Nhra apologizes to the fans (2 Viewers)

[funnycarguy]

You know guys.......I was one of those that sat in the the stands for most of it. I saw some other folks that post here too. It was too bad but to ***** and moan when you weren't there.....not cool. Saw some awesome runs especially in the alcohol ranks. A ton of 50's in funny car. I spoke to one fuel crew chief who said.....higher altitude and everyone takes out head gasket and bam!!! Some of the most experienced teams did not make it down the track including Hight today on 4 shots. That's Monday never mind race day!!!! I gave up after Jeff crashed at 8:30 pm Saturday. Very sad for him. He works damn hard to be out there.

The performance of the weekend was Green giving Sarge a ride to the finish line every time and setting the record at 325 mph to a thousand fee.......wow!! And I am a Dixon / Johnson fan.

Some of you are so negative......As far as the strip giving everyone a pass. So many locals who can hurt their reputation. I think it is brilliant. I hope the stands are full next weekend and more folks can see the excellent alcohol racers. The fans and the racers deserve it.
Dale

 

[yoda]

This was the Safety Safari not being able to do their job in a timely manner.

?????????

Tell me you ARE kidding.....

 

[Huge]

This was the Safety Safari not being able to do their job in a timely manner.

The safety safari busted their butts all weekend. Things happen that they can't control.

 

[Huge]

this was about NHRA stepping up to apologize, not how many showed up...I hope they bring cars out of the wood work and not lock a field??? some sound like they would complain if hung with a new hundred dollar b8ill.

I'm glad to see that someone got the intent of this thread.

 

[None]

?????????

Tell me you ARE kidding.....

Not at all. This week they couldn't clean up oil. Usually they manage to make it a one lane race track.

 

[None]

The safety safari busted their butts all weekend. Things happen that they can't control.

NHRA needs to go out and get the best track prep man in the country. IHRA has him right now. Ask the racers.

 

[Gordon]

I'll likely get flame sprayed for this, but I'd like to pint out that maybe if NHRA didn't mandate how often teams were allowed to test, they'd be able to lay oil on the track on their own time... I still find it absolutely appalling that NHRA feels like they can tell someone when and where they can spend their own money.

Sure some of the guys who wet the track are non-regulars who don't care about points penalties, but there were quite a few playoff cars who dumped as well.

Flame away!

 

[None]

I know this will go over like a turd in a punch bowl but how about limiting the number of nitro cars...like to 20 per event based on points standing?

How about getting rid of all the Pro Stock cars and bikes plus the index classes. Makes about as much since.

 

[None]

Why kick out the Top Fuel car from Canada? His oil down was not near as bad as the Lucas car. Oh, I forgot Lucas has big bucks!!!!!

 

[clwill]

It was terrible on Sunday too. Delay after delay.

The safety safari works hard, I appreciate them and the incredibly long/hard days they put in. But someone has to help them with some technology that gets it done in under 30-45 minutes. I understand the boomers (trying hard, that's what we go to see), and I understand the cleanup. But it takes way too long.

There's no way this sport ever gets a broad national following, or consistent huge newcomer attendance, or any kind of live TV coverage when you have a 30-min break every 30 mins or so. There is just no way you can ask people to go to an event for 8 hours or more (esp. with kids) and have a couple hours of downtime in the middle with little more than the Geico clowns and the Frye/Reinhart show to keep you amused. Add in the fact that they run the tractor up and down the track for 10-mins between every other class, and it makes for a painful experience.

There just has to be a way to get the inevitable oil-downs cleaned up in less time. 10-mins tops. Is it more equipment? Is it better cleanup chemicals? Is it more high-tech scrubbers? I don't know. But I'm sure there are people who do.

Heck with apologies, if NHRA wants to make a dent in the world of sports, this would be a good place to invest some $$.

</soapbox>

 

[None]

It was terrible on Sunday too. Delay after delay.

The safety safari works hard, I appreciate them and the incredibly long/hard days they put in. But someone has to help them with some technology that gets it done in under 30-45 minutes. I understand the boomers (trying hard, that's what we go to see), and I understand the cleanup. But it takes way too long.

There's no way this sport ever gets a broad national following, or consistent huge newcomer attendance, or any kind of live TV coverage when you have a 30-min break every 30 mins or so. There is just no way you can ask people to go to an event for 8 hours or more (esp. with kids) and have a couple hours of downtime in the middle with little more than the Geico clowns and the Frye/Reinhart show to keep you amused. Add in the fact that they run the tractor up and down the track for 10-mins between every other class, and it makes for a painful experience.

There just has to be a way to get the inevitable oil-downs cleaned up in less time. 10-mins tops. Is it more equipment? Is it better cleanup chemicals? Is it more high-tech scrubbers? I don't know. But I'm sure there are people who do.

Heck with apologies, if NHRA wants to make a dent in the world of sports, this would be a good place to invest some $$.

</soapbox>

It's there. NHRA refuses to pay for it and the person to put it together. Might cut into their bonuses.

 

[yoda]

Not at all. This week they couldn't clean up oil. Usually they manage to make it a one lane race track.

What?? Which race did you watch??? I sat in the stands and watched wins come out of both lanes. In fact, Alan announced that the lanes W/L numbers were pretty much equal by the final rounds...

I sat through every one of the oil downs on Saturday and Sunday- Safety Safari was absolutely stellar in getting BOTH lanes back to race conditions.

John- take a quart of 30 weight and pour it on the street in front of your house and then see how long it takes for you to make it not be slick.... Now multiply by 16....

 

[yoda]

Why kick out the Top Fuel car from Canada? His oil down was not near as bad as the Lucas car. Oh, I forgot Lucas has big bucks!!!!!

Pretty sure he came to the lanes wet.... His car started pouring oil from the water box on... He did in the groove on the right lane for the first 100 feet...

Morgan's was on the job in mid-pass when his disintergrated...

 

[Randy]

RG, How many laps on that drysump?

I see you are out of jail

At the 2010 Winternations we blew ours up at 1/2 track second round big time and parts went through the pan, bucket and belly pan. It was about a 4 bagger to clean it up. That was the first rod exiting ka-boom we've had in several years. Since then we switched to BME Rods.

It made such a huge mess that NHRA made us put it on a flatbed to take it back to our pit instead of towing back. We won the round over Brian Hough, so I had to ask at the scales, "Do we weigh the flatbed with the funny car on it, go unload, and then reweigh the flatbed?" They said to not worry about it. The fuel check guys jumped on the flatbed and had us give them a sample before we allowed to proceed, though.

It would have been a bigger mess without the drysump.

RG

 

[None]

What?? Which race did you watch??? I sat in the stands and watched wins come out of both lanes. In fact, Alan announced that the lanes W/L numbers were pretty much equal by the final rounds...

I sat through every one of the oil downs on Saturday and Sunday- Safety Safari was absolutely stellar in getting BOTH lanes back to race conditions.

John- take a quart of 30 weight and pour it on the street in front of your house and then see how long it takes for you to make it not be slick.... Now multiply by 16....

Was not talking about Vegas being a one lane race track. How many one lane race track did they have this year alone? Alan will only tell you what NHRA does right. He is very quiet when they screw up. Can't bad mouth the boss or you will need to find a new boss.

 

[JAG]

What?? Which race did you watch??? I sat in the stands and watched wins come out of both lanes. In fact, Alan announced that the lanes W/L numbers were pretty much equal by the final rounds...

I sat through every one of the oil downs on Saturday and Sunday- Safety Safari was absolutely stellar in getting BOTH lanes back to race conditions.

John- take a quart of 30 weight and pour it on the street in front of your house and then see how long it takes for you to make it not be slick.... Now multiply by 16....

Good point Martin. I can tell you from experience, Nitro 70 is no easy task to clean up.

"Welcome to the Oil Down to the Chamionship"

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

Right on Gordon. The test ban forces teams to "test" at Natl. events.
To go back to fines for oil downs is wrong. All that does is hurt the lesser funded teams. They already have to stretch their parts. To fine them would just make things worse.

Oil downs are part of our sport, just like by-runs, or rain, ya can't control them. It is unfortunet there was so many, but if ya want the "perfect" show, stay home and watch the edited short version.

 

[clwill]

No, you can't control them, but like the rain, you can control the response to them. If you know they're going to happen, and you want to have a good show for the fans who spend big bucks to go there, you have to do better at cleaning them up.

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

I was'nt there, maybe they were slow on the clean ups. Maybe there is better, more efficent, equipment. If so then it needs to be looked at.

But put yourself in the driver seat of the next car in that lane.......do you really want a rush job??

 

[clwill]

But put yourself in the driver seat of the next car in that lane.......do you really want a rush job??

Yes. It's tight, hot, and nerve racking to sit there. Do it right AND fast.