Del's A/FC
- Thread starter sammi
- Start date
Time will tell. And what I'd like to see personally likely differs from what NHRA considers a profitable business model going forward.
Myself: A top alcohol class needs to be just that, alcohol. But it still isn't a cheap class and as I see it the only way to get the participation up is to increase the purse. It's never going to be a class that puts hordes of fans in the seats but rather a niche 'brotherhood' of dedicated racers who live for the comaraderie and joy of racing seriously badass cars. I don't believe they much care who's watching them.
If NHRA wants supercharged nitro then scuttle what's out there now, take the new TAFC combination, allow 90% and the same clutches the 'big boys' run, return to 1320 and be happy with the 4.90/300 performance that fans enjoyed for decades. A dragster should be able to run 4.60/315 if they wanted to expand the idea to TF. They'll still cackle, they'll still be loud as hell, they'll still look the same and I can't see any fan refusing to attend a national event or hang around the hamburger stands because 300mph isn't fast enough.
I like Pro Stock but it's not going anywhere. It's 'Pro Camaro' because nothing else is competitive other than perhaps a Mustang running a GM-based engine. It's a ridiculously expensive class to run; few newcomers are showing up other than the sons of longtime PS racers and fans consider it ho-hum after they just got through watching the nitro show. Why FX never took off still confuses me...6.80/200mph cars, 3 different brands with screaming brand-specific supercharged engines....cars that much closer resemble what comes from the factory. It's a class I would have liked to have seen replace PS completely but of course it wasn't my call. Pulleygate didn't help, either.
But that's just my preference. NHRA will probably soldier on with what they're doing right now in TAFC until the participation is so low they eitiher just kill it off or make Comp Elim cars out of them and PS slowly devolves into little more than an expensive filler class.
Myself: A top alcohol class needs to be just that, alcohol. But it still isn't a cheap class and as I see it the only way to get the participation up is to increase the purse. It's never going to be a class that puts hordes of fans in the seats but rather a niche 'brotherhood' of dedicated racers who live for the comaraderie and joy of racing seriously badass cars. I don't believe they much care who's watching them.
If NHRA wants supercharged nitro then scuttle what's out there now, take the new TAFC combination, allow 90% and the same clutches the 'big boys' run, return to 1320 and be happy with the 4.90/300 performance that fans enjoyed for decades. A dragster should be able to run 4.60/315 if they wanted to expand the idea to TF. They'll still cackle, they'll still be loud as hell, they'll still look the same and I can't see any fan refusing to attend a national event or hang around the hamburger stands because 300mph isn't fast enough.
I like Pro Stock but it's not going anywhere. It's 'Pro Camaro' because nothing else is competitive other than perhaps a Mustang running a GM-based engine. It's a ridiculously expensive class to run; few newcomers are showing up other than the sons of longtime PS racers and fans consider it ho-hum after they just got through watching the nitro show. Why FX never took off still confuses me...6.80/200mph cars, 3 different brands with screaming brand-specific supercharged engines....cars that much closer resemble what comes from the factory. It's a class I would have liked to have seen replace PS completely but of course it wasn't my call. Pulleygate didn't help, either.
But that's just my preference. NHRA will probably soldier on with what they're doing right now in TAFC until the participation is so low they eitiher just kill it off or make Comp Elim cars out of them and PS slowly devolves into little more than an expensive filler class.
I can only imagine what it’s like from the inside.we are nowhere near open throttle staging. the injector is barely cracked open. sounds like we are wide open though. sounds even cooler inside one!
The way those cars rattle my insides when up close sure does feel WOT while staging. Once the light goes green the volume definitely ramps up.
ironpony
Nitro Member
The "problem" is the general population could care less about drag racing.
Yes I have to specify to my friends that I'm attending the drag CAR races! And I want to yell at Ru to not use a checkered flag! Ain't no checkered flags in drag racing!
handsome
Nitro Member
honestly, I'm not a fan of it. the root of the problem with the class is the lack of money. no matter how well off someone is , they all get tired of spending the money it costs nowadays when the pay hasn't changed in 25 years and also NHRA treats us like crap. This past weekend I probably spent $3500 to $5000 in expenses to go to the Epping regional. I got runner up and a whopping $1500. they run us early and then the last class of the day. yes, years ago there were problems that led us to be known as leakers and nhra got tired of it. but nowadays those problems are pretty much gone. put us back in the rotation where alky was 30 years ago when the alky classes led into the pro sessions. when alky ran, that was the beginning of the pros technically. so we raced in front of the fans and got notoriety. and potential sponsors saw us as good candidates for marketing . As for the " new " nitro version, how much more are those expenses to go run for the same money when it's a legal big show car and if you qualify in the show, you can get $10,000 or more. so why would anyone even consider taking a bug show car to a sportsman class? by the way, what class do you race in Mike Larson?
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In reality 90% Plus of all drag racers aren't in it for the$$$$$$
sammi
Nitro Member
- Thread starter
- #30
NHRA's purse stingy-ness is due largely to the fact that they have struggled to get corporate America interested. The major sponsors of national level drag racing teams shouldn't be a lawn mower company, a beer nobody drinks and some garage that makes what? Tony Stewart's Mobil 1 deal gives us some hope.
No it isn't. Mission Foods is a pretty big corporate America Sponsor. The problem is that there is hardly any money left over to pay the racers AFTER NHRA Corporate pays themselves their massive salaries!
being involved in drag racing for over 60 years I did try the outlaw light not bad!!! What amazes me is golfers watching people put balls and holes and being paid a lot of money
And all those weekend golfers purchase product from all the professional golfers sponsors so prize money prevails
ironpony
Nitro Member
To me Del's approach proves that NHRA can make these cars run in any window they want. IMO the average fan would care less if NITRO ran 300-310 MPH. They just would not see the difference, as long as the first digit is a 3 they will go crazy.
Not if but when the smart crew chiefs figure out how to make the combo faster NHRA could reel them in a little more. Costs are out of hand, true sponsors are getting harder to find "we" are killing ourselves by death of a thousand cuts. Until we admit there is a problem we are going to continue to dwindle away.
Car counts are down, PS is a joke, and the general population has no interest in cars never mind racing them.
Not if but when the smart crew chiefs figure out how to make the combo faster NHRA could reel them in a little more. Costs are out of hand, true sponsors are getting harder to find "we" are killing ourselves by death of a thousand cuts. Until we admit there is a problem we are going to continue to dwindle away.
Car counts are down, PS is a joke, and the general population has no interest in cars never mind racing them.
Sherman, Sherm, & Sherm Gun
Nitro Member
4.99 @ 301 on a quarter mile are the magic numbers that everyone will be excited about, no matter what the class is.
Just Paul
Nitro Member
Remember that scene in the movie A Christmas Story when Ralphie says "Oh Fudge" (F**K) in slow motion? That was me when I heard Galvin make the call on the 291. 
I was working on the kid's Jr Dragster and stopped to listen to what it would run. I thought 286 was going to ruffle some feathers. Del said hold my beer.
Maybe set the front wheel counter to 1200' for it to shut off next time out LOL.
I was working on the kid's Jr Dragster and stopped to listen to what it would run. I thought 286 was going to ruffle some feathers. Del said hold my beer.
Maybe set the front wheel counter to 1200' for it to shut off next time out LOL.
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yoda
Nitro Member
I hear a lot of grumbles about "Pro Camaro"; I know some of you have been around here long enough to remember when 3/4ers of the PS class was Firebirds at one point, or covered with Oldsmobile Cutlass skin (also 3/4 of the class, if not more).
Super Gas? A bunch of 1969 Camaro doorstops...
There is obviously a reason for the copy-cat approach; its really nice to see Del and company take a different direction on a class that could use a shot in the butt (I still miss 1980s Pro Comp). I hope it doesn't get ruled out of existence like so many other cool parts of the sport
Super Gas? A bunch of 1969 Camaro doorstops...
There is obviously a reason for the copy-cat approach; its really nice to see Del and company take a different direction on a class that could use a shot in the butt (I still miss 1980s Pro Comp). I hope it doesn't get ruled out of existence like so many other cool parts of the sport
handsome
Nitro Member
did I say we are? No I didn't . what I said was eventually even people with tons of money get tired of spending it when you are treated like crap!!! Also on that nitro version, not sure who has read and watched Del's interview but If I wanted to, I could go buy a turn key car from JFR and pull 1 mag off, take the lockup levers off the clutch and slow the blower down to 16.7 % over drive and take it to Indy next week! is that really an alcohol class type car ?
