what did happen to the "less glue" experiment and why did it stop? I believe the racks are over-prepped today. I can run 40 year old technology and run quicker than the fuel cars did 40 years ago. What has changed?? Has to be the tracks, right? I believe the track prep is the biggest single reason for the speeds.
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z28
Nitro Member
I was at the Gators when Larry dixon went airborn and I was at Ennis when John Force and KB got together. I couldn't tell you who won those races but I sure remember those moments like yesterday. The element of danger is part of the appeal. Why do most fans go to the midway when Nitro is over? That's why they always show the blowups in the highlights. They don't care about two Camaros going 210 or a Suzuki and Harley going 200. The element of danger is part of the appeal.
DragFan2
Nitro Member
My understanding of why they don't do the long smoky burnouts anymore is due to crew chiefs dictating that it messes up the clutches if they do, so they do the rather short ones now that don't build too much heat in the clutch. I don't know if the tires have a compound now that does not lend itself to smoke if that is what some of you think. Has Goodyear stated this?
FWIW, Garlits discussed the one engine idea back in 2015...
dragillustrated.com
From the article:
The second thing I would do is mandate that the engine you qualify with is the engine you will run in the race. In other words, you can take the engine all apart after that last qualifying run and you can go through it, but the block will be sealed into the chassis with one of them little special wires. You can take it apart and mess with it, change bearings and all that kind of stuff, but you ain’t going to change the block. That’s the block that’s going to be in the car on race day. When the race starts, all you can do is change the oil and screw spark plugs in it and set valves. You cannot take it apart. You cannot. I don’t want to see no blowers coming off of it. I don’t want to see no pans dropping off of it. None of that. And you run the break rule: if you beat a guy and your car is hurt–you didn’t beat him.
See with that, we could go to live TV. And if you put any oil on the drag strip that can’t be wiped up with just a common little shop rag, you’re out. No oil on the drag strip. And the diapers come off. No diapers. In other words, I don’t want these engines blowing up.
“Big Daddy” Don Garlits Tells All | Drag Illustrated
“So the kid sticks his head out the window and there was a silver disc over the car, maybe two- or three-hundred feet up–just a glowing, great big silver disc,” says Don Garlits. “And the kid says, ‘It’s a saucer! It’s a flying saucer!’” It’s a midsummer day, an hour or so before lunch, and
dragillustrated.com
From the article:
The second thing I would do is mandate that the engine you qualify with is the engine you will run in the race. In other words, you can take the engine all apart after that last qualifying run and you can go through it, but the block will be sealed into the chassis with one of them little special wires. You can take it apart and mess with it, change bearings and all that kind of stuff, but you ain’t going to change the block. That’s the block that’s going to be in the car on race day. When the race starts, all you can do is change the oil and screw spark plugs in it and set valves. You cannot take it apart. You cannot. I don’t want to see no blowers coming off of it. I don’t want to see no pans dropping off of it. None of that. And you run the break rule: if you beat a guy and your car is hurt–you didn’t beat him.
See with that, we could go to live TV. And if you put any oil on the drag strip that can’t be wiped up with just a common little shop rag, you’re out. No oil on the drag strip. And the diapers come off. No diapers. In other words, I don’t want these engines blowing up.
