Legends at each race (1 Viewer)

[Sleepy]

Well I cant stand it anymore, so here is my two cents worth. First of all I am neither a NHRA lover or hater. I dont agree with everything the "suits" in Glendora do, but I also dont think they screw up everything they touch. Aside from the fact our national economy is in the dumper and disposable income for most folks is a thing of the past, I see one real problem causing the lack of fans in the seats, and the greying of fans of the sport. When us grey hairs were growing up, we had basically two things---your car and your girl friend. And your main goals in life (at least for most of us gear heads) were to make your car faster and get your girl friend in the back seat of your car to explore her female charms. We didnt have cell phones, texting, sexting, computers, the internet, DVDs, CDs, Ipods, twitter, 3 zillion channels of television (we had 3 channels and only 2 when momma refused to hold the antenna), and all the hundreds of other things that young people have to occupy their time---as well as the afore mentioned car and girl friend. Being in the classic car parts business, I am often asked "What will be the next big thing in collector cars?". My answer is nothing. I dont see any 57 Chevy--69 Camaro--Hemi Cuda, or the like on the horizon. I dont think we will ever again see anything like the muscle car boom and appreciation of the 50s and 60s and early 70s cars. Mainly because todays generation has other interests and MANY more things to occupy their time. Same rule applies to drag racing. Going to Indy to the big go was a big deal to me as a young man. We could debate if it is more exciting then or now, but there is no debate that there are lots of other cool things to do now. Which brings me to the legends of the sport. We will never have another group like Garlits, Prudhomme, Glidden, Jenkins, and the like in my opinion. Outside of John Force, I just dont see a personality on the same level as many of the other racers we consider "legends" of the sport. Now dont think I am crying gloom and doom---just that things are different and the old days aint coming back. Our whole culture if changing, and although I dont really like it, its the fact. Once again, just my two cents worth and probably overpriced at that.

Does that mean we will never see 19 cent cigs, 19 cent gas and 99 cents a six pack again ??? Damn !!

 

[67 Cuda]

I have been involved in drag racing being a local racer or spectator for over 30 years and I know that your average person that watches drag racing on TV and sometimes even goes to see a race in person does not really know much about the sport. I would say if you asked 100 people about how a drag race is won you would get 30 people they would tell you the one with the highest speed is the winner. If you asked 100 people to name as many drag racers as they could you would not get very many different names and I would bet most of them would be whomever they saw on TV ads. (Force, Garlits, Capps, Tony Shu). I have a couple of friends that are as interested in drag racing as I am and have as much knowledge as I do but they also have actually been down a drag strip or 2. The person that the tracks is trying to bring in is the person that is NOT a drag racer and does NOT know much about the sport. The people that know all of the different Legends that nobody ever hears about will come to the track anyway. It is all about money and keeping the tracks going.

 

[Harry Mannback]

My .02. I would say that Mike and Jed pretty much got it right.

Back to the original intent of the post, who is picking the Legends. I have been around the entertainment business for a good part of my life and one of the things I have seen a lot is the fact that sometimes the "Stars" that you would like to see at an event, don't want to see you or anybody else for that matter.

Or it's the: "sure I'll come to your event, this is how much I want, this is how long I will stay, this is how many autographs I will sign and this is how much it will cost." To the point that it's not worth it.

I don't know who was asked, who said no or who wanted more than they are worth and chances are neither do the rest of the posters here. Not being asked is not the only reason somebody might not be there.

Just a thought.
Dan

 

[The Swegian]

Raymond Beatle, Eddie Hill?

Raymond Beatle...isn't he that British guy that started that musical group with his brothers in the 60's and started the British invasion?

 

[paoldtimer]

So I'm guessing that it won't be Joe Amato, Bruce Larson, or Bill Jenkins being the Legend at Maple Grove?

That was my thought too...I guess we can have DP show up "again" thankful for the "smokin hot women" that will show up at the track. Needs new material.


and before I get flamed - yes, I know where the reference came from, and no, didn't like it there either..

 

[Nick Name]

Well I cant stand it anymore, so here is my two cents worth. First of all I am neither a NHRA lover or hater. I dont agree with everything the "suits" in Glendora do, but I also dont think they screw up everything they touch. Aside from the fact our national economy is in the dumper and disposable income for most folks is a thing of the past, I see one real problem causing the lack of fans in the seats, and the greying of fans of the sport. When us grey hairs were growing up, we had basically two things---your car and your girl friend. And your main goals in life (at least for most of us gear heads) were to make your car faster and get your girl friend in the back seat of your car to explore her female charms. We didnt have cell phones, texting, sexting, computers, the internet, DVDs, CDs, Ipods, twitter, 3 zillion channels of television (we had 3 channels and only 2 when momma refused to hold the antenna), and all the hundreds of other things that young people have to occupy their time---as well as the afore mentioned car and girl friend. Being in the classic car parts business, I am often asked "What will be the next big thing in collector cars?". My answer is nothing. I dont see any 57 Chevy--69 Camaro--Hemi Cuda, or the like on the horizon. I dont think we will ever again see anything like the muscle car boom and appreciation of the 50s and 60s and early 70s cars. Mainly because todays generation has other interests and MANY more things to occupy their time. Same rule applies to drag racing. Going to Indy to the big go was a big deal to me as a young man. We could debate if it is more exciting then or now, but there is no debate that there are lots of other cool things to do now. Which brings me to the legends of the sport. We will never have another group like Garlits, Prudhomme, Glidden, Jenkins, and the like in my opinion. Outside of John Force, I just dont see a personality on the same level as many of the other racers we consider "legends" of the sport. Now dont think I am crying gloom and doom---just that things are different and the old days aint coming back. Our whole culture if changing, and although I dont really like it, its the fact. Once again, just my two cents worth and probably overpriced at that.

I agree with everything except that we will never see the muscle car boom again. The fact is we are living right in the middle of the REAL muscle car boom.

I recently took my stone stock daily driver to Famosa and ran 12.60 @115 mph with the air on.

Anyone with an 850 credit score can drive out of the dealership with an 11 second ride. There was nothing like that back in the 60s and 70s, I was there.

Just read the comparisons between the new Boss 302 and the 70 model. The old "muscle car" Boss, can't hang with a new Mustang GT, let alone the new boss.

Back in the "muscle car" days I can't remember any manufacturer offering a 550+HP four door sedan.

So forget about the 60s and 70s, and enjoy the REAL muscle car era.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programing

 

[mick]

Forrest Lucas originated the 'track walk', good to see it's so popular
and continuing

 

[Bill]

I agree with everything except that we will never see the muscle car boom again. The fact is we are living right in the middle of the REAL muscle car boom.

I recently took my stone stock daily driver to Famosa and ran 12.60 @115 mph with the air on.

Anyone with an 850 credit score can drive out of the dealership with an 11 second ride. There was nothing like that back in the 60s and 70s, I was there.

Just read the comparisons between the new Boss 302 and the 70 model. The old "muscle car" Boss, can't hang with a new Mustang GT, let alone the new boss.

Back in the "muscle car" days I can't remember any manufacturer offering a 550+HP four door sedan.

So forget about the 60s and 70s, and enjoy the REAL muscle car era.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programing

Different kind of "boom."

In 1968, new Plymouth Road Runners were advertised as providing "6,000 rpm for $3,000.00." That would be $18,982.76 (according to one
online cost-of-living calculator) in today's dollar-economy.

I don't think you can buy a new, 11-second car for $19,000.00.

The cars that qualify as muscle cars, today, the SRT-8 Chargers and Challengers, the supercharged Mustangs, and 11- and 12-second Camaros... are far too expensive to create another "Musclecar" movement like the one that was spawned in the sixties by bottom-feeder 396 Novas, 340 Dusters, 351 Mustangs, and other "affordable" cars that "not necessarily well-heeled" performance enthusiasts could buy for around three grand, NEW.

No, if you want a 2011 "musclecar," you need to get ready to pay somewhere north of 40-grand for it, unless I miss my guess.

Of course, times have changed. What passed for muscle car accelleration back in 1968 (anything better than a 15-second quarter-mile) is now available in soccer-mom cars with normally-aspirated V6 3.5-liter motors, such as the Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima, and Honda Accords, and a few turbo'd 2-liter 4's, like the Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima. They ALL run mid-to-low 14's at virtually 100 mph in the quarter.

What was a musclecar in '68 (performance-wise,) is a ho-hum, grocery-getter, today.

The new "muscle cars" are blindingly fast, and commensurately more expensive.

Eleven second timeslips are the norm, and there are even some American 4-door sedans that will impress (the SRT-8 Charger and the Caddy CTS-V.)

But, I think the large amounts of money required to put yourself in such a "modern-day musclecar" will keep those cars in the "novelty" category. They won't engender a "musclecar movement" on the order of the one seen in the 1960's I believe. Back then, because of their affordability, the "muscle cars'" popularity was overwhelming.

I just don't see that happening with this relatively high-dollar market that features cars with superchargers, 4-valve cylinder heads, 6-speed automatics and Corvettes with special, lightweight, aluminum frames.

The "musclecar rulebook" has changed, and with the changes, has come a technological sophistication that has priced those cars out of the "first-time car buyer's" realm.

They'll never be popular like the original "muscle cars" were, but boy, are they F-A-S-T!!!

Just my 2-cents...

Bill, in Conway, AR