Raconteur
Nitro Member
Incremental and gradual aero mods have served to distance both funny car and pro stock racing from the fan base, much of what originally made both funny car and pro stock racing much more interesting...
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Incremental and gradual aero mods have served to distance both funny car and pro stock racing from the fan base, much of what originally made both funny car and pro stock racing much more interesting...
yoda
Nitro Member
^^^What he said^^^
It's not the same class anymore. Almost every aspect of what I would go to the drags for- the long smoky burnouts, the dry hops, the wheels-up action, the on-the-edge stability- has all been replaced by slot cars with missile engineers surrounding them (remember when it used to be only the crew chief that was referred to as a "rocket scientist"? Now, we launch Valkyries with less engineers...).
I like the feel when the beasts go by, and I like the close competitiveness of the Pro Stockers, but what would the sport have been like if when Ormsby, Garlits, Bernstein and Head came out with their radical pieces, NHRA said "Fine- here's a class for you all to go play in together. Have a good time", and left the foundation of the classes being about cars that looked like, well- CARS, as the original classes? And then let the fans decide which ones they liked the best.
mastertone
Nitro Member
I enjoyed Prostock the best when they looked like real cars when they ran 9.90.
Same with F/C when they ran in the mid fives.
I'm not disagreeing with anybody here who misses the old days. But I've enjoyed watching barriers being broken since I was a little kid, and these milestones weren't achieved by leaving things alone. If the goal is to go from A to B in the quickest and fastest manner within a given set of rules, then over time, everyone will gravitate toward a very similar design. How different are Indy cars from each other? For that matter how many fans relate to Indy cars because they resemble what they drive? Having said all that, Larry Morgan's new Mustang doesn't bother me nearly as much as what Larry has said some people are spending in that class.
Raconteur
Nitro Member
How different is IndyCar? Are you kidding, can you go to your local Dallara dealer down on Main Street to see the new cars with the DW12 chassis? No, that is what was so special about drag racing and added to drag racing's popularity.
The monies spent on all forms of racing will eventually even out based upon market conditions, no sponsorship can completely pay for a racer's addiction to speed. In the meantime, there will be more racers sitting out events while they collect funds to race, survival of the financially fittest.
The problem with what has evolved into today's Nitro Funny Cars and Pro Stock has nothing at all to do with nostalgia or anybody's Golden days. Those classes were once aspirational classes; a similar car could be seen at the local Chevy/Ford/Dodge dealership down on Main Street.
In the fall the new car models came out and many of us dreamt of buying and we bought those cars - we could fantasize our participation in Pro Stock or other classes, because the cars on the drag strip looked like that car in the showroom, not simply providing a nostalgic stiffie.
Ford's interest in selling stock-looking Mustangs at the dealership down on Main Street and backing Sportsman Ford Mustangs in drag racing supports this.
Win with an AeroBlob on Sunday, sell that to Joe the Plumber on Monday? Nope, not anymore.
JMHO
Justin@NRE
Nitro Member
I've had an idea for a while.. We produce Full Tube Chassis versions of current production models, much like the GT classes in Super Stock, only lighter. Dimensionally identical bodies.
Then... Power-adders in Pro Stock. I would go twin 35mm turbos, 4.0L supercharger for limits. Base engine package needs to be based on what's installed in the model car from the factory. So if you run a Camaro, You could run the 2v 7.0L motor in 2014. Mustang could run the new Blown 5.8L 4v DOHC. Or you could run either with twin 35mm turbos. Dodge would have to get rid of that awful Avenger box and use a Challenger or Charger and they could use the latest Hemi.
Instead of weight breaks by cube or power adder... I'll throw in that the lightest curb weight on the factory model is 2350 lbs.. Take the ratio of curb to race weight, and the cars must weigh proportionately to the curb weight of their street counterpart.
So...
2014 Camaro Z28 - 3800 lbs. - 2350lbs. 1.61:1
2014 ShelbyGT500 - 3845 lbs - 2389lbs.
2014 Challenger SRT8 - 4160 lbs. - 2584lbs.
That Mopar better have more power or lose some weight!! If you're worried about Aero, then the factory needs to make a more Aero friendly car.
If you want to use NHRA to sell on Monday, I think this is how you do it.
Then... Power-adders in Pro Stock. I would go twin 35mm turbos, 4.0L supercharger for limits. Base engine package needs to be based on what's installed in the model car from the factory. So if you run a Camaro, You could run the 2v 7.0L motor in 2014. Mustang could run the new Blown 5.8L 4v DOHC. Or you could run either with twin 35mm turbos. Dodge would have to get rid of that awful Avenger box and use a Challenger or Charger and they could use the latest Hemi.
Instead of weight breaks by cube or power adder... I'll throw in that the lightest curb weight on the factory model is 2350 lbs.. Take the ratio of curb to race weight, and the cars must weigh proportionately to the curb weight of their street counterpart.
So...
2014 Camaro Z28 - 3800 lbs. - 2350lbs. 1.61:1
2014 ShelbyGT500 - 3845 lbs - 2389lbs.
2014 Challenger SRT8 - 4160 lbs. - 2584lbs.
That Mopar better have more power or lose some weight!! If you're worried about Aero, then the factory needs to make a more Aero friendly car.
If you want to use NHRA to sell on Monday, I think this is how you do it.
vegasnitro
Nitro Member
I think you are onto something here, but the turbo combo would almost immediately be unbeatable. If they want to run the V6's that come from the factory, then let the turbos run on those. Turbo V6 versus a 7L V8 versus a blown 5.8L V8 in stock looking cars shifting gears ... Count me in!
I would even like to see stock blocks and cranks and have them run on pump gas ... But I have always been a bit of a dreamer.
Justin@NRE
Nitro Member
You still have the same tube chassis/4-link setup as we do now. Proven safe and strong, no need to re-invent the wheel there. I would change the body panels to be dimensionally identical to the street cars.
No we don't build chassis here, just clutches.
Justin@NRE
Nitro Member
My thought is that Factories will be constantly evolving their engine programs, and the Pro Stockers have to evolve too. Same engine builders we have now can massage the new combinations, but since you'll probably only have it for a year or two and the factory actually produces current parts and engineering for it, engines won't cost $2+ million a year. They won't be around long enough to build up to that level. And I'm talking about stock blocks and heads. Heads can be massaged by builders, but combination is basically bone stock components massaged.
Rajunz
Nitro Member
I found the missing doors. The placement of the rear door handle is pretty amusing....All the Avengers have 2 missing doors also.
