Top Fuel Dragster evolution. Morphing Top Fuel and F1 (7 Viewers)

[Nitro Bass!]

Well they have evolved over time and that is why NHRA always does things to slow them back down. It all comes back to safety in all forms of motorsports. INDY cars were faster 15 years ago compared to today. Also stopped going to tracks like Vegas because they were just unsafe to race on. I would rather have the restrictions we have now than having evolution that eliminates racing at Pomona because the shutdown is too short.

I love the time you have put into the chat GPT nitro car. Pretty cool if that could exist. Is it worth it to run the same as what they currently do? Probably not because cost involved. Unfortunately we love a sport with niche fan base and sponsors not lining up to spend 30 million a year. We’re fortunate to have the sponsors we do and the people willing to spend what they do to have a 20 races across the country.

I’m sure at some point in the future we will be like Australia or Europe. They both only have a handful of cars in both nitro categories. Fortunately the fans still come out and support the

You just hit on it. I don't think IndyCar racing is any less exciting to watch today than it was when the cars were faster. The racing is close, exciting, and the driver skill is second to none. I don't think the fan experience has changed much either.

Of course, we all want to see cars go quicker and faster, but there is no way on God's green earth I'd want to be going over 340 mph if both parachutes failed at Pomona.

I'm not a racer, I'm just a fan. I'm happy to let the smart people in this sport figure it out, but they have to figure it out. If that means changing the A/Fuel or Top Alcohol classes, or making other significant changes, then do what you have to do to preserve the incredible nitro experience and keep growing the sport.

I like a lot of different kinds of racing, but as I have stated many times before and I know we all feel the sane which its why we are here, is that there is no other experience on planet earth like a blown nitro car. That's what separates Drag Racing from any other kind of racing.

 

[none]

There truly has to be a happy medium out there if they can't be allowed to go any faster and evolve. Less carnage, less cost, closer more consistent racing, less Safety Safari on the track cleaning up, and a better positive fan experience.....

Take the blowers off. Less Carnage, Less Cost, Closer Racing, Less Clean Ups.
4 seconds 300 mph.

Is that what you want?
Alan

 

[Chili]

You just hit on it. I don't think IndyCar racing is any less exciting to watch today than it was when the cars were faster. The racing is close, exciting, and the driver skill is second to none. I don't think the fan experience has changed much either.

Of course, we all want to see cars go quicker and faster, but there is no way on God's green earth I'd want to be going over 340 mph if both parachutes failed at Pomona.

I'm not a racer, I'm just a fan. I'm happy to let the smart people in this sport figure it out, but they have to figure it out. If that means changing the A/Fuel or Top Alcohol classes, or making other significant changes, then do what you have to do to preserve the incredible nitro experience and keep growing the sport.

I like a lot of different kinds of racing, but as I have stated many times before and I know we all feel the sane which its why we are here, is that there is no other experience on planet earth like a blown nitro car. That's what separates Drag Racing from any other kind of racing.

We all talk about how great nitro was in the 70’s-mid 80’s. The cars didn’t run in the 4’s or 300 MPH but what made it great? For me it was the long burnout, the dry hops and 25 cars for 16 spots. The competition wasn’t as great as it is today though. The nostalgia cars today run faster than they did in the 70’s but it isn’t nearly as exciting. The fans empty the stands like pro stock was up next. Why? The reason is the box has already been opened. Hard to get fans excited about 4.70’s in 1000’ when they just watched 3.70’s at 330 MPH.

I may be in the minority and love drag racing. If there was an alky race that was going to get 25+ cars in both classes I would be there in person to see it. Same with Pro Mods as long as they are going 1/4 mile.

 

[Nitro Bass!]

Take the blowers off. Less Carnage, Less Cost, Closer Racing, Less Clean Ups.
4 seconds 300 mph.

Is that what you want?
Alan

There has to be a happy medium.

Keep the blowers. Keep the sound. Keep everything that makes nitro racing one of the most incredible experiences in motorsports. The goal shouldn't be stripping away the identity of the class, it should be finding ways to make it more affordable, more repeatable, and more sustainable so the fields can grow.

I also think backing the cars down significantly would make them more consistent, produce closer racing, create a better show for the fans, and ultimately lead to bigger fields. Not many people in their right mind are asking for these cars to keep getting faster and faster, especially on tracks like Pomona.

Like I've said before, there are plenty of smarter people in the sport who can figure out the technical side of it. But simply taking the blowers off isn't the answer. That's essentially what A/Fuel Dragster already is. They're incredible cars in their own right, but I have a hard time believing a 16-car A/Fuel field would fill the grandstands the way a 16-car blown nitro show does.

The spectacle of blown nitro is what built this sport. The sound. The violence. The flames. The raw emotion. The dry hops and throttle whacks of the old days. That experience is what blew people's minds and made lifelong fans. People packed the grandstands to see it when the cars weren't even close to 300 mph.

That's the magic the sport needs to preserve.

Find a way to keep that experience alive while making the class healthier, more affordable, and more competitive. That feels like a much better long-term solution than removing the very thing that has always made nitro racing special.