Observation about speed

[Mike]

Many years ago, Bobby Allison crashed at Talladega in the pre-restrictor plate days. Cars were running over 210 mph. He tore a bunch of the front stretch fence up, and NASCAR decided it was necessary to slow the cars down.

Now they run around 190 and Talladega is packed. A NHRA restrictor plate or whatever method is used to slow the nitro cars may have zero impact on attendance.

 

[T.Smith]

I don't recall Talladega having an attendance issue before or after restrictor plates. It's always been a popular race.

Sure, they are slower, but with the pack racing, they seem to fly through the air even more. A few of them have been in the tri oval catch fence as well.

Restrictor plates also sent everyone's engine program costs through the roof.

 

[Just Paul]

A NHRA restrictor plate or whatever method is used to slow the nitro cars may have zero impact on attendance.

1 huge difference is the nascar engines are naturally aspirated.

There have been all sorts of different tests done behind the scenes over the years when talks of slowing down the cars ramps back up. It's been awhile now, but they have tried restrictor plates, smaller cube engines, gear ratios, fuel pumps, all of it. I think the main conclusion was that it just didn't make a huge difference. If the magic number these days is 12,000 horsepower, a plate that takes away 2000 horsepower isn't going to do much. If you want to run a plate that makes a difference, like 4-5000 horsepower, you might as well just take the blowers off.

And yes, this thread is going to lead into just beating a dead horse all over again I can already tell.

 

[stitcherbob]

....If you want to run a plate that makes a difference, like 4-5000 horsepower, you might as well just take the blowers off.

And yes, this thread is going to lead into just beating a dead horse all over again I can already tell.

 

[ironpony]

God forbid it is going to take another incident like Scotts to have NHRA make a decision on this. IMO this whole past year has been an escalation on destruction. They have passed the safe limits of today's materials, equipment available. Every pass is designed to go boom at 1001' some do not make it.
The other side is, it is costing a lot of extra to fund, replace all these parts. Something has to give and if they are proactive they can save it.

 

[Mike]

As Ned Flanders parents said when he was an out of control child, "we've tried nothing and we're all out of ideas."