Larry Morgan running comp (1 Viewer)

[Demon]

Jean, No,you should NEVER stick to "nevermind"....I respect your opinion,even if it differs from mine.It doesn't mean your are wrong in any way.I also understand where you are coming from.I don't like the fact that in my one class(S/ST) that tube frame cars and delay boxes are allowed,but I either put up with it and do the best I can,or quit.I choose to race,and I know that one day my efforts will pay off.

I don't feel Larry is taking anything away from the "little guy",in fact I think he's making it better by showing a way to run a different combo.

 

[BlueStangGT]

I definitely see what your saying, Mr. Jean. It's kind of a drag that the first B/A 6 was taken by a non-regular but as long as he doesn't tag the class with a permanent hit then I say congrats. As far as being a "Pro" car, aren't there already several doorcar Altereds that are PS cars? It seems that you could drop a top-flight 500" motor in several of those currently in Comp and at least get within earshot of qualifying in PS.

Also, someone mentioned on the Comp board that Larry may be sorting out a new combination for his son to race. I'm thinkin' he may also have some new customers ringing his bell first thing Monday morning!

 

[Demon]

According to the NHRA.com site,the car was built for Larry's son to drive.Larry is sorting it out.

 

[.]

I happen to think Larry is a Professional now, no longer a Sportsman. They are two different levels in this sport. He has the Pro money, pro engines, shares information with his other teams. Why come into the Sportsman group and take away a chance for the little guy, who is trying to work his way up, as Larry has.

I never heard you complain about Morgan Lucas. Why be upset about Larry but not Morgan?

 

[Mr. Jean]

Tom says:
"Also, someone mentioned on the Comp board that Larry may be sorting out a new combination for his son to race. I'm thinkin' he may also have some new customers ringing his bell first thing Monday morning!"

So I'm asking why in Comp Elim. and why not his son driving then? Is his son going to run Comp or Prostock? Think the little guy, can have a Pro driver and crew set up his car for him and dial it in before he races? Better have a big wallet.

I never heard you complain about Morgan Lucas. Why be upset about Larry but not Morgan?

Brent, I'm having this same discussion on another site. Here's one post from that thread. Note the "or anyone else" part.

"I have to be honest here. I don't like Pro cars, be it Larry or anyone else, coming into Comp. a Sportsman class. I don't think it's fair, nor good for Comp. The little guy gets bumped and I don't think it encourages the guys to come into comp. Elim., which we need, IMO to grow."

This isn't a Larry bashing, for me it's a protect the little guys/Sportsman. I like Larry now and back when he ran Comp in the old days. I just think it's wrong for any Pro to threaten records or points, just to practice for Prostock or to prep a car for someone else to run. Just my opinion.

Let's try it this way, just to drive home my point. Comp Elim. needs more cars and better payouts. What does the little guys see from this.

If I scrape together around $ 150,000 for a car/truck/trailer/travel money, I can play with my fellow Sportsman in Comp. Then if I'm good and lucky I'm starting to earn points and perhaps set a record or get some wins, which could help me with getting sponsor's.

Now here comes a Professional with his Million dollar operation and dyno time/testing time/many teams/Pro driving experience.... well you get the picture. Who gets the ink and the attention, as shown by all these discussions?

Poof! Opportunity to be first in the sixes, gone. So that a Pro can tune a car for his son? Chance bumping the index and hurting other Sportsmans chances?

There isn't going to be total agreement here on this one, so I'll just leave it at this, it's just an old Comp racer's opinion of fairness. Thanks for sharing yours too.

 

[Johnny Mopar]

I don't see a problem with Larry Morgan running in comp,he was a sportsman racer for many many years before he went pro.To me Larry running comp acknowledges that he hasn't forgotten his roots in the sport.

I don't see anyone complaining when Jeg Coughlin runs in S/S or S/G.

Chris...you hit the nail on the head! If the Jegs camp can do this with the annointing of seemingly everyone, why can't Larry do it??? Larry ran many different sportsman entries through the years including a dandy SS/BA Belvidere that made us all proud.

Bottom line...the only people who would have an objection with Larry competing in Comp would be guilty of a HUGE double-standard.

 

[fizzle]

The index is safe. Nice light on that .500 tree!

Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
358 David Billingsley 351 Larry Morgan
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.178 7.367 168.58 0.017 7.408 166.93
A/EA Index: 7.90 (+/-): -0.533 B/A Index: 7.67 (+/-): -0.262
Qualified: #17 7.377 -0.523 #1 6.966 -0.704

Morgan was well off his qualifying pace. David Billingsley's MOV: 0.1105 seconds (approximately 27 feet). He'll face Plant in round two.

 

[Joker]

Think Larry took it soft on the b/a racers this morning. .017 and he was the #1 qualifer, I'd say Billingsley got a gift this morning. Larry saving the index for his kid to come and not making any enemies. I was hoping he'd win today.

 

[Professor Dave]

Larry saving the index for his kid to come and not making any enemies. I was hoping he'd win today.

The was no way in the world that Larry was going to risk hitting the index-he has too much class and too much respect for comp racers to do that, to say nothing of protecting the index for his kid!

 

[Marty Staggs]

Think Larry took it soft on the b/a racers this morning. .017 and he was the #1 qualifer, I'd say Billingsley got a gift this morning. .

Maybe, but at the end of the day, the car still has to go down the track every pass. I am sure that clutch and chassis setup are just as critical as it is with the big motor in it and it is just as likely to spin and/or shake the tires.

 

[Mr. Jean]

"Bottom line...the only people who would have an objection with Larry competing in Comp would be guilty of a HUGE double-standard."

John, why must anyone be guilty of anything? Can't people share their thoughts and opinions, without being the outcast? I've stated ANY Pro, I see no double standard in my posts. . So I guess I'll just sneak away in shame.......

 

[Demon]

Jean, don't feel like you need to put in the gloves...nobody is trying to beat you up.You were in comp for many years,you obviously know the "game",but Larry Morgan isn't the only "pro" racer to have done this. Rodger Brogdon is racing comp again,Patterson and Rampy have had their stints in pro stock,Dave Connolly has run S/C this year and Gene Snow has been in T/AD for years.I really think it's not the matter of the money,dynos or anything of that sort,there could be a side of this we don't know about...maybe Mopar wants to get into the upper part of the sportsman ranks...or maybe Larry wants to establish a engine program for sportsman..could be many other reasons besides getting his son in the ranks.

 

[BlueStangGT]

The was no way in the world that Larry was going to risk hitting the index-he has too much class and too much respect for comp racers to do that, to say nothing of protecting the index for his kid!

My thoughts exactly, Dave. I couldn't imagine him doing that either.

 

[Darryl]

The dividing line between 'Pro' and 'Sportsman' becomes ever so blurred when you talk about Comp. Is Rampy a true 'Sportsman', or a touring 'Pro' in a Sportsman class? Many come to mind when you talk about this kind of deal. The list gets pretty long when you look at the touring sports racers. The Richardsons, Fletcher and a bunch of others. I wish Comp was affordable also but that horse left the barn years ago! Oh and the B/A index was never under pressure from Morgan. He's far to much a gentleman AND a great Comp racer to have done that.

 

[Sully]

You've got to give the guy who came up with "You can't fix stupid" T-shirts credit for not doing anything stupid. He got the car dialed in and left without doing any damage.