Team: Flat Jack Owners: Jack Meyers Builders:Bob Huberty, Bob Norris & Jack Meyers Build Date:Fall 07 & Spring 08 Location: Oshkosh, Wi Ch***is: Modified Model T Ford/Mild Steel Tubing Engine: 19?? Ford Flathead V8 Best 1/4 mile time: None Best 1/4 mile speed: None
not sure what everyone else is up against but here's what MY dealings with NHRA have amounted to... lets keep in mind that i work for the American Nostalgia Racing ***ociation. we run at famoso raceway in bakersfield (march meet, hot rod reunion = NHRA). we are lobbying to get HA/GRs on the track BUT they (famoso/NHRA) want nothing to do with them AS THEY ARE BEING BUILT. here's why... the current HA/GR paradigm does not fit into any of NHRA's current cl***/Ch***is structures. if its center steer, it must be either a dragster (slingshot) or an altered and meet sfi ch***is specs as such. well, we all know that they are neither. since there is nothing on paper approved by NHRA that a tech inspector can reference when attempting to approve an HA/GR, its a not run deal. REMEMBER... THIS IS A LIABILITY DEAL FOR THE TRACK AND NHRA. if a guy rolls over in an HA/GR and gets killed it can cause all kinds of woes for the NHRA suits. there are work-arounds to the hangups... when we get going on ours, i'm building it with a 'sprung' rear end and 'shocks'....i'll probably get it registered too...make it street legal....single seat modified roadster....h***le? yes. get to run? yes!
I agree that we don't need another website, but by the same token, we don't need to place this organizational burden on Ryan. I'm sure he has enough things to do without being the HA/GR coordinator. We need to keep this at the race team level so the coordinator can respond directly with each team as needed. Of course Ryan needs to be included in the loop so he can oversee the whole thing. If I may make a suggestion, why don't every team send me a picture (snail mail) of their car with the information suggested by Rand Man at the bottom. A good color printer copy will do. The picture and info can be put on a single standard 8 1/2 x 11 sheet and I'll put them in a nice folder to present to Rob Parks. All you guys from Australia, and cars under construction, need to be included in this presentation as this effects all of us eventually. The more pictures/info we have the bigger the impact will be. Ron Golden 2015 N.W. 81 Place Kansas City, Missouri 64151-3743 (816-436-6108)
Team: BUBBAS HOT ROD SHOP Owners: JIM AND SCOTT LINDER Builders:CULBERTSONS CUSTOMS/BUBBAS HOT ROD SHOP Build Date:2007 Location: INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA Ch***is: CULBERTSON CH***IS Engine: 302 GMC SIX Best 1/4 mile time: ?? Best 1/4 mile speed: 90 MPH
Team: Roadrunner #5 Owner: Joe Hamby Builders: Joe, Loren, Toby, Rick, James Build Date: 2006 and 2007 Location: Tulsa Ch***is: Home made, new steel Engine: Slant 6 Best time: 14:25 Best speed: 95 MPH
Ron, I'll print and mail mine and some of the other guys info. I have photos of most all of the running cars.
Team- Pattiepie Spl. Owners Roy and Pat Merritt Builder of engine- Roy Merritt Ch***is Builder - Mr Mac Ch***is- 2X3 mild steel tubing Engine 302 GMC Completion by spring of 2008 Ron I'll send you some pictures this week.
Team: Wild Hare Racing Owners: Tom & Patti Petry Builders: Tom & Patti Petry Build Date: In Process, hope for completion in 2008 Location: Montclair, CA Ch***is: Modified Model T Ford/Mild Steel Tubing Engine: 1934 Dodge Flathead 6 Best 1/4 Mile Time: None Yet Best 1/4 Mile Speed: None Yet
Team: Nightmare racing Owners: Robert/Sandy Jones Builder: Robert Jones Engine builder: Robert Jones Ch***is: 2 X 3 mild steel tubing Engine: Modified slant six, 225ci., 1962 ******: 3 speed car ******, 1962 Roll bar: single hoop 1 3/4" 130 DOM mild steel Best time: 14:40 Speed: 96 mph The new motor will go in this year, so hopefully; times and speed will change. Times above were stock motor and four speed truck ****** Location: Valrico, Florida
One more note, I do like the name Early Rail ***ocation. I'm like Drewfus, it stands for era, as in era specific. Just my .02 worth. Robert
Guys, More than 2 weeks have p***ed since we started discussinng the need for HA/GR organization and I've yet to see any response other than agreement on the concept. At present we have an open door to NHRA and the possibility of acceptance but we need to act soon or the door may be closed in our face. If we ever hope to have places to run our cars we need to present a professional at***ude along with our laid-back 50's look. By the way, there's going to be a 2 day nostailia race at KCIR May 17 & 18. I guarantee I'll be there with our car. Let me know what you want me to do. Ron
Hi Ron Can you tell us what we need to do to organize, I think that there is a lot of interest, and with out it the left coast guys may not be able to run there cars in their area. In tulsa the track owner likes these cars, one reason is that we don't bracket race, we only run heads up with no eliminations, everyone runs every round, we usually run six cars in less that four min. We are not in on the track prizes we take care of that ourselfs. This track runs IHRA , if the nhra has any questions they could contact Tulsa Raceway Park. You could mention that some of these teams come with a group, They all pay to get in.
Ron as you know from my personal e-mails to you I've spent all my money but I will try to get the car together using credit cards to finish with. I think that what ever it takes to get on with the program if an organization is needed then let's see if we can do it via internet. I would hope that you and others are well enough versed in organizational skills to come up with a format which will work. Have you not received a lot of pictures of cars and people who are willing to participate? The people on the left coast should send pictures and info so that NHRA knows that this is a nation wide or for that matter international endeavor. I agree that we need to keep the ball rolling but maybe we just aren't sure how to do that. Roy
I've been busy with work and home improvement projects. I finally mailed the car info and photos to Ron, yesterday. I'll see what I can come up with, on how to form an organization. There may be minor legal or tax issues to consider.
I think the kind of program Joe Hamby outlined, has been working for them and would work for us. We would have our own mini eliminations, completely outside any other program the track happens to be running that day. Pay our way in and use the track for our own deal. I've been reading the NHRA rulebook and it appears the regional director has some discretion in establishing the rules for his region. With that in mind what do you all think about a; "no quicker than 11.00 E.T." rule for the HA/GR cars? That way we wouldn't have to meet all the same rules that apply to cars running several seconds quicker. If you guys think that would work for us I will meet with Rob Park and propose our program. As far as the actual organization goes it could be handled here with someone keeping records of where/when/who regarding future races, who won last week, weekly news, etc. Maybe a semi-annual meeting at one of the races we all attend. Have a President, secretary, event director, etc. or maybe just one person to handle it all here on the H.A.M.B. No politics involved, just a bunch of guys kept informed of the future scheduled races, E.T. & MPH records, etc. Rand Man has taken the time to get a picture and basic info on some of the cars. I'm not sure how many cars he has info/pictures of so I'll wait and see what he's mailed me. The more cars presented to Rob Park the better our chances will be to get our own bracket rules. Come on guys, get with Rand Man and e-mail him a good picture and info on your cars. I'd like to put together a brocure with all this info and take it to Rob and try to sell the HA/GR bracket program. If we as a group can present a working race program I'm sure we would be invited to all the nostialgia events.
What do you all think about a; "no quicker than 11.00 E.T." rule for the HA/GR cars? It makes a lot of sense to me.......maybe if they realize that these cars aren't running any quicker than many of the street driven cars, we will have a better chance. Hell, I'll be glad if I'm able to run in the high 12s.
I'll agree on the 11 second rule. I do not think we need to be running any faster than that with the single hoop roll bar and the other safety equipment that we have. I saw what happened to the one at Mokan and am glad we have the safety stuff that we have. 64 Dodge 440, I'm with you, I hope I can break into the 12's this next year, even if it's a 12.99, I'll be tickelled to death!!
An 11.00 E.T. bracket will make the whole concept easier to sell to the sanctioning group, whether it's IHRA or NHRA, or just an unsanctioned strip. Besides, going fast isn't the primary object of this cl***. My guess is we're all wanting to have a laid-back good time. I think I actually enjoyed my 13 second Camaro more than I did the 7 second alcohol dragster I was partners on. Case in point; I've dated ******* bunnies.........but I didn't marry one. Now that's not to say I didn't enjoy the ride in the dragster, or the bunny, but like all things....each has it's time and place. For me, now is the time to have fun and grin as often as I can. Lets make this thing work. Ron
11.99 is more in the range of what these cars can do. The faster you go, the less fun, safe, and affordable they get. That second will make those rollbars look better to the safety man.
Ron, I've forwarded to Randman a heap of current photo's of all our 'running' cars (13 off), with a 'word' file detailing each vehicle's particulars(with attached photo to refference). Let me know if I can ***ist further. Cheers, Drewfus Note: here in OZ we're currently restricted by our governing body (ANDRA) to a limit of 13.5 ET's, with this to be reviewed early in the new year, with the aim for it to be reduced to 12.00.
I thought some of the guys have already got in the 11.80's. maybe not. I don't have a clue as to how fast mine will go until I take it to the track. 11.99 would be fine if we can figure out a way to stay there. I think we will lose our appeal if we can't be heads up racers. I for one would like to be allout each time and win or lose by a foot, that is fun racing. I used to race superstock when you had to run bias ply tires and everything was factory but a set of headers. Practically every race was won by a bumper wideth, lots of fun and you drove that same car to work on monday morning.Roy P.S. Rand man I'm coming to Rogers on Saturday and maybe we could meet and I could give you some pictures of my car as it is right now.
Drewfus, Now thats what I've been looking for! Thanks a bunch! I'm sure Randy (Rand Man) will put the pictures with the data and send it on to me.(thanks Randy) I'll have a professional looking brochure made and present it to Rob Park. Thinking ahead; we could use the same type brochure to present to any racing organization/event we wanted to race with. That could help get us invited to their events. At this point any E.T. bracket will suffice as long as we can get a foot in the door. Just like Drewfus said, they have a 13.50 E.T. bracket now and a goal of a 12.00 second bracket next year. Roy, the best I remember someone ran a 11.96 @ 109 mph with a flat motor car. I'm sure with time it will get even quicker. Good going guys! Thanks for the input and help. Ron
Ron, the way we saw it, we could either try to fight the system with their rules, or work with them and encourage the use of ours......sure there are a few concessions that we didn't really want, but at the same time, for what it's worth, we're racing, and having fun, so if it means adding a second hoop, or drawing a line in the sant et wise, then so be it....lets go racing. Keep chipping away. Cheers, Drewfus
Gentlemen, Sorry to be so tardy getting into this thread but you really wouldn't believe my hours right now, I haven't done fewer than eighty a week since the first of November. I plan to sleep at least two weeks following the parade, just for starters. I'll try to get Ron our picture and specs this weekend, and I'll send along a better picture after the first. I'd been expecting the 12 second thing to be broken from the start and was only mildly surprised at how soon it was. For myself, I think the advantages of keeping it all over 11.99 are self evident. Thus my vote for concessions would start at e.t. limits, but mechanical rather than artificial ones. I also see several ways of doing that, all but one of which are anathema to our stated objectives. That one way would be to mechanically limit all cars in the cl*** in the same manner, such as perhaps going from 6" tires to 5 1/2" or 5" tires, or maybe reverting to open rear ends only (which might also be a valid "bargaining chip" safety feature for sanctioning consideration), or some other such gentlemen's agreement. I'm certain there are other ideas in this vein out there. Well, that's my $.02 for now, back to my float fanaticism.
The two rails that went 11.97 were outlaws. They had pro-tuned double-pumpers and powerglides. I'm sure those guys are good drivers, but I don't think they could have done it by poppin' the clutch and bangin' the stick. Our era specific, vintage everything rules really level the playing field.
I agree with Rand Man the playing field is level and I don't think that a legal ha/gr rail will get into the 11's very soon. I might add that if or when one does get into the 11's, he must add a 2nd roll bar. I will probably do this just for safety, some of the SDRA cars have 2 bars and these look fine. The cars from down under have them, I don't get why some people buck at this, safety needs to come first.
Completely agree, the existing platform rules are fine, that manual box really does make the racing more 'driver' oriented, and whilst it can be hard on parts, again, the driver can control the carnage by his/her driving style. Note: For some reason, when discussing with both builders and officials, the issue of the tyres always seems to arrise, to which, we've been promoting the L78 15" tyre, as it has proved consistant, effective, and well suited to this cl*** (remembering that those guys running 11's are using these, so they're working), we don't wish to force people to use them, but we do enthusiastically reccommend them. Cheers, Drewfus
The Jalopy Journal
