FLO and NHRA (1 Viewer)

[Powell8]

Just being snarky but I wonder how many FLO subscriptions were paid for by NHRA so they could see what happened at Bradenton??

 

[BOO BOO]

Just being snarky but I wonder how many FLO subscriptions were paid for by NHRA so they could see what happened at Bradenton??

Prolly none , NHRA is to cheap. Just being snarky ..LOL

 

[Mike]

Most are drag race fans so why wouldnt they watch or go?

 

[twostep]

Kind of a shame, isn't it - one of NHRA's top FC competitors runs 341, achieving what is likely the last and one of the most sought-after drag racing milestones, at a non-NHRA event - and doesn't get as much as a mention from the NHRA. Same thing happened in 1988 when Eddie Hill ran 4.99 at the Motorplex which was an IHRA track at the time. Gene Snow got the credit a few races later.

I wouldn't look for 340 at Gainesville. They won't glue the track to death like they did at Bradenton and it'll likely be warmer and more humid.

 

[z28]

plenty of others in the industry have noted it. I would guess it will be talked about in the broadcasts. The NHRA website usually doesn't feature non NHRA events.

 

[Joe]

When Eddie ran that 4.99 ,NHRA referred to the motorplex as “a track outside of Dallas”. 341 won’t get mentioned, just like Dixon’s 2 seater.

 

[chop]

If this race continues every year it may affect the G'Ville attendance. NHRA wouldn't be happy bout that.

 

[Joe]

Saw the Scag people at airport Sunday am,they want to do it again. Many said they came to Bradenton instead of Gainesville. I would pick Bradenton over Gainesville for track prep alone. Nitro card won't run on that much glue til the next FLO race. No stupid DJ either.

 

[aakar]

Kind of a shame, isn't it - one of NHRA's top FC competitors runs 341, achieving what is likely the last and one of the most sought-after drag racing milestones at a non-NHRA event - and doesn't get as much as a mention from the NHRA. Same thing happened in 1988 when Eddie Hill ran 4.99 at the Morotplex which was an IHRA track at the time. Gene Snow got the credit a few races later.

I wouldn't look for 340 at Gainesville. They won't glue the track to death like they did at Bradenton and it'll likely be warmer and more humid.

Contrary to what someone else has said on this site, Bob Tasca will ALWAYS be remembered as the first to go 340, just like Eddie Hill will always be remembered as the first to go 4 seconds.
Drag Racing history will always trump NHRA history

 

[J. S.]

Saw the Scag people at airport Sunday am,they want to do it again. Many said they came to Bradenton instead of Gainesville. I would pick Bradenton over Gainesville for track prep alone. Nitro card won't run on that much glue til the next FLO race. No stupid DJ either.

I'm not ready to buy this "whole lotta track glue at Bradenton" theory as to the reason Tasca ran 341. If that were true, why was no one else particularly close to Tasca's speed? As Alan Reinhart has said in his related posts, these tires need a small amount of wheel spin to do what they do. They are never 100% "hooked up" as some might think. Too much glue causing the tires to completely stick isn't the answer. And to those who saw people walk right out of their shoes while walking on the track, this is a common occurrence. Anyone who has been to the California Hot Rod Reunion at Bakersfield, knows they invite all the fans out on to the tracks after the Cacklefest to see the cars. I have done that quite a few times. That track is as sticky as it gets and yes it is very easy to walk right out of your shoes at Bakersfield. It is far stickier than you could imagine. So I don't believe Bradenton had any different track prep than any NHRA National event. I think Tasca's guys hit on a combination that allowed that BIG speed.

We will probably all forget Tasca's achievement in a short period of time anyway. After all, can anyone remember who had the first 330 mph run? Or the first 320? I can't (without looking it up).

 

[mike]

I'm not ready to buy this "whole lotta track glue at Bradenton" theory as to the reason Tasca ran 341. If that were true, why was no one else particularly close to Tasca's speed? As Alan Reinhart has said in his related posts, these tires need a small amount of wheel spin to do what they do. They are never 100% "hooked up" as some might think. Too much glue causing the tires to completely stick isn't the answer. And to those who saw people walk right out of their shoes while walking on the track, this is a common occurrence. Anyone who has been to the California Hot Rod Reunion at Bakersfield, knows they invite all the fans out on to the tracks after the Cacklefest to see the cars. I have done that quite a few times. That track is as sticky as it gets and yes it is very easy to walk right out of your shoes at Bakersfield. It is far stickier than you could imagine. So I don't believe Bradenton had any different track prep than any NHRA National event. I think Tasca's guys hit on a combination that allowed that BIG speed.

We will probably all forget Tasca's achievement in a short period of time anyway. After all, can anyone remember who had the first 330 mph run? Or the first 320? I can't (without looking it up).

Oh I remember the first 330. Phoenix 1999, Tony Schumacher. I didn't have to look it up. The first 320 may have been Bill Walsh testing Joe Amato’s car in 1997 pre-season testing. Heck I even remember KB’s 314 mph run in Pomona in 1994. In short, I don't think many will forget Tasca’s run anytime soon and I am glad I witnessed it in person.

 

[twostep]

I'm not ready to buy this "whole lotta track glue at Bradenton" theory as to the reason Tasca ran 341. If that were true, why was no one else particularly close to Tasca's speed? As Alan Reinhart has said in his related posts, these tires need a small amount of wheel spin to do what they do. They are never 100% "hooked up" as some might think. Too much glue causing the tires to completely stick isn't the answer. And to those who saw people walk right out of their shoes while walking on the track, this is a common occurrence. Anyone who has been to the California Hot Rod Reunion at Bakersfield, knows they invite all the fans out on to the tracks after the Cacklefest to see the cars. I have done that quite a few times. That track is as sticky as it gets and yes it is very easy to walk right out of your shoes at Bakersfield. It is far stickier than you could imagine. So I don't believe Bradenton had any different track prep than any NHRA National event. I think Tasca's guys hit on a combination that allowed that BIG speed.

We will probably all forget Tasca's achievement in a short period of time anyway. After all, can anyone remember who had the first 330 mph run? Or the first 320? I can't (without looking it up).

I agree; they have to slip the tires a bit but there were lots of people talking about the glue. I wouldn't have any idea if that was so and if it was or wasn't the key to the 341 pass. The corresponding ET was good but nothing spectacular so there's that.

I won't forget the 340; I tend to remember the milestones. I knew it was Schumacher that first went 330 but I didn't realize it was 25 years ago. Wow. Only 7 years after Bernstein went 300. Schumacher was also the first to run 330 in the 1000 foot era. I also remember back ini 1993 when Force wanted so desperately to be either the first Funny to 300, or sub-5 seconds (or both). He was beaten to both milestones at the same race, Topeka, 1993. His comment afterward was that he intended to have a sex change operation in order to be the first woman in the 4s or over 300. LOL

 

[Joe]

Oh I remember the first 330. Phoenix 1999, Tony Schumacher. I didn't have to look it up. The first 320 may have been Bill Walsh testing Joe Amato’s car in 1997 pre-season testing. Heck I even remember KB’s 314 mph run in Pomona in 1994. In short, I don't think many will forget Tasca’s run anytime soon and I am glad I witnessed it in person.

Yes you really had to be there.Glue probably wasn’t cut as much as at National event.

 

[AZGARY]

We remember "240" Gordie, why will we not remember "340" Bobby.

 

[Luke Nieuwhof]

Tasca had the new body on too, right? Surely that has to be worth something - I can't imagine Ford would develop a less aerodynamic body. And let's remember that Tasca had the fastest speed of any nitro car last year at 338.57.
There's been discussion about wheel speed through the top end, but I'd be really interested to hear a crew chief's perspective on the topic in relation to speed. In theory, if you have a top end that is prepped better than normal, could you not tune for speed instead of ET (as I believe the team did), with the goal to get the wheel speed down at an optimal time that would hook the tire, load up the engine and produce a better speed number at the expense of some ET? I am no crew chief so all of what I just said may just be silly. But with gearing and RPM limits, I would have thought that wheel speed is the last variable for speed - in theory a completely hooked tire will trap better than one spinning at 5%, 20%, whatever the number is.

 

[twostep]

Tasca had the new body on too, right? Surely that has to be worth something - I can't imagine Ford would develop a less aerodynamic body. And let's remember that Tasca had the fastest speed of any nitro car last year at 338.57.
There's been discussion about wheel speed through the top end, but I'd be really interested to hear a crew chief's perspective on the topic in relation to speed. In theory, if you have a top end that is prepped better than normal, could you not tune for speed instead of ET (as I believe the team did), with the goal to get the wheel speed down at an optimal time that would hook the tire, load up the engine and produce a better speed number at the expense of some ET? I am no crew chief so all of what I just said may just be silly. But with gearing and RPM limits, I would have thought that wheel speed is the last variable for speed - in theory a completely hooked tire will trap better than one spinning at 5%, 20%, whatever the number is.

To my non-expert mind, all of that makes sense. I don't know the ideal slip percentages at different stages of the run but from the 660 on one would think they'd want everything pretty much locked up. Clutch, tires, all of it.

 

[NitroMustang65]

Jack Beckman said a few times that BT3's speed through the traps was considerably higher than 340MPH. Anyone have any inside info on that? Just curious

 

[65 Goatboy]

I'm not ready to buy this "whole lotta track glue at Bradenton" theory as to the reason Tasca ran 341. If that were true, why was no one else particularly close to Tasca's speed? As Alan Reinhart has said in his related posts, these tires need a small amount of wheel spin to do what they do. They are never 100% "hooked up" as some might think. Too much glue causing the tires to completely stick isn't the answer. And to those who saw people walk right out of their shoes while walking on the track, this is a common occurrence. Anyone who has been to the California Hot Rod Reunion at Bakersfield, knows they invite all the fans out on to the tracks after the Cacklefest to see the cars. I have done that quite a few times. That track is as sticky as it gets and yes it is very easy to walk right out of your shoes at Bakersfield. It is far stickier than you could imagine. So I don't believe Bradenton had any different track prep than any NHRA National event. I think Tasca's guys hit on a combination that allowed that BIG speed.

We will probably all forget Tasca's achievement in a short period of time anyway. After all, can anyone remember who had the first 330 mph run? Or the first 320? I can't (without looking it up).

I almost walked out of my shoes during a track walk in St. Louis.

 

[Luke Nieuwhof]

Jack Beckman said a few times that BT3's speed through the traps was considerably higher than 340MPH. Anyone have any inside info on that? Just curious

That's probably a reference to the speed trap being an average of the final 66 feet of the racetrack.

 

[dr flames]

Tasca had the new body on too, right? Surely that has to be worth something - I can't imagine Ford would develop a less aerodynamic body. And let's remember that Tasca had the fastest speed of any nitro car last year at 338.57.
There's been discussion about wheel speed through the top end, but I'd be really interested to hear a crew chief's perspective on the topic in relation to speed. In theory, if you have a top end that is prepped better than normal, could you not tune for speed instead of ET (as I believe the team did), with the goal to get the wheel speed down at an optimal time that would hook the tire, load up the engine and produce a better speed number at the expense of some ET? I am no crew chief so all of what I just said may just be silly. But with gearing and RPM limits, I would have thought that wheel speed is the last variable for speed - in theory a completely hooked tire will trap better than one spinning at 5%, 20%, whatever the number is.

I remember back in the days of smoking the tires most of they down the track I was told that drivers lifted before the stripe to get the tires to hook up for a top end charge for higher speeds in the 1/4