Controversial Teardown
- Thread starter Bobby Bennett
- Start date
clwill
Nitro Member
I think it goes back to the whole "back in my day" thing, and I think it's part of a serious long-term problem for NHRA. Want to know why the crowd at a race is sorely lacking in people under 30?
Old Technology
Go to any race and look at the technology in use. It's 98% carburetors even though you haven't been able to buy a car with one in this century. It's almost entirely push-rod V8s even though that's probably less than 20% of the market today. People decry "electronics" in the cars, but what passes for electronics is a timer system with less computing power than a swatch watch. You average Kia has as many as a dozen computers in it, our Super Comp car is allowed to have a timer and a data logger. The rules explicitly allow nothing to control anything with any sophistication. And just when NHRA had a chance to bring in the younger crowd with the sport compacts these folks see and drive everyday, they basically pushed them aside.
It's all supposed to be in the name of economics, but if it were cheaper, wouldn't Detroit (Tokyo?, Seoul?) be still doing it that way? Having a good, solid, programmable electronics system in the cars would be cheaper, not more expensive. Want a new tune up? Download it.
Turning Point
I think this is a turning point for the NHRA. Right now they're trying to walk the line between today and yesterday and making no one happy.
Look at all the people rushing to the nostalgia world. That's great, and can make all the people who long for yesterday happy. NHRA should embrace this world and try to make it part of the larger picture. Think of the "senior tour" in golf -- a parallel tour with all the greats of yesteryear, and it's very, very popular.
Then NHRA should take today's show and bring it into the 21st century. Lose all the silly hydraulic timers in the fuel cars, allow fuel injection, let electronics and traction control and sophistication run wild. How about an "unlimited" class where you just say "it's a 5.0 liter limit", the rest of the rules are off? Safety, yes, silly control over the exact ignition retard, no.
Crowd Control
As I said, this is a turning point. Look around you at Concord today, or any national event. What percentage of the crowd is 18-35? 5%? But that's the crowd that holds the key to our economic future, and is the crowd that advertisers (sponsors) want. Nope, the crowd is mostly graying baby boomers who, even though they have money to spend, are not influential or easily influenced.
With a board made up of graying baby boomers, it's hard to imagine NHRA changing. But they must.
i believe the argument in the thread is not about the teardown but not allowing a member of the team to be present !!
jackass
Nitro Member
i believe the argument in the thread is not about the teardown but not allowing a member of the team to be present !!
I agree with you James... the issue is not allowing a team member to be present ..
and by taking only half the feild on one day and half the next does offer the oppurtunity to take of anything fishy by any team not called on in the first grouping for tech...
Billy
HEMI6point1
Nitro Member
I can just see it now being advertised....
"Alan Johnson's greatest tunes, now available on DVD-ROM. Order one for your rail today!"
Sorry, I may be old fashioned but I like seeing a real live human beings tune the cars.
clwill
Nitro Member
Sorry, I may be old fashioned but I like seeing a real live human beings tune the cars.
Who do you think writes the program to tune the car? Rosie the Jetson's robot maid?
Is it any more ridiculous than the silly air timers? You ever look in the box at the front of a fuel car? Rube Goldberg would be proud.
Bobby Bennett
Nitro Member
- Thread starter
- #31
Well then Alan, tell the NHRA's right hand to tell the left hand what they're doing.
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my friends call me Zappy
Nitro Member
You are SO right Bill. With traction being such a vital part of our sport,why ignore anything that can improve it??
After all, it,s not like this is the FIRST traction control device......
Bill
Nitro Member
Thanks, Paul.
Legalizing Traction Control makes sense to me, particularly in the Fuel ranks, where the danger of "going up in smoke" is present on every run by every car.
I don't think a race involving one or both cars encountering uncontrollable wheelspin has any upside.
"Pedaling contests" are a poor substitute for close racing, as far as spectating goes. I don't think anybody in the stands enjoys seeing "runaway" races, wherein one car loses traction, immediately, and the other car hooks.
Some folks would contend that that's what makes some teams better than others, but at what expense to the "show"??? It happens frequently, unfortunately.
In a race wherein one car "goes up in smoke," there IS no "show." It ends up looking like a qualifying single...
There are ten thousand ways for a superior crew chief to prove his prowess without getting into clutch/tire/traction issues.
I think in the interest of "The SHOW," NHRA should allow traction control on any car that can effectively use it.
Of course, it seems ridiculous to me that "corked" bats are illegal in baseball; why not legalize them, and be done with trying to police them? If everybody has one, what's the advantage??? Insofar as baseball records go, establish a new category for corked bats, and let the old records stand, unless somebody can PROVE he broke an old "wooden bat" record, and his bat is proven to be all wood.
Traction control's time has come, I think.
Of course, I may be cult of "one."....
Bilse
Legalizing Traction Control makes sense to me, particularly in the Fuel ranks, where the danger of "going up in smoke" is present on every run by every car.
I don't think a race involving one or both cars encountering uncontrollable wheelspin has any upside.
"Pedaling contests" are a poor substitute for close racing, as far as spectating goes. I don't think anybody in the stands enjoys seeing "runaway" races, wherein one car loses traction, immediately, and the other car hooks.
Some folks would contend that that's what makes some teams better than others, but at what expense to the "show"??? It happens frequently, unfortunately.
In a race wherein one car "goes up in smoke," there IS no "show." It ends up looking like a qualifying single...
There are ten thousand ways for a superior crew chief to prove his prowess without getting into clutch/tire/traction issues.
I think in the interest of "The SHOW," NHRA should allow traction control on any car that can effectively use it.
Of course, it seems ridiculous to me that "corked" bats are illegal in baseball; why not legalize them, and be done with trying to police them? If everybody has one, what's the advantage??? Insofar as baseball records go, establish a new category for corked bats, and let the old records stand, unless somebody can PROVE he broke an old "wooden bat" record, and his bat is proven to be all wood.
Traction control's time has come, I think.
Of course, I may be cult of "one."....
Bilse
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d'kid
Nitro Member
Bill, You are a Cult of One...
At least if a car boils the hides, ya know they screwed up, or there was a timer glitch... TC still wouldn't turn a 10 second smoker into a 4 flat T/F pass... Keep taking the human factor out of it, Put Songas behind the car with one of his RC controllers, save the weight of the cage, all the driver safety equipment... this will work for any class in the 'sport'
then we can run them all 4 wide... and a 10 year old with the best hand-eye coordination will be world champ.
d'kid
At least if a car boils the hides, ya know they screwed up, or there was a timer glitch... TC still wouldn't turn a 10 second smoker into a 4 flat T/F pass... Keep taking the human factor out of it, Put Songas behind the car with one of his RC controllers, save the weight of the cage, all the driver safety equipment... this will work for any class in the 'sport'
then we can run them all 4 wide... and a 10 year old with the best hand-eye coordination will be world champ.
d'kid
Paul
Nitro Member
As an engineer I would love to work on developing a traction control system for a drag car.
But I don't think it would be good for the sport. We would trade developing highly skilled crew chiefs for who has the best team engineer and software programmers. There would always be some advantage to gain by continually developing and refining the traction control system for different track conditions, tire compounds, etc. and the teams that could afford to stay on the cutting edge of this would have a clear advantage over the teams that could only afford off the shelf "turn key" systems.
It would also level the field for drivers in a bad way as those with highly developed "pedaling" skills would have that ability obsoleted.
At that point we might as well just use photo cells to sense the starting lights, put a sensing wire in the track to automate the steering and then all the driver has to do is sit tight and hold on.
Paul T.
my friends call me Zappy
Nitro Member
Thanks, Paul.
Legalizing Traction Control makes sense to me, particularly in the Fuel ranks, where the danger of "going up in smoke" is present on every run by every car.
In a race wherein one car "goes up in smoke," there IS no "show." It ends up looking like a qualifying single...
I think in the interest of "The SHOW," NHRA should allow traction control on any car that can effectively use it.
Traction control's time has come, I think.
Of course, I may be cult of "one."....
You are NOT alone sir. If we have the technology...why NOT use it.
Lets face it folks, is the slipper clutch & slicks not a TC device??
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mw6789
Nitro Member
AAFA-Freak
Nitro Member
Alan
I assumed it had to be inspection and not tear down as then if anything gets broken, stripped or harmed in anyway NHRA would have to pay for it.
Beside I want to see a tech guy pull apart a 1900 degree clutch pack!!!
NASCAR does inspections and tear downs of top 5 but the engine is used by then POST RACE unless you get caught cheating then they own the parts.
Wonder if NASCAR cup teams reuse anything in a engine after 3 days practice then 500 mile race?
I assumed it had to be inspection and not tear down as then if anything gets broken, stripped or harmed in anyway NHRA would have to pay for it.
Beside I want to see a tech guy pull apart a 1900 degree clutch pack!!!
NASCAR does inspections and tear downs of top 5 but the engine is used by then POST RACE unless you get caught cheating then they own the parts.
Wonder if NASCAR cup teams reuse anything in a engine after 3 days practice then 500 mile race?
