Scrappers Parked

[stoppro]

My guess is Mike Salinas is a tough guy for sponsors to deal with.

 

[sammi]

I retired from teaching high school in '18. I rarely came across a kid who had any awareness of NHRA or drag racing. They were aware of street takeovers. At Back to School Night I did meet a fair number of NASCAR fans.

 

[Mike]

Carl, you dont want them to actually drive the cars???

 

[Tim]

Lohnes mentioned on the NHRA Insider Podcast that Scrappers let the employees go but kept the equipment. Doesn’t sound promising for the immediate future. Hope they find funding soon.

 

[J. S.]

Lohnes mentioned on the NHRA Insider Podcast that Scrappers let the employees go but kept the equipment. Doesn’t sound promising for the immediate future. Hope they find funding soon.

If so, this is really bad news. I wonder what happened. I thought they were just sitting out a few races. Didn't seem like this was the plan at the beginning of the year. Maybe Bobby Bennett/Comp Plus will do an interview with Mike to get the real story.

 

[8sec71]

Lohnes mentioned on the NHRA Insider Podcast that Scrappers let the employees go but kept the equipment. Doesn’t sound promising for the immediate future. Hope they find funding soon.

Gotta be more to the story we’ll likely never hear. They were always mostly self funded and were supposed to run a two car top fuel operation this year. Not only did that not happen, they now suddenly park the only one. Doesn’t add up. Their business though.

 

[twostep]

Carl, you dont want them to actually drive the cars???

No, sir, not at the expense of safety. At 300mph+ I'm not a fan of reducing downforce just to make driving them more of a challenge or force them to back the tunes down in order to keep the car controllable. I'd favor less traction compound over less downforce.

The laid-back headers era a few years ago was a perfect example of what happens when you reduce downforce on a nitro funny car:

 

[vern]

Lohnes mentioned on the NHRA Insider Podcast that Scrappers let the employees go but kept the equipment. Doesn’t sound promising for the immediate future. Hope they find funding soon.

I did see one of his guys on Torrence's team.

 

[Mike]

Carl, your assuming that they will still run 300 like they are now.

 

[yoda]

Possibly losing yet another long-standing team in the near future

 

[mick]

i feel for the scrapper's TF crew. 5 races in and suddenly no more. wonder if they were given proper notice?

 

[Just Paul]

i feel for the scrapper's TF crew. 5 races in and suddenly no more. wonder if they were given proper notice?

The good news is, a couple teams are hiring. Scrappers had some turn over during the off season, but a couple guys have been with the team for a long time and have plenty of experience.

Adem Cave would be a great pick up for anybody. Troy Fashing worked with Jim O at Kalitta's for a long time. Those 2 could be a great starting point for the Tony Schumacher / Rick Ware car coming up soon. I think that car not being based in Indy might affect some of their options , but there are work arounds for the right people. Also, Ron Capps Motorsports has to be putting some feelers out there for people at some point soon I would think for Maddi's car.

 

[8sec71]

Possibly losing yet another long-standing team in the near future

Do tell

 

[J. S.]

I recall that Salinas even kept all his T/F crew employed during the Covid virus hysteria. They supposedly worked at his companies in various capacities. So for him to abruptly abandon drag racing like he has, he must have had some major financial or personal setback.

 

[Nunz]

Didn't Lohnes say they will rejoin the tour in Norwalk?

 

[twostep]

Carl, your assuming that they will still run 300 like they are now.

We have TAD, TAFC and the AAFD/AAFC nostalgia classes that run 280mph right now. Safely. Slowing a 340mph race car to under 300mph via taking away downforce is not only dangerous it's ridiculous. I just posted one example for you of what can happen (at 280mph) when downforce is taken away. There's a reason NHRA banned laid-back headers and that is why.

My opinion only; your mileage may vary.

 

[T.Smith]

Need to find some old M & H slicks and give those to everyone to run.

 

[Mike]

Carl, the fastest nostalgia car is 271, long ways from 280.

NHRA limited how far the headers could be laid back and Cruzs run was long after the rule change

 

[none]

Cruz' issue was a balance problem, not a downforce problem. It was light on the front end, the nose came up and the air got under it.
As Mike pointed out, it happened after the header rule. The rule changed in July of 2016, that run was November 2016, no laid back headers.

Alan

 

[T.Smith]

Cruz' issue was a balance problem, not a downforce problem. It was light on the front end, the nose came up and the air got under it.
As Mike pointed out, it happened after the header rule. The rule changed in July of 2016, that run was November 2016, no laid back headers.

Alan

I thought a measurement was picked on how much you could lay the headers back? So technically still laid back, but not as much as some teams had gone with them.