John Asher knocks it out of the park on Pro Stock (1 Viewer)

[JB3]

I don't see that happening anytime soon. Charging 400 sportsman racers $400 entry fee is a good payday for NHRA when you only have to spend maybe $20,000 in prize money. Besides they only run about 2 or 3 rounds on Sunday instead of 6 or 7 they use too. Most sportsman classes are run before fans get there and/or after the pro show.
But to your point they have reduced the quotas in each of the classes the pass few years so maybe they are phasing them out.

Do you really believe the quota's have been reduced to phase out sportsman racing? There are only 2 things affecting the quotas ...

• 10 years ago you could park 600 race cars at most of the national event facilities. 1 tractor trailer or truck / trailer per team and all fit nicely!! Now the Pros use up 5+ spots per team with the Hospitality areas and technical trailers. Have you been to the sportsman pits lately? What used to be pickup trucks and small Goldrush trailers, has been replaced by 75 feet or more of Stacker Trailer or bigger, plus coaches of large proportions. The little truck and trailer guys are a small breed these days. There are teams with a single Super Stock or .90 entries going around with a Professional 18 wheeler. I get why, but space is an absolute commodity now.
• Many tracks are fighting with the locals and curfews have reduced the available amount of race time at many venues.

So it is quite simple, the same amount of cars cannot be run in the allotted time or using the available pit space. Don't see a lot of tracks with room for expansion. So we have reduced quotas. If you look at it practically,the racers themselves created this dilemma.

 

[Reese]

I don't believe they are doing it to phase out sportsman racing, just agreeing to poster by saying maybe. I watch sportsman racing more than I watch pros when I attend a national event. I just think NHRA sometimes look at sportsman racing(Comp., Stock, and Super Stock) as a headache since they have to check and tech these cars in for their correct combinations. They don't even teardown these classes much anymore(except Indy). Also some tracks have a lot of empty space where they could handle more cars yet they still eliminate a class or low quota.

 

[justafan]

Pro stock, even back in the day, was always an east coast thing. The west coast was always nitro.

I grew up in NJ and I never realized this. Pro Stock was BIG on the East Coast, but I had no idea that it was not in other regions of the country. There were lots of Wednesday night match races (Nitro Funny Car too) and competitive fields at the divisional races at Englishtown and Atco, plus the Summernationals. Lots of great cars and names, Jenkins, Zul, Iaconio, Ingles, Blevins, Shafiroff, to name a few. Throw in the rest of the touring Pro Stock cars, Nicholson, Leal, Sox, Sheppard, Gapp, Carlton, etc., there was some damn good Pro Stock racing in the 70's. It's a shame that the costs have driven so many out of the game. It certainly was a great class back in the day. Still enjoy it, but not quite as much.

 

[stitcherbob]

In 1980's/1990's Englishtown, sitting in the stands, nearby Steve Collison and the SS & DI crew chatting with some racers in fireproof pants waiting for their classes, way up high near a boisterous group of NJ/NYC guys of all colors betting cash on the P/S races....
"C'mon Bob Glidden....give 'em a drivin lesson!"

I won't forget those days....

 

[mick]

jason loses @ BIR again w/better reaction time......and at a place he wants a win in front of the fans more than any other place.
that should say something about where the class is at rite now.....disapointed for jason, but glad for recent winners johnson, skillman and upcoming seattle winner.

 

[Dennis]

In 1980's/1990's Englishtown, sitting in the stands, nearby Steve Collison and the SS & DI crew chatting with some racers in fireproof pants waiting for their classes, way up high near a boisterous group of NJ/NYC guys of all colors betting cash on the P/S races....
"C'mon Bob Glidden....give 'em a drivin lesson!"

I won't forget those days....

Man I remember those days. I was a kid in the 80's/early 90's and remember just seeing the cash flow back and forth.

Only seemed to be during pro stock.

 

[mick]

another non-summit winner in PS @ indy.....let's see, that's 4 out of the last 5 races.

 

[mastertone]

now that it is beginning to get more competitive, what do you say now Asher? I really enjoyed them at Indy!

 

[stitcherbob]

thank you Allen Johnson for making P/S more exciting today with those holeshots....except that final round......

 

[mikebcurve]

thank you Allen Johnson for making P/S more exciting today with those holeshots....except that final round......

Allen Johnson has become a very good driver. Not that he was ever bad.

 

[ironpony]

AJ is on his game, now if Roy could find a few more HP.

 

[Rajunz]

AJ is on his game, now if Roy could find a few more HP.

......just in time for a Championship run!