Asher Article (1 Viewer)

[Nunz]

Another good piece over at Comp Plus by Jon Asher. He's absolutely right, NHRA has an opportunity to be proactive and be a leader. Let's see what happens. I think they should start promoting the use of ethanol for starters. I believe the IRL has announced that for '07. Racers can either be viewed as problem solvers within the environmental issues, or as contributors to the problems. We need to get the holeshot on this one.

 

[Hiproger]

Right you are Nunzio but with some of the things that the NHRA has done in the past 5 yrs. & with basically the same non-racers at the helm, I don't see much hope for any possitive changes. They have become reactionary by nature & usually react wrongly. Just one example of this thought process is how much the 85% rule is costing the Fuel teams. Yet they, as usual, will not listen to the experts that race & maintain these machines & and then have the audacity to call it a cost saving measure. That merely underlines that fact that they don't have a clue.
My opinion..............."HIP"

 

[DrRocket]

Here's a link to the article.

NASCAR is getting ready to go to unleaded gas by 2008'ish. They're testing in Busch and Craftsman trucks for the next several weeks.

I think it's time to at least get rid of the lead in the fuel. Perhaps it would be a bit less expensive if the refiners could use their regular equipment to refine race gas instead of separate facilities. Don't know that for a fact, just assuming. But then, we all know what happens when we assume......

 

[Nazgul]

I think they should start promoting the use of ethanol for starters. I believe the IRL has announced that for '07.

I agree, and you're right about the IRL.

I don't understand why NHRA won't do 90% again?

 

[Toejam]

Drag racing's problem's have always centered around Noise issues. When a track is shutdown it 98% of the time to do with Noise complaints. I doubt Unleaded fuel or Global warming have anything to do with it!

 

[RacerRose]

Maybe NHRA doesn't want to change the class designations from T/AD-TA/FC to T/ED or TE/FC !

 

[JL]

Questions...

Can they make 120 Octane unleaded fuel? Would it make less power? (Evan Knoll?)

If I were to switch to ethanol, how much power would be lost or gained, and what does the change entail? (Mark Thomas?)

 

[Raconteur]

Maybe NHRA doesn't want to change the class designations from T/AD-TA/FC to T/ED or TE/FC !

There's already been a precedent for capricious changes to class designations for sponsor demands. When Federal Mogul became the sportsman series sponsor a few years back we got FM/FC and FM/D class change.





Read: MOPAR Max

 

[Nunz]

Justin, I'm no expert so I'm not sure on power gains/losses with ethanol. But, I do believe Mark Thomas runs it in ihis TAFC, and even uses vegetable oil in the crankcase! I remember reading that, anyway. The point is, we all know that all the racing in the world combined probably has very little effect on the environment. However, it can become an easy target for a government expected to make changes. That's why it's real important to make the first move, and let the racers be the proactive ones making real changes for the better. As far as NHRA and making decisions, I agree, it is really frustrating. I read a couple of articles where Jim Dunn explained how much more money this 85% rule was costing teams, and I'm amazed how PRO doesn't lobby for a return to at least 90. I know trying to tame these cars after all these years of progress is tricky, but making knee-jerk changes just to make changes doesn't make sense. But this is a whole different conversation. Bottom line, regarding the environmental issues---NHRA needs to make some forward thinking moves to show it is doing it's part, before like Asher said, someone makes the moves for them...

 

[Toejam]

Justin, I'm no expert so I'm not sure on power gains/losses with ethanol. But, I do believe Mark Thomas runs it in ihis TAFC, and even uses vegetable oil in the crankcase! I remember reading that, anyway. The point is, we all know that all the racing in the world combined probably has very little effect on the environment. However, it can become an easy target for a government expected to make changes. That's why it's real important to make the first move, and let the racers be the proactive ones making real changes for the better. As far as NHRA and making decisions, I agree, it is really frustrating. I read a couple of articles where Jim Dunn explained how much more money this 85% rule was costing teams, and I'm amazed how PRO doesn't lobby for a return to at least 90. I know trying to tame these cars after all these years of progress is tricky, but making knee-jerk changes just to make changes doesn't make sense. But this is a whole different conversation. Bottom line, regarding the environmental issues---NHRA needs to make some forward thinking moves to show it is doing it's part, before like Asher said, someone makes the moves for them...

If the media acts like Drag racing is Non-existent, what makes you think the Government's any different? I guarantee you the Government will only encourage Nascar to make changes environmentally if it's Politically expedient. And with Nascar being the largest spectator sport in the U.S. the Politicians will treat this like a Hot Potato! As far as the Government's concerned, NHRA doesn't even show up on they're Radar screen!

 

[Raconteur]

If the media acts like Drag racing is Non-existent, what makes you think the Government's any different? I guarantee you the Government will only encourage Nascar to make changes environmentally if it's Politically expedient. And with Nascar being the largest spectator sport in the U.S. the Politicians will treat this like a Hot Potato! As far as the Government's concerned, NHRA doesn't even show up on they're Radar screen!

According to a recent Sports Illustrated article:

"NASCAR has used high-octane leaded fuel for decades, but has been searching for an alternative for years and has finally found a solution through supplier Sunoco.

NASCAR is exempt from the 1970 Clean Air Act, which required all automobiles to use unleaded fuel. Still, series officials tried an unleaded fuel in 1998 during some Busch races, only to find it contained additives that were dangerous when they came in contact with ground water."

 

[RacerRose]

There's already been a precedent for capricious changes to class designations for sponsor demands. When Federal Mogul became the sportsman series sponsor a few years back we got FM/FC and FM/D class change.



Read: MOPAR Max

Darr, I remember that name change. It sounded so dumb. But, they paid the bills for the class, and that's all that matters, right ?

 

[DrRocket]

Besides, if NHRA can get a fuel that's lead free engineered for door slammer racing, perhaps a return to a Canadian venue could be in the future. Who knows? That's the only reason they cancled the former Canadian event, because Canada refused to relax the leaded fuel ban for racing.

 

[Nitrohaulic]

I don't guess anyone could come up with a marketing/sponsorship angle that would combine E-85 and 85% nitro?

Hey, at the bracket track a friend of mine owns, the biggest spaces you can rent for advertising are the walls behind the burnout area, which also gets the lane named after you. When a state agency inquired about getting one for public service messages, he told them that the price is $750 a year. A few weeks later they called him back, asking if he'd take $3,000!