How to fix the NHRA (1 Viewer)

[my friends call me Zappy]

Make a separate class for these new Camaros, Cobra Jets, and Drag Pac Dodges. Maybe resurrect the old "A/FX" title. For you youngins
A/FX = Factory experimental. Look how popular the HEMI SHOOTOUT is.

Embrace the imports, like 'em or hate 'em they are here to stay. So create classes for them.

I like Darr's idea about drop a day, now you are lowering the racers cost.

Drop the oil down fines

Drop the testing ban, the more bookings the pro's get, the better for the sport.

Do away with red lights, a race should be decided at the finish line - not the starting line.

 

[rckymtn3]

Slow the cars down and give back 1320 feet. Fans need to "SEE" a race visually, cars going side ways, drivers hanging on. Not a blur and "oooh wow that's 3.96 in a Funny Car" Going after a number is great in the 80's and 70's when the fan's were watching a race not blurred vision.

There's a good article up on BangShift about this very thing. The need for something in drag racing in lieu of significant barriers.

The Thrill is Gone


I really think the answer lies somewhere within backing these cars off, and substantially so. Eliminating electronics and all the gizmos that make the weekly performances possible on par with starting your car with the twist of a key is a start. Another article speaks to that very thing as the writer describes how interesting, and almost heroic the latest AA/FA record was captured.

All Time Fuel Altered Record

There's something to be said about how something is achieved. Hopping on a Helo to the top of a mountain will never match the excitement and sense of achievement climbing it on foot does.

 

[TooTall999]

Do away with red lights, a race should be decided at the finish line - not the starting line.

So..you propose what instead? How would you regulate early leavers? Cars can just line up and leave anytime after the stage bulb is lit?

 

[SundayNiagara]

Do away with red lights, a race should be decided at the finish line - not the starting line.

This post shows just how long you've been around!

 

[mike]

Drop the testing ban, the more bookings the pro's get, the better for the sport.

That would be a bit hard, considering the testing ban got dropped already.

 

[sammi]

You forgot firing the event side staff at NHRA (keep Phil and the pub. people-they actually do something of merit fairly frequently) and the membership votes to hand NHRA, lock, stock and barrell, over to the Bader Family.

 

[None]

Do away with red lights, a race should be decided at the finish line - not the starting line.

Only way that would work would be to go to low E.T. only. Not who gets there first.

 

[Treeshaker]

Contrary to what many of you think, NHRA has tried very hard for many, many years to keep the cars at a reasonable pace and to create new classes for the entry level competitor.

A long time ago, Car Craft magazine came up with this concept of putting production type motors in a dragster chassis and calling them econo dragsters. A couple of my friends and I built one and entered the Winternationals. We were feeling good until after the first qualifying run and a professionally prepared car in our class was about one second quicker. In a year the standard for the class was another second quicker and there was no more econo in the class.

Pro Comp is another example of a class created for the local racers to run on a national venue. Started with cars everywhere ran by experienced every day guys. Only took a few years to change the class to a semi professional cookie cutter class.

Nostalgia top fuel and funny car were started with the same premise and have ended up in the same state as so many classes before them. NHRA blocks many things that the racers want to incorporate, but the racersw keep coming up with other things that increase performance and costs.

I was told many years ago that racers would spend 4 times the amount they could earn to run their cars and by my calculations it is fairly accurate. Add up what a car wins per year and multiply it times 4 and you will be pretty close to their total budget per year. Some may be a little higher and some lower, but it will be close as an average.

NHRA has a complex system right now and I have no idea how it could be fixed to make it profitable for everyone now. Everything they would do has an effect on many other facets of the system.

 

[Paul]

NHRA has a complex system right now and I have no idea how it could be fixed to make it profitable for everyone now. Everything they would do has an effect on many other facets of the system.

Virgil, I fully agree with you that some very crisp and innovative thinking is required right now for the NHRA to survive in any form close to what it was at its peak.

The current management team has had ample time to demonstrate that they are capable of providing this kind of leadership and its very clear that they are just not the right guys for this difficult job.

Its time for the NHRA members to man up and force a new set of board members that can give the organization a chance to survive and grow.

 

[mike]

maybe the key is to change the rules every few years? That should allow innovation to win for a while until cubic dollars take over, then change the rules again...it happens on other forms of motor sports...

I know it would be expensive, but OTOH maybe some won't spend the dump truck loads of money on a combination knowing that it won't be good forever?

 

[Silly Savage]

A long time ago, Car Craft magazine came up with this concept of putting production type motors in a dragster chassis and calling them econo dragsters. A couple of my friends and I built one and entered the Winternationals. We were feeling good until after the first qualifying run and a professionally prepared car in our class was about one second quicker. In a year the standard for the class was another second quicker and there was no more econo in the class.

My dad went down that road. Ran roadsters and altereds in the late 60's early 70's then went the route of the A/ED class. Ya, that lasted from 77-79 and he got out. Sad because I loved the "econo" classes, where you still had some FEDs and altereds and even funny cars. Closest thing now is the index classes NE 2-3 at the nostalgia events.

 

[Raconteur]

C

Nostalgia top fuel and funny car were started with the same premise and have ended up in the same state as so many classes before them. NHRA blocks many things that the racers want to incorporate, but the racersw keep coming up with other things that increase performance and costs.

Virgil, the rules package, other than changes for "safety" have remained relatively constant for the nitro funny cars.

As Pat Foster said, "Leave the rules as they are for ten to fifteen years and racers will build cars to fit that existing set of rules."

More nitro funny cars are being built everyday and over 140 currently exist in this country, far more than any other class in the the NHRA.

 

[Treeshaker]

Virgil, the rules package, other than changes for "safety" have remained relatively constant for the nitro funny cars.

More nitro funny cars are being built everyday and over 140 currently exist in this country, far more than any other class in the the NHRA.

Rules do not have to change to increase costs to operate a vehicle, competition and the desire to be the quickest is the biggest cause. Look at the profile of the owners of these cars today and when it began 10-12 years ago. Biggest difference is in income level.

As far as racing, do I get more satisfaction from being paid to fly to Bakersfield to help a team owner qualify both his cars and end up winning the race (and he waits months to be paid), or drive 2 hours to do a two run 1/8th mile match race that pays a guarantee of $4250.00 cash right then for the night? I would go to the match race every time there was a choice.

As far as your statement about far more than any other class in the NHRA, that is just wrong. Between the nostalgia races, divisionals and national events, there are over a dozen classes that will drawf the NFC class in number of entries and cars available throughout the country.

 

[timebombkal]

Start it all over
No sponsors and see what happens.

 

[Super Mod]

Contrary to what many of you think, NHRA has tried very hard for many, many years to keep the cars at a reasonable pace and to create new classes for the entry level competitor.

A long time ago, Car Craft magazine came up with this concept of putting production type motors in a dragster chassis and calling them econo dragsters. A couple of my friends and I built one and entered the Winternationals. We were feeling good until after the first qualifying run and a professionally prepared car in our class was about one second quicker. In a year the standard for the class was another second quicker and there was no more econo in the class.

Same for the econo based Super Modified. By the time we had one built, Ray Allen/Jenkins/SRD Chevy II showed up and ran nearly a second faster than we were running. That was the end of the so called "econo classes"