Regarding NHRA rollcage requirement and the non-compliance of HA/GR to that requirement. I think this is a perfect departure point for the HA/GRs from any ***ociation with the NHRA. The HA/GR will never be looked on kindly by the NHRA because they fail to meet the basic criteria of any NH/RA cl***, i.e. they must consume large quan***ies of parts as sold by the NHRA's major partner...the aftermarket parts manufacturers. Look at the decals on the side of any Nhra racer and you will find 30 to 50 (!) manufacturers decals. Further If the NHRA should become become involved in sanctioning HA/GRs the organization will work tirelessly to wring any joy or fun they find lurking in the corners of the cl***. They will inmpose endless certifications, develop consumable parts, park us in the weeds if we don't have a NHRA manufacturer's enclosed trailers and then year by year grind us into the amorphous soup of their cl*** system. In the Midwest, Oklahoma and Texas there are more than enough tracks to support a small-scale HA/GR circuit. Our strength will lie in building a large number of these inexpensive, entertaining little cars who will find great acceptance and appreciation at non-NHRA dragstrips...support these dragstrips and they will support us. That said I do think we need to go to a two roll bar design and arm restraints because without them they is no way to adequately protect a driver as he "ragdolls" in the violence of a rollover. Lastly, I see no hope for the California situation where the NHRA controls all the venues. I can only say that after living in L.A. for fifteen years I did the only thing that made sense...I moved to Texas. That's what I think. What do you guys think? Butch N***au
Well Butch I'll tell ya what. I agree with you on the NHRA. "F&^#@ em.. But as it stands now, WE ARE running at a NHRA track. They are not controlling us as far as how we run.. The "TECH" guys are the only ones that are looking out after our and their ***'s. We are not as lucky as you guys and have tracks all over the place..So we have to ***** foot around these guys and play there silly games so we can have fun with our HA/GR cars too..I'm 73 yrs old. And this is my last HURRAAAA. So I'm gonna do what I have to do to run and DRIVE my car. Like it or not..I've been in this drag racing game since 1954. I've been involved in Top Fuel, Fuel Altereds, Still have mine. Plus many others..But this one I'll be able to drive again..So NHRA or not..I'm In......
Well Butch, while I am indeed quite used to being "written off" in many of my admittedly obscure endeavours I hope you won't mind if I keep up the fight (as I will anyway), that's just what's in me. I've enjoyed my life in Texas in times past but have settled here for reasons sufficient to offset the drawbacks. One correction though. We're not looking for (nor in persuit of) anything from NHRA other than the ability to run at tracks they deal with, and that SOLELY due to the lack of alternatives. We're not interrested in their cl***es, sanctions, or handling. Had we other options we'd certainly take the more intelligent, less commercial route as well. That said, moving back to Texas just isn't on my list.
Good for you California guys. It is heartening to hear that you are getting help from the tech crews. I understand you have to make the struggle where you stand. I did not mean to imply that you should be written off, only that I didn't have any good idea of how to go about getting your cars onto the track. There are many tracks "back here" but they are often very far apart. I would like to go back to what I thought was my main point ... that we should build large numbers of these cars. Butch N***au
As another one of the California builders I have to agree with Thingy and Old6, we aren't trying to be a part of the N(o)H(ot)R(ods)A(llowed) bunch, just trying to comply with the tech aspect so we can run at the tracks and with the help of Rod & Kulture's Dragfest meet and the support of ANRA we are getting our chance to race like it used to be and have no intention of falling into the decals and contingency sponsor abyss that the NHRA calls drag racing. That said getting, enough cars built to have our own eight car show will be very nice, but your idea "that we should build large numbers of these cars" would tend to cause the very organizational aspects that we are building these cars to avoid. We don't need m***es of builders and lots of cars to make this work, just a small group of people who have the p***ion and spirit necessary to be out there living the dream of racing garage built cars head to head every time they can.
I feel that this is sanctimonious ****. You have alternatives. In St. Louis we have nothing BUT an NHRA track. I have to play by their rules or not play.
All we have in California are NHRA tracks, we have to work with them too. That said, don't think that they will ever welcome one of our cars to a "sanctioned meet", but they don't seem to have a problem working with these cars at the meets put on by ANRA and other groups on their tracks. Build a car. If it doesn't p*** tech make the necessary modifications to make them happy and go racing. Just don't get bummed out if they don't welcome you with open arms the first time to the track and be willing to accept constructive suggestions to getting your car through tech. Take the car out before it's done and ask for direction in you aren't sure if it will p***. It took several trips to the track before Old6rodder ever got to make a p***, but he kept at it and between him and Toymaker the door has opened for the rest of us here on the left coast. If you want it bad enough it will happen, "there is no try.......only do".
I just want to put this Texas/California thing to rest. I love California, I would move back there in a heartbeat. I just couldn't afford to live there. BN***au
That's why those of us still here are here.......if we left, we couldn't afford to come back, and though there are lots of pretty places around this country, we have gotten hooked on all of the options we have here, and aren't willing to give them up for the more relaxed flow somewhere else. Been here too long to start over somewhere else and added to that we would miss all of our friends who wouldn't move either. That and the fact that we have a long season to play with our cars and don't have to deal with snow, tornadoes or hurricanes. Yes we have our earthquakes now and then, but I've gotten used to them.
"... that we should build large numbers of these cars." Sounds good to me, given that a dozen would be large numbers anywhere they're running, even Australia. We were the only one operable out here two years ago and couldn't even run'er. Then Rocky & Lee put one up the second year and Randy let us run'em, and Butch did too. And then there were two. Third year's coming up soon and we're looking to have at least five, what with Thingy getting his project back on the burner after some health set-backs, his buddy doing the same and my buddy also getting back into it following his own set-backs. And we'll have at least six venues to run at as well. Brackets for now, but it's quarter milin' none-the-less. That's 1 for 1yr @ 0 venues, 2 for 2 yrs @ 4 venues & 5 for 3 yrs @ 6 venues, things are looking up. If we ain't careful we could even have the eight we need to finally get the cl*** squared away before '09's out. If not, we very likely will the fourth year. Hell, I'm easy, I'll settle for that as large numbers for now. Not sure I'd ever want to see a used HAMBster lot anyway.
I probably should not have started a new thread for this subject. It really should have been attached to the thread that discussed the NHRA reverting to the5/6 bar-helmet bars and all roll cage position and applying to the much lower speed HA/GRs. That really set me off. But then the purpose of a message board is, after all, discussion. The more I think about it.. it may be in the very nature of sanctioning bodies to "grind" everyone into the same form in the interest of even compe***ion.One has to look no further than NASCAR which has dictated identical cars for every team with the headlite/taillight and grill decals being the only distinctive features . It also may make local tech inspecters uncomfortable when faced with a new type car (HA/GR) but no real, applicable rules to judge them with. It is good to remember that Pro Mod and even Goodguys Nostalgia type racing was started outside of the NHRA then only later moved into mainstream sanctioning. Butch N***au
Don't worry, the subject has been thrashed to death many times already and I'm sure we aren't done with it yet. Those of us who are building and those already running have already heard most of the *****ing and moaning of those who are thinking of building and afraid to start because they think they will have a car they can't run once they get it built. If ya want it bad enough you can make it work.......if ya want it easy, find another hobby or a different cl*** and run a door slammer that you can throw together cheap and easy from "store bought" parts and get used to dialing in and running the brackets, which ain't really racing how it was meant to be. Just don't expect a lot of sympathy from the pits about not having blueprints to build the car to or lists of "approved parts". read the rules.......they ain't that complicated.......build in the spirit and style of how it was.......be creative and think a bit out of the box.......and most of all, remember that if ya ain't having fun, you should try something else, 'cause if ya ain't grinnin', there's no fun in winnin'.
The Jalopy Journal
