NHRA shortens track to 1000 ft for fuel cars

I guess the new bench racing term will be...

So, how fast is she in the .528 mile?

 

Overall Dragstrip design should be the MAIN starting place to improve the safety of the sport....It hasn't kept up with the progress of the cars involved.So many ways to improve on the track itself ,I just don't think they want to spend the $$$$$ .Hell,they use asphalt for half the track to save on all concrete.for one example.

 

All this makes the sportsman cl***es look SOOOOO much better. So with that in mind, there are always the Divisional events, Sportsman portions of the national events and all those smaller local tracks. And lets face it, it costs WAAAAY less on so many levels to hit the local tracks. And in most cases, you'll know some of those guys too.

Going to the local tracks reminds me of going to our Cl*** A pro baseball games; those guys are there for the love of the sport, not the paycheck. Sure they are striving for the shot at the big show, but it's different at that level.




Vance

 

If the tires available at the time would have stayed together,
Eric Medlin might still be alive,and John Force wouldn't have
had his big accident.

I would like to think they could use Kevlar
to make tires that are more puncture resistant.

The "new" Goodyear tires are $710 each,
and last between 2 and 6 p***es.

 

Slot cars...

 

We can pretty much all agree that the fuel show is just for the billboards for the sponsors. Take away the return of the money spent and the add money goes. So you ain't happy on the 1000 ft. Don't support the show. It will go away.

Wanna still go to drags? Go to Old Time races, Nostalgia shows, Funny Car reunions, G***er shows. People who are doing racing the old style way, out of pocket. Pizza store, car repair sponsors for support. Open trailers. Foot brake, stick shift cars. These old time events are like it was in the 60's.

I help on an Alky Nostalgia FC. We match race. Booked in to nostalgia races. We put on a show. Got a back up girl, We wave to the crowd on the return road, We do a long burnout and dry hops.
We get invited back by the promoters cause the spectators and the other racers love it. Last year we were running side by side 7-30's @185 and the stand are on their feet. There are always faster cars running than us, but the Floppers put on the show.

Go to an old time race, Just wandering the pits looking at all the cool old **** is worth the ride.

Frank

 

Since when did 1320 feet become cast in stone. Drag racing started out as a city block. There were many 1/8 mile cow pasture tracks in the south that gave birth to southern style match racing. There were 1/2 mile drags in California. Any body remember where? Some tracks ran them 4 wide, too. I've been going to the drags since 1959 and enjoyed every one. I'll take a wait and see at***ude about 1000 feet until I see it in person. Wonder what IHRA will do?

 

We can discuss this decision for another 1,000 posts. If you like it, great. If not, do what Rainman suggested and write the NHRA @ nhra@nhra.com.

 

Geez, when drag racing first started, spectators stood right next to the track. When that proved too dangerous, safety methods were employed. As cars went faster they became more dangerous. More safety measures were added. And so on. Why not just take the next step in improving safety in order to accomodate the continually increasing speeds?
Or are they just trying to cut down on the amount of fuel used? Think of the $aving$! JK!

 

$1405 for a 33 gallon drum,and expected to increase again.

After 2 runs,I doubt you would have any left from a whole drum.

 

There acctually is truth to that as the Nitromethane is made in China now and something happened over there that limits the supply. And VP fuels is the official supplier, I think. And they got money invested in NHRA now. So another source isn't acceptable? I don't know the details but there's a lot of BS about this ****.

Frank

 

i got exctie dfor a second, i was finally going to be able to break into the 16's

 

This is a stupid idea.
NHRA has needed to lengthen the shutdown area for a long time now.
That is the only reasonable solution along with some form of net.
Placing a 'hard stop' device at the end of a race track is criminal to say the least.
r

 

Look, the problem is that fuel cars blow up way too often. It's a bigger problem in Funny car because it takes the body off and tears up parachute lines, brake lines etc. and that's when all hell breaks loose.
Smaller motors won't help, they'll just blow up more of them. Shorter tracks won't help, they'll just blow them up earlier. Smaller tires just mean they'll go up in smoke more often, which zings the motor and another one blows up.
The ONLY way to cure the problem is limit the amount of fuel that goes into the motor. Single mag won't make much different, but a smaller injection pump and restricted amount of flow will. If you can't put the fuel into it you won't need the gargantuan blowers, you won't blow as many motors, horsepower and speed will be reduced and there will actually be BETTER racing because it won't be a pedal fest because of over powering the tires and more side by side drag races because they won't blow up every round. It's either that or go back to Alcohol, which might be even better.
Some here said it's really a race of crew chiefs and that is correct. Part of the problem is there aren't enough really experienced fuel crew chiefs. Too many have come up as crew members and been "Promoted" but they don't really know the magic of the tune up like Austin Coil, **** LaHaie, or Alan Johnson. these guys don't' give up their secrets and there isn't training ground from lower cl***es that is appropriate. I guarantee you that these guys **** doesn't blow up have as much as the inexperienced guys who don't know for sure how much lead to time the mags or how much the clutch is going to load the motor and another one goes boom.
The other thing they need to do in Funny Car is attach a chute release to the burst panel. If the burst panel blows off the chutes deploy, your race is over at that point anyway, and it makes even an unconscious drivers car slow down.
And as Scelzi said, 250mph RACING beats a 330 mph pedal fest and blown motor crashes any day.
remember that Drag Racing is a contest of acceleration between two vehicles over a prescribed distance. Make a set of rules that will keep the cars together and actually getting down the track and let the crew chiefs run a race!

 

So how are they going to deal with the records? Place a big asteric next to all the current records and refer to this new system as the 'modern era'?

Vance

 

The burst panel was intact on Kalitta's car,so connecting it
to the 'chute would not have solved that problem.

They need a better spec on how the burst panels are designed and attached.

Hotroddon is correct,fuel volume = HP in these cars.

 

I agree.

 

I have read all 6 pages of posts here and have not seen this mentioned. During qualifying "Hot Rod" Fuller made a full p***, 317mph, and the chutes did NOT deploy, or even come out of the bag for that matter, and he was able to stop the car with the brakes alone and make the turn at the normal speed, indicating during even less than ideal conditions the shutdown area was sufficient. The chutes on Scott's car did not deploy and I think it's pretty obvious he never touched the brakes, he was probably out. Yeah the shutdown area at Englishtown may be a bit short (1/2 mile) but the sand trap was and is a joke, and the pole or scissor lift he hit was a freak thing, Prudhomme even said so. When he hit the trap the car went airborne according to Prudhomme, which would indicate the sand trap entrance must have been elevated, a gross oversight in my mind. A proper arresting device may have saved him but we'll never know. My father ran AA/fuel dragsters into the early 70's and that's where I draw my experience, so basically you can chalk up one more here that has run a fuel car, albeit not at today's speeds. In today's NHRA "business" doing nothing is seen by most as ignoring safety, although the experienced know better. That's my .02.

 

Well, I don't have any answers. I do have more questions now, though...

The N/TF and N/FC cars are getting pretty fast. ****, look at who's tuning them. I'll just name Famous Amos Satterlee, for one. Knows how to make them go quickly. Knows how to keep them in one piece. Knows how to blow them up. The nostalgia shows have full fields. NHRA can't seeme to get 16 cars to fill the roster, much less have interesting emilinations. NHRA is a strictly spec series. N/TF runs many engines, ch***is builders and things like blowers. If you go to a vintage style show, you can find the same manufacturer's power to root for as in your daily car. Most NHRA events are controlled by the track as far as food and drink concessions go. $8 beer? NHRA style.

I dunno, I'm just sort of rambling here, but Mazomma1 has nailed it. The Golden Years of drag racing are alive and well at the CHRR, March Meet, NHRR, TR&K's Dragfest, the HAMB Drags and what ever I am forgeting. It has everything that NHRA has lost sight of. My grandson is the right age to bring to the drags. I'll be taking him to the above events, taking him to the Winternationals or the World Finals at Pomona, would not make him a fan of the digs. Too boring for a short attention span 14 year old boy.

Question: How will NHRA deal with the fact that pro comp cars are almost as quick as the so called Kings of the Sport and the nostalgia cars will run the 1320 while NHRA runs 1000 feet? Will the sponsors see more value in the vintage show? I already do.

Question: Have we already seen the quickest and fastest? That would ****, wouldn't it?

Question: Is it a good idea to make drag racing more focused on personalities, like the tabloid style constant looking at the Force family, and never showing all the runs made by their compe***ors? It does work for NASCAR. But NASCAR fans are sure different than drag race fans. The drag race fiends know who tunes the car, are very aware of what makes a car go. Generally, it seems like the fans of toiletbowl racing know what kind of laundry soap ol' Jr. likes. Very much like the difference between boxing and wr***lin'. One is the "Sweet Science" and the other is a "Show".

I don't have answers. And my mind has been made up for a real long time. NHRA is not my first choice for my "**** in the seat" bucks. Progress, as defined by Tom Compton and Graham Light, will be the death of the NHRA.

Someone mentioned John Force's support of 1000 foot and slowing the cars down. I guess so. His records would live forever, without any chance of being topped. It would buy him imortality. I see his point. I respectfully disagree.

 

#1 It is not the length of the track that is the problem. #2 It is the length of the shut down strip + the size of the sand trap + the open area on the other side of the sand trap. #3 When they have a short shut down strip with a concrete barrier at the end, WTF do they think will happen when a car crashes into it? 300 mph plus a concrete wall = no chance.

 

They should cut the ticket prices by 320 as well....

 

yeah ya might be,,,,,,....its all about the the power and the speed,not turning corners except the return road.I have stated before,make them look more like cars and that alone would slow them down some,but NHRA coming up with the 1000ft ******** is exactly that! hard to set ANY records at that length..FYI I kinda got a idea what Im talkin about I worked on floppers for 4 years and wheelstanders for many more....I dont know the answer but I really doubt the dog food company guys running NHRA do either,except Mr.Light

 

I find it interesting to say the least, that people on the HAMB actually come out and state how boring NHRA drag racing (and nascar) has become.

I thought I was the only one who felt that way. I haven't watched a race on TV since I was 18 and got a real car.

anyways, just my 2cents................. RIP Scott

 

I've been attending drag races since I was 11 years old, starting in 1964.
Over the years at the gazillion races I've been to I've noticed two distinct kinds of fans.
1 Those who know nothing about drag racing.
2 Those who know EVERYTHING about drag racing.

Frequently the two are the same. I have read and heard endless *****ing, moaning and griping about 1000ft, the NHRA and even the drivers themselves. JEEEZ!
Read this:
“The board members of the Professional Racers Owners Organization (PRO) wholeheartedly and unanimously support this decision,” said its president Kenny Bernstein. “We want to thank NHRA for listening to our input and suggestions to incorporate these changes. It is not lost on any of us that this cons***utes a change in our history of running a quarter-mile, but it's the most immediate adjustment we can make in the interest of safety which is foremost on everyone's mind. This may be a temporary change and we recognize it is not the total answer. We will continue to work hand in hand with NHRA to evaluate other methods of making Top Fuel and Funny Car compe***ion safer so that we might return to our quarter-mile racing standard. We also want to thank Connie Kalitta for his invaluable input. He has been a rock through these difficult times.”


READ IT? UNANIMOUS MEAN ANYTHING TO YOU?
For those that bemoan the "pussification" of racing, go call Jerry Toliver a puss. Go call Connie Kallitta or Ed McCulloch or Bernie Fedderly a puss.
Try the Pedregons.
When these guys say slow down, ITS TIME TO SLOW DOWN.
Unless you want mid season rule changes to cars, that would require basically all new cars, 1000 ft is the way to go.
It's not a knee jerk reaction to Scotts death, its the culmination of MANY issues, Tires, shut off, ch***is failures, costs etc.
It's about time PRO put its collective foot down, It's time to act <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1:stockticker>NOW</st1:stockticker>!
So stop your complaining, stop your second guessing, whining and moaning.
These guys are <st1:stockticker>FUEL</st1:stockticker> RACERS, YOU <st1:stockticker>ARE</st1:stockticker> NOT! Go watch golf!<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
<o></o>

 

Is lopping 320 feet off the track length at 300 MPH really going to make it that much safer? I DON"T THINK SO. The answer is to improve the shut down area. Get a clue.

 

It would be nice to have a real long shut down area. All we have to do is find a level 2 mile long strip of land with no roads across it, that's real close to a metropolitan area (to support a national event), has no neighbors to complain about the noise/congestion or encroach on the strip (RIP Green Valley) and have the money to move the current strips there (cuz the one's that running now don't meet the above criteria).
Good luck,
Larry T

 

Actually, for the amount of runs they make the number of crashes; serious injury and or death, isn't very high at all.

 

I am tired of losing friends and compe***ors from the past and present. No one involved WANTS to do this but it HAS to be done until a good solution is reached.

I don't give two ****s what everybody thinks or wants outside of those who do it for a living or other type of commitment. If the owners and drivers give it the nod then it needs to be and everyone should be ok with that. That IS what happened.

As stated go tell Connie or Toliver or better yet Big Jim Dunn you don't like it and report back with your findings.

Nobody said it was permanent. If you don't like it don't go. Simple.

Another way to look at it is if we keep killing everyone off the records, sponsors, fans and memories don't really mean all that much in the end. Drag Racing is dangerous yes but it is not a damned blood sport.

Lest all the "historians" and "expert" look back at GranPrix racing (F1 for you new kids) and forget the m***ive changes that had to happen when they were in the tragic era.

All of the rumor, innuendo, and pure speculation about the incident that took Scott will be put to rest in due time. Concrete wall was NOT the problem.

For the first time in a very long time it seems that everyone involved inside and from the outside actually agree that things need to be addressed for the good of the sport/entertainment that it is.

I need to stop here...

 

When you spend your own dime and lose friends over it.. then you can talk about it otherwise let other make change for the better of the sport. FuelFC well spoken !!!

 

FuelFC, thats exactly what I'm saying!
Agree 10000&#37;!