Jeff Arend thinks everyone should race to 1,000' (1 Viewer)

[George.]

Of course, let's move with the times, and like everything else just keep ignoring the problem. I can't wait until they are only allowed to run to the 1/8th mile. By then they'll probably still be running 300, so it'll still be a great show I'm sure. This has nothing to do with appreciating the times at a 1,000-ft, or any other incremental. The point is, and I believe the point that multiple people have been trying to make is, eventually you will have to slow them down. If you have to slow them down to keep them safe at a 1,000ft, which is inevitable being that they are quickly approaching 330mph, then why not do something now and retain the ability to run 1/4 mile? There's nothing wrong with keeping the class in check. Doing so may actually make it safer, more affordable and increase the car counts. If you can't appreciate those three points, then it's not me who needs to find another sport.

X2.
My feelings exactly.

 

[Draw 3D]

Of course, let's move with the times, and like everything else just keep ignoring the problem. I can't wait until they are only allowed to run to the 1/8th mile. By then they'll probably still be running 300, so it'll still be a great show I'm sure. This has nothing to do with appreciating the times at a 1,000-ft, or any other incremental. The point is, and I believe the point that multiple people have been trying to make is, eventually you will have to slow them down. If you have to slow them down to keep them safe at a 1,000ft, which is inevitable being that they are quickly approaching 330mph, then why not do something now and retain the ability to run 1/4 mile? There's nothing wrong with keeping the class in check. Doing so may actually make it safer, more affordable and increase the car counts. If you can't appreciate those three points, then it's not me who needs to find another sport.

Great post and it needed to be reiterated.

 

[d'kid]

or we could go 1/4 of a klick, as an international standard... which would be, I believe 815 feet approximately...

you have to remember Wally pulled 1320 (1/4) outta the air, by the mid 70's he was thinking he should have picked 1/8...

d'kid
think we've beat this horse to death in about 20 threads over the last couple of years

 

[mike]

Of course there will be need for a change to slow them down at some point. But my question is where were people when Tony Schumacher was hitting over 330? I can't recall people going "We need to slow them down" And why is everyone jumping to conclusions with the idea that we'll go to the 1/8th?

The racing has been great at a 1000ft and safe. Mind you the speeds coming from the DSR and AJR teams are getting up there. Did anyone notice Larry's 287 mph at the 1/8th two weeks ago? That is quite frightening, yet awesome at the same time. Do we wait till something bad happens? No, but what do we do? I don't race, my friends do and until they and other crew chiefs and racers think a change needs to be made ill let them do the talking and decision making, or when NHRA gets what they want. Drag racing is dangerous whatever class you race, we all know that. The one thing I get from a lot of peoples posts, not just in this thread but other 1000ft threads is that most of you seem to not care about the safety aspect, but more so just having your 1/4 mile racing back and you use the saftey issue as a blanket to cover it up. Well, hate to break it to you guys but going back to the 1/4 mile and running 4.9s at 300 is still dangerous and accidents will still happen!!

 

[George.]

Of course there will be need for a change to slow them down at some point. But my question is where were people when Tony Schumacher was hitting over 330? I can't recall people going "We need to slow them down" And why is everyone jumping to conclusions with the idea that we'll go to the 1/8th?

The racing has been great at a 1000ft and safe. Mind you the speeds coming from the DSR and AJR teams are getting up there. Did anyone notice Larry's 287 mph at the 1/8th two weeks ago? That is quite frightening, yet awesome at the same time. Do we wait till something bad happens? No, but what do we do? I don't race, my friends do and until they and other crew chiefs and racers think a change needs to be made ill let them do the talking and decision making, or when NHRA gets what they want. Drag racing is dangerous whatever class you race, we all know that. The one thing I get from a lot of peoples posts, not just in this thread but other 1000ft threads is that most of you seem to not care about the safety aspect, but more so just having your 1/4 mile racing back and you use the saftey issue as a blanket to cover it up. Well, hate to break it to you guys but going back to the 1/4 mile and running 4.9s at 300 is still dangerous and accidents will still happen!!

I sense more attitude than logic..
There is no need to rant on just because we see it 180 degreees from you..
And BTW, I think the racing sucks at 1,000 feet.
My kids say "that's it?"
Kids like mine will be the future fans, and if you keep shortening the experience down, soon it will be gone.

 

[clwill]

My passion for 1/4 mile isn't historic, it isn't magic speeds, it isn't something random. It's racing. At 1000' there is less time for a "race".

A drag race is short enough, and there are so few times for racing. There's a contest of reaction time, and a really quick race to 60' There's a contest to 1/2 track, the next chance you get to see who's in the lead. Then there's the second half charge, in fuel cars at over 250mph.

Racing to 1000', you dramatically cut the chance for a strong second half to result in a lead change. I'm just guessing, but I bet that in the 1000' era, you could count on one hand the number of races where the leader at 1000' lost (and didn't break). There's just not enough time.

Really, 3.8 seconds? That's a race? It's hard enough to explain to people that drag racing is a sport that takes less than 10 seconds. But 3.8 seconds? I've had longer sneezes.

Slow them down, however slow they need to make them safe enough. Yes, kick the alky cars down a notch too. But let's make a longer race.

 

[the zone]

Michael if you think people weren't talking about slowing the cars down when Shoe and others were over 330 mph then you were living in a hole. It might not have been the fans that were talking about it, but the teams, NHRA Goodyear, insurance companies, media and drivers were all talking about it.
That is why the traction compounds were changed nitro %'s and Goodyear kept changing tires.
Engines should have been toned down 10 years ago, before the unfortunate deaths happened.

Dean

 

[Greg]

Of course there will be need for a change to slow them down at some point. But my question is where were people when Tony Schumacher was hitting over 330? I can't recall people going "We need to slow them down"

Funny, I remember it being discussed quite a bit.

And why is everyone jumping to conclusions with the idea that we'll go to the 1/8th?

Gee, I don't know, maybe because they are nearly running 300 at the 1/8th already. I'll just pull tire chunking as one potential problem. Tires don't care care if they are at the 1/8th, 1000, or the 1/4. Chunking is likely to occur at any increment if the speed and traction conditions are favorable. You honestly think when they are approaching 335 at 1,000 ft, they won't start talking about slowing them down? They would have two choices, either implement hefty restrictions to slow them down, or shorten the track. If the cars are going to have to be slowed down anyway, why not take the extra steps to allow them to run the full 1/4? This makes much more sense than shortening the track for ALL classes. Do you not realize this is about more than just the fuel cars? Do you understand that this would also provide a better racing surface for other classes?

The racing has been great at a 1000ft and safe. Mind you the speeds coming from the DSR and AJR teams are getting up there. Did anyone notice Larry's 287 mph at the 1/8th two weeks ago? That is quite frightening, yet awesome at the same time. Do we wait till something bad happens? No, but what do we do?

Gee, I don't know, I guess we just stand around with our heads in the sand, and pretend nothing is wrong until something happens. Then we can listen to everyone scream about how something needs to be done, and then have a string of knee-jerk reactions that do nothing but continue to mask the real problem.

 

[Bullard Anderson]

If you take the time to post on this board and are a serious fan of racing I feel its the side by side racing, driver rivalry, and multi-team rivalry you crave. You also crave the tradition of the 1/4 mile. The mph and ETs arent important. Its the wins and heart breaking losses in the last 100ft. Give me 1320, side by side at 280mph. In its essence, drag racing is mano y mano or chica, part of that is the 1/4 mile.

 

[Huge]

If you take the time to post on this board and are a serious fan of racing I feel its the side by side racing, driver rivalry, and multi-team rivalry you crave. You also crave the tradition of the 1/4 mile. The mph and ETs arent important. Its the wins and heart breaking losses in the last 100ft. Give me 1320, side by side at 280mph. In its essence, drag racing is mano y mano or chica, part of that is the 1/4 mile.

Then you had better be in Bakersfield next weekend.

 

[mike]

My passion for 1/4 mile isn't historic, it isn't magic speeds, it isn't something random. It's racing. At 1000' there is less time for a "race".

A drag race is short enough, and there are so few times for racing. There's a contest of reaction time, and a really quick race to 60' There's a contest to 1/2 track, the next chance you get to see who's in the lead. Then there's the second half charge, in fuel cars at over 250mph.

Racing to 1000', you dramatically cut the chance for a strong second half to result in a lead change. I'm just guessing, but I bet that in the 1000' era, you could count on one hand the number of races where the leader at 1000' lost (and didn't break). There's just not enough time.

Really, 3.8 seconds? That's a race? It's hard enough to explain to people that drag racing is a sport that takes less than 10 seconds. But 3.8 seconds? I've had longer sneezes.

Slow them down, however slow they need to make them safe enough. Yes, kick the alky cars down a notch too. But let's make a longer race.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

I kno a lot of folks are all about reactions times and holeshot wins, but I love a good come from behind win, and that just doesn't seem to happen anymore

 

[FuelFC]

Should be easy to perform the study to see the true 'benefit' of 1,000 ft and the "extra" 320 feet argument in slowing down.

Run the clocks and show one full first round of T/F and F/C cars running to 1,000' and show the speeds at 1,320.

Still can't see why when this whole issue all started where just slowing the cars down to 4.9? @ 30? in F/C and 4.7? @ 31? in T/F wouldn't work for everyone. Seemed like it was was good and fairly safe racing mid 90's time frame.


At some point you reach the physical and total limit of things. The critical mass, peripheral velocity, terminal... and you have to back off on something or "It will go kablooey".