I understand everyone feeling like the old standard of "1320" is what drag racing used to be. But everyone should remember that they were not going anywhere near as fast as they do now. My argument is this, and yes I agree with shortening the race, they are just to fast. First stop making all forms of racing bracket racing. That's what Top Fuel is too, they have rev limiters the have gear limits, hell there are limits on every square inch of those cars. Boy this is going to get everyone going......shorten all races to 1/8 mile and turn them loose! No limits, lets see cars that are shooting for world records, not likely today. You have to keep the sport some what safe or insurance is going to kill it. I don't want to sound like I am a fan of the NHRA either, but we are stuck with the fact the are the largest sanctioning body in the world for the sport we love. Trust me the insurance companies listen to what they say is safe and what isn't.They have not been safe for a long time, just lucky. I understand the idea of taking away allot of the technology they use but isn't that why nostalgic racing is the fastest growing segment of drag racing today. Too many limits on those guys to and it could go away if you only shorten the distance. A drag race is a drag race no matter what the distance. If you don't believe me then you should come to Kingman Arizona on the weekend of September 19th and 20th. We hold the worlds largest legal drag race down main street. Full timing system, all the safety equipment, but we do it for 330 feet.250 cars last year including Blown Alcohol Funny Cars. And we had 15,000 spectators because its back to what drag racing was supposed to be......Fun! Just my 2 cents worth.........
Don't know about the 1000' foot deal - whether it's in or out. But . . . here's what I understand happened a few years back. Your basic dragstrip had 1320' from start line to finish line and ET's are timed between the two. MPH is timed from front to back of the 'speed' trap. Back in the day the speed trap was 132' long and centered on the finish line. Meaning; the MPH clock started running 66' in front of the finish line and stopped 66' past the finish line. Today, things are much the same except that the speed trap starts 66' in front of the finish line - as it always did - and stops the MPH clock right at the finish line. This where the term, "driving out the back door" came from. Staying on the throttle for the 66' beyond the finish line was worth perhaps 2-3 mph in the 200 mph cars. And I'm guessing here, maybe 4-6 mph with todays cars if they ran full throttle to the MPH clock 66' beyond the finish line as strips of old did. Reasonable to think as well, that the cars running what? - 340 mph on todays strips would be turning close to or right at the 350 MPH mark. The cure is easy. Get rid of the rear wing. The front wing is ok and a safety device of sorts in that it keeps the front wheels on the ground for steering input. Do not allow any other aerodynamic devices such as external "tunnels" in front of the rear wheels. Let the rear tires take the full brunt of the oncoming air. It may help as well to get rid of the "Zoomie" header design which can dump oil on the rear tires if engine damage happens early in the run. At high speeds the aerodynamic factors probably carry oil over the tire, but they could still contribute to an oiled-down tire. Shorten the wheelbase as well - to 260" or so. That would cut traction as would the removal of the rear wing The fixes are easy, cheap and the shorter wheelbase would be fairly easy to factor in over a reasonable time period. Who knows, maybe we'd end up with rear-engine cars that look almost as good as an FED. Key word here is, "maybe." Weedburners anyone?
RIGHT ON! This was our point too, #1 is having a long enough shut down area + a sand trap. #2 What did Scott face? From the film it certainly appeared that track had a concrete barrier going cross wise - so if you can't shut down - you hit it. #3 Abstract comparison, what if we had live exposed electrical cables around a football field & everytime someone stepped out of bounds they were fried? Well of course not, then why by the same token would they allow a concrete barrier at the end of a drag strip that would kill the driver? #4 Return to #1 - long enough shut downs and sand traps. My 2 cents
I don't think there's ANY chance of them going backwards!!! Shorter cars,no wings,smaller blowers,smaller tires,no electronics,etc......IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN!!! I grew up watching,and helping with the old cars. It was great back then! Fuel Alterds were my favorite!! But those days are gone...It seems like "Corporate Racing now! Last time I went to Pomona,there were only about six passes where one of the cars didn't haze the tires.
Rich Venza just posted on the OF's site, that NHRA is studying limiting engine size, smaller blowers, 1 mag, smaller fuel pumps, etc. etc. for T/F & Funny Cars!.................Maybe there is hope yet.
Oh, but it has happened, Bob. Check out the racing at the March Meet, or the CHRR. Nostalgia T/F and F/C cars have a big following. The crowd at the recent march meet was huge. Over 20 vintage funny cars trying to qualify for a 16 car show. Enough to give this geezer hope.
You're right Dean... The Nostalgia racing is where it's at! I drive a T/D in NHRA & IHRA competition with all the fancy electronics and gizmo's that run's 6.50's @ 201 and I also drive a Front-motored digger that only runs 8.20's @ 160 and I promise you, there's a lot more thrill running the Nostalgia stuff for this old geezer. Running at Maple Grove or Bowling Green with the zoomies spittin' a little Alky in yer face... it don't get no better than that!
The fact that a Rod site (HAMB) has this much posts about this goes to show you the passion towards this subject. NHRA racing holds little appeal to myself anymore but I am an old Fart and of no consideration to NHRA as a business. I can see the Nostalgia movement getting huge but it already has its own issues also now. Many of the Nostalgia Funnys are not true to what they were and some of the FEDS are ugly also. They are all pushing the Rules to obviuosly keep the cars safe and stable. Which is what a Competitor will do. I hope they can come toghether before that gets screwed up also.... Money always wins though... You get old stuff changes.........you have to deal with it and enjoy what you can... Things work out best when people work toghether...Love the HAMB and people here. Wow what a deppresing post. Think Ill go Crank Sounds of the Dragstrip up in the Garage and drown out the neigbors shitty sounding Honda.. .
Also with regards to already mentioned here is the following link to the Rumor on NHRA spec Engines.. http://www.dragracingonline.com/analysis/xi_4-nhra-1.html Support your Local Dragstrip... .
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