Are Shoe and Dixon a rivarly? Force vs TP as well

[PJ]

Ok this is not meant to be a bash on the tv coverage, nhra, either driver, the teams, your mom, the neighbor's dog, hell even the countdown or anybody else for that matter .

Just curious as to what other people think.

During the coverage they really hyped up the Dixon/Schumacher matchup?
I'm curious is that matchup a big deal to you? I understand that they are two of the all time best but do you get all excited for the matchup? The "rivalry" tends to be more based on stats then any heat between the drivers.

They did a bit less on Force and Tony P but they too are among the top to ever be in their class. At least with them there is a spark in the rivalry.

So basically do you get excited by a matchup?
Are you more excited by whatever pair your driver is in?

 

[MM]

When I see a matchup like Dixon-Schumacher, Massey-Worsham, or any combination the mentioned, I definitely take notice. Mostly it's because these are the best four cars in the class and I know it's going to be a great race.

 

[Toejam]

I remember at the Beginning of the year Tony made a big to do about Landing STP! It obviously isn't the Big Fish sponsor everyone thought, he runs the Herzog, Nitrofish, STP bodies every other race! His performance isn't what it used to be.

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

Does anyone really believe that Dixon tries harder to beat Shoe than he does to beat Antron, or Brandon??? Of course not. And the same goes for the others. Doesn't mater who is in the other lane, these guys are trying their best to win EACH round, because THAT is what they do.

TV for some reason seems to think that drag racing is not exciting enough, so they try to turn it into WWF.

Like other sports, I find a contest between 1st & 2nd in points more interesting than last & second to last. But NO I do NOT buy into the "hype" that the media tries to feed us.

To me drag racing is PLENTY exciting as is. It does not need the "OOH here comes Billy & Dave!!" - "we know Billy HATES Dave so I bet he is REALLY gonna try to beat him, lets watch". That kind of comentary makes me want the mute button.

 

[.]

Those matchups are not a big deal to me, because I don't think there is an actual rivalry there.

On the surface, it seems everyone has been playing nice as of late.

 

[paoldtimer]

I have to admit, when there is a (team) Schumacher/Al Anabi or (team) Schumacher/Force match-up, it piques my curiosity much more than the average round.

 

[d'kid]

In a word, No. All races are of equal importance.

That being said, I believe, from the outside that T-Ped takes it different against John. Not sure that the reverse is true.

 

[FC138fan]

A rivalry only helps in my opinion. Schumacher / Dixon is one of my favorites today. Both of them are a powerhouse and are pretty much the best of the best. But mostly because its Johnson vs Schumacher.

I miss the beer wars Miller vs Bud, Dixon vs. Bernstein, they were the best at the time too.

There aren't very many other what Id consider rivalries today. The Force T Ped thing - T Ped isn't really good enough today to really challenge Force.

 

[Rajunz]

I loved it when Hot Rod Fuller had a badass car, the "Little Circus Monkey" really seemed to get under The Sarge's skin.

 

[none]

I think that Shoe/Dixon is a big deal and so does Tony. He was PUMPED when he rolled around the corner after the win. He never does a high five or fist pump after a first round win, but he always does after beating Dixon, no matter what round.

They each respect the other tremendously, and they don't trash talk or jerk each other aroung on the starting line. But make no mistake, beating Dixon means more to Tony than beating anyone else out there.

Just watch "The Don" when one of his teams beats one of the AJ cars. It's a big deal to him as well.

Alan

 

[Bullard Anderson]

Not normally a first round matchup! Made for more intensity because somebody was on the trailer around NOON!

Different ppl have different definitions of a rivalry.

For instance Some feel my Virginia Cavaliers have a football rivalry with in state Virginia Tech. Others think it's not a rivalry currently because we've had zero wins vs. VaTech since 2003 finale.

Then there's the whole "do they hate each other" part of a rivalry.

I know big matchups get my attention! And Dixon and Shoe def. want to punch each other out on the ladder. No matter the round.

I have a fan rivalry with JFR and I don't care who's in the other FC lane

 

[Buns]

I definitely get amped for a DSR/Al-Anabi matchup. Those are two of the absolute best teams and when they race, it's always an event!

 

[NCC250]

I think that Shoe/Dixon is a big deal and so does Tony. He was PUMPED when he rolled around the corner after the win. He never does a high five or fist pump after a first round win, but he always does after beating Dixon, no matter what round.

They each respect the other tremendously, and they don't trash talk or jerk each other aroung on the starting line. But make no mistake, beating Dixon means more to Tony than beating anyone else out there.

Just watch "The Don" when one of his teams beats one of the AJ cars. It's a big deal to him as well.

Alan

As mentioned above I think its more of a Shoe against AJ than Shoe vs Dixon.

 

[mick]

IMO schu/dixon supplants amato/lahaie, the beer wars a close second;
both in top fuel (mentioned above) and fc (mccullough/berstein) from late 80's

 

[go]

and there was Hofman/Force

 

[DrRocket]

I'm also guessing Doug Herbert and Clay Millican aren't exchanging Christmas cards....

Edit: or at least for a while. I seem to remember a "Scelzi Sez" episode where they made fun of that relationship.

Saaaaay, speaking of that, I wonder what Scelzi's been up to......

 

[jm]

Actually, I believe that Clay has help support BRAKES by showing up
and doing some teachingmentoring with Doug. I find it hard to believe that
after what Doug has been through, anyone would hold much against him.
I attended the BRAKES dinner on the Thursday before the Sept National
and had a great time. Also, AJ, the pro stock one, TWICE threw in an extra
$10,000 into the pot for the bidding on a very pretty shelter dog. THAT was cool... then NHRA Kiboshed his w/e for blowing an .02 on Saturday morning...

 

[Rat]

Those matchups are not a big deal to me, because I don't think there is an actual rivalry there.

On the surface, it seems everyone has been playing nice as of late.

um, have you been watching drag racing the last 2 years? It developed in countdown of 09. It's not the media that made it a rivalry, it's because the teams make sure their on their game when they face each other. It's a rivalry because both cars are very capable of running the same, yet dixon and shoe make is a drivers race.

 

[Rat]

The Force T Ped thing - T Ped isn't really good enough today to really challenge Force.

I agree 100%. Cruz and Force i believe is a rivalry. They may not of been with it consistantly, but they have the history to make it one now.

 

[FC138fan]

I agree 100%. Cruz and Force i believe is a rivalry. They may not of been with it consistantly, but they have the history to make it one now.

Wonder if Force views that 92 Cruz championship thing as a blemish in his career. Cruz ruined Force from being able to say "I won every NHRA event in the decade of the '90s" and "I won 13 straight titles"... I guess a Pedregon won in '03 as well... so if it weren't for the Pedregons Force might have won 1990 - 2004 or 15 straight titles.