Improving the show idea's (1 Viewer)

[BOO BOO]

In a effort to improve the show for the fans should the NHRA mandate that all fuel teams must wack the throttle in between rounds... Thoughts

 

[Old21stud]

Just duplicate Scot Palmer's margarita mixer and whack that throttle with every margarita served. I'll take a a Top Shelf Margarita Grande.

 

[T.Smith]

In a effort to improve the show for the fans should the NHRA mandate that all fuel teams must wack the throttle in between rounds... Thoughts

There's a small sample size of teams that choose to do it. Enjoy it! There should never be a need to force someone to do that if they don't want to.

 

[.]

At Pomona last month, only Scott Palmer's top fuel car, Alex Miladinovich's Hot for Teacher funny car, and Alexis DeJoria's Bandero Tequila funny car whacked the throttle during warm ups.
(someone help me remember if there were other teams)

 

[jimbo]

Was not the practice of throttle backing frowned upon on account of excess clutch wear, such as the practice of long, smokey burnouts?

 

[Butch]

I'll trade Throttle Whacking for DRY HOPS.

 

[Cliff]

OK, let's do this. Do the burnout, back it up, then a long dry hop over the line. Back it up, and 3 short chirps to the starting line. And time it so that when the right lane is doing the chirpies, the left lane "answers back". I remember sitting at the finish line at the old Irwindale watching 2 funny cars doing that. One guy commented "they're talkin' to each other". Oh yeah.....

 

[robinjackson]

It's about the Show, not the Go -- maximizing the most sensory spectator experience in motorsports.

 

[ocdart]

OK, let's do this. Do the burnout, back it up, then a long dry hop over the line. Back it up, and 3 short chirps to the starting line. And time it so that when the right lane is doing the chirpies, the left lane "answers back". I remember sitting at the finish line at the old Irwindale watching 2 funny cars doing that. One guy commented "they're talkin' to each other". Oh yeah.....

Right on! The "chirpies" always reminded me of two boulevard bandits waiting for the stoplight to turn green.
Great memories from OCIR.

 

[sammi]

Imagine how large the fuel tanks would have to be with 1/2 track burnouts and dry hops.

 

[luxexpress]

Instead of mandates, we've all had enough of those, how about awarding a point for doing a throttle whack during warm ups. Perhaps a point for the burnout past the 330 under power. They have used points for oildowns for years for hurting the show, how about using some points for improving the show. Pretty simple to monitor and leaves the ultimate decision to the teams.

 

[.]

how about awarding a point for doing a throttle whack during warm ups.

Easy winners: Scott Palmer and Bobby Lagana lol

 

[Gone Dead Train]

I'll trade Throttle Whacking for DRY HOPS.

Me too, I miss dry hops! AA/FC Lil' John Lombardo at OCIR. May 22, 1982

 

[Cliff]

All those dry hops & he still had to pedal it. Noticed Larry Sutton in the video, wearing lower part of firesuit.

Larry, what car were you driving?

 

[Butch]

Cliff, That's because in those days you'll remember we ran on the ORIGINAL NO PREP tracks. LOL

 

[Gone Dead Train]

All those dry hops & he still had to pedal it. Noticed Larry Sutton in the video, wearing lower part of firesuit.

Larry, what car were you driving?

I will take a guess?

AA/FD Boyles-Meredith-Bertell-Sebek "Hard Times" fuel digger at Pomona
But then again I'm new at this thing called drag racing. I'm learning (I think)

 

[Cliff]

Jim, I think that's a pretty good guess. The dragster in the video seems to match the pic you posted. Plus Larry comes into view right after that & it seems like he is looking at a time slip. Wondering if the run was aborted. Well, anyhoo..... And yeah, no one sprayed the track back then. I seem to remember NHRA spraying the entire track at Ontario in either 1974 or 1975. Both years featured monster runs by Garlits. 1974 = 5.78 & 247 and 1975 the 5.63 & 250. I saw both of those races & could not believe how quick The Old Man was running.

 

[Gone Dead Train]

Jim, I think that's a pretty good guess. The dragster in the video seems to match the pic you posted. Plus Larry comes into view right after that & it seems like he is looking at a time slip. Wondering if the run was aborted. Well, anyhoo..... And yeah, no one sprayed the track back then. I seem to remember NHRA spraying the entire track at Ontario in either 1974 or 1975. Both years featured monster runs by Garlits. 1974 = 5.78 & 247 and 1975 the 5.63 & 250. I saw both of those races & could not believe how quick The Old Man was running.

Cliff, I have a ton of pictures I cut out of National Dragster back in the day (I have know idea why I did that) looks like
I cut most of the caption off, only thing left was the owners names. Looks like to me they aborted the run, as they are
heading back to the pits on the old push start, fire up lane.
Speaking of spraying the track, check out the headline on this June 1975 issue of Drag Racing USA

 

[Pete]

Was not the practice of throttle backing frowned upon on account of excess clutch wear, such as the practice of long, smokey burnouts?

Tony can correct me, but the 'whacks' were to put initial wear on the clutch or "seat it" (I always thought it was to square the pack). Most tune-ups are built around certain 'clutch wear', so it was part of the formula. With the newer clutch disc manufacturing and better machines to surface the discs its not needed

 

[*******]

Kinda like watching the old nitrous racers purging thru the engine at the tree. Fun to watch and listen to but probably not the best thing to do for the longevity of the car.