The big Go - Big deal? (1 Viewer)

[Les]

The first thing that comes to mind is doubling the points like it used to be. That'll make it interesting.

Why did they go away with the 1.5x the points for Indy? I think 85 or 86 they went away with it. Raising the stakes would help raise the prestige of winning the U.S. Nationals.

An older Drag Race fan I met at E-Town this year went to Indy in the 60's & 70's. He described it as at that time it was where East met the West...the only race of the year where you could see all the top cars run at once. The Hemi Shootout is still in that spirit I guess...But professional fuel racing isn't regional as it was then. It's hard to call one car from the East coast or West Coast or South etc. cause the teams all end up in Brownsville Indiana it seems. It's just harder to distinguish the U.S. Nationals from another national event on T.V. or in the press.

Being there is another story...IRP is a amazing race track to be at, and I still get goose bumps right before first round on Monday

 

[mick]

we're pretty lucky to have as many older venues as we have in nhra; and if
you've been lucky enough to attend at one or more of these tracks for a
period of consecutive years, i'll bet you hold that weekend in fairly high regards.
indy, pomona, englishtown, gainseville, atlanta, denver, brainerd
(with possible exception of denver skip one year to rebuild?) are all @
30+ year plateau's......reading & phoenix also fairly high on same list?

indy's the big deal, i'd love to get back there again.

 

[clwill]

Additional points, esp. as the last race before the countdown cutoff, would be very cool. Lots of additional incentive there.

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

From a purely practical point of view, there is nothing but an additional day and round of qualifying to distinguish this race from any other. Same points, same teams (except a few more one-timers), same format, same purse, same trophy. There aren't even the "race-within-a-race" add-ons any more. It's just another race.

But as Mike said, so is the Masters, so is Wimbledon, so is Monaco, etc. People want one golf trophy above all others, it's a green jacket. One tennis trophy above all others, it's the cup from the All England Club. And so on. The only real reason is the history of the event. When you list your accomplishments, you'd list a season championship and then a win at Indy, then all the rest.

So, no it's not special. But it is.

Excatly right

Adding points would only make a difference to the racers. If they want to make Indy special again, open up the fields. Make it an "ALL RUN" then if you win INDY you really did somethin.

 

[none]

Indy does pay more to win

 

[Toejam]

You should ask all the racers who attend? Indy gets the most cars every year!!

 

[FC138fan]

I would got goosebumps at BIR when they did the anthems, and they fire the engines right at the end.

I like the East vs West reference... again that doesn't happen today. The additional points, the Big Bud and the double up bonus... all done away with.

I would also like to know why they get so many cars... is it just cause it's Indy.. or is it because of location / time of year?

 

[James]

You think Indy don't mean **** anymore? Ask Ron Capps after yesterday.. Or numerous other drivers who have yet to get that US Nationals Wally..

 

[timebombkal]

Indy is Indy, but it has lost some glitter. No more big Bud shootout, the pro Bike race, 2 qualifying runs each day, and a lot more cars in the pro classes, no 1320.
But it is INDY.

 

[Bullard Anderson]

You should ask all the racers who attend? Indy gets the most cars every year!!

Dittos Joe.

Not to get into sports fan psychology here but there are peaks and valleys in fan-dom through a persons life. Sometimes other things become important others not so. 10 years ago the Daytona 500 was the biggest race to me. In the 80's I was mesmorized by the NBA and knew the starting lineups of each team. Daytona is now number two on races and the NBA is not even on my sports landscape and never on my TV. This is just me. I realize there are a ton of folks out there who salivate over the NBA still.

Indy is the big one in my house.

 

[Huge]

You think Indy don't mean **** anymore? Ask Ron Capps after yesterday.. Or numerous other drivers who have yet to get that US Nationals Wally..

I'm with you on this one James. Indy is the only race that teams test at the track a week before the race. And when teams pull in to Indy you can bet they are going to have their best, blocks/heads/blowers/fuel pumps, and clutch discs. We have had our worst explosions at Indy, but we have also had our two best runs at Indy.

 

[Toejam]

The Big complaint I hear from racers and fans who quit going is it's just TOO Long!

 

[SundayNiagara]

Yep, it says right there in my first sentence "I missed this year".

You missed the point, entirely.

 

[SundayNiagara]

The Big complaint I hear from racers and fans who quit going is it's just TOO Long!

That's the beauty of it. However, it was much better before they structured the qualifying. King, are you old enough to remember, "the Wednesday that was?"

 

[cantdrive55]

I'm not sure if Indy has lost it's luster, or if my perspective has changed. Gone are 32 car fields, double points, double money, and bonus races in the Pro catagories with a potential bonus for winning the event. Instead it now plays out like any other national event, only difference is Indy has an extra qualifying session. I think it's a safe bet that 32 car fields and double money are history, but I think double points would definetly make an impact. Also, IMO, bring back the Pro bonus races (TF, FC, PS, PSB), I know the K&N Challenge is at Norwalk, but it never should've left Indy. Also, the Top Fuel Classic was never at Indy, but it should've been. I'm sure my ideas are probably a pipe dream, mainly because it would require NHRA to get off their butt and entice sponsors for these programs that they left to die on the vine.

 

[The Swegian]

You missed the point, entirely.

I got your point. Perhaps I used the wrong word in my original post. I understand that many people view Indy as drag racing Mecca. I love going there and was saddened to not make it this year. My opinion is simply that in terms of history, nothing can match Indy. But on paper, the way it is now, there is not a huge difference between it and other NHRA events. Mike Larson referenced The Masters. There is a gigantic benefit to winning that (or any one of the other Majors) beyond wearing a green jacket, like being exempt from qualifying for a PGA tour card for several years. I'm not trying to diminish what winning Indy means to a competitor. I understand many of them define their career by their Indy success, or lack thereof.

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

One more "Q" shot, thats all.

 

[PJ]

Why do baseball fans want to take in a game at Wrigley or Fenway? Other than perhaps your home team's park, where would you like to take batting practice? Chances are it is one of the historic ballparks.
Why do football fans want to see Lambeau or the Big House?
There is still something about an original six meeting in hockey?

Daytona & Indy 500 are the same as the rest of the races on the schedule but yet they too are cherished for what they are and what they have been.
Like the US Nationals, these sports may not be here today if not for guys racing on a beach, or tearing around some track that was once in the country or blasting down the 1/4 mile.

Love or hate the NHRA but they are the big show. The clashes, crashes, battles, wins, losses, shavings, record and more that have happened at Indy helped grow the sport. Not everything started or happened at Indy but the some of the biggest stories and events have. There may not be a Charlotte, Vegas or countless other tracks if not for Indy.

Sure today with the countdown and 20+ other races it really is just another race on the schedule. It has no more or less signifigance on the season then any other race. But the history of the sport and the history of this event is what makes the US Nationals special.

 

[James]

I went to the US nats in 2004 (the 50th) and it just had that special feel to it. I've been to every Gatornationals since 1990 and not one has compared to the Indy event. I've been itching to go to another.

 

[N/A]

give me the Indy's and Pomona's any day of the week.

Never been to Indy, but had the chance to go to Pomona for the 50th. That venue is awesome! Talk about being right up on the track. Some things are better with age.