Nostalgia racing fans....what do you think....

The original question was, "what would you rather see....the newer NTF cars, or something more period correct"............... not, "how to promote a slower gas/alcohol class". Granted the topic shifted a bit form the original post...but your comment still didn't add anything.

No body is trying to sell you anything. It's obvious what you like....and we can respect that, but the respect should go the other way as well. Some of us would rather see or race at an event that promotes period stuff, match racing and a good time. Doesn't make us wrong, or less hardcore.

I get it.....trust me. I love to hear/smell/feel nitro cars....that's why I pay to go the big show when it comes to ATL....nothing like 10K hp TF/FC as opposed to a 3K hp NTF....lol.

The great thing is, we all have choices about the shows we can attend. I'm lucky.....have a choice of two nostalgia/vintage (what ever you wan to call it) racing events coming up at Commerce. The ATL10K, and the Gear Jam Drags. ATL 10K is advertising TF cars, Gear Jam won't have any that I'm aware of. I'll probably skip the ATL10K cause it's not the type of event that really gets my juices flowing (reasons in a previous post). Gear Jam on the other hand, is. More based off period cars (had to send a pic to get approval to race), and is more about just getting out on the track and having fun. One thing I wish I could get a hold of is the attendance numbers for both events. Be very interesting to compare the two....

 

That's FUNNY...........but true...lol

 

You're 100% right. But ur basing that off a regular weekly event running sportsman classes I assume. Those aren't the typical kinds of event's where a match race would be popular.

But if you build a whole event around period stuff, the match race becomes much more sense financially I would think.

 

Just saw this one..... Ur right though. I'm AMAZED at the rigs pulling into events these days.

My buddy that used to run 7.5 pro never let the "bigger is better" thing get to him as far as rigs...or any equipment for that matter. Has an older 22 ft mini-home, and tows the dragster in a vintage dragster trailer from the 60's (has to remove the chute pack for it to fit.....lol). He won his class at HRR BG around 2007 I believe. Have learned a lot from that guy.

Never race beyond your means.

 

From the pure nostalgia point events the reunion and march meet are the only ones that draw any kind of crowd consistantly, any other nostalgia event is more for the racers themselves then spectators so if you desire to have a moderate fuel class, plan on paying to play and having to deal with the track owner when only 3 cars show up.There just isnt that many cars that would fit your criteria as nostalgia and enough people willing to build them to that spec. and nobody is going to change their all ready built car to the spec either. I have been trying this for the last 15 years and its just not going to happen,believe me

 

More period correct.

 

-Brad

 

what i would like to see is anything that i would find fun fast and cool. modern or vintage. i can get off running the car at the march meet to watching the midwest supper stockers. it does not matter as long as its a show. most fans cant tell the difference from a modern car to a original. for the pure nostalgia guys do you have to have a vintage tow vehicle and vintage trailer. are you going with gold or silver leaf or are you going with cheap vinyl lettering. if you sit low in your dragster and you have a modern firesuit on compared to a silver suit is the whole mood ruined. or when the period correct looking car bursts into a fireball and goes off the end of the track upside down are you going to be disappointed when a 1953 international ambulance doesnt go down the track to put out the fire. how about tire rollers or push starts and flagmen are they required. the period cars look cool i get it. there are only a few tracks that provide the right feel to make the magic. its not just about the car its the whole package. i have seen more so called nostalgic racing to tell you with absolute certainty most shows out there cant deliver the total package. broadway bob told me i cant book you in unless you can do something the local guys can't. when you find it give me a call.

 

Actually, probably even less so, if anything.
If it's a nostalgia event, paying a pair of vintage Funny Cars to make three passes isn't going to be the difference between nostalgia enthusiasts coming to the event or not.
For my race, do you think anyone will look at the schedule and think "wow! I'm going because of the two funny cars match race!"

Probably not.
Now, if it's a whole series, like a field of Nostalgia Super Stocks or something, then it might be worth it.
But those guys wanted appearance money, purse money and they wanted to run their own bracket race at my heads-up event.
And MAYBE they could get 20 members to bring their cars.

Thanks, no.


-Brad

 

i get into nostalgia. what i dont get into is things like this. without naming names there is a funny car in the midwest that is a real vintage piece. it is one of the all time great ass kicking funnies that ran back then. to see it at a show now on alch. and unable to do a real burnout or run under 7.5 is a real disappointment. the owner thinks it great and the fans think it sucks. now the other end of things. bruce larson still runs his camerro. nhra lets him do 1/8 mile passes. the car sounds right does a good burnout leaves right and hauls ass for half track. its pure entertainment. it doesnt go 200 but looks cool. its all about the show and what the fan got for his entrance fee.

 

Period correct, like back in the day, "Be There! Be There! Be There! Sundaaaay!", stuff.

 

Ur kinda goin off the deep end there. Again, the topic was would people like to see more period correct looking cars....nothing about the atmosphere at the track, fire suits, push cars and the like. Most of that stuff can be satisfied with the cackle cars.

I also think most people understand it's cool to race period stuff.....but also understand the need to be safe. Therefor they understand they are not going to see silver suits, and stuff like that.

Let's try to stay on topic..

 

Well...since you proved me wrong.....I'm not comming to your event..........ya jackwagon....
Guess I'll go to the OTHER event....
NOT........lol

 

Carefull......sounds like a watered down version some one is trying to sell you....lol

 

You started out by saying a nostalgic event. A event is more than just cars. You can have the silver fire suits. I know deist made a spec 20 suit for me. My point still is the (event) is more than a few old cars its all about the feel .Putting nostalgic cars on a nhra palace track with a big tower and concrete walls and lucas oil banners and light up flashing score boards kills the feel. Sure it can be done. Its just not the same. Visit on the web geoff stunkards quarter milestones site and find nitro haulucination to see what i mean. Its worth the time.

 

Lets look what I wrote:

Seems obvious to me what it meant...the cars. No mention of the"feel" of the venues, not the safety equipment, not the ambulance, not the starts, not the lack of flagmen, etc.

....irrelevant to the topic.

I will.

 

Im all about this!!!!

 

Me to

 

Me Three...

 

Here's a perfect example.
How about a series of FED that follows a pattern kind of like the "race saver" series of sprint cars. A limit on engine cubes, say 400, methanol only, a limit on tire size, and a limit on wheelbase. Headsup. You could do the same with altereds, but it will be hard to get that nostalgic look with a modern (safe) roll cage.
Everybody is right about having to get the track owner on board.
We have a hard time finding tracks that will insert our 305 sprint car program in their weekly lineup. It's all about modifieds on the dirt track, I'm guessing at the drags it's all about door slammers.
Whoever pays the bills gets the track time. You might get to be inserted in quiet spots where only a few cars of one class showed up, but how are you going to know ahead of time who's coming?

 

Thanks for blowing up my picture, at the time the rules were 150" max wheelbase, I still like the way they look at that length. Anyone notice my old friend "P-Wood" running alongside? He must have been between runs, with his "Samurai" Dragster, and found time to help us out.

 

So you have 5 cars that meet your criteria and 7 that dont for some reason or another show up at the track----Do you send the 7 home???

 

Me too. Those are the the perfect proportions IMO.

 

Mike throw some nitro in the tank and you will have a easier time getting booked in. Its been proven time and again nitro sells.

 

The only people that make money on NITRO are the ones that sell it

 

I made great money selling myself.

 

Jackwagon?!
I'll have you know I have NEVER done that in a wa...wait... oh yeah...
Nevermind.

-Brad

 

Period correct cars. If I wanted to see new cars I would go to Nhra races, not nostalgic races.

 

Well... think about that for just a few seconds; specifically as it relates to putting on an event.
You just said "start a series!"
How many guys are going to build cars to run that specific series? And how far are they going to be spread out?
You aren't going to get 20 cars built to that spec in a 200 mile radius of the track you want to have events at.
How many cars were built for the HAMB Gas Rails class?
And you want to build a whole series around that? And not only that, but have that be the only cars running at the race?

The way to do that is like the Gasser Geezers, Great Lakes Gassers, Factory Appearing/Stock Tire muscle cars, etc. etc.; they have groups of guys that built cars to their class rules, and then they go to other races and run together.

Even with that, I've run into one group that is hesitant about coming to my race because they don't want to run against cars with Hoosier on the tires, coil over rear suspensions or aluminum-head small block Chevys in gassers.
There are four or six of them in the group I think...
As the show promoter, who do I cater to? The guys who have gassers that look pretty authentic from 20 feet with the hood closed, or the gassers that are dead nuts accurate?
Now keep in mind, I'm talking about nose-high Willys and '38 Chevys in my race with vintage-style paint jobs and lettering; I'm NOT talking about modern gassers with modern paint schemes, slammed on the ground and wearing an air dam up front and huge wing on the struts coming through the deck lid.


Everything is a compromise... You draw the rules as close to ideal as practicality allows (no wings, no modern paint schemes, no front air dams, etc. etc.), and you realize that we're all here to have fun, not re-run the '63 Winternationals.

I LOVE Nostalgia Super Stocks... I have a hard time getting them to my event because they're all running billet racing wheels and don't want to run steelies.
So, do I tell the guy with the otherwise period-looking Thunderbolt that I don't want him running that 2x4 427 at my event because of the wheels? Who wins there? What about the cream-colored 409 Bubble Top that doesn't have a single decal on anywhere on it, runs 9.90 and is back-halved on new wheels? Do people REALLY not want to watch a 409 run 9.90s?
Or the '57 Ford with a big block in it that's been running continually since '72... with Cragar Super Tricks the entire time. Do people really not want to watch a clean, sanitary, not-stickered-up '57 Ford run 9s or 10s because it has Super Tricks?

What I will agree people DON'T want to see is 5.0 Mustangs, '82 Camaros and Pro Mod '57 Chevys at a Nostalgia race.

-Brad

 

Hell wouldn't you know who should win every event before it's run?

Seems like watching re-runs on TV and expecting a different ending each time.