The John Force hate - I just don't get it. :/ (2 Viewers)

[rollingthunder]

Uh, oh. I'm breaking out the tinfoil hat if we're getting into conspiracy theories...

HAHA we'll pass them out as you walk in the door

 

[HEMI6point1]

Yes, that does happen. The GM guys did it to the Dodge boys when they broke in their shop and busted their engines up.

More like busted their own engines up because they knew that the walls were closing in and needed a diversion....

 

[elvis]

More like busted their own engines up because they knew that the walls were closing in and needed a diversion....

Whaaaaaaaat?!? This is the first I've heard of this! How dare you make baseless accusations. It was the GM guys! They even spray painted "GM" on the walls! Why would they break up their own equipment when they had winning combinations and ruled the class?!?

 

[Sandman]

They were using nitrous. That's also why they were never competitive again...

 

[elvis]

No way Jim! Those blocks they had were one of a kind "magic blocks" that could never be created again! How dare you guys accuse them of doing that! This was the GM guys sinister plan all along and Elvis Presley and Jimmy Hoffa were the leaders who organized the 'Black Op". Nitrous in Pro Stock?!? Unheard of! Where would they put the bottle? The oil tank would be the only place it would fit and you take a chance of that exploding with the hot oil! That would be dangerous...

 

[Mooseman]

Are you implying that John Force is not a viable representative of Castrol unless he throws races?

No way not at all am I implying that I am just saying that I am sure that when a sponsor sponsors a team that that comes with a set of expectations.

As far as throwing the race goes what is really the big deal over it if you take a dive on purpose thats a choice of the individual. I personally don't even know if he did do it on purpose who am I to say whether he did or not. Some times the most unlikely things happen. People say its the fact that he lied about it or whatever well flip what on earth do you people wan't from John Force the guy is only human.

 

[Sandman]

Like you and lots of people, I really admire John Force for what he has accomplished in his racing career. How can you not be in awe of his humble beginnings and where he is today. I mean the guy was a truck driver, took his tax refund check to buy his first flopper, struggled for years and years, eventually succeeded and the rest is history. It's what happened AFTER he made it that kills me. He went from hard-core racer to businessman, and I've had enough of businessmen in the rest of my life, I don't need to be beat over the head with it when I watch drag racing. I can't stand his loud manner, I can't stand his constant reminder of why he does this ("I get paid to win, etc...") and his "manipulation" of races to benefit his goals. If John were more of a racer and less of a businessman I mght feel differently. But he isn't and I don't.

 

[Mooseman]

Like you and lots of people, I really admire John Force for what he has accomplished in his racing career. How can you not be in awe of his humble beginnings and where he is today. I mean the guy was a truck driver, took his tax refund check to buy his first flopper, struggled for years and years, eventually succeeded and the rest is history. It's what happened AFTER he made it that kills me. He went from hard-core racer to businessman, and I've had enough of businessmen in the rest of my life, I don't need to be beat over the head with it when I watch drag racing. I can't stand his loud manner, I can't stand his constant reminder of why he does this ("I get paid to win, etc...") and his "manipulation" of races to benefit his goals. If John were more of a racer and less of a businessman I mght feel differently. But he isn't and I don't.

I can understand completely what you are saying. I understand every word.

 

[George.]

I can understand completely what you are saying. I understand every word.

Folks, this is America.
Again, you can be successful and have enemies, or you can be average and have plenty of friends.
The main goals are success and security.

When a record artist somehow makes it big time, there will always be cries from fans that he or she "sold out". BS.
As fast as friends appear in the good times, they scatter like cockroaches when things go south.

I would bet that JF would have done some things differently, but none of us are perfect. Want to blame someone for NHRA's John Force overload"? Blame the lack of personalities to step up and help shoulder some of the P/R weight..

 

[mick]

george, your comment regarding others stepping up to shoulder PR load
is correct, and some of us, even myself sometimes have to be reminded
just how closely tied JFR and NHRA are.

over the weekend was contacted by a friend via email; she was ridiculing
me for working on a sunday to which i replied, 'it's not that bad, also
watching live stream of drag race from bakersfield, ca'.

this morning her reply (in reference to herself and husband) is this....

Mike & I love watching Drag-racing on tv - we like John Force & his girls, fun to watch.

I know he talks often of going to BIR, but also know he never does, so
this couple is strictly casual TV viewers.

 

[Bobby]

;AND you would lose almost all of the sponsors until new stars emerged ... started winning lots of races and championships ... adding cars ... attracting sponsors ... in other words started the cycle all over again. But could NHRA generate enough revenue to survive the interim? Maybe ... Maybe not. With JFR and DSR in the mix, NHRA and more importantly, we as fans don't have to worry about it."

really

so you're saying john force fans are john force fans and not drag racing fans.


that sponsors couldn't sponsor someone else and get the same return, in a sport with an more even playing field.


I enjoyed the gators more in 1997 than I will this year.

1 Randy Anderson 5.019 290.51
2 Tim Wilkerson 5.026 282.92
3 Gary Densham 5.057 286.53
4 Dean Skuza 5.060 290.04
5 Al Hofmann 5.102 301.70
6 Tony Pedregon 5.128 296.54
7 John Force 5.148 299.60
8 Del Worsham 5.195 285.08
9 Ron Capps 5.232 287.53
10 Cruz Pedregon 5.380 285.26
11 Whit Bazemore 5.422 295.66
12 Chuck Etchells 5.574 217.65
13 Mark Oswald 6.918 132.70
14 Norman Wilding 9.489 88.60
15 Gary Clapshaw 9.975 85.94
16 Tom Hoover 13.586 69.63
--------- Not Qualified ---------
17 Freddie Neely 15.466 71.50
18 Gary Bolger 20.021 33.87
19 Bobby Baldwin No Time

 

[FC138fan]

;
I enjoyed the gators more in 1997 than I will this year.

Off topic, but that was the year Hofmann won the Gators in his red/white/blue unsponsored firebird... and promptly blew up in the lights and got impaled on the guardrail... all on LIVE tv?

...and one of the last times anyone won an FC event with an unsponsored car (although he did it again later in the year)

 

[mw6789]

Like you and lots of people, I really admire John Force for what he has accomplished in his racing career. How can you not be in awe of his humble beginnings and where he is today. I mean the guy was a truck driver, took his tax refund check to buy his first flopper, struggled for years and years, eventually succeeded and the rest is history. It's what happened AFTER he made it that kills me. He went from hard-core racer to businessman, and I've had enough of businessmen in the rest of my life, I don't need to be beat over the head with it when I watch drag racing. I can't stand his loud manner, I can't stand his constant reminder of why he does this ("I get paid to win, etc...") and his "manipulation" of races to benefit his goals. If John were more of a racer and less of a businessman I mght feel differently. But he isn't and I don't.

You had better be a businessman out there today, or you wont be a hardcore racer for long.

 

[Bobby]

Off topic, but that was the year Hofmann won the Gators in his red/white/blue unsponsored firebird... and promptly blew up in the lights and got impaled on the guardrail... all on LIVE tv?

...and one of the last times anyone won an FC event with an unsponsored car (although he did it again later in the year)

I remember that very well. it was exciting . force only had one teammate. those were the days.

 

[vegasnitro]

so you're saying john force fans are john force fans and not drag racing fans.


that sponsors couldn't sponsor someone else and get the same return, in a sport with an more even playing field.

No, what I said was with JFR and DSR in the mix (read: the multicar teams) we as fans are ensured full fields of well funded cars and if those teams disappeared who knows what NHRA would like ... and luckily we won't have to find out.

Sponsors could give a sh!t about a level playing field. In fact, I am sure that Castrol and Ford and Traxxas and Auto Club all LOVE the fact that the coverage is tilted in their direction. It's what they are paying for, exposure. There is no other team in drag racing that can give Castrol what JFR does. So no, I don't think Castrol could sponsor a smaller team and get even close to the same return as they do with JFR. FRAM used to sponsor a small team and where are they now? Why do you think that is?

 

[FC138fan]

I was home sick on Friday so I had the house to myself with no kids or wife for nearly 8 hours. I went and watched most of "Drag Racing 96" - the funnycar segment. It was pretty much all about John Force. That was due to his dominance. They mentioned controversy when John would face new teammate Tony Pedregon. This review was narrated by Bob Frey and Steve Evans.

I guess that's fair, if you dominate, you should be the lead story and get the most airtime.

Some things never change... however I did get bored with the dominance and started to root for the underdog.

 

[Bigfishtools dot com]

I am not a Force fan at all, but this sport would not be where it is without him

 

[Bobby]

I was home sick on Friday so I had the house to myself with no kids or wife for nearly 8 hours. I went and watched most of "Drag Racing 96" - the funnycar segment. It was pretty much all about John Force. That was due to his dominance. They mentioned controversy when John would face new teammate Tony Pedregon. This review was narrated by Bob Frey and Steve Evans.

I guess that's fair, if you dominate, you should be the lead story and get the most airtime.

Some things never change... however I did get bored with the dominance and started to root for the underdog.

and now the controversy is multiplied times 4

how is this good

how will anyone ever trust races when so many team cars go up against each other

I love drag racing for it's purity

no drafting
no pit stops

no bumping
no running into your opponent to wreck him

or her

having 4 team cars in a 16 car field.

boring.

 

[Bobby]

No, what I said was with JFR and DSR in the mix (read: the multicar teams) we as fans are ensured full fields of well funded cars and if those teams disappeared who knows what NHRA would like ... and luckily we won't have to find out.

Sponsors could give a sh!t about a level playing field. In fact, I am sure that Castrol and Ford and Traxxas and Auto Club all LOVE the fact that the coverage is tilted in their direction. It's what they are paying for, exposure. There is no other team in drag racing that can give Castrol what JFR does. So no, I don't think Castrol could sponsor a smaller team and get even close to the same return as they do with JFR. FRAM used to sponsor a small team and where are they now? Why do you think that is?

because they can't compete that's why .
That's why you make rules. To prevent this kind of dominance.

I mean what is this about anyway ? pleasing the sponsors? or the fans?

it's tilted too far away from the fans imho.

 

[Sandman]

You had better be a businessman out there today, or you wont be a hardcore racer for long.

I agree with that comment, after all the racers need to treat racing as a business to survive. But how come I never hear Tim Wilkerson act like Force? Sure, he always thanks LRS, which is commendable and the right thing to do, but I've never seen Wilk bully his way into someone else's finishline interview. Seen John do that too many times to count. I just feel John Force is...well, too much John Force. Now it's bled over to his brainless son-in-law, Hight. I'm not just a JFR basher, because I am a huge Neff fan, and I love the fact that he tunes the car and drives it as well. Now THAT's a racer!