Carl, I respect your view, but don't see things that way. I mentioned something like this years ago about pro stock and was told that it would never work with stock appearing cars, the cars would be too unstable and so on. The only problem was, at the time, my example that it absolutely WOULD work was the BIG RED 1969 Camaro that runs around 250+ and is steady as a rock on all sorts of surfaces, including dirt. "But drag cars are different" was what I was told. Then explain Brett Lasala's Snot Rocket Mustang. It runs faster than any narrowed, wedge-shaped big tire pro stock in the history of the sport and (at least the last one) was based on a steel body, rolled-off-an-assembly-line Mustang with 302 cubic inches. While Lutz had the crank out of his goofy looking "street" car every single day until he ran out of parts, Lasala made several straight runs without even a wiggle. My point is, if it were me, I'd much rather cut the wing than start changing billet engine parts.
Nitromater
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Scrappers Parked (6 Viewers)
- Thread starter Nunz
- Start date
65 Goatboy
Nitro Member
Nunzio your thread has horribly gone off the tracks turned upside down and is now on fire.
NHRA TOP FUEL LOSES ANOTHER FULL-TIME TEAM DUE TO SPONSORSHIP | Competition Plus
Jasmine Salinas will not compete in the next few NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series events, including the American Rebel Light NHRA Four-Wide Nationalscompetitionplus.com
Right?
Sure, that makes sense and far be it for me to judge those here who have lived situations that I'm only talking about. And I know of Brett Lasala; Hot Rod Magazine did a nice writeup on him a while back. Hell of a car. 5.0 Coyote powered Poontangs have gone quicker yet; MMR runs one that's put up a 5.67/265 number and Mihovitz ran a badass 4.6 mod motor car to 250. But my opinion revolves around the wisdom of taking downforce from a 340mph fuel car for the express purpose of slowing it down. It's indeed a lot cheaper than replacing billet engine parts - unless it decides to sashay out of control in the traps and wipe out a couple of $300,000 race cars. Nobody in any other form of auto racing I'm aware of reduces downforce to slow the cars down - they increase it, making it more stable in the process.
It's already been proven that the difference in downforce from laid-back headers was directly responsible for a decrease in high-speed stability, especially if the car dropped a hole. And we're talking something that only made 4-5mph difference. Nonetheless everyone has a different opinion...Garlits wanted to reduce the glue, which NHRA tried...Dale Armstrong insisted on less OD and less fuel pump for years (which Cruz tried on a 426" engine) and indeed, some say less downforce. In the end the only winner was the 1000 foot fuel car mandate and that didn't slow 'em down for long.
none
Nitro Member
The performance increase from the laid back headers was more about using the exhaust thrust to push the car forward then the lack of downforce.
Remember what happened to Jeff Diehl when he lost the left side header? It lifted the whole car in the air.
Yes they were a bit more skittish down track, and when a cylinder went out the thrust was more violent "steering" the car because they were pushing more forward, and four pipes pushing forward on one side would push the car toward the side with only three.
Alan
Remember what happened to Jeff Diehl when he lost the left side header? It lifted the whole car in the air.
Yes they were a bit more skittish down track, and when a cylinder went out the thrust was more violent "steering" the car because they were pushing more forward, and four pipes pushing forward on one side would push the car toward the side with only three.
Alan
M Jones
Nitro Member
Thanks Alan, I was waiting for some one to talk about the push factor of laid back headers
M Jones
Nitro Member
I don’t remember the exact year but will never forget seeing the first ground effects Indy car, they brought it to Carters paint shop very early in the morning, no one was allowed in the part of the shop sealed off were we did prep work for paint while the crew finished prep on the car, I remember looking under the back of the car and it was like two big tunnels that got bigger as they went back, that first race they ran with it was Indy, right from the start the pennzoil car was flying past everybody in the turns, if I remember a 2.00 o ring took them out of the race, race afficials moved real fast to take away the suction by by taking away the skirts on the sides, and help everyone catch-up, Bill painted the car pearl candy yellow, Glen did all the stickers and lettering by hand in paint, it stood out visually as well
Indeed, it would slow them down alright. My entire approach on the subject revolves around chopping speed at the potential expense of safety. Perhaps you're right; it might prove to be a non-issue. I do know the fuel racers and NHRA have been batting this back and forth seemingly forever and I honestly believe the consensus now is why bother? It wouldn't really save money; crashes and fires resulting in injuries are relatively rare in the nitro classes these days and most of them are due to grenading engines that usually take place before the stripe and therefore nowhere near 330+. Occasional mechanical mayhem will still take place even if they slowed the cars to 280mph......some of the most violent explosions and crashes I've personally witnessed took place when that's what the cars were running - 280mph or less. And some of the most violent crashes involving cars getting away from the drivers due to lack of downforce, getting out of the groove and mechanical failure among other things involve Pro Stocks. Cue the Koretsky/Allen video which took place right in front of where I was sitting.
300 mph, or 330, or 280, whatever, drag racing is inherently dangerous and at that level it's never going to be cheap. But those cars are incredibly safe all things considered and the last time I recall someone dying in a fuel car accident was 17 years ago (Kalitta). So maybe we need to stop brainstorming over how to fix something that's not really broken???
We've got a lot of past and present nitro pilots in here - what say you?
Just Paul
Nitro Member
Hmm maybe we can get this back on track. Or maybe there’s no putting the broken rods back on the crank. 
At any rate, Jasmine is still top 10 in points after Chicago. Just goes to show how good they were doing before this all went down.
My wife is grumpy watching top fuel now as Krista Baldwin and Jasmine are her favorites.
At any rate, Jasmine is still top 10 in points after Chicago. Just goes to show how good they were doing before this all went down.
My wife is grumpy watching top fuel now as Krista Baldwin and Jasmine are her favorites.
Time for her to enjoy some good 'Smoke'.My wife is grumpy watching top fuel now as Krista Baldwin and Jasmine are her favorites.
T.Smith
Nitro Member
As I said earlier. it's tough to maintain racing at that level year after year. 3-5 million per year out of your pocket is a big nut to crack every season.Hmm maybe we can get this back on track. Or maybe there’s no putting the broken rods back on the crank.
At any rate, Jasmine is still top 10 in points after Chicago. Just goes to show how good they were doing before this all went down.
My wife is grumpy watching top fuel now as Krista Baldwin and Jasmine are her favorites.
Look at the number of teams that have come and gone over the years, even in the so called "cheaper" eras of nitro drag racing.
I wish the Salinas Family good fortunes in whatever they choose to do going forward.
We wish You and the Zizzo team good fortunes going forward also !!!
mick
Nitro Member
this abrupt departure from the tour made for 15 TF @ epping, more than likely the same this weekend at bristol,
and a good chance virginia field will be short too.
i hope salinas' departure from tour is not a result of disagreement over a potential sponsor? i mean, we've seen more than one sponsor
get involved with a racer, then before you know it, the same sponsor is suddenly an official nhra widget.
nhra and it's pro racers opt to keep themselves separated. private contractors if you will, that in this case produces two short fields in a row.
i don't know if there is a way that would tie nhra and it's racers together, in much the same manner as other series?
personally i don't think there will ever be enough interest / sponsor support to make that happen.
and a good chance virginia field will be short too.
i hope salinas' departure from tour is not a result of disagreement over a potential sponsor? i mean, we've seen more than one sponsor
get involved with a racer, then before you know it, the same sponsor is suddenly an official nhra widget.
nhra and it's pro racers opt to keep themselves separated. private contractors if you will, that in this case produces two short fields in a row.
i don't know if there is a way that would tie nhra and it's racers together, in much the same manner as other series?
personally i don't think there will ever be enough interest / sponsor support to make that happen.
Joe
Nitro Member
It’s going to interesting to see what the 2 IHRA races that are on top of St Louis and Sonoma take away. More impact on St Louis as IHRA is paying 7500$ to 9 thru 12 . 15000$ to qualify also.
mick
Nitro Member
also, i believe t. haddock was on epping FC list a month or two prior to race, and may have been on bristol list too.
he did not attend epping, maybe as todd paton did. he is also not on bristol list.
another east coast FC not at epping was the jersey effort driven recently by jim campbell.
now julie nataas is on bristol list, i'm assuming the toyota listed is del's car.
it seems like FC might be doing a good job of communicating amongst themselves to get 16 cars to each nat. event., and that mite
be happening with TF as well? a few slots left for upcoming virginia race.
joe, you are rite on about the upcoing IHRA races, if they actually happen, and the money is real.
he did not attend epping, maybe as todd paton did. he is also not on bristol list.
another east coast FC not at epping was the jersey effort driven recently by jim campbell.
now julie nataas is on bristol list, i'm assuming the toyota listed is del's car.
it seems like FC might be doing a good job of communicating amongst themselves to get 16 cars to each nat. event., and that mite
be happening with TF as well? a few slots left for upcoming virginia race.
joe, you are rite on about the upcoing IHRA races, if they actually happen, and the money is real.
Chili
Nitro Member
Also surprised that the New Englander FC was not in Epping. As for the IHRA, I would think the touring cars will be at the NHRA races due to sponsor contracts. I have doubts that IHRA will be around by St. Louis.
Joe
Nitro Member
I think the New Englander was being repaired. I’m looking forward to the IHRA races as I follow the lower tier teams more than the rest. How many remember Rick Cooper,Louie Allison,Mitch King, etc. Budgets are set for the big teams. I could see Lex, Luigi,Rit,Paton,Jerry Freeman(driver Cam Ferre) Haddock,Jeff D running the IHRA races. Paul Lee won some IHRA races in FC. The 7500$ to win in alky classes should get a lot of those also. I plan on flying from Texas for the last one in NC in Nov.
