Your Favorite Part About The Season Opener?

[cdag]

Hey Darren, There are some homegrown americans that are'nt as patriotic as you. Kinda sad really. People always dissin the u.s.a. It aint perfect, but it's all we got. Your words are refreshing. Here's to ya.

I totally agree...Many people don't realize how fortunate they are to live here.

To respond to the thread, my fav moments of the weekend were Bode's 4.24 in the first session, Densham's performance throughout the weekend, and [what I thought was] better than usual Pro Stock coverage on the ESPN2 show.

 

[Buns]

In a very sarcastic tone of voice, I say my favorite memory from pomona will be Mike Neff blasting off the line against his boss. I've always thought that makes for great racing. Please, a .175 . I bet Mike would love to drive for the DON. You know, the owner who let's his drivers race. But thats just my opionion.

Michael, I thought the same thing as you about Neff's light initially. He has a good story as to what happened though, so this time I am giving him the benefit of the doubt. Still, the Force camp can't seem to get two cars down the track clean very often. Either a SNAFU with parts breakage, or late lights, or clutch timing. DSR teams rarely seem to have these issues when they face each other. But, in the past, when nothing is on the line, JFR teams have appeared to race heads-up if it is in the earlier rounds of a race. Just sayin...

Really? You think that Mike would've tuned a 4.03 if he knew that he had to lose to John? Would have been much safer to tune a lower number and give John the win, even if John fell off in performance.

And Mike's talented enough that he could drive/tune anywhere he wants, I'm sure. He tuned Scelzi to a championship and I have no doubts that Don would take him back if that's what Mike wanted. Mike has said many times that he's very happy at JFR and that obviously hasn't changed.

The Force conspiracy theories never end, around here.

 

[Reese]

Didn't Mike lose two finals last year because of red or bad lights in the finals? I knew he left early in Houston 2011 against Jeff in the finals but I think it happened again later that year against someone else(not a Force car).

 

[Bullet]

Really? You think that Mike would've tuned a 4.03 if he knew that he had to lose to John? Would have been much safer to tune a lower number and give John the win, even if John fell off in performance.

And Mike's talented enough that he could drive/tune anywhere he wants, I'm sure. He tuned Scelzi to a championship and I have no doubts that Don would take him back if that's what Mike wanted. Mike has said many times that he's very happy at JFR and that obviously hasn't changed.

The Force conspiracy theories never end, around here.

Didn't Mike lose two finals last year because of red or bad lights in the finals? I knew he left early in Houston 2011 against Jeff in the finals but I think it happened again later that year against someone else(not a Force car).

Come on guys.... let's not get too sensible now....

 

[Deuce]

Really? You think that Mike would've tuned a 4.03 if he knew that he had to lose to John? Would have been much safer to tune a lower number and give John the win, even if John fell off in performance.

And Mike's talented enough that he could drive/tune anywhere he wants, I'm sure. He tuned Scelzi to a championship and I have no doubts that Don would take him back if that's what Mike wanted. Mike has said many times that he's very happy at JFR and that obviously hasn't changed.

The Force conspiracy theories never end, around here.

Bernie...haters are gonna hate no matter what.

 

[Buns]

Come on guys.... let's not get too sensible now....

You're right, my mistake!

Bernie...haters are gonna hate no matter what.

Very true.

 

[yoda]

My highlight.... Falling asleep during the audiocast.... then falling asleep at the same spot during the TV broadcast....

d'kid

Maybe it's me (and Cassie), but as excited we were to watch the broadcast, we we numb and in a coma before the nitro semis.... Maybe, possibly, the broadcasts might be a bit too long, with all the pit visits and just not enough on-track action? In fact, can't the race broadcast just be THE RACE, and then maybe they can have a weekly broadcast of the activities off the track (pits and off-site)?

Oh yeah... They did.

(Shameless plug- Reinhart has a pretty open schedule most Monday- Wednesday, as long as he can get back to the alley by Wed. night... No one better to chat up a few racers in their own backyards..)

 

[wilbur]

You guys have me pegged all wrong. I think John Force is good people. And I think Mike Neff is one hell of a tuner. I just think the traveling, hollywood roadshow is old news. I swear I'm not part of any conspiracy. But I'd bet a very small amount of coin, that when Courtney, if Courtney, lines up against another team car, with a race win at stake, she will be holding her first Wally. I'm not trying to bash anyone, I think they're are a few of us, who have seen these things play out in the Force camp.

 

[Dave]

Looks like Mike hit the throttle first but the difference was where they staged.

http://www.competitionplus.com/photo-gallery/gallery-2010?func=detail&id=357399#joomimg

 

[yoda]

Mine was all the focus on the Force camp. Need even more Force...

Amen, Brother Mopar! I just needed one more shot of Courtney Force standing somewhere to make my day perfect! Actually I was a little bit surprised that there wasn't more Force overkill...there was actually less Force stuff than I expected...although I would have liked to seen one less "interview" with Force or Courtney and possibly a little coverage of the drama surrounding Terry Haddock's struggles to build a new car in time to qualify. Oh well, so it goes.

I usually am pretty put out with "All Force, All the time" coverage, but during the off season, I came to a realization: absolutely NOBODY in our sport, including the sanctioning bodies, has been able to put together a better marketing program for their team/ business than the folks over at JFR.

From the way they handle their press releases (Force "rumors" were technically under the radar in relation to other teams and the way their business was put out to the market) to the ways that they are continuing to maintain their sponsorships and add new ones, JFR could easily get out of the racing business and just give lessons-for a fee- to ALL of the other teams out there on the correct way to always stay in the public eye.

Maybe NHRA is missing the train by sucking up to Bruton when they could just hand the reigns over to John and his folks and let him run it for a few years.

I bet the ESPN coverage would be a TOTALLY different contract than what is in place now...

 

[Bullard Anderson]

If racing is a business then John Force can run his business how he choses. It's up to the employees that work under him to determine if they can work in the enviroment. It's up to the customers to decide if they like or buy the product.

History has indicated that fans are willing to buy the product dating back to the days of another Castrol Funny Car in the opposite lane of John Force, that being Tony Pedregon.

After seeing controversy or questions of controversy surround the Force Camp for many, many, many years I believe the questions will always remain.

JFR did the job on Sunday and got the opportunity to race in the final.

The "controversy" that surrounds JFR cars in the final doesn't bother me as much as it did some years back. As I've gotten older I have realized that the solution is not to complain about how the man choses to run his business.

It's really up to the other Funny Cars in the category to do something about it.

Let me type that again: It's up to the other Funny Cars in the category to do something about it by 4:30 local time on a Sunday.

Signed, Not a JFR Fan

 

[wilbur]

I guess I am guilty for getting off the subject here. It's probably been stated here before. I totally agree, If John Force, or another hall-of-fame driver/owner, were put in charge of the n.h.r.a, the sky would be the limit.That's not to say , we would'nt still have problems. Just someone with some fresh ideas. Someone with an imagination. Imagine that,John Force- Pres.-Don Prudhomme-dir. of marketing- Big Daddy-dir. of research. I,d take just one of those. Makes me wonder, if that would ever happen.They probably would turn the job down. Oh, and maybe our very own P.J, Dir of Innovation, and countdown administrater. We can dream, right?

 

[yoda]

I guess I am guilty for getting off the subject here. It's probably been stated here before. I totally agree, If John Force, or another hall-of-fame driver/owner, were put in charge of the n.h.r.a, the sky would be the limit.That's not to say , we would'nt still have problems. Just someone with some fresh ideas. Someone with an imagination. Imagine that,John Force- Pres.-Don Prudhomme-dir. of marketing- Big Daddy-dir. of research. I,d take just one of those. Makes me wonder, if that would ever happen.They probably would turn the job down. Oh, and maybe our very own P.J, Dir of Innovation, and countdown administrater. We can dream, right?

Flip some of that and you have a working plan:

- Prudhomme- President (longer history, more in touch with Wally's beliefs, truly an elder statesman of the sport, a VERY TOUGH businessman)

- Force- Director of Marketing: An obvious "go-to"; has a track record of being able to sell ice to Eskimos (drag racing to the mass media); has one hell of a marketing team already in place; has a direct contact to the youth pulse. A "can't miss" if given free reign once a mission statement has been created by the new organization.

- Big and AA/Dale- Technology czars. Nuf' said.

 

[Les]

Maybe it's me (and Cassie), but as excited we were to watch the broadcast, we we numb and in a coma before the nitro semis.... Maybe, possibly, the broadcasts might be a bit too long, with all the pit visits and just not enough on-track action? In fact, can't the race broadcast just be THE RACE, and then maybe they can have a weekly broadcast of the activities off the track (pits and off-site)?

I agree...The one hour/1.5 hour format I think is ideal for drag racing along with a weekly behind-the-scenes show. Plus, ESPN wouldn't have to find a 3 hour time-slot to fit Drag Racing in. The problem would be getting the sponsors the same T.V. exposure in a shortened show.

 

[Rajunz]

I don't see how you guys can bi+ch about the shows being too long. For me, I can watch it all, I love to watch Drag Racing. Just tape delay them and speed through the stories if you're not into that stuff.

 

[DrRocket]

I don't see how you guys can bi+ch about the shows being too long. For me, I can watch it all, I love to watch Drag Racing. Just tape delay them and speed through the stories if you're not into that stuff.

x10!!!

 

[Les]

I love to watch Drag Racing.

Me too...I love watching the racing.

 

[partsman]

I don't see how you guys can bi+ch about the shows being too long. For me, I can watch it all, I love to watch Drag Racing. Just tape delay them and speed through the stories if you're not into that stuff.

I agree Lance, but there are always those who think it's all about them, whining cause it's not exactly what they want.

You can't please all the people all the time .......

Oh, and my favorite part of the season opener is C Ped DNQ.

 

[Paul]

Oh, and my favorite part of the season opener is C Ped DNQ.

Oh, you are talking about the 1 car team that beat all of the JFR cars in points last year? Don't worry about Cruz, he will bounce back and contend for the title. Oh, and my favorite part was the #16 qualifier taking out the #1 qualifier in round 1 of FC.