Observation about Indy entry list

[Bill]

Virgil,

I'm sure you're right. I was just thinking aboiut how plentiful used FED chassis are, and ditto, the SBC speed equipment... and a "REAL" Powerglide wouldn't have a problem holding the power of such an engine, so it seemed to me that you'd be hard-pressed to spend that much (85-grand) on a car like that, but I am probably living in the past. I tend to do that, more and more..

Thanks for your input. It's always a pleasure to read posts from someone with an "in-the-business" perspective!


Bill

 

[Treeshaker]

Bill - my first drag car was a FED. I ran bracket 1 at Irwindale and entered the Winternationals as a C/ED the first year they had the class. I was 3/4's of a second slow with standard parts. Talked to the hitters and I couldn't believe the amount of time and money they had in their "economy" dragsters that were created for the average guy. And basically you were/are racing for a trophy and contingencies from mfgs.

The time and money factor has just multiplied over the years. I checked out the ND's when they first came out and they look simple but are real works of art. Everything is trick and well thought out. A standard chassis isn't going to cut it, a standard sbc isn't going to be close, and there is nothing standard about their "powerglides".

And there is no reason to go into the fanaticism going on in the super stock world. It is unreal and totally bizarre. These racers have their reasons for their behavior, and I will totally leave that world to them.

And I am sure everyone wants to compete at Indy for the same reason I did the first time, to be part of the biggest drag event of the year at least once in your life.