Sport Compacts get it right (1 Viewer)

[nick name]

I hope most of you are checking out the reports on DRC for the Sport Compacts. They are putting on a great show!

I've been accused in the past of taking shots at the class. My biggest gripe is that when provided with a large mainstream venue to show off at, only a handful of cars would actually produce a full pull.

I don't know if it's the concrete track, the weather, or what, but these guys are putting on an amazing display of the highest technology in drag racing.

My congratulations to all the racers, and particularly to the Ladwig team for setting a new record.

While I've been on record as not being too wild about imports in general, it's hard to overlook mid-six second runs at well over 200 mph. Besides, there's some VERY strong Cobalts racing (including Ladwig) to root for against the Toyotas, etc.

 

[K20A2]

thanks for the kind words! If you take a look at the numbers from the US Nationals they are actually more impressive then Dallas:

1. Gary Gardella '07 Cobalt 7.156 201.91
2. Marty Ladwig '07 Cobalt 7.175 199.97
3. Jason Hunt '07 Cobalt 7.190 201.67
4. Chris Rado '07 tC 7.348 193.60
5. Ed Bergenholtz '06 MX-6 7.845 185.00
6. Bryan Jimenez '07 Cobalt 8.070 172.78

most of us are so used to really bad tracks that it really shows when we get one. I hope that people can really see these cars and what they do, they are pretty amazing to watch.

 

[HEMI6point1]

I have to find it funny that a series that was originally formed around imports are now being dominated by domestics. I used to think the sport compact series was cool (and this is coming from a guy that does not like imports in the least) when they at least had V8s now it's just a bunch of cars that sound like the Honda with the fart cannon exhaust that's owned by the punk down the street.

If anything it proves just how durable american engines are, while those guys with the Cobalts are dominating the guys who cling to Honda and Toyota motors are either snapping axles or blowing up engines.

 

[turbo ken]

I was there 3 years ago (I think), only about a 1/3rd of them made a halfway decent run, it was a real laughable joke that year.

 

[D]

You know if the Japanese didn't keep all the good stuff for themselves, sport compact racing would be even more interesting. Google Toyota Chaser/Mark II Tourer V or Nissan Silvia S-15 and of course there is always the Nissan Skyline GTS-T & GT-R. It would be interesting to see how the fellas could tweak those platforms.

D

 

[K20A2]

I have to find it funny that a series that was originally formed around imports are now being dominated by domestics. I used to think the sport compact series was cool (and this is coming from a guy that does not like imports in the least) when they at least had V8s now it's just a bunch of cars that sound like the Honda with the fart cannon exhaust that's owned by the punk down the street.

If anything it proves just how durable american engines are, while those guys with the Cobalts are dominating the guys who cling to Honda and Toyota motors are either snapping axles or blowing up engines.

There are two Japanese cars running in Pro FWD this weekend and neither one has the budget or is supported like the GM cars are. In fact, the Mazda team has had a budget about 1/100th of the GM teams and it won the championship the past two years.

Honda and Toyota guys are not losing or blowing axles. There is a chassis Honda that runs 7.90's consistantly and run into the low 7.80's. The days of blowing axles and motors has long past. But, as you admit yourself, you don't follow the series so you wouldn't know that. If you take a look, you will see that we actually do have so very impressive cars running in the series and no where near the issues that we used to have. I wonder what it was like the first couple of years the NHRA was around, I would bet it was a lot of the same thing. The Sport Compact series is only 6 years old and we are only developing all new technology to get these cars down the track, it isn't like we have 50-60 years of development to fall back on.

 

[possum]

I find it odd that much simpler rear wheel drive class is so sparsely attended. The front wheel drive cars have some amazing technology and it's nice to see so many are running so quick. I guess that is the big appeal, being very different from everything else that goes down the track at a national event.

I still wonder why nobody has tried to run one in reverse... nothing in the rules...

 

[HEMI6point1]

The reason that I believe is the reason for low car count for RWD is because the sport compact series was originally founded on FWD, so the loyalty remains there.

I always have a laugh when one of those guys says "we're struggling in qualifying" and only 4 cars in his class show up.

 

[Meeks]

The reason for the poor turnouts in the Sport Compact series is simply that its hard for those cars to get funding and the payout is horrible...
The consistent 7.90's Honda your referring to is driven by Stephanie Eggum and because of these reasons she will not be running next season...its unfortunate to see stuff like this happen and it would be nice to see NHRA do something about it because "import racing" is still very much alive...only if the proper funding was available and they had more events, especially on the west coast then there might be a bigger turnout and/or more sponsorships available for the cars to keep running. They tried to make SC too big, too early..and thats why its dying now.

 

[K20A2]

There is money out there you just have to know how to get it. We have some well sponsored teams and some not so well sponsored. The well sponsored teams have take the time and money to create a smart investment for a company and others have not. I don't think that GM, Scion, Red Bull, Matco Tools, DVS, etc would invest the money that they do if they didn't really think it was getting anywhere. I spend my own money right now because my business is selling sport compact parts but I also don't have too much of a problem getting part companys on board my car and it isn't a pro car. I think the lack of sponsorship comes down to the teams and how knowledgeable they are about trying to get it. The majority of the racers out there are far from business people and that is really what sponsors want to see now.

 

[Toejam]

I do think it's strange that as the cars (Sports Compacts, Imports, etc...) are slowly gaining an NHRA audience, the Import Drag racing craze as a whole has died Nationwide! The car count at most levels have drastically fallen over the past 5 years.

 

[blackbeard]

i'm open to new ideas in drag racing (i gave the countdown a chance and now i like it!), but i must say, i think the reason for the poor attendance and/or coverage in sport compact is the same reason i won't attend an event: the culture. i can't stand seeing some baggy-pants, hip-hop gangster wannabe with fake gold toofuses on the street. i'm certainly not going to pay 20 bucks to go to a drag race where i'm surrounded by a slew of them.

 

[K20A2]

I can tell you for sure that is not the case, that type of crowd doesn't show up at the events (insert no one shows up jokes here). To be honest, most of the people that show up also show up when Powerade comes to town. The series and its fans enjoy drag racing, not just one form of it, and I think that is why we are starting to earn a little credibility with traditionalists.

 

[Eric Gross]

Look at ol LADDY .HAvent seen Marty in awhile and now I know why . He went from motorcycles to sport racin.We held a Import race here in Tulsa yesterday and at first I thought this is gonna be a joke . But at the end of the day I was think holy smokes these sombishes are fast