grudge racing during national event ?????? (2 Viewers)

[Nick Name]

So what kind of cars would you like to replace them with?

I personally am not a fan of the factory "stock" cars running on small tires. I watched a few of those and about every other one went up in smoke.
That is not something fun to watch...

I am a fan of the close racing in the sportsman classes.

The outlaw gurdge style cars. The lights out guys, etc. As far as being a fan of close sportsman racing, I have asked several times now, do they not still have divisonal events where one can go and watch these cars?

It is a shame to charge the kind of admission prices that they do for National events, then give the people a couple of hours of nitro and thew rest yawn city.
Could you imaging NASCAR charging folks to see the Daytona 500, but first you had to sit thru some jalopy races, then the trucks, then some Busch cars, etc and whatever else NASCAR runs, before the cup cars came out and had the 500.

 

[ironpony]

What else are you going to do with 60-75 minutes between rounds? listen to Alan on the PA...................no offense good sir

 

[Jeff]

As far as being a fan of close sportsman racing, I have asked several times now, do they not still have divisonal events where one can go and watch these cars?

Every divisional I go to has those cars. Super Gas, Super Comp, Comp, Top Sportsman and Top Dragster, Stock and Super Stock have some of the best/closet racing you can find.

I once had 3 1st round losses in a row where the COMBINED win margin was less than .010...
Yeah, I know... Duck...

 

[Nick Name]

Every divisional I go to has those cars. Super Gas, Super Comp, Comp, Top Sportsman and Top Dragster, Stock and Super Stock have some of the best/closet racing you can find.

I once had 3 1st round losses in a row where the COMBINED win margin was less than .010...
Yeah, I know... Duck...

There you go.

 

[Jeff]

What else are you going to do with 60-75 minutes between rounds? listen to Alan on the PA...................

Yup, he is pretty good at his job... only thing I don't care for... red is not my color...

 

[RM FAN]

I swear, I really don't get some of the comments around here sometimes. All I read is how bland racing has become, how all the drivers interviews are nothing more than sponsor-thanking infomercials. I see endless posts about how great racing used to be when we had some variety in racing, and how great the wild cars such as fuel altered were back in the day. So NHRA drags out a couple of really awesome cars (I wish I was there!) and it's like a bunch of old ladies around here! Please, if I'm wrong, say so, but here's my take: I happen to LIKE cars that take driver input. I happen to LIKE seeing something run that would just as soon wad up the guardrail (back when they had guardrails) as go straight. I like cars that look like real cars (like this Chevy II) that have too much horsepower. I sat through a 2 hour cleanup/repair last year at Seattle when Courtney Force re-arranged the wall and not one person here complained. But let something like this happen and everyone's an expert and wants NHRA to answer for this crime upon their sport.

Jim, If you are ever in Denver during the Mile Highs beers are on me.

 

[vegasnitro]

I swear, I really don't get some of the comments around here sometimes. All I read is how bland racing has become, how all the drivers interviews are nothing more than sponsor-thanking infomercials. I see endless posts about how great racing used to be when we had some variety in racing, and how great the wild cars such as fuel altered were back in the day. So NHRA drags out a couple of really awesome cars (I wish I was there!) and it's like a bunch of old ladies around here! Please, if I'm wrong, say so, but here's my take: I happen to LIKE cars that take driver input. I happen to LIKE seeing something run that would just as soon wad up the guardrail (back when they had guardrails) as go straight. I like cars that look like real cars (like this Chevy II) that have too much horsepower. I sat through a 2 hour cleanup/repair last year at Seattle when Courtney Force re-arranged the wall and not one person here complained. But let something like this happen and everyone's an expert and wants NHRA to answer for this crime upon their sport.

Jim, you make a VERY good point. I am as guilty as anyone around here complaining about what happened in Sonoma, and I will probably complain in the future, but your post has at least made me think about it.

 

[Sandman]

Same here, I often whine about both sides of an argument depending on whatever I think at the moment. But seeing that video reminded me that drag racing SHOULD be exciting and unpredictable. I've loved drag racing since the '60s when I watched it on Wide World of Sports and had to sit through figure skating and ski jumping to see it, no DVR in those days! I think drag racing is going through a re-inventing period and in all honesty, just MAYBE the NHRA is testing fan interest in different things. I'm a huge funny car fan, but I'm sick of the fish bowls we see today. Pro Mod is OK, but they suffer from ugly car syndrome as well. Bring back Bob Bunker and Dave Riolio and let's see what Pro Mod should be.Stuff like that Nova are what holds my interest and hopefully I'm not alone.

 

[mick]

last nite i watched 'grudge race' on nbcsp.....some big muscle bound bald guy mc'ing the show, and two opponents who
of course don't care for each other.....ok, i get the artificial drama, it's same stupid drama that has high tv ratings for all these
'outlaw' drag race shows....but then this mc guy starts to talk, and he uses all this street slang and IMO sounds like a
complete idiot, same with all these shows with the 'street slang' approach to dialogue.

if i'm going to go to a drag race. i want professionalism......if this 'street slang' crap ever creeps into nhra, i'm done.
like jim elliot said, 'the overpowered chevy II that wants to turn as much as go straight'....i'm ok with that. let the driver drive it.
but if he/she gets out on the top end and starts spouting gutter grade slang. forget it.
.....please. talk normal. act professional.

 

[Nunz]

I'm with ya on that Mike.

 

[mick]

and btw, just watched that show because i hadn't seen it before, much like the other outlaw shows on disc. channel and velocity. surprise, surprise.....just like the other outlaw shows, this one on nbcsp will not be on my tv again either; in fact, i barely made it to the first commercial break and the channel changed.....no thank you....i know these shows are popular and watched by many. not by me.

 

[Z28LT1]

Just to be clear, you are saying to scrap Stock, Super Stock, Top Dragster and Top Sportsman?
Alan

Top Dragster and Top Sportsman have throttle stops? I know they have cross talk and delay boxes, but I don't see a throttle stop as being necessary in TS and TD. It's basically bracket racing.

 

[Z28LT1]

and btw, just watched that show because i hadn't seen it before, much like the other outlaw shows on disc. channel and velocity. surprise, surprise.....just like the other outlaw shows, this one on nbcsp will not be on my tv again either; in fact, i barely made it to the first commercial break and the channel changed.....no thank you....i know these shows are popular and watched by many. not by me.

The show on NBCSP is lacking some production quality for sure, and the host kind of sucks, but it fills the void for me. I wont DVR it, but if it's on, I'll watch it.

See you in a few weeks!

 

[Nick Name]

Top Dragster and Top Sportsman have throttle stops? I know they have cross talk and delay boxes, but I don't see a throttle stop as being necessary in TS and TD. It's basically bracket racing.

So a delay box is that thing that makes them leave hard, then fall on their face for a second or two then take off again? How exciting. NHRA should show those on their TV commercials. Not enough bleacher space to handle the crowds that would turn out for that.
Actually I thought Top Dragster had an index.

Now if they had no index and none of the electronic crap, and they raced out the back door, first wins, you would have something. Imagine Jason Lines motor in a dragster that raced heads up.

 

[vegasnitro]

So a delay box is that thing that makes them leave hard, then fall on their face for a second or two then take off again? How exciting. NHRA should show those on their TV commercials. Not enough bleacher space to handle the crowds that would turn out for that.
Actually I thought Top Dragster had an index.

Now if they had no index and none of the electronic crap, and they raced out the back door, first wins, you would have something. Imagine Jason Lines motor in a dragster that raced heads up.

No, a delay box is programmed for the starting line. Let's say you have a 9.00 second dial in, and your opponent has a 10.00 second dial in. You would program 1 second into the delay box and "leave" off their green light, instead of waiting for the tree to come down on your side. If you have the slower index, and are going to leave the line first, you might put a little delay in, say .01 of a second to give you a little margin for error on the starting line. It greatly reduces the number of red lights. Delay boxes are also referred to as "trans brakes" and are usually activated by a button on the steering wheel, so instead of dumping the clutch or swapping feet, you just let go of a button on the steering wheel. Throttle stops are the devices that put the car on it's nose for a few seconds after leaving the starting line.

TS/TD do not have throttle stops, I don't believe they are allowed in those classes. Both classes have an index and you gotta drive the car to be as close to the index in those classes without breaking out.

Most of your local tracks have "no box" or "no electronics" classes, though they still run on an index. Like it or not, an index is the only way to keep racing a level playing field and "affordable", ALL heads up classes basically devolve into whoever spends the most money wins. Using your example above, the guy with the Jason Line motor in his dragster is going to lose to the guy with a TAD motor or Pro Mod motor or a Mountain motor every time.

 

[Nick Name]

OK, so TD has a bunch of different engine combos, just have to hit the index?

 

[Nunz]

TD and TS don't have indexes. 8.90 is an index. These are in essence the very fastest forms of bracket racing. I do know that while TD doesn't have an index, they aren't allowed to run quicker than 6.00. Probably the same for TS.

 

[vegasnitro]

TD and TS don't have indexes. 8.90 is an index. These are in essence the very fastest forms of bracket racing. I do know that while TD doesn't have an index, they aren't allowed to run quicker than 6.00. Probably the same for TS.

How is if you breakout for going quicker than 6.00 in TD or 6.50 is TS not an index? The object of the race is the same in TS/TD as it is in SC/SG (be first to the stripe without breaking out) ... you are just going much quicker.

 

[glofria]

There are heads-up indexes and like TD & TS, you state your own index. Some of these classes have grids and cross boxes and GPS control timers (illegal in any class, but there out there) and electronic shocks and all kinds of other dew-dads that I'll never understand.

The NHRA Heritage Sportsman Series run on heads-up indexes: NE1 & A/G 7.60; NE2 & B/G 8.60; NE3 & C/G 9.60; D/G 10.60. No electronics (clearly not enforced), blown, injected or carbs only. No EFI. Here is an example (BTW. the girl driving the Strange Brew dragster Eily now drives my FED.)

 

[Bob]

T/D and T/S don't have indexes. An index is a fixed number determined by the class of the car like Stock, Super Stock, Super Street, Super Gas and Super Comp. T/D and T/S race on a dial in that they choose for each elimination pass. If you run under your dial in, you lose, unless your opponent runs further under their dial in. That even includes running under 6.000 seconds - if it's a double-breakout and the other racer runs further under their dial, the sub-6 driver still wins. Runs made under 6 seconds during qualifying are tossed out...they don't count. Under 6 seconds used to get you invited to leave the property, but that isn't the case anymore.