Short TF fields.

[LoPony]

Haha, As long as it’s heads up!

 

[wireguy]

Yes, looking at the grandstands it seems attendance is also faultering and the so called "FourWide" is not the draw!

 

[Nunz]

I think the 4 wide deal, while cool, is looking like it's giving less of a show. With 16 cars or less, you have at most 4 runs per category per session, throw in carnage and lesser funded teams skipping sessions and some "quads" are 2-3 cars. The fuel category runs are already over very fast, I think this format just diminishes the show by having cars on the track for roughly 1/2 the time.

 

[J. S.]

I think the 4 wide deal, while cool, is looking like it's giving less of a show. With 16 cars or less, you have at most 4 runs per category per session, throw in carnage and lesser funded teams skipping sessions and some "quads" are 2-3 cars. The fuel category runs are already over very fast, I think this format just diminishes the show by having cars on the track for roughly 1/2 the time.

I agree completely, and have been thinking this since the beginning of the 4 wide format. It cuts the show about in half. Great for the ADHD crowd, but not great for me. Needless to say, I don't like like it. By the way, I thought we put the 4 wides during the "regular season", so we wouldn't have to suffer through it during the Countdown. I guess not.

 

[Nitro Fiend]

Only 11 cars ran in the final TF session. Also, how many runs were actually "4" wide ? I haven't counted but I think there is a good chance that between qualifying and eliminations most of the runs in nitro were 3 cars or less.

 

[Butch]

4-wide SUCKS.

 

[DanTheFan]

Same old problems. Too hard to keep track of the action and it’s over too quickly. One year in Vegas I kept track of the fuel car time on the track.
Can’t recall the numbers but it was probably measured in minutes vs hours. I don’t go to 4 wide any longer. I watch on NHRA but told the wife hey …just need the tv for 10 minutes for a round.

 

[Leebone]

I don't like 4-wide. To me, drag racing should always be mono e mono. Not only that, but it's one less round of racing and less runs per round.

 

[Butch]

I've said from the start. There's too much to be watching for if you're experienced with racing. It's impossible to see it in 4-Wide let alone in a 1,000 ft.

 

[mick]

well, a year from now we'll find out if the TBD race to replace zmax2 will happen or not, and where it will be.

 

[Marchboom]

We are going to be seeing fewer TF and FC entries if they don't get a handle on the ever-increasing engine explosions. The cost for the "average" explosion, especially for the FC class, is really eating into the car owner's budget. Sponsors will not be able to continue their support of the teams if every other run tops $50K-$100K over and above the normal cost per run due to an explosion. Also, just a matter of time before the insurance companies make the premiums so high that NHRA will be forced to charge the spectators more for tickets.

I'm not for slowing the cars down, I'm for finding out how to reduce engine explosions. Survival of these 2 categories depends on it, IMO.

 

[Chili]

well, a year from now we'll find out if the TBD race to replace zmax2 will happen or not, and where it will be.

I do believe there will for sure be a race on that date. Otherwise they would be shortening the countdown to five races. I do believe the fall back option is a return to ZMax. Now I have no clue where else they are considering.

 

[Mike]

Including IHRA and any others scattered around who may have done a match race or exhibition pass, how many NHRA-legal top fuel and funny cars are there currently in North America (to include Canadians like Dan Mercier), not counting backup cars? Any guesses?

 

[ch streetcars]

We are going to be seeing fewer TF and FC entries if they don't get a handle on the ever-increasing engine explosions. The cost for the "average" explosion, especially for the FC class, is really eating into the car owner's budget. Sponsors will not be able to continue their support of the teams if every other run tops $50K-$100K over and above the normal cost per run due to an explosion. Also, just a matter of time before the insurance companies make the premiums so high that NHRA will be forced to charge the spectators more for tickets.

I'm not for slowing the cars down, I'm for finding out how to reduce engine explosions. Survival of these 2 categories depends on it, IMO.

I'm with you on everything, but, to cut down on these explosions, you are going to have to take some of the power out. These engines are running on the ragged edge , why do we need 340 mph? Close races and more touring cars will bring people back , anything over 300mph is unique and super exciting. Like has happened in the past, the teams with huge budgets seem to dictate the cost to follow the tour, we've seen so many independents get out of the sport. Top level Drag Racing , including alcohol is pricing itself into oblivion. Better talk about it and the problem with empty stands, before it's too late.

 

[DanTheFan]

Crazy idea but someone suggested running TF and FC together but other than history, what’s the purpose of TF? The performance difference from FC is imperceptible and TF cars make lousy billboards. So why not all fuel cars be funny cars?

 

[Marchboom]

Many explosions are caused by valve train failure. My suggestion is to reduce the valve lift to a certain dimension and that can easily be checked by NHRA during tech. This would decrease the stress on pushrods, rocker arms, valve springs and valves. When the intake valve is only allowed to open so much power will be reduced and hopefully parts breakage (causing explosions) will be reduced.

Something has to be done or we will have to get used to 8 car TF and FC fields. These classes are getting way too expensive...even for people with big bucks.

 

[Under_Pressure]

Crazy idea but someone suggested running TF and FC together but other than history, what’s the purpose of TF? The performance difference from FC is imperceptible and TF cars make lousy billboards. So why not all fuel cars be funny cars?

It's not a business justification, but I personally have always preferred race cars that are designed with no compromises, not pretending to have some connection to a street vehicle and having vestigial bodywork with manufacturers decals. So I prefer dragsters to doorslammers or funny cars, indycars to stock cars or sports cars, sprint cars to late models, etc. Basically give me open wheels or give me death.

Now the logic of my position has been complicated in recent years since bodywork in most motorsports has been allowed to be more and more tailored to competition needs vs resembling a factory vehicle. So it's a bit harder to objectively justify my belief that the only real race cars have open wheels and everything else is a compromise. But still...

I do think the variety is important, as is maintaining the heritage of the sport. I also don't really see how a dragster is a significantly worse "billboard" than a FC. It's a different shape, but still quite a bit of real estate on the side of a dragster, and it's all nice and flat. If it ends up making sense for dragsters and floppers to run together that's fine, I will just root for the dragster every time.

 

[TF CREW]

Including IHRA and any others scattered around who may have done a match race or exhibition pass, how many NHRA-legal top fuel and funny cars are there currently in North America (to include Canadians like Dan Mercier), not counting backup cars? Any guesses?

There are 37 in TF according to the points standings. Would have to do homework on who is driving the same car IE: Krista & Spencer for example.

 

[mick]

do the math. if you have 12 touring regulars, you need 4 others per national event to fill a 16 car field.
4 x 20 =80 total for year.
lets say there are 30 cars available, outside of the 12 touring regulars.
80 ÷30 = 2.66 races annually per each of 30 independents.
IMO that is a lot to ask, especially now with ihra offering great purses run off an 8 car field.
purses and inflation are not even close.
nhra needs to be in business with it's pro racers, or nhra purses need to increase. otherwise welcome to nothing new

 

[BOO BOO]

Crazy idea but someone suggested running TF and FC together but other than history, what’s the purpose of TF? The performance difference from FC is imperceptible and TF cars make lousy billboards. So why not all fuel cars be funny cars?

Maybe not everybody wants to set behind a 11,000 hp nitro motor.