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If you could bring back an old NHRA class ...
- Thread starter Bobby Bennett
- Start date
Super Mod
Nitro Member
Brett you are describing F/A basically in Comp.
But guess what. This type of car is at a disadvantage when running against dragsters/altereds with essentially a Pro Stock motor wacked in half.
Super Modified is the closest thing to an old MP car. But this is also one of the most expensive door cars to build to be competitive.
If MP was alive today car counts would be obysmal because of today's costs to be competitive
RacerRose
Nitro Member
Agreed, Jack.
But if Modified was still existing, you wouldn't be running against the Funny Car with a Pro stock engine. They'd be in Comp. And you are correct about modern day Super Modified. Look at the SS/AM through CM classes and those are high dollar machines. Luckily, there's still some old D,E, & F/M cars running.
I really think that was the case as Modified was getting to be where the cost to race was getting unaffordable for the typical 40 hr. per week worker with a family. It's why Dad quit. He certainly didn't come close to having Pro Stock money which is what some of those guys were spending.
Raconteur
Nitro Member
Just remember this.......NHRA will never sanction Nostalgia ______(fill in the blank) There I go again,being a wet blanket
Reality bites
They (NHRA) will try anything to rebuild the financial status they once had, they'd love to have a "Little Big Show". Most of the nostalgia racers today left the Big Show to remove themselves from NHRA's boring iron fist.
NHRA suits are unable to understand why racers want to have FUN racing.
Well, besides Pro Comp, which would only repeat the inherent parity issues, I like Mike Kosky's idea. Bring back fly-weight, small block FEDs on 100%!! They never had their own eliminator, but at one time there were lots of the them. I remember Jeb Allen's family had a couple, they were just so simplistic, and badass.
Randy
Nitro Member
1978 Sportsnationals Modified Eliminator Finals - YouTube
Loved those 4 speed wheel stands as the cars went down the track.
Silly Savage
Nitro Member
Pro Comp for the mix of vehicles...alcohol altereds, injected nitro (f/cs even), blown alky f/cs and dragsters.....
My vote: AA/FA. Darr is right, you can see these today if you know where to look. You see these wild machines and you never forget it!
AA/FA was a legal NHRA class for a time, but never heads up. They were run in the Comp (handicap start) classes and had almost no chance to be competitive against the other altereds and long wheelbase dragsters in comp eliminator.
I think with restrictions such as c.i. dispalcement/6-71 blower max/single mag, max wheelbase etc(i.e. keep them true to the era around 1970) it would be a very popular, entertaining class to race and watch, and costs would be relatively affordable.
AA/FA was a legal NHRA class for a time, but never heads up. They were run in the Comp (handicap start) classes and had almost no chance to be competitive against the other altereds and long wheelbase dragsters in comp eliminator.
I think with restrictions such as c.i. dispalcement/6-71 blower max/single mag, max wheelbase etc(i.e. keep them true to the era around 1970) it would be a very popular, entertaining class to race and watch, and costs would be relatively affordable.
Raconteur
Nitro Member
The only place you'll see that is at an IHRA, Heritage Series, DRO AA/FC Challenge, etc. You can still see it, but NHRA will never go back to 1320 for blown fuel cars.
If anyone has heard of the legendary NHRA Nitro Ban between '57 and '63, the drag-racing world was basically divided into two camps: those tracks that honored the nationwide Fuel Ban and those that defied NHRA’s gasoline-only edict.
As far as NHRA and National Dragster were concerned, any strip that allowed nitro did not exist. NHRA's loss of revenue finally caused the change back to fuel, but lawyers are now in charge of rule making in Glendora.
Fuel Drag Racing is where you find it.
Prestaged
Nitro Member
The only place you'll see that is at an IHRA, Heritage Series, DRO AA/FC Challenge, etc.
Duh!!!!
FABMAN
Nitro Member
Same thing is going to happen to Top Sportsman, I love the class but it heading to the cost of Pro Stock, most cars are X-PS cars. To qualify top 32
you have to run 7.0 or better, that takes big HP and that means big money.
TooTall999
Nitro Member
While it's not really asking for an old class; how about getting rid of the electronics from the super classes? No more throttle stop racing. Make super street, super gas and super comp race on their indexes without the gimics.
You know David, I'm with ya'. But I was thinking, at this point in time, maybe it's a moot point. I think they would be a lot cooler without that stuff, but it's not like if you eliminated the start/stop/start again style .90 racing, fans would pay more attention. A good majority of fans leave after the fuel cars, which blows my mind because alky, Comp, & SS offer some killer racing! Many don't even stay for PS. The Super classes are really participant categories, so I don't see the NHRA making any sweeping changes.
Super Mod
Nitro Member
"Meyer completely dispersed the notion of traditional class racing and replaced this cult of sportsman following with indexed back racing ranging from 7.90 to 12.90 seconds. This decision was made with no discussion with the racers and very little with his vice president Ted Jones, who had run the IHRA nearly from the first year."-Bobby Bennett
If NHRA could do it without the threat of lawsuits ala PST racers......they would
If NHRA could do it without the threat of lawsuits ala PST racers......they would
RG, not saying Mod Elim wasn't fun to watch, they just didn't have the Car counts!
