I am aware of what happened in Don`s camp. They both still had 4 q runs to make the show. IMO Don does what he needs to do to be successful as proven many times.
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Beckman gets screwed ....
- Thread starter SkidMark
- Start date
I am aware of what happened in Don`s camp. They both still had 4 q runs to make the show. IMO Don does what he needs to do to be successful as proven many times.
To take this one step further, nobody on the DSR team will take a dive to get Jack into the countdown, like we all witnessed with another team a couple of years ago.
Maybe you could point out where that was implied anywhere in this thread Ted
What are you talking about, they have 1 DNQ and are sitting 4th in the points. He is ahead of both Force's, Cruz, Hagan, Gray etc. Not saying it will not stay this way, but there is plenty of time to fix that car and be a contender come the Countdown. Remember how Johnny Gray performed last year in the Countdown? Johnny was too far out of 10th before the change was made, Jack is in a much different place. I am sure Valvoline isn't happy about a DNQ, but they are not rookies to motorsports and they know what the big picture is.
I was talking about the fact they (Valvoline) had a car that kicked a$$, had the whole operation transferred to another sponsor who may have a bigger contract. Now their sponsored car can't get out of it's own way. I am sure DSR will get it straightened out but the whole situation would piss me off.
Jim
Nitro Member
Hey - Their driver probably got more exposure (for Valvoline) doing color commentary than a one-and-done. Jack's a very attractive guy from a sponsor point of view (I would think). He gives some of the most thoughful, composed, and fun interviews of any driver out there (not just a sponsor checklist that's filtered out by most viewers).
Bill
Nitro Member
Since you asked...
I went to my first drag race at age 17 in 1955. The hook was in DEEP!!!
By 1958, I was working (at Carlisle Dragway) on the Stocker classification line, with the NHRA Stock Car Classification Guide in one hand and a bottle of white shoe polish in the other. By 1959, I was partners in an Olds-powered '35 Pontiac coupe B/G car (that's "B Gas Coupe",) and the following year, helped my partner, Bobby Roper, build a 301 Chevy-powered Henry J for C/G. I was named (by Dale Ham) the "NHRA Area Tech Advisor" (an unpaid position) for the Carlisle and Little Rock strips, a position I held until I moved away.
I moved to Des Moines, Iowa in 1964 and went to work as the tech guy at the Des Moines Dragway, where I worked until it closed 5 or 6 years later.
I had built a 4-speed Hydramatic-equipped 1957 Chevy sedan delivery, H/SA car and was racing it as an NHRA Stock Eliminator car, during that time period, mostly, with a partner, Harry Sparks,.
NHRA eventually disallowed that transmission in Chevy sedan deliveries, so I didn't want to race it with a Powerglide or a manual transmission, so I sold it in about 1972.
I bought a camera, built a darkroom and started doing the photo/journalism freelance thing about that time, and wrote articles about drag cars (mostly cars that belonged to my friends.) During that same period of time,
I moved to Northern California (SF Bay Area) and continued to shoot pictures and write, since I was only 9 miles from the Fremont strip, and less than an hour's drive from Sears Point. Super Stock and DRAG ILLUSTRATED was good to me, publishing several of the articles I sent them.
I haven't raced a class-legal car in many years, but, I know the drill.
I attended the NHRA Nationals (not yet, the U.S. Nationals) in 1957 and '58, and 1961 and '62. By 1971, I think it was the U.S. Nationals, and I attended that race.
After moving to CA, I went to numerous NHRA national events (including the three, ill-fated Golden Gate Nationals races at Fremont,) driving down to Pomona a few times for the Finals and Winternationals, but mainly going to the Sears Point national meets and points races. Half-Moon Bay was long gone, by then...
During this lifelong involvement with the sport, I have always had close friends who raced, and tried to help them with their cars without getting in the way, too much. That continues to this day, so I am a constant reader of Larry Sullivan's "Fast News," up-to-the-minute trackside reports of qualifying and eliminations at the NHRA national events and points races.
My personal fun car is a Vortech-supercharged, 360 Magnum-powered, 1972 Valiant that is a mid-11-second street car, but my main interest right now, is a high-boost, turbocharged slant six -powered 1964 Valiant that my partner and I are builing just for grins. It's nearing completion. You can see thees cars at :
Flickr: billdedman1's Photostream
It SHOULD outrun the V8 car, if we can get it to produce the 500+ horsepower it really should make. Shame on us, if it doesn't...
But, I digress...
My point was, in saying "When did drag racing stop being a sport and become a business,"was that the two don't seem to co-exist very well.
When I went to the 1962 NHRA Nationals at Indy, there were NO racing teams. None. There was NO corporate sponsorship. None. NO
"hired shoes." None...
People built and drove their own race cars.
They had national reputations, created partly by ads in Hot Rod magazine, and I remember the excitement of seeing Marino Monjure (New Orleans-based B/D) running against "Cheatin'" Chico Breschini's similar classed car, running out of the Sacramento, CA area, for who's "THE MAN" honors...
There were 1,200 race cars at that race... none with corporate sponsorships, nor "team-mates" to dive for, but LOTS of "sportsmanship!"
There were no empty seats... standing-room only at the fence.
I have no (other) problem with the status-quo and I realize that you can't turn back the clock. Drag racing today, "is what it is."
I just think that what happened to Jack Beckman was a shame, and would never have happened when drag racing was a "sport" and not the businees-based, money-is-everything," operation is has turned into over the years.
In short (way too late for that, Bill) I think it's a shame that the financial issues seem to trump good sportsmanship there days. I am a big Ron Capps fan, but I feel that he shouldn't be driving Jack's car, with Jack's support (crew) as part of the trade. That's what I meant by my comment, "throwing the baby out with the wash." I know why DSR did it, but I feel it's too bad that the values that surround what these people do (attempt to win races for sponsors) sometimes comes at the expense of the ethics that make/made it a sport.
Forget Baseball/the NFL/Hockey, etc... this is a sport that has a rich history of exemplary sportsmanship; drag racing is "special," at least, to me. Maybe I'm a cult of one...
Patrick Keenan, what were you doing in 1955, while I was attending my first race? Fair question; you asked ME... LOL!
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Maybe you could point out where that was implied anywhere in this thread Ted
Are you the only one who didn't know what I was talking about?
There are no team orders at DSR.
When Jack is competing, he won't need anybody to drive out of the groove in order to get him into the Top 10.
none
Nitro Member
Bill, I appreciate you passion for the sport and agree with you about a lot of the changes that have occurred.
The one thing you and others have failed to mention is that this change did not simply occur to pacify a sponsor. In the beginning......(yea I know) the crew chief(s) quit. These changes all occurred because of that initial act.
The one thing you and others have failed to mention is that this change did not simply occur to pacify a sponsor. In the beginning......(yea I know) the crew chief(s) quit. These changes all occurred because of that initial act.
No s h i t Ted! My point was that no one mentioned anything about anyone having to take a dive for Jack, but you felt the need to bring it up.....for what?? Because of your love for JFR
And if you didn't get that, it was a little sarcasm
Bill
Nitro Member
I wasn't aware of that and, yes, I should keep my cyber-mouth shut when I don't have all the facts...
Mea culpa...
Thanks for setting me straight!
And, if anyone happens to look at the pictures (left-click to enlarge them) I'm the idiot in the white coat... Flickr: billdedman1's Photostream
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There used to be.
Wayne
Nitro Member
BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
Ted: what prompted you to bring up something so totally unrelated to this thread???
Where's that damned beating a dead horse smilie???
I guess you missed that I didn't bring it up. Right?BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
Ted: what prompted you to bring up something so totally unrelated to this thread???
Where's that damned beating a dead horse smilie???
Wayne
Nitro Member
Ted: what prompted you to bring up something so totally unrelated to this thread???
Where's that damned beating a dead horse smilie???
Greg: I noticed that you didn't bring it up originally! LMAO @ your reply!!!
TooTall999
Nitro Member
I find it humorous, and a bit sad, that the JFR haters have to dredge up something from the past about JFR, in a thread about how one of DSR's drivers is getting screwed over. Sour grapes about the fact that JFR has won every funny car final in 2012 perhaps???
HEMI6point1
Nitro Member
As much as I like JFR I wouldn't mind seeing someone else win a wally (Unless that someone is in a final against Courtney LOL).
But back to Beckman.... I don't quite "get" why DSR chose Todd Smith. IMO he's like the Norv Turner of NHRA crew chiefs. Jack deserves better.
But back to Beckman.... I don't quite "get" why DSR chose Todd Smith. IMO he's like the Norv Turner of NHRA crew chiefs. Jack deserves better.
Just Paul
Nitro Member
Is there a better crew cheif without a job (that wants a job) out there right now?
HEMI6point1
Nitro Member
A crew chief is said to be only as good as the team under him. I kinda agree that Todd Smith has never been a go to guy in the last decade when someone is looking for a title run, but I think he could come around as this may be something that gives his career a second wind. If I am not wrong didn't he tune Cowin to a 4.49 in 2002? You do have to consider most of the teams he has been with never had that strong a budget. Take Tommy Delago, he's been around a long time, before he got this gig with Hagan, he was never one of the best in the class and now he's a guy you dont pass up. Just give Todd time. If he could put up somthing around an 09 this weekend, I say he's doing ok.
HEMI6point1
Nitro Member
Yeah, he would do great in qualifying then by raceday.... up in smoke.
