Don't tell me to do a search...cause I did and found nothing,LOL!!! Since the NHRA shortened their runs to 1000' for Top Fuel and Funny car,did the IHRA shorten theirs too?
No, The only IHRA National event that I can remember in recent history running less than 1320 feet was San Antonio running 1/8 mile due to poor track surface.
Bob, do a search! Look what I found; -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------- You know what? I think your right. Doc.
The IHRA guys dont seem to post the numbers like the NHRA guys did in the 1320, I wonder if its due to the smaller budgets of the IHRA teams not having the R&D and the ability to go balls out every pass. Any ideas? Brad
I would have to say it is a combination of smaller budgets and track prep. At the risk of sounding like a smartass the tracks stayed the same length..they just click them off sooner.
HA HA HA! No,not a chance!!! I was watching an IHRA race on tv today and wondered if they had changed also. I watched the whole show and they never made any refference to it. So I thought,hey! I'll ask the guys on the HAMB...they know EVERYTHING!!!!!
SMARTASS!!!! Just kidding...I know they didn't change the tracks. I was reffering to the distance. But then,you knew that...RIGHT? hahaha
O/T but, go to 1 mag, drop the load a couple of % and NHRA could go back to real drag racing!(1320, that is) Sorry BB, had to get it off my chest.
I'm an IHRA "regular" and as of right now it's "Keep 'em lit to the 1320". Aaron Polburn, the Prez, has said that for '09, all IHRA National events will be run to the 1/4 mile. For us "slow guys" (my junk runs just over 200 in the quarter) 1320' is great, I just can't help but think that for the Fuelers, a 1000' track would be the safest bet. I was in Bruce Litton's pit at The Rock last spring and out of 12 tires, only 2 made it all the way through without the sidewalls separating. Kinda spooky! Bruce said that if the tire makes a full pass, it'll make 8 or 10 full passes, but according to their data, they are all failing just past 1000-1100 feet.
i think NHRA's 1000fts a good idea. the tracks cant keep up with 310+mph passes, the safety equipments got no room for error, and honestly the car designs havent changed alot as speeds increased. 1000ft until every actual fuel driver agrees that there ready for the full 1/4 again. IHRA should shorten it too, they run just as fast, on tracks that are sometimes worse just because someone hasnt died doesnt mean they cant play it safe-er
I would've agreed too, until I got an up-close and personal look at the tire situation in the Fuel Class. Until the tire manufacturer, Goodyear, builds a tire that will completely withstand these insane forces without coming apart, I believe we should run those two classes to 1,000 feet. During the Pro classes, I am the guy at the top end normally standing anywhere from 35' to 90' from the track as they go by at 300 plus and trust me, you can't tell 330 m.p.h. from 275 when you're watching them race. As long as there's close competition, that's what I'm lookin' for. I say keep them jockeys as safe as possible.
Or maybe the answer is to let some of the other tire companies give it their best shot, and lets see if they can develop a better tire. M/T and Hoosier were doing great until Goodyear decided that they did not like the competition, and had the other companies banned. Maybe if the NHRA was ran by real racers, that only cared about what it took to be the best, instead of who was willing to pay the most money, then I would still have faith in the NHRA. As it is, I am very happy about the growth of Nostalgia Fuel cars, but not the Heritage series. Brian
I don't think NHRA will go back to 1320. The thing that brought this all on was a shitty track out dated by 20 yrs! Yes, I know 1000' is where the trouble usually begins, but reducing the %, 1 magneto, & smaller fuel pumps would take alot of that stress away. The tire problem isn't the length of the course, it is a manufacturing issue, don't tell me they (Goodyear) can't come up with a better tire! Anyway, just one old racer's opinion, time for my nap.
1000 Ft Stinks. It's a cop out - a band aid fix. There still going 300+ mph.....( 285 at the 1/8 on a good pass ) at the 1/8 folks....!!!! There still way to many things to hit near the tracks racing surface. The fuse has already been shortened and stuff is still blowing up. It is a slap in the face & middle finger to 50 years of records & performance based on a world standerd - 1320 ft. Big Pro teams don't want to change there set ups. NHRA lacks NASCAR'S Leadership and will not force ( no pun ) change's. They could limit the can to 4 disks. They could eliminate retard programing & electronics. They could ask Good Year to build a Skinny Tire. They could go to One Mag. They could go to one Fuel pump. But They didn't And They won't. And that's just as sad as it gets.
All three people that care about current Drag Racing are upset, for the rest of us Drag Racing died about thirty five years ago, to bad I was only a year old and wasnt around to see the good stuff when it happend.
It would be very difficult for NHRA to go back to 1320 ft. They have determined that it is unsafe and made their track lengths shorter to the length of 1000' which they now say is the safe length. Any reversion to the longer length would have to be justified by safety testing showing the reasons that they now think 1320 is a safe length again or they could face massive lawsuits for doing something that have already declared unsafe.
I say go back to 1320 by limiting wing size, down sizing the blowers back to 6-71, and only alow one magneto and see what happens. Just for kicks, the NHRA should outlaw data aquasition on all pro cars and make these crew chiefs earn thair money the hard way! Whoever siad 1000 feet is a copout is dead on.
Muttley, It may have died 35 years ago to the man in the stands, but to the three of us that are still doin' it...Drag Racing really ain't no sectator sport anyhow. Strap y'self into a 200 m.p.h. dragster and see if it's really dead. =)
The modern NHRA is a complete failure when viewed with the history of NHRA in light. We all know that. There is no 'low-buck' way to run a NHRA track. The 1000' shutoff is a band-aide cop-out. There are very few truly good men in the ranks of the pro NHRA racer. They are mostly marketing tools and nothing more. In my opinion, they shold go back to bodies that actually look like cars and not a space ship, one mag, one fuel pump, little or no wings (I know, I know, safety issue here), and limit the blowers to 6.71. They need to remember where they came from and the reasons they came into being. That goes for the top fuel cars as well. I love the drags, I grew up around the drags. Hec, my mom was six months pregnant with me and she was still racing. I try to carry on with my sons, but it is now nearly cost prohibitive to go to a local bracket race, well alone participate myself anymore. I for one, hate what the NHRA has become. I could care less what happens to them if it weren't for the ripple affect on our own car hobby. That is problematic at best. r
It’s more of an issue of shutdown area or lack of shutdown area at the old tracks that cannot be retrofitted with a longer strip. Scott died at Englishtown; I doubt the accident would have been as horrific had the crash happened at Indy or one of the big tracks. 1000 ft isn’t drag racing anymore than 1/8 mile or bracket racing is. Keep the true ¼ mile at the good tracks and let the old tracks run “1000 ft. non-point money only” events. I think it’s odd that the drivers are back tracking now and saying “It was a great decision that NHRA went to 1000 ft” They are speaking for the sponsors not the fans. It’s much cheaper to run the nitro guys 1000 ft and with the economy and sponsorships in such sad shape I can see why the short strips were made permanent. Hells yeah, take a mag off or limit the wing size but keep drag racing at 1320 ft. This whole thing burns my biscuits!
.... and the A/Fuel guy w/ the dually and gooseneck trailer (and no sponsor that mile-an-hours in the 270's) will make all the Fuel team sponsors writing 7 figure checks run like rabbits, when a Top Fuel car is only marginally faster than a "Pro Sportsman" car. Dve
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