ATTN all Drag Racers in and around western NY New non Bracket race program

Hello:

We are looking to start a Drag Race ***n to race a Heads up program.
The whole idea is simple drag racing with fun for Racers and Family. Races will not be won by hitting the Brakes here............
I have a set of Rules drawn up and hopefully will have a message board online in the next few weeks (or sooner).....
But we are just starting and there is a lot to do.

We would Love it to have a great diversity of Cars. G***ers , Rods, Factory, FEDs ,Altered s, ............
This will be an opportunity to Race in a Heads up format with whatever you have and in your budget. I believe there are many people out there (young and old) who would enjoy this. Im in the later category

We are thinking that people most interested in this would be in the
Western - Central New York region,Very Northern Pa. But hey anyone is welcome.

I wholeheartedly believe that this could be an event that would bring people out that just love Drag Racing or have not raced in awhile.

Leave your Dial Boards and Weather Stations Home

PM me for more info I will check it every night

Spread the word. The more people the better.

Thank you HAMB for your time to run this great Board

LZ

 

Good luck. To say the least.

 

Hello I Drag and thanks I know what you mean
But-
Would you be interested ??? Can I PM you?

 

LZ, hit me up with a pm and let me know some more info. I'm in Rochester, and a lot of us drag race. Thanks

 

LZ; sure you can PM me, but I'm probably not interested.

I admire your idealism, however, I have never seen heads up racing that didn't escalate into a spending war.

Everybody races for different reasons. I happen to LIKE bracket racing, nostalgia style. I race with NETO (Neto-nostalgia.com) and while their program is not perfect, it's close enough for me, for now.

I could talk all day about the good and bad of drag racing. PM me if you'd like. If not, in all sincerity: good luck.

JK

 

I have personally bracket raced for 14 years, been at the track since I was about 5. The good thing about bracket racing is you don't have to have the fastest car, you have to be a better driver. But that being said, if there was some cl*** racing around here that I could build a car for, and run heads up, I'd give it a try.

 

New York International Raceway Park - Leicester, NY USA

 

Actually, they are no longer going by that name. They have switched to NHRA sanctioning for 2008 and have a new name, although I do not remember what Bob told me it is.

 

Independant
PM'd you
thanks

 

I want to see more about the format for this type of racing.
We need a place to race flat out but with some guide lines to keep cost down.
Whats this about NYIRP going NHRA ??
Matt

 

Depends on the cl***es, as we have a front engine car about to be finished this winter. NYIRP will be NHRA in 2008, I was making liscensing p***es a week or so before you had your car out and Bob was telling me about it. I can't remember the new name of the track, but he did say it was changing. Matt, what kind of ET are you turning with your car?

 

independentcustoms:
Great to hear about another FED. What can you tell us about it?
I did not get enough runs in to figuire out what the car will do. We had a lot of weight on the clutch and the motor rich so it would just motor on down without anything spectacular. Then to make it even more of a slug, the idiot driver [me] frogot to put it back in low gear after the burnout.
Ran 151 mph but had the et of a school bus.
The car should run about 8.20-8.50 et.
What are you putting together?
What reason whould Bob have to change to NHRA?
Are you Rochester area?
LZ's idea has us racing like the MOMS cars. 3 time trials and you get paired up with a car that ran closest to your et's.
The MOMS group has been doing it since 1994 and the format really works. Every body pays to get in and prizes are provided buy sponsors. Bobs happy because he does not pay out. And its not cl*** racing so, just like bracket racing you ***emble the car you can afford and get to run it flat out.
I did not build a bracket freindly car so this format really sounds good. First to the finish racing should co-exist with bracket racing.
I think LZ will post more details today.
What do you think?

 

What he said.We run with NETO and love it.

 

Actually, you may know my father, his name is Angelo Ragusa, and we are finishing up his dragster right now. It's a very late 60's, early 70's car that we picked up in Texas. Little over 200" WB, him and I got it in the shop and cut it into three pieces so that I could sleeve the main rails where they meet behind the driver, then added kidney bars and a new 5 point cage, and make it legal. The cage looks like the original 3 point, with only an extra hoop added (you know how some new cars have very square cages? Not this one). Right now all the ch***is work is done, it's actually mocked up so that I can finish adding any tabs, etc, and it will be run in the spring. Small block Chevy, glide ******-should run mid 8's. I gotta imagine you have seen the other dragster we did, it's the green framed, purple, short bodied Jim Davis car that we picked up in Washington state a couple years ago. Did all the updates to make it legal, with a good looking cage-owned by my friend Mike Yohe. His ran low 9's with the Hilborn stacks with a very mild motor. He's actually moving out of state and selling the car.

I'm not sure why Bob is resanctioning the track, but when I was out there running my dad's vega he was telling me about the change.

Your car looks good, Bryan with the red car was telling me about it last year, and I was looking forward to seeing it run (I'm a huge fan of early dragsters). As far as the MOM's style racing, it would be cool, but only if it was nostalgia style cars, you know? I don't wanna have to make p***es in my chevelle next to a Honda civic. But I would be interested in seeing how it works

Here's Mike's car:

old pic of pop's car:

Here's his Vega:

 

Yes I was talking to your dad the Sunday we ran the car.
This would be a nostalgia only entry field.
Nothing that takes metric tools.
12.99 or quicker.
We want FEDs, Altereds, other open body styles.
We want Mustangs, Novas, Cudas, GTOs,etc.
Will the dragster be out in April?
We need to see updated pictures!
Did you guys sell the green/purple fed?
I'm looking for a second dragster for my son.
Matt

 

Hello:

Thanks to all who have responded and PM'd.

So its the usual Thanksgiving chaos around here and I am a slow typer...
So instead of hastily writing something that might be taken wrongly.
Will add info here later tonight or tomorrow as family stuff permits.

Please everyone who is interested PM me your Email so I can start an info list.

Happy Thanksgiving to all and yours ..

 

Matt, the green dragster is still available, he's looking to sell soon as he's moving to Minessota. Pm me if you're interested and I'll get you his number. Dad's dragster will be out in April, it's going to be our main focus this winter. I'll snap some pics tomorrow when I get back in the shop. I know I'm interested in the heads up cl***, and I'm sure a lot of guys in my family would be interested. Are electronics ok (trans brake, delay box, two step, dual line locks, etc), although being nostalgic I would imagine not. My next question is, will we have to p*** the track's tech? I have plans for a very nostalgic car, something very similiar to what King Ch***is built. 3 point cage, low profile, straight out of the mid 60's.

Everyone have a good Thanksgiving.

 

Can you run a HA/GR ?

 

It is my understanding that if you don't run faster than 10 seconds in the quarter, you could probably an HA/GR.

 

You can run electronics. Its called superpro!
The only place you can run a non certified ch***is maybe Butler.
What is HA/GR??
We want to run just like the MOMS format.
NOstalgia VRA rules let you run a trans brake.
NO delay box
NO cross over
NO stutter boxes
LZ will post some rules that we think will make it Cheap to
race your nostalgia cars but be the first to the finish wins.
What does your buddy want for the green/purple dragster?
My son dave is 6.3" and we need a car with leg room.

Matt

 

I don't know, I never really cared for the MOM's thing. I'd rather do some heads up cl*** racing. As for the purple car, it won't work for your son. He's probably too tall, as I'm 6'4 and it's not a good fit. He wants 6500 bucks for the car-just put in a motor and go. Comes with the trans, all electrics, etc.

Where would you run this at? NYIRP? Would it be ran on a Friday like the MOMs deal? How many races per season?

 

What track or tracks would these races be run at?

 

Hello and thanks to all who have PM'd and replied.

Let me first respond to some questions. Sorry if this ends up long but read on.

• This is not meant to replace your Everyday Racing or take time away from your group or club. Its an additional format to race if you want to. This should make for an enjoyable day, even the Time Trials...
• It is meant to give people a chance to race that might not, for many various reasons. But again all are welcome.
• It will be run mostly on Test and Tune days so the cost to get in will be lower. Although a few events could be during a regular race.
• We have 2 sponsors already willing to cough up some money when we get going. Now Im not talking big dollars. Maybe someday but lets get solid first and grow. We will have Trophies and Gift certificates and such.... As much as we can. Its an all volunteer deal so 100% of whats taken in will go back to the racers. Your entry fee into the Track is all you payout.
• Its meant to be a simple deal which is how the above line is possible.
• You could race this deal and go to the Bracket race the next day.
• Again all would be welcome but we are thinking the people most interested in this will be in the Central - Western NY area. Maybe Northern Pa and The Falls area of Canada.
• It would be great to have Hambers there and seeing the events pop up as they have gives me hope that some will attend. Beaver Springs is only about 3 - 3 1/2 hrs away. You would have to p*** Track tech and meet sanctioning body safety obviously.

This is being orginized after watching a local group of racers and there program. The MoMs (mustang on mustang). I dont want to put the link on as my posts were deleted last time I put a link on. Just Google Moms racing. This has been going on for like 18-19 years with great success. My friend and I have been talking about this for over a year as we thought hey this could work for people like us. At first I did not pay much attention to them but after talking to some of the people and watching them its like a real good little program.
Again we are not trying to set the world on fire. Its a simple program to race heads up. It does not matter if you have the latest set of head work or are hiding nitrous...........
I have made this post way to long so will stop here.
BUT....PLEASE
PM me your EMAIL and I will put you on the info list. So not to bother anyone on the HAMB who could care a less about this..
I will start emailing info in a couple days and keep an eye on this thread. Lets go racing....
Thank you everyone and The HAMB

 

The MOM's format is basically this. Everyone makes 3 p***es. Then the cares are paired up with the next closed E.T. using each cars quickest time. The pairings then face off on a .500 pro lite. That's basically heads up with two closely matched cars. There is a sandbagging rule of 2/10's. Go 2/10's faster then your best qualifying and you are DQ'd. That is pretty much the extent of the rules for MOM's. A vintage series like that could be a lot of fun for races and spectators a like.

I used to race the MOM's series. It was a lot of fun. Low pressure. Basically just bragging rights.

 

If we can get enough people to want to participate, We will contact Bob @ NYIRP to see if he will be open to this format.
I think he will if its run like the MOMS races. That group gets the sponsors to pay for the prizes/trophys.
The track takes 100% of the gate and the group self supports.
I'll get LZ to post our proposed rules but in a nut shell:
12.99 or quicker, body styles 1972 or older, no electronics other than ****** brake. [This is how most nostalgia rules read]
The MOMS racers run like this: 3 time trials then you are paired up with a car that ran the closest to your ETs.
You run 1 round only, Heads up 4 tenths pro-tree, first to the finish wins. Thats it. No other rounds of racing.
When I first attended a MOMS [Mustangs on Mustangs] race I thought it was strange.
But later I found out that there is alot of racers that built cars and race ONLY the MOMS races.
Most have 4 or 5 speeds and no electronics. [like most nostalgia cars]
The guys love it and when the weathers good thay get 50-60 cars! Bob [track owner] really loves it becouse he does not pay out.
We would love to try the same format with nostalgia cars.
1 round of racing seems odd but its the only way to do it with out cl*** or bracket racing.
We are looking for interested racers for a head count and then we can contact NYIRP to try and make this fly.
I think if its ***embled like the MOMS races, Bob will accept it because car counts are down all over.
When attendance is down, income is down. This is one more way for the track owner to get revenue with out cost.
Matt
Pro-Formance Specialties
1115 East Main St.
Rochester, NY 14609
585-288-1499 / 8-5 / M-F
Full Service Engine Machine Shop!

 

Thanks tjm73 for your input:

And to all who have Emailed-PM'd thank you.

Please PM me your Email and I will add you to our info list for the latest info, Rules etc...

Lots of interest shown so far, this is great. Some people are skeptical and this is understandable. But I believe this can grow to be a very fun deal. We are not doing this for a business or profit. Just Drag Racer to Drag Racer. There is a long way to go but every Journey begins with a single step.

SPREAD THE WORD.

 

NETO may be fun to DO, but just like every other kind of bracket racing, its boring to watch...like bowling. Think of the fans who pay money to get in..

Spike

 

It's not really bracket racing. There is no offset start. Both cars leave on the same .400 light at the same time. First car at the finish line wins. Sometimes (often) it is very close and exciting to watch.

Theoretically two closely matched racers race and the best driver wins. I beat faster cars many times in my 5.0 in this kind of format because I took them at the light. One guy was more than a second bette rthan me and I left him at the light. he spun or fell asleep or something and I won. It was real close at the end. I thin kthis has real promiss and it's in my hometown so I gotta support the idea.

 

Local, weekly drag racing is hardly a spectator sport. Really the only "fans" that are there are people that came with the driver. And I for one run to the line to watch whenever something old, such as a front engine dragster, nostalgia altered, etc makes a p***. It's a lot more fun to watch than, say, a 1990 Mustang 5.0 making 13 second p***es(if it's lucky). The other thing is, it cost about 13 bucks to participate. And on top of that, the majority of us run our cars on test and tune nights anyway, it's really a good way for everyone to go to the track at the same time, make some p***es together (the more nostalgia **** together sounds good to me), and have a good time. There's really no reason to be against it, as you don't even have to go out of your way to participate. I guess if I owned a Mustang (ok, I do own one, but I bought it for the old ladyI'm not a Ford guy)I'd probably go to the MOMs thing. It's just a gathering of like minds, I've been there on MOMs nights and there are usually a ton of Mustangs there. I don't see why this can't work for the nostalgia crowd.

 

It sounds like we are gaining support.
Tell your friends and lets get it moving forward.
We should get together for wings at the dinosaur BBQ.
Matt

Pro-Formance Specialties
1115 East Main St.
Rochester, NY 14609
585-288-1499
Full Service Engine Machine shop!