeds will be less, the cost of racing will drop a whole lot, and with clutch management systems, there'll be a lot less smoking tires-who knows, we might actually get to 32 car fields. Pretty soon the cars will be running 300 mph and we'll be in the 4's again.

 

[Toejam]

Here's are really radical idea-get rid of the blower in top fuel and funny car and let the crew chiefs do whatever they want with unblown cars, including 100% nitro, and go back to 1/4 mile racing. There'll be a lot less parts carnage, speeds will be less, the cost of racing will drop a whole lot, and with clutch management systems, there'll be a lot less smoking tires-who knows, we might actually get to 32 car fields. Pretty soon the cars will be running 300 mph and we'll be in the 4's again.

Please not that again! A-Fuelers at 100% sound NOTHING like Top Fuelers! Sure at Idle they bang pretty hard, but once that tree comes down it's NIGHT and DAY!

 

[Wes]

Umm, yeah Dave....I already got slammed and blasted by the purists over that idea. As common sense as it may seem there are waaaaaaay too many traditional roadblocks to that one.

 

[d'kid]

Umm, yeah Dave....I already got slammed and blasted by the purists over that idea. As common sense as it may seem there are waaaaaaay too many traditional roadblocks to that one.

Wes...
Define 'Purist'... I think one spoke a couple of posts ago... and it wasn't Dave lol

This really IS the answer for the "Lee Beard" thread... see, we are a nitch sport, I don't think our attendance figures are any better than AAA baseball over a season... heck more people have seen the remake of 'Gone in 60 Seconds' and 'Fast and Furious' then have attended National Events and Divisional Events the last couple of years as paying butts in the seats...

At a National Event, I watch all of Pro & Semi Qualifying... 'Race day'... I'm only watching a couple of cars... when They are Done, so am I... and I don't, as a rule, watch P/S... Sportsman classes are Much more interesting, and I do get back to the stands to watch them run...

But, if they take the Blowers away from All the Nitro cars and give them the whole can, lid, and label... I'd still watch...

but that's me...

d'kid