The future of drag racing (1 Viewer)

[ProStockJunkie]

Our old pal Surfer Joe penned some interesting thoughts about the future of drag racing over at DROL:

::: Drag Racing Online ::: Guest Column - If I Was the Czar of Drag Racing.... - 4/10/2007

 

[Joker]

I think he has some good pts and some bad. I really do enjoy watching Fuel cars at night but NHRA will never go to one day b/c they would lose 2 days of admission. I understand that. Plus I dont know if its feasible to have 3 or so qualifying sessions and a race all in the same day. Thats sound a little strechted to me.

I think any thing that makes the sportsman guys spend money is wrong. As for our other thread here, I think NHRA just needs to switch SC/SG with TD/TS and make it an open field.

I personally do not want to see 1000 ft drag races. Its a quarter mile, it always has been and it always should be. I'm not against change but I think changing that would be bad. Its different watching pro mods, 10.5 cars on the 1/8th mile instead of a 2 second top fuel car. Drag racing in my opinion will never be the same if they cut it down from the quarter mile. And personally I would lose a little interest in it. I would still go but it wouldnt be the same to me.

 

[Professor Dave]

As the owner of a comp car, I can tell you that his ideas for the sportsman classes stink. First, getting rid of the transbrake means my two transmissions are now worth about 7 grand less (in total). Second, he says that in order to keep costs down, they'd be some need for restrictions, which means either my expensive motors are worthless or some superclass racers' expensive motors are worthless (why? four cylinder comp motors make about 2.4 HP per cubic inch, V-8 comp motors make more, big inch super class motors make maybe 2 HP per cubic inch). And would a door car be competitive with a dragster at the same weight break. There is a reason why heads-up weight per cubic inch drag racing now longer exists except in the pro classes and at Class racing at national events in stock and super stock: it's just too expensive. (those hemi cars cost even more than comp cars)

 

[None]

I would favor an 1/8 mile or a 1000 foot track if NHRA dropped the 85% rule.

 

[Smiley]

I know 1/8 mile ot 1000' racing was mentioned on a previous thread and one of the points made was that the fuel motors are built to live for 1320'. Most of the time they get there, sometimes they don't. As I beleive the other poster stated in that thread, if the distance was cut to 1000' or even 660' you would still see similar results because they would build the motors to make the most power and live for 1000' or 660' respectively.

I was a bit dissapointed that fuel injected Pro Stocks weren't mentioned, I would love to see that come about, but not so sure if we will.

 

[Joker]

As Dave said, his sportsman ideas suck. Any type of heads up racing will always be expensive. Always. Someone will always have more money and be willing to spend it. You will always be finding new ways to go faster and having to experiment and such to keep up with the lead guys. Heads up stinks, its a money pit. Tell me one heads up class thats run today where you dont have to spend alot of Jack? There isint one. Example: 10.5 racing

 

[Toejam]

It's amazing how eager soo many fans of this sport are to re-invent it! Didn't some racer get killed at an 1/8 track last year? Everyone's saying how 1/8 is the cure all. I don't know enough about 1/8 mile Drag racing to know if or how many racers have been killed at those races. But I wonder how many called for 330 Ft. Drag racing???

 

[Nunz]

There's a lot of talk about 1/8 mile racing. I believe it has it's place, and can be a lot of fun. But it isn't the cure-all to end drag racing's problems. If you shorten the course to 1000 ft., eventually the tune-ups will be on the edge at 990 ft. Same with the 1/8. 20 years from now we'll be having 60 ft. races, with no worries about short shutdowns. As it is, the fuel car races are over before you know it. 1/8 mile fuel races will seem like sand drags. Maybe I'm too traditional, but I believe the premiere events should still be on the 1320, and sprinkle in some of the short-track events for fun.

 

[Kelly]

It's amazing how eager soo many fans of this sport are to re-invent it! Didn't some racer get killed at an 1/8 track last year? Everyone's saying how 1/8 is the cure all. I don't know enough about 1/8 mile Drag racing to know if or how many racers have been killed at those races. But I wonder how many called for 330 Ft. Drag racing???

You may be speaking of the death at Houston Motorsports Park. However, that man died at/near the cutout. Also, he wasn't properly restrained......and it's possible that he had a heart attack. At this point, I don't think THAT particular accident was pinned down to a cause.

 

[mick]

i'll continue to be a proponent for slowing the fuel cars down........
if you look at these three factors:
speed
cost
safety
someone should be able to say something really intelligent about
the exponential movement of these factors over time and their
relationship to each other - i can't.
i also have no idea how best to slow them down - my ideas would
be the same as many others - what's the best way?
nevertheless, as a fan, fuel racing as it was in mid-late 80's would be
fine with me. yesterday's racing with today's safety.
hopefully less money, slower speeds so you can see the sponsors logo longer

 

[mike]

Why do people always have to talk about change in this sport? It's really starting to piss me off (excuse me) I swear this is just a thing of the past two years? If anyone should talk about making changes it's the teams!!!

 

[mike]

i'll continue to be a proponent for slowing the fuel cars down........
if you look at these three factors:
speed
cost
safety
someone should be able to say something really intelligent about
the exponential movement of these factors over time and their
relationship to each other - i can't.
i also have no idea how best to slow them down - my ideas would
be the same as many others - what's the best way?
nevertheless, as a fan, fuel racing as it was in mid-late 80's would be
fine with me. yesterday's racing with today's safety.
hopefully less money, slower speeds so you can see the sponsors logo longer

I was watching my video of the 1990 Winston Finals a few days ago, and whilst it's great to sit back and watch, watching the fuel cars run 5's down to 4.93's at around 270, 280... does not even come close to watching a fuel car today run a 4.4 at over 320. I just looked up at your last comment "so you can see the sponsors logo" I know you're joking but geeez! And here is another thing go tell the crew chiefs you want to see slower racing, they would probably laugh! The whole point of Drag Racing as I learnt from a very young age is to push the limits, keep trying to go quicker, yes we are reaching a point where the cars might not be able to handle the pressure they are under, but slowing them right down as you would so like to see them do, would defeat the purpose of what racing is all about, unless to you it's all about seeing your favourite team win and collecting the cash...

 

[TAFC 5 81]

I bet some of the crew chiefs could find a challenge in getting a single mag, single pump, less OD, less clutch, less downforce (more nitro) combo to go quicker and faster than they did in the past. I don't think TF cars going 4.70s at 300 would put the spectators to sleep. They will still shake the stands when they go by. The first NASCAR crew chief to figure out the COT will be in the $$$$.