Sonoma 2025

[timebombkal]

The KID IS GOOD.

 

[Butch]

Maybe the trick is to not be spending all day make Video's.

 

[Rich D]

Maybe the trick is to not be spending all day make Video's.

In fairness to those like Clay, being engaged with social media on race day is modern-day added sponsor value. It is really no different than spending time at the ropes engaging with fans, doing race-day interviews and hob-nobbing with sponsors/VIPS in the hospitality area. They are all a distraction, but they are a part of a driver doing his job for a sponsor. In theory a driver could choose to do none of the above on race day to avoid distractions, but what sponsor would appreciate that?

 

[LoPony]

In fairness to those like Clay, being engaged with social media on race day is modern-day added sponsor value. It is really no different than spending time at the ropes engaging with fans, doing race-day interviews and hob-nobbing with sponsors/VIPS in the hospitality area. They are all a distraction, but they are a part of a driver doing his job for a sponsor. In theory a driver could choose to do none of the above on race day to avoid distractions, but what sponsor would appreciate that?

Absolutely this is added value.

Crewchiefs need to get going on improving the reaction times of the cars. Just saying it’s not my fault and Ashley is that good is not legitimate. That car runs good! If people want to stay competitive, they gotta start figuring out other things.

 

[ZWeinstein]

Let me preface this by saying I’m a fan of drag racing. Big fan.
However, I remember when the NHRA would sit a racer out for a race or two if they were blowing up stuff on a regular basis. Then the team had to make some positive passes to show that they were able to make clean passes.
My question is why don’t the powers that be have a conversation with Jim Dunn Racing? Get them some help with a tune up that doesn’t blow up?
Someone is going to get hurt or worse if car blows up race after race, year after year.
I’m not saying they’re a bad team but they haven’t been competitive since the early 2000’s.
I respect anyone who goes out and tries their best to field a nitro burning car week in and week out. I can’t imagine how hard it must be.
But at some point someone needs to offer some help or advice to help get them back to competitiveness.
Moderators, if this isn’t within the guidelines of this space please delete it.

I feel like they (NHRA) wont park someone unless they witness multiple instances of serious safety issues. They might have before I started watching in the mid-late 00s but since I've followed the sport the only two guys I ever remember being parked for being a hazard was Terry Haddock in 2010 and a local guy named Gene Davis. Terry's deal was well known, got parked at the end of '09 for multiple oildowns and the spark plug shield incident. He then came out the following year and his first three passes blew it up and oiled the track from start to finish and he then had to make enough clean testing passes before being allowed to enter a national event. Gene Davis' deal was memorable because I had only been to a few races to that point but I remember at pre-season testing at Firebird they fired the car in the pits and even I could tell it was not sounding right. I distinctly remember a few more seasoned fans and a random crew guy from another team backing away very quickly. They came up later in the day to make a run and when they fired the car it sounded horrible again, made the burnout, a very weak one at that, and the starter shut them off immediately. Later on a buddy of mine before I knew him was a gopher on that team and he told me that it was super sketchy, they entered one national event, made one burnout attempt, blew it up and was told not to come back until the were ready.

Anyway I never get the feeling from Jim/Jon Dunn and those guys they are being unsafe, it could be as simple as a bad batch of parts like what happened with Force when he junked three bodies in three races. Or it could be a different "nitro event" each time like what happened to Tommy Johnson one year where they junked three bodies on three straight runs and it was a different mechanical failure each time. I hope they figure it out and I imagine Jim, Jon, Buddy and all those guys are going over everything with a fine-tooth comb and hopefully they have used up all their bad luck and get some good mojo their way. It was not all that long ago they were running solid 4.0s with the occasional 3 mixed in.

 

[cknight]

I feel like they (NHRA) wont park someone unless they witness multiple instances of serious safety issues. They might have before I started watching in the mid-late 00s but since I've followed the sport the only two guys I ever remember being parked for being a hazard was Terry Haddock in 2010 and a local guy named Gene Davis. Terry's deal was well known, got parked at the end of '09 for multiple oildowns and the spark plug shield incident. He then came out the following year and his first three passes blew it up and oiled the track from start to finish and he then had to make enough clean testing passes before being allowed to enter a national event. Gene Davis' deal was memorable because I had only been to a few races to that point but I remember at pre-season testing at Firebird they fired the car in the pits and even I could tell it was not sounding right. I distinctly remember a few more seasoned fans and a random crew guy from another team backing away very quickly. They came up later in the day to make a run and when they fired the car it sounded horrible again, made the burnout, a very weak one at that, and the starter shut them off immediately. Later on a buddy of mine before I knew him was a gopher on that team and he told me that it was super sketchy, they entered one national event, made one burnout attempt, blew it up and was told not to come back until the were ready.

Anyway I never get the feeling from Jim/Jon Dunn and those guys they are being unsafe, it could be as simple as a bad batch of parts like what happened with Force when he junked three bodies in three races. Or it could be a different "nitro event" each time like what happened to Tommy Johnson one year where they junked three bodies on three straight runs and it was a different mechanical failure each time. I hope they figure it out and I imagine Jim, Jon, Buddy and all those guys are going over everything with a fine-tooth comb and hopefully they have used up all their bad luck and get some good mojo their way. It was not all that long ago they were running solid 4.0s with the occasional 3 mixed in.

Arly Langlo received a "Time out", or two. Ask Steve Gibbs.

 

[twostep]

Probably in a very grey area of the rules, but the sensor looking for the amber is not connected to any function of the car (just the tone to the driver) so it may be legal?

Very grey area? Ehh...how 'bout a completely black area of the rules. While it might be an interesting and viable idea NHRA wouldn't even consider it, any more than they'd consider a bracket-style countdown tree and delay boxes.

Let's not put one of Elon Musk's robots in the seat of these cars. Human RT is and always will be a variable and that's how it should remain. Most people aren't as quick as an Ashley or a Langdon so if you're gonna beat those people you have to find another way.

 

[Joe]

Arly Langlo received a "Time out", or two. Ask Steve Gibbs.

Zip Code TF

 

[Chili]

Arly Langlo received a "Time out", or two. Ask Steve Gibbs.

Scott Palmer did as well. When he stepped up from alcohol funny car he blew a lot up.

 

[Nitro79]

Zip Code TF

Zip Code was a photo opportunity every pass. I have lots of flame shots!

 

[Joe]

Zip Code was a photo opportunity every pass. I have lots of flame shots!

R J Trotter TF ?? Where it go??

 

[Cliff]

The Zip Code was originally a front motor AA/FD. Saw it run at Lions, etc. Langlo was a good driver, the car just never ran up to par. Same w back motor car. Talk about a team with NO money.... The RJ Trotter car was also low bucks, but it ran good. I think the last time I saw it (at Firebird) was 1990's. Anybody remember The Birkey Bunch? Another low buck T/F team. I liked those guys.

 

[Tony]

Arly Langlo received a "Time out", or two. Ask Steve Gibbs.

John Mitchell's MONTANA EXPRESS TF team did too. I remember the NHRA said they weren't as concerned with the team blowing-up their equipment, they were more concerned that the crew assembled the oil containment devise (diaper) correctly.

 

[ZWeinstein]

Arly Langlo received a "Time out", or two. Ask Steve Gibbs.

I did not know Arley was parked, I always thought he just got out of it. I know he has been running some of the Bonneville land speed stuff in recent years. But yes, I know Arley had a history. I personally only ever saw him one time at a race and Im pretty sure he was on fire both runs. In fact I made a few bucks off him one day. Another one of the early races I went to I was 16-17 and went by myself and a couple guys were sitting next to me were betting on cars during qualifying. Arley came up against I think Larry Dixon and a few guys bet on Arley. I bet them each $5 on Dixon, Larry made a full pass, Arley was on fire and I made lunch money for the day.

 

[Joe]

What happened to Butch Blair? He ran IHRA.