Great Bobby Bennett Article (1 Viewer)

[Nunz]

Bobby hits the nail on the head in this article. We all miss a lot about drag racing from decades gone by, but so many are missing out on what's happening today. Hopefully I shared the link successfully:

BOBBY BENNETT: DRAG RACING FANS NEVER HAD IT SO GOOD | Competition Plus

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[Bobby Bennett]

Thank you Nunzio. I wrote this knowing I would take some hits, and I did. Couple made it personal. It is what it is. Thanks for your kind words. I so dearly miss my favorite season of 1981, but I do understand there is a lot to be positive as a fan today.

 

[TSK]

On the subject of attendance figures, I'm curious which season had the highest total in NHRA's history. Do they even release attendance numbers anymore?
And, I dang near spit coffee onto my computer when I saw the paragraph about the TV announcers. And, that's all I'm going to say about that.

 

[Nunz]

Thank you Nunzio. I wrote this knowing I would take some hits, and I did. Couple made it personal. It is what it is. Thanks for your kind words. I so dearly miss my favorite season of 1981, but I do understand there is a lot to be positive as a fan today.

Not sure what it is, but it seems like everybody is just so critical nowadays. Once in awhile I'll chime in on FB when people are just complaining about today's big show (which BTW is only part of all the drag racing that is going on out there), because it amazes me that people want everything to be as it was in the '70s, '80s, or whenever their favorite era was. Hell, I miss Pro Comp! But there's a reason that it didn't last forever. Does anybody remember sitting in the stands in the '70s and when a fuel car kicked the rods, it was often 2 hours of down time? I don't miss that. All I know is when I go to a national event nowadays, there's an awful lot of badass racecars in a variety of categories, and those who choose to boycott because fuel cars only run to 1000 ft., or FCs don't look like street cars, or whatever, are really missing out.

 

[mick]

good article bobby. change and evolution are constants, that is for sure. all motorsports and sports in general have past eras that are fond to older fans.
IMO i think the key to future success on same or higher level is driver recognition on all media platforms. the cars aren't changing much lately, and the performance
is predictable. ..... who are these nhra driver's? it's already happening a lot. just continue with it and add as much driver content as possible.
i'd rather click on a 50 question and answer session with antron or angelle, than click on another 'time machine' or 'classic' video.

 

[Scoe]

The problem with people nowadays, and I'm guilty of this myself, is that they hold nostalgia to the highest honor. And when something new and great comes along, we can't fathom having our memories threatened. We fail to realize that we can appreciate what's great right now and still cherish what was great in the past. Announcing is a prime example. Brian Lohnes is great in and out of the booth.

 

[Dennis]

The problem with people nowadays, and I'm guilty of this myself, is that they hold nostalgia to the highest honor. And when something new and great comes along, we can't fathom having our memories threatened. We fail to realize that we can appreciate what's great right now and still cherish what was great in the past. Announcing is a prime example. Brian Lohnes is great in and out of the booth.

I agree. For me the "golden era" was the late 80's early 90's. I guess we're all different and there are probably many non-racing related memories that form our fondness. I was in middle/high school during that time. Went to the races with my father, and didn't have the 9-5 grind so I had time to take in an entire season. Now...I haven't been to a race in 2 years and prior to that it was at least 10 years. Personally, I've just lost interest in (what I perceive as) the vanilla show. I don't care who wins the world championship, I just want to see good racing from a variety of classes when I go to the races. I liked when the track wasn't super glue and being a driver meant more than cutting a good light. I liked when burnouts meant something. It's the little things to me.

The only reservations I have with Bobby's piece is that we need to get away from this notion that we're not allowed to criticize the NHRA or the show they put on. It's OK to call out empty stands. It's OK to say the TV program is poorly produced. Let's not draw false parallels - comparing Z-Max to the Panthers - nobody here in NC likes the Panthers so that's not a valid comparison. The sport needs to continue to grow and refine the show and part of that is acknowledging downfalls and attempting to fix them. How is it almost the year 2022 and we can't get a proper finish line cam? If PS runs to 1320, why are the video cameras sitting at 1000'? PS is the closest pro class in competition. Is the budget so tight one additional camera will make or break the show?

This is in no way meant to criticize Bobby's article, it's an opinion piece and I respect everything competitionplus.com puts out. It's just my two cents.

 

[Bobby Bennett]

Great post Dennis. I don't think I said anyone couldn't criticize them. I just think we should consider all factors when drawing a conclusion. I really appreciate your thoughtful and well-thought out post.

 

[Jeff]

I thought it was a great read. It made me think about things from a slightly different perspective.
I love all forms of drag racing, and after this, I am even more grateful for what we have.
Thanks Bobby!

 

[none]

I appreciated Bobby's perspective. And I don't always agree with him. (He will attest to that). I think that it's a matter of: What do you miss? vs. What are you willing to give up.

Do you want the fuel cars to go back to 1320? vs. Are you willing to give up 5000 HP? That's what you would have to take away to get the 320' back.

Do you want more variety in Pro Stock? vs. Are you willing to have the top couple of cars have a tenth+ advantage on the field? And know that every week, those two will almost certainly win?

Do you want more Lucas Series cars running on Sunday? vs. Do you want to be home before 10 PM? Not one person I know of was mad that Pomona ended while the sun was up. (For the first time ever)

Do you want less track prep? vs. Do you want to sit through more clean up time? A consistent surface, makes the competition better, and the carnage less.

Do you want same day TV? And live streaming? And DRC in real time? Or do you want to go back to a week delay (at best) and the Castrol GTX Hotline for 99 cents a minute?

I could go on, but you all know of examples that you want to go back to. As well as what it would take to do it.

You can't roll back half the clock. It's all or nothing.

I love my '67 Mustang, but after driving my Mercedes, I don't want the Mustang to be my only mode of transportation.

Is there room for improvement? Absolutely! Do we need to scrap everything that has been improved? Absolutely NOT.

Just my opinion,
Alan

 

[Al]

I appreciated Bobby's perspective. And I don't always agree with him. (He will attest to that). I think that it's a matter of: What do you miss? vs. What are you willing to give up.

Do you want the fuel cars to go back to 1320? vs. Are you willing to give up 5000 HP? That's what you would have to take away to get the 320' back.

Do you want more variety in Pro Stock? vs. Are you willing to have the top couple of cars have a tenth+ advantage on the field? And

know that every week, those two will almost certainly win?

Do you want more Lucas Series cars running on Sunday? vs. Do you want to be home before 10 PM? Not one person I know of was mad that Pomona ended while the sun was up. (For the first time ever)

Do you want less track prep? vs. Do you want to sit through more clean up time? A consistent surface, makes the competition better, and the carnage less.

Do you want same day TV? And live streaming? And DRC in real time? Or do you want to go back to a week delay (at best) and the Castrol GTX Hotline for 99 cents a minute?

I could go on, but you all know of examples that you want to go back to. As well as what it would take to do it.

You can't roll back half the clock. It's all or nothing.

I love my '67 Mustang, but after driving my Mercedes, I don't want the Mustang to be my only mode of transportation.

Is there room for improvement? Absolutely! Do we need to scrap everything that has been improved? Absolutely NOT.

Just my opinion,
Alan

Thanks for your comments Alan. Especially "Are you willing to give up 5000 HP? That's what you would have to take away to get the 320' back". I have said this on several posts when the negative folks ask to bring back 1/4 mile racing.
And thanks to all of you that made positive comments. Too much negativity these days. I have been going to the drags since Puyallup in 1968. I have great memories and have witnessed great moments. But I do still remember things like the 1980 Fallnationals (Seattle) taking well over 2 hours just to run the Pro's E1 because of oildowns (no diapers, not the clean-up equipment of today). I remember sitting through qualifying at Indy in 1984 when there was around 50 Pro Stockers, 50 TAD's, 50 TAFC's. People complain about low car counts in these classes these days, but that was just too many ! I remember the announcer in Puyallup being drunk ! I remember getting up at 3:00 am on Christmas morning to tape the (one hour) coverage of the 1996 NHRA Northwest Nationals (that's how long it took shows to air in Canada). I loved the old days, and nobody will replace Steve Evans, but today's races, and their TV coverage have a lot going for them.

 

[Cliff]

Or waiting for Drag news to come out so I'd know who won at other races. Usually a week.

 

[mick]

5000hp on 95-100% at 1320' would still be great......just sayin'
just like nascar in it's heyday or F1 with V10's. those were eras that their prospective sports passed thru, and for a brief time, the entertainment vs. sport
peaked, to a point that defined the sport before and after (i.e. 'classic' and 'time machine' videos) .......and then changed. in the name of safety, cost, performance. etc.
john madden passed. i'm sure there are nfl fans that relish that sport from his era of coaching and announcing.......who knew; tom brady was probably in diapers at the time.

 

[none]

Mike,

Not arguing, just discussing, I think most people don't realize just how big the steps would be to get back to 1320 for the Nitro cars.
When KB went 300 in 1992, his car was making less than half the power Brittany's car makes today. Using her car as the example because it regularly runs huge speed. And you can talk all day about blower over drive, pump size, one mag, or whatever, but all those would be Band-Aids at best.

When Eddie Hill went 4.99 in 1988 his speed was 288 mph. Four years later Kenny Bernstein went 300 mph.

A TAD doesn't have a 500 cubic inch engine like TF does. They are lbs. per CI so they vary, most are 430 to 450 cubic inches and they also don't have clutch management that a TF car has.

Randy Meyer's TAD has run 5.08 and Aaron Cooper's TAD went 286.62 with smaller engines and no clutch management.
Give them the extra engine size, and the control systems that are legal in Top Fuel and they will be running 3.90s at 300+ mph to the 1320 right out of the gate. That would be the new Top Fuel

The power level increase is fact. That's how far they have come, and how far back you would need to cut the power level to get them back to 1320. Are you really willing to give up the blower to get the 320' back? It would take that drastic a change.

This is strictly my opinion, also my opinion, I like it the way it is.

Alan

 

[Nunz]

5000hp on 95-100% at 1320' would still be great......just sayin'
just like nascar in it's heyday or F1 with V10's. those were eras that their prospective sports passed thru, and for a brief time, the entertainment vs. sport
peaked, to a point that defined the sport before and after (i.e. 'classic' and 'time machine' videos) .......and then changed. in the name of safety, cost, performance. etc.
john madden passed. i'm sure there are nfl fans that relish that sport from his era of coaching and announcing.......who knew; tom brady was probably in diapers at the time.

5000hp on 95% at 1320', you pretty much described a modern A/FD. Just sayin'...LOL. The A/F cars might be less than 5000hp, but I don't think too much.

 

[camaro]

There's negativity because numbers don't lie. Dwindling sponsors, low ratings, declining attendance and entry count decrease. While a lot of blame, for all this is, a result of the pandemic, the mass exodus started, long before the pandemic was upon us. The Article put the blame of rising cost, on the racers and while that is true, part of the blame is the rules or lack there of, that foster the unlimited spending. I don't think you make a set of rules and assume everyone will use 'self control' to curb spending and keep things equal! . . . . . . (not arguing just discussing )

 

[mick]

i'm not suggesting in the least that we go back at all. the sport is where it's at due to evolution of parts, budgets, and rules.
just stating that i derive as much entertainment from an early 90's run as a run today.

 

[Randy]

In a similar discussion a while back I commented to a guy who was complaining about the crappy tv coverage and told him how it was not so long ago. TNN aired some shows with Diamond P (still have some Diamond P T-Shirts) producing them, but the coverage we saw was from an event weeks ago. By the time you got National Dragster the race coverage was from an event a week or two ago. And I probably spend a couple of hundred bucks or more on the 1-900 Castrol GTX hotline with Dave Mac hoping to get results on the alcohol classes only to hear long winded stories about the guy who almost qualified and never given the chance to "Press 4 for sportsman" because they ran out of time. Best hope was someone you knew that was there could fill you in over the phone each night....or go there yourself. Those were the days.

Then, Larry what's his name, Ed Dykes, Dave Gerrard and others came along on Compuserve and started RIS (Racing Information Services), the first internet based reporting system with reporters actually on computers at the track reporting real time results. This morphed into Drag Race Central where most of us get our real time information now. And now, when the sound stinks or you don't like one of the guys on the mike (Alan excluded) the whole thing is going down the chitter? LOL

Shifting gears, I went to the show for the first time in years last week and was amazed. People spent $14 a piece to see a movie, and probably 30% of them spent the whole time on their cell phones, texting or whatever, instead of watching the movie they paid for. I went to my step daughter-in-laws for Christmas. For fun we broke out some good ol' fashioned games. Less than 15 minutes into them both her kids were on their cell phones texting rather than participating. Then they asked if they could be excused. Yesterday we drove by a building that used to be a "Toys Are Us." Long gone. A local mom and pop hobby shop that had been here for years just went out of business not far from us. Nobody's kids and a lot of adults I know are the least bit interested in anything to do. Take their phones away and the fight starts.

I don't think there is a fix to this. Our culture has changed. My generation was a car culture. I just turned 66. My friends kids for the most part could care less about anything to do with anything except what's on their phones. It's not just drag racing that is suffering. Nascar...

 

[Cliff]

I have seen A/FD run at night and the flames are bright. Not quite what T/F does, but still bright enough to see really well. It would be cool to see A/FD w/ no restrictions running 4.90's & 300. I do kind of wonder how quick & fast an alky dragster could run using T/F technology. I do think a 4.95 would be possible and maybe 286 for speed. I know an alky motor just cannot make the same HP as an injected nitro car. Unless you could have (say) 1000 CI on alky and go from there. heh heh Yeah, just my dreams. So could an alky car with a clutch management system run with no tranny? Just curious.

 

[Randy]

Also wanted to point out. Back in the pits the best time to have any kind of luck on your wifi computer in your rig is while the fuel cars are actually making a pass. If there is an oil down or break from nitro the internet is so overwhelmed with spectators using data all you see is the little circling balls on your screen.