I just want to know how you guys can afford this stuff? Man I wish I could. Sponsors really pay you guys that much? SDPC Pro Warrior Series Racing Engines Vis*** our Scoggin ****ey Parts Center store SDPC has a long history of building and development of championship winning race engines. After years of building custom crate engine, we have released some of our most popular engines to the public. Because of our customers desire for value, quality and customer service, each engine is professionally hand built in our race shop to exacting specs using the latest technology and years of experience. Our quality components and compe***ve pricing is backed up with un-parralled one-on-one personal service. This is what SDPC your best value for custom racing crate engines. SDPC Pro Warrior Series Racing EnginesPart #Part NamePriceSD572720EFI572 Cubic Inch 750+ HP Fuel Injected Pro Warrior Series Custom Crate Engine ***embly $17,999.95 Add to Order SD555B555 Cubic Inch 930HP Super Series Pro Warrior Drag Racing Engine, NHRA, IHRA $14,575.00 Add to Order SD632SS632 Cubic Inch 1160 HP Super Series Pro Warrior Drag Racing Engine, NHRA, IHRA $21,995.00 Add to Order
NHRA is a rich guys game. Sure are fast, but I think the VRA guys spend about a third of that. Until you get to the Nitro cl***es. That's really spendy **** too.
Used to be.... Now look http://www.steveschmidtracing.com/ssr_095.htm http://www.sonnysracing.com/products/engines/762-92octance.htm
we have less in out whole car than a new reher & morrisson bracket engine and we're running mid to low 8's at 150-155....granted we got a SCREAMING deal on a turn key car and with an engine rebuild, injectors, and going thru the rear end and what not, we're right there... it aint so bad really.
I like the one thats 52,000 and change. Says free shipping in big letters. Like the guy buying that motor cares about shipping costs.
That's why we're so into the old days. Wasn't that long ago (1965) the Surfers built and ran a TOP FUEL dragster out of a motel garage with a home built open trailer and whatever parts and tools they could get in the trunk of their 10 year old chevy tow car. They thought up new ideas and applied them. Today Don Garlits can't run a fueler because he can't afford it. All cars are basicly ruled int being the same. Screw the corporations. Like Tom Jobe said, today your only choice in top fuel is the car color and even that has to match the sponsor's logo.
I've got dragbikes. Sportsman cl***es mind you, so they're somewhat reasonable. One of the Pro Stock teams spent $50K on swapping every nut and bolt (as well as anything else they could) to ***anuim just to save wieght. r
Pro Stock is the most compe***ive cl***. The spread between the top ten is usually less that a half second at most races. In P/S reaction time is EVERYTHING!
I think there are probably more HAMBers today are involved in Bonneville than anything else with the possible exception of Drag Racing. Lots of HAMBers are involved with salt cars to some extent. Probably most of us have been down the drag strip a few times somewhere in our checkered past. Look in the parts shed behind the model A fenders, flathead blocks and guide headlights and you'll probably find an old aluminum 68 camaro bellhousing that was pulled for a Lakewood and a busted muncie.
Let me clarify my statement. It was a Pro Stock bike team. Now let that sink in. $50K for nuts and bolts on a race bike... r
A famous sprint car driver told me in the pits at Ascot in the early 90's. "When I started racing a working couple (husband/wife) could put together a compe***ive race car. Today a working couple can barley afford to go to the races on Saturday night with two kids". This is even more true today.
Yeah, what Tman said. Go ask Bluto and av8, they are both doing cars for the salt. Bonneville is the last place the little guy on a budget can go racing and succeed. And then you still need friends to help you out. The drag strip owners would be wise to make it easier for their fans to run their cars. It would help keep the kids from racing on the street. If the strips would allow the HA/DR cl*** that was developed here to run, you'd see a lot more little guys being able to race. All it takes is a change to the rules. Maybe even claimer cl***es.
Its got so expensive on the low level circle track that a lot of cars are parked or run one time a month because of the high cost involved. Years ago I made a profit racing, now you are lucky if you can pay your tire bill with the small pay offs..IMCA has a claim to keep cost down but to that does not work because a rich man can afford to take a large loss to win.But us poor boys can not afford to get claimed then we are out of the racing business. My sponsors are local like free batterys,oil and filters,new parts at cost,junk yard parts free,i even at one time I swaped add space on the car for haircuts. Years ago I could get certificates for products for running their decals or logos companys like amoco ,stp, gatoraid,tide,QMI, sta power,mighty tune up parts,westies,barrs products,miller and country club beer,,vavoline and kendal oils,got lots of shirts and jackets now its real hard to get these perks.with the high cost so many of the people I have known have gone to jail for stealing or selling drugs to support their racing habit..I like to race but not that bad,, Thank You... Bobby..
So WHAT'S stoppin' ya??? Don't get me wrong I am just some wanna be, but I AM gonna know what it was like to run a early hemi powered dragster - period!! If you try to rely on friends, sponsors or whatever you might find yourself at their mercy. Solution - just start building it!!! You'll find out soon enough who you can rely on, who's just talk and who'll back up their words. Here's an example of what I mean - One time I heard about a fella all bummed out because someone was preventing him from Nostalgia racing since they wouldn't sell him his old car back!!! I even heard he offered 1/3 of what this fella had turned down many times before. Point is - you got NO ONE to look at but yourself. You want it ??? I mean REALLY want it - then MAKE it happen!!! Are you gonna be able to step up to some Pro Blown Nitro cl*** car??? Even a lowly blown alcohol car??? - nope!! But who cares - build SOEMTHING and run it!!!!! Worst thing in life is to be on your death bed recounting all the things you WISH you would have done and didn't. Think I am full of ****??? Well maybe I am, but I grew tired of hearing the old timers tell me, "too bad you'll never know what it was like to drive a Front Engine Dragster....." To them I say, WRONG - I'm GONNA know - and no tonly that I am gonna know what it feels like to race a dragster I built MYSELF. Sure it's taking WAY too long and like you I CANNOT afford it so it just takes longer. All's I know is that NOT racing a front engine dragster i sNOT gonna be on my Regret List!!!!
i watched my old man file two mortgages on a ****py house when we were growing up just to make three laps around nashville in a practice. the super-fancy anodizing on his rockerarms came off and clogged his oil pump screen in short order, killing the motor. ive never seen a man so dejected in my life and i was only ten at the time. theres not many companies who will give a refund on anything like that either. he was lucky he had enough money for gas to get his buddy's truck and the trailer back home. the fact of the matter is, if you want to half way be in the race it will cost you an arm and a leg. the only racer ive seen compete yearly and do "so-so" in the lowly guy ranks w/o bigtime support is my brother's brother in law. but his granny left him a huge trust fund when she p***ed on. im pretty sure not much will be left for his kids, but i never ask either. the nostalgia circuit for oval tracks looked pretty promising, but even that has been plagued this past year with track owners who cant keep the venues open due to lack of interest for any other forms of racing which allowed them to even have a track in the first place. plus the purses arent that sufficient enough to keep it going. it looks to me that if you want to go to the races youre going to have to buy a ticket and just be like the rest of america and enjoy your full-fendered F1 cars run in single file. until they take the money out, racing will not be fun anymore.
any you wonder why people are hopping up moms civic. and THAT gets expensive too. all i have to say is..technology costs money and if were easy to make, biuld....everyone would do it...and it wouldnt be as expensive.
I race to entertain myself. If others are entertained too, so much the better. Beating the guy in the other lane is secondary if you're having fun...so maybe I'm not a real racer after all. Don't me wrong, I want to beat him. But If I'm hanging around with my buddies at the end of the day, drinking beer and laughing about it, win or lose, it's been a good day. You just have to want it. That being said, the term "expensive" is relative. But you can be on the strip running low 10s for less than 10K. In some cases, way less. Do it with some friends, that will make whole experience worthwhile. There are lots of ways to have fun. It gets real pricey if you insist on racing a heads up cl*** and chasing the money. It will turn into a big **** contest and there is always someone with bigger ****. Run within your budget. There are lots of deals on used stuff at less than half the cost of new. You don't need a 20K crate motor. Sponsors? My barber gave me flattops for free and I put his shop name on the car. A friend gave me some nice Kendall shirts. When it stops being fun and turns into work, you'll know it. Step back and take a break. It doesn't cost anything have the car sit for a while.
Honest to God racers? Well, I'm not sure about me being honest to God. But technically I'm a racer. I occasionally autocross my little Saturn. Once I beat a girl in a Cavalier. Everyone else beats me. That doesn't make it any less fun. Oh, and I've done two TSD rallies. Those aren't really races I guess. I'm one of those guys who'll tell you cars oughta be able to handle a curve as well as go fast in a straight line. I'm not knocking drag racing. I'm not saying my ****py Saturn can handle or go fast, because it sure as hell can't. But I'm coming in last due to the flawed driver. Never blame the equipment. I'm really just responding to the thread ***le and not the content of the thread. So sue me. What's sponsorship and big money got to do with being a racer anyway?
I have been racing the money races for the past 6 years and the local brackets in super pro and quick cl*** on sat nights car won 40 k in 6 yrs and actually ended up on the good side in the black so to speak and did it on my nickel with good parts and maintenance. sold the car (studebaker bullit nose roadster pickup) and now have the 55 g***er for fun and match racing, boy I am really having fun with it as opposed to the every weekend gott go deal wife even left after a few yrs of that ****, but to stay on this thread you can run you wn deal just dont try to do more that your budget allows. A hambster is next cant wait as for anotherr wife ?????? taking apps.................
LOL, "Honest to God racers" is a good one. Most of the racers I've known may be honest to God, but they always try to keep an edge on everyone else. Show me an honest racer and I'll show you a guy that comes in out of the top 5. Not getting caught is 90% of winning!
The Jalopy Journal
