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Top Dragster at FIRP! (1 Viewer)

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Registered member said:
Jim,

You may want to check that. Unless things have changed, that monster in Gladden's frame rails is from Panella's.
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I did - Paul set me straight very quickly :rolleyes: What a work of art!
Told him I could root for he and Denny until the final (they can't meet until then), then I wouldn't know who - he set me straight on that too - :D
It was great to put faces with names today - racing tomorrow should be spectacular!
 
The growth of the Top Dragster fields has come partially as a result of a decline in Super Comp/Quick Rod fields. Top Dragster is certainly more entertaining to watch as a spectator and, based on the number of drivers who have switched (some run both), apparently more entertaining to drive as well.
 
Registered member said:
The growth of the Top Dragster fields has come partially as a result of a decline in Super Comp/Quick Rod fields. Top Dragster is certainly more entertaining to watch as a spectator and, based on the number of drivers who have switched (some run both), apparently more entertaining to drive as well.
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Well said, but . . this is rapidly escalating into a "how fast do you want to go?" situation. A high level Top Dragster competitor predicted the bump at LVMS will be 7.20 - two tenths faster than this weekend! Super Comp and Super Eliminator teams I know just can't afford the huge maintenance costs involved in leaning on equipment this hard.
That said, this is a return to real racing - no endless crunching data into a computer and trying to figure what numbers to enter so electronics control your race car. I guess if you're not a Big Dog . . . stay on the porch!
Opinions?
 
My dad went to run 2 $5k bracket races in LA this weekend and they had a Quick 16 program so he entered it. He qualified with a 7.61 number 14. The only reason he was able to make it in was b/c most of hte really fast cars are at the Div 4 race. But still, the no 1 was a mid 6 at over 210 mph. Just crazy.
 
The pay out for the Top Dragster class is shameful. You nearly have to go to the semis just to get your money back. I have been seriously considering going to nostalgia racing because you at least get some money back if you qualify.
 
Having run both S/C and S/E for many years in the past, if/when I get back into it again, I would choose to run either T/D or Nostalgia Dragster. They both look like fun to run and both are fun to watch. I know I could put together a decent low 7 second/high 6 second T/D with a few phone calls (and large budget), since I have run similar equipment for many years. To run Nostalgia, Dragster, I'd have a very steep learning curve, and it would take years to learn it all, but looks like it might be worth it in the end. Tough choice that I hope to get to make i the near future, lol..
 
If you are talking about A/ND or B/ND in NHRA Comp. Eliminator, they are extremely difficult classes with high risk of CIC hits ruining your class index in just a weekend.

Complicated Eliminator can be fun, as there are no electronic "enhancers", but cubic money is still the rule.
 
Registered member said:
To run Nostalgia, Dragster, I'd have a very steep learning curve, and it would take years to learn it all, but looks like it might be worth it in the end. Tough choice that I hope to get to make i the near future, lol..
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I biased because I was such a huge fan of jr fuelers back in the 60s, but build a B/ND car will allow you to run both the T/D class and the nostaglia races and if you hit the lottery, comp too.
 
Registered member said:
i've got 3 words for this guy.... "WAMP...WAMP.....WAMP....!" I've always believed that it was easier to be the guy coming up on the other car, but THAT'S JUST CRAZY FAST!!!! I've come up on a guy who was running mid 11's at 110 and I was in a 160mph dragster....at 1000' I was saying..(i'm not gonna catch him:()...at 1200' I was like..(Well maybe...:confused:) at 1321' I was saying....(F#$K!:eek:)

I say he's gonna dial in a 6.200 for 1st round and try to drive the Stripe!!! ;-)
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Tim at Dallas last year they some guy in an old Alky Dragster in SC with the Blown Hemi and all. He ran a 8.92@217! His 60' time was a 2.58, my point is they are crazy fast now! I bet if some guy running close to 200 MPH ever wipes out a competitor in the other lane going 150-160 I bet NHRA creates speed limits!
 
Registered member said:
Tim at Dallas last year they some guy in an old Alky Dragster in SC with the Blown Hemi and all. He ran a 8.92@217! His 60' time was a 2.58, my point is they are crazy fast now! I bet if some guy running close to 200 MPH ever wipes out a competitor in the other lane going 150-160 I bet NHRA creates speed limits!
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Mike Manners from here in Houston. When it leaves the line, it just dies and then a few seconds later it just explodes. Pulls a wheelie about 2 to 2 1/2 feet in the air and just takes off. 8.90, 210 plus.
 
Registered member said:
...Super Comp and Super Eliminator teams I know just can't afford the huge maintenance costs involved in leaning on equipment this hard.
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It's all in the parts and prep. Most of the S/C guys are spending piles on motors that if they had just spent a couple grand more and had them built correctly could be running T/D... of course they need to get over the suspended cars that weight upwards of 2000 lbs.

My little small block car runs in the 7.50's at 1630 pounds... with good parts, correct valvetrain geometry, and the biggest pushrods that will fit I have over 200 laps on the same set of valve springs and rebuild.

Most S/C racers don't know how to really go fast. And they sure as hell don't know what it takes to build a reliable "go fast" motor... they usually just write a check to someone to build a motor and never look inside except to run the valves.

That said, this is a return to real racing - no endless crunching data into a computer and trying to figure what numbers to enter so electronics control your race car. ...
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There isn't any less crunching data in T/D... instead of entering your numbers in the throttle stop timer you write your number on the car.
 
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Greg,

When we started to put a 406 SBC together for TC from old B/ED parts, we thought we could run 7.50 for a year or two and have some fun.

LODRS races are now out of the question without a healthy [:eek:] dose of nitrous.

We have an older car and may have some issues getting an advanced ET sticker too.

I wish now that we had sold the SB stuff and bought a BBC!

The cost of Boy's and their toys!!:p
 
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Well from my perspective, TD is for me! My car is going to be different than the current ones, it's an altered with a supercharged 406 SBC, nothing like a blown motor.

At the div 7 opener this weekend, most of the TD cars I saw were pretty well much the same with little or no differences between them. To me, distinction and innovation is what makes drag racing so appealing and most of the cars I saw were "cookie-cutter" type of cars, not my cup of tea.
 
Registered member said:
I believe that's Steve Casner and he normally runs NE1 at the Nostalgia races. BTW, if Gerard builds a roadster it'll have to be a A/FMR...still on some percentage of nitro, just like the good old days! Notice both of our Avatars!:D
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Yup that's Casner! When he debuted that car a few years ago, we won a lot of Top Comp races!! Awesome and consistant car! Love the name..."GOLD DIGGER"! I love that car, and looks like he did pretty good!

Timmah
 
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