For fans: Your interest in watching NHRA 1/8 mile nitro racing?

[sfw1960]

Hey....big dry hop fan here....

Several years back Del Worsham restored (or re-created) a Blue Max FC and brought it to the 'Plex for a Friday night exhibition which included a couple of dry hops. The entire place absolutely lost their collective minds; you would have thought somebody laid down a 350mph pass.

If 1/8 mile nitro racing came with mandatory pitside throttle whacks and dry hops I'd be the first in line.

Me too Carl, and we all love that!!!!
Del has had several cars at the last 1-2 IHRA event(s) (or second to last) end of season, they were trying to get a dragster & maybe another FC, maybe an altered?

Somebody might help me here (I got CRS!) on the particulars, but I suspect we'll be seeing some of the old skool antics you might have gotten scolded, tossed or fined for if you tried that kinda thing in front of the mothership!

 

[sfw1960]

Clay had voiced concern about punctures when NHRA allowed the air deflectors (mud flaps, canards) to be removed last year

I betcha a dollar those that words fell of deaf ears too.

 

[Butch]

[QUOTE="Robert Snarski,
Somebody might help me here (I got CRS!) on the particulars, but I suspect we'll be seeing some of the old skool antics you might have gotten scolded, tossed or fined for if you tried that kinda thing in front of the mothership!
[/QUOTE]

You talking DRY HOPS. ALONG WITH DRY BURNOUTS?

 

[twostep]

In regards to Clay's question, while I understand a racer's desire to always go faster (Hagen) I just don't see the need. 99 percent of those siding with 1/4 mile say yes based on purist opinion. First off, the cars couldn't be run in strict current condition because of the timing retards so let's bring them online 0.75 later in the game. Now the question becomes will the engines stay together - in current configuration - 3/4 of a second longer? I don't know but I'd say that's a really big if. 2000hp ago they were grenading with steady predictability. With today's power levels? The Magic 8-Ball says "Outlook not so good."

Now let's say a rule change comes online that would keep the cars from attaining potential speeds in the 350-352 range which one might see with the top teams in their current configuration. So now we're back to what they were running years ago - mid 4.40s at 330-332 or so, a race the fans can't see all of anyway, lingering questions about tires, still blowing things up willy-nilly and dealing with shorter shutdown areas on the older marginal tracks. So what would be gained? Other than warming the hearts of the rapidly-declining few that consider 1000 feet as blasphemy on the part of wusses, not one damn thing.

And in case anyone thinks I'm young and out of tune with the good old days; that I don't appreciate the formative years of professional drag racing and no understanding for those who will always covet the 1/4 mile, I'll just say this - I recall watching Eddie Hill race at our local track, which was 1/4 at the time - in 1963. I'm with ya, Clay.

 

[sfw1960]

Somebody might help me here (I got CRS!) on the particulars, but I suspect we'll be seeing some of the old skool antics you might have gotten scolded, tossed or fined for if you tried that kinda thing in front of the mothership!

You talking DRY HOPS. ALONG WITH DRY BURNOUTS?

Damn Skippy fo' sh0!!!
LOL!
Did you all come just to race, or put on a show??

 

[twostep]

Damn Skippy fo' sh0!!!
LOL!
Did you all come just to race, or put on a show??

That was worth watching just to see a hop from this one car, arguably one of the best appearing ever.

 

[timebombkal]

Damn Skippy fo' sh0!!!
LOL!
Did you all come just to race, or put on a show??

Great video, when you went to a race and the burnouts and dry hops were the best part of the Show. Count how many throttle whacks on a run. All that made the racing entertaining. Great times and speeds were a bonus. Everything happening in the first 330 ft. was a show. Now ? NOT SO MUCH

 

[Paul]

I'd rather watch paint dry.....

Holy sh*t, I forgot about you. Welcome back!

 

[65 Goatboy]

I'd rather watch paint dry.....

Edited my post after mistakenly stating they were going 300 mph in the eighth mile. After reading 6 pages of some brillance, foolishness and a lot in between, having never been to one I decided to watch one. Watched some of last years Ihra from Darana Raceway in Dunn, NC. Yes, 1000 ft is better but the difference is no where near as bad as some make it out to be. Live and in person I can't see how 340 ft. would be THAT big of a difference. It's still exciting and it's still drag racing!

 

[twostep]

After reading 6 pages of some brillance, foolishness and a lot in between, having never been to one I decided to watch one. Watched some of last years Ihra from Darana Raceway in Dunn, NC. Yes, 1000 ft is better but the difference is no where near as bad as some make it out to be. FC's were going low 4's at 300 and TF high 3's at 300. Live and in person I can't see how 340 ft. at 300 mph would be THAT big of a deal.

It wouldn't. Aero drag at those speeds are incredible; the cars, after reaching 4-5G when the clutch goes 1-1, are now down to 0.4G or so at 1000 feet and I'd be surprised if the 340mph folks would gain more than 10 or 12mph even if all the planets were aligned. The difference between 340 and 350 to a fan is no more than a number on a scoreboard.

Rather than concentrating on the differences in track length so much, let's concentrate on having 16 pro nitro cars on Sunday regardless of how long the track is. Gotta get those smaller teams out there and other than upping R1 loser money I honestly don't know how to do that. Even slowing the cars to, say, 3.90/310 or something as drastic as moving to 1/8 mile events is still going to require a multimillion dollar operation if your goal is to hoist Wally's.

Want to try something completely different? Give the higher qualified cars lane choice on Sunday but select the pairings via drawing numbered chips from a hat. Some of those little teams might like the opportunity to advance a round or two and not get KO'd by a 3.60 car right out of the box. Big team sponsors would squeal but hey, it might help with those weak fields. No? OK, I'm sorry.

 

[Joe]

After reading 6 pages of some brillance, foolishness and a lot in between, having never been to one I decided to watch one. Watched some of last years Ihra from Darana Raceway in Dunn, NC. Yes, 1000 ft is better but the difference is no where near as bad as some make it out to be. FC's were going low 4's at 300 and TF high 3's at 300. Live and in person I can't see how 340 ft. at 300 mph would be THAT big of a deal.

They were faster than that. Kylle Saterstein(TF Winner) ran 3.0s and teens,so did others.FC's were 3.30s. It was a great race and I will be back in March. Nobody there cared it was 1/8 mile. Does anybody on here see NHRA raising purses?

 

[none]

After reading 6 pages of some brillance, foolishness and a lot in between, having never been to one I decided to watch one. Watched some of last years Ihra from Darana Raceway in Dunn, NC. Yes, 1000 ft is better but the difference is no where near as bad as some make it out to be. FC's were going low 4's at 300 and TF high 3's at 300. Live and in person I can't see how 340 ft. at 300 mph would be THAT big of a deal.

Who went 300 MPH?

Alan

 

[65 Goatboy]

They were faster than that. Kylle Saterstein(TF Winner) ran 3.0s and teens,so did others.FC's were 3.30s. It was a great race and I will be back in March. Nobody there cared it was 1/8 mile. Does anybody on here see NHRA raising purses?

Just picked one FC and one TF dragster from one elimination round to use as a example.

 

[Rocket Man]

Scott Palmer went 314 and Jasmine went 330. Both at 1000' (obviously). Not sure I saw more than 275-280 in the 1/8th.

 

[65 Goatboy]

Who went 300 MPH?

Alan

Just started watching Ihra 2025 reruns. The 300 mph came from Columbus so it's 1000 ft. Was also looking at Darana in Dunn which is 1/8 mile. OOPS!

 

[65 Goatboy]

Scott Palmer went 314 and Jasmine went 330. Both at 1000' (obviously). Not sure I saw more than 275-280 in the 1/8th.

Got the 1/8 mile and 1000 ft. tracks mixed up! I'm used to the Nhra, all the tracks are the same.

 

[ch streetcars]

That was worth watching just to see a hop from this one car, arguably one of the best appearing ever.

View attachment 16863

Yes , all of Joe P's cars were gorgeous. Can someone put up a picture of the purple and orange Cutlass? Probably my all time Favorite !

 

[Axman]

Got the 1/8 mile and 1000 ft. tracks mixed up! I'm used to the Nhra, all the tracks are the same.

Didn’t Mike Salinas go 300 in the 1/8 mile a few seasons back?

 

[none]

A handful of drivers have been 300 to the eighth. Brittany has been 304+ at the eighth. But not at an IHRA event.

Alan

 

[Rajunz]

Who went 300 MPH?

Alan

Mike Salinas....