HAMBsters at MoKan!

I disagree about not permitting alcohol, Sam. There are a lot of neat old lessons to be learned about modifying carburetors to run alcohol. You don't need Hilborn injection. A few tweaked Stromberg or Ford two-barrels and a pressure tank and pump worked just wonderful back in the era the HAMBsters celebrate. For that matter, why ban nitro? Let it in and let folks have some fun -- or agony -- with a bit of chemical experimentation!

Mike

 

That's true... but the learning curve is pretty steep... since we're talking entry level here... my opinion is that we leave it gas... for now...

Sam.

 

so my curiosity is aroused, are both samiyam and av8 gonna have entries at mokan in 06?



Fred

 

Since the title of the post is HAMBsters at MoKan I thought I'd post a photo here of one of them, RandMan and his crew.

 

I wasn't offended, Ryan, just a bit disappointed and surprised that you'd be so dismissive of the passion some of us old guys have for trying to make our old crap run like the new stuff.

Coincidentally, with regard to your questiion about low-buck series being good draws, I was one of the regulars in a trial series NHRA ran in Division 7 in the mid '80s. Called "Super X," it was a 12.90 index class where everyone ran heads up, no stagger starts, just like all NHRA index classes.

It was door cars only, and they had to be NHRA-legal for the ET. They also had to be "presentable" (my characterization) which resulted in some very handsome budget racecars.

As I understand it, the reason-for-being for Super X was an attempt to flesh out the gate at division sportsman point races, to help put track owners into the black column of the ledger; you don't get a lot of locals at Famoso (Bakersfield) in mid-Summer to watch even the cleverest gas cars do their best in 105-degree heat. Add an everyman's class and maybe you could put enough additional butts in the stands to break even.

Super X caught on like Gang Busters! It doesn't take scads of dollars to run 12.90, and it takes just a skosh more to have a half- to a full-second extra in hand as a hedge against a bad light. NHRA hit a grand-slam homerun when they genned up this class . . . or so it seemed.

Super X was more popular and successful than NHRA had counted on. In short order, fields of 50, 60, 70 entries were common. The cars staged and raced without tempermental drama, and all the participants loved it! The other sportsman classes hated it!

It made some of them look less special, but more importantly, it cut into their on-track time. And since we were the new kids on the track, and a test class as well, NHRA pulled the plug on a noble experiement in affordable, heads-up drag racing that was oh-so close to going national.

Even with my experience in a widely popular class that got the axe through no fault of its own, I'm still encouraged that there is a viable grass-roots early-'50s class of dragsters -- HAMBsters -- that can be successful over the long haul if cleverness and creativity are encouraged . . . and applauded.

I hope we're still pals.

Mike

 

We have to wait and see if this is going to be a race, or a parade, before we commit to building a car.

Sam.

 

That's a great photo. I'll tell anybody that Brad and Kyle really made this thing happen.

 

I keep reading this thread and I feel like a "weeble Wobble", going back and forth w/ out any definative answer to what is going to happen with this "HAMB'ster Idea"?

At the rate were going, Were going to have blown Nitro rail cars shooting down the track... (shaking my head vigorously)

I dont know about anyone else, but Im in it for a little competition but mostly for the fun...Its like we want to tip the event w/ Nastalgic means...but by god, we should be allowed to run twin turbos from the others.

I know there are alot of "breeds" of racers here on the board...but can we make up our minds? My first read of this was excitement...but im gradually starting to loose that drive from all of the disputing.

ITs just my 2 cents now....ill shut up.

 

Are we still pals too Ryan?

Sam.

 

like i said before... keep it simple, cheap an most of all fun.

competition can be fun, but i know for myself I am my biggest competitor. its me against whatever. i watched some TOTALY lobsided races at MOKAN saturday, one car would be halfway back down the return road while the other was just gettin through the trap. BOTH racers always looked to be havin a HELL of a time out there.

competition and ego are two of the biggest things in rodding... they can make you strive for more from yourself in your car, or they can make a passion for the speed become a loathing for it. its a double edged sword fellas.

i'll say this much, then back up and take in the rest of the thread to see how this plays out. . . if the rule book starts to look like a southern baptist preachers "sunday go to meetin" bible, or it looks like you'd end up payin upwards of $5k to build one, just to race in a bracket... aint no way in hell i'd consider building a HAMBster car. i'd rather race chainsaw powered skateboards

Traves

 

I used to race motorcycles in the pro-comp class, I got out because it became a money game. The more you spent the faster you went. I started out to have fun and it became a job. When I realized I had over $25,000.00 in a motorcycle that I could not even ride on the street, I got out.
This hambster class is a starting point so that anyone can get into racing for a small investment. I talked to every hambster team there and none of them had over $3500.00 in a car.
$3500.00 in a car that is raced once a year!! Tell me they did not do it for the fun of it. I realize they can be raced elsewhere, but they were built for Mokan.
I plan on doing the same thing. It will be raced several times throughout the year, but the main reason to build it is the drags and heads up competition.
Let the fun begin!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Evidently I missed the original concept of the class. It seemed to be a mid-50's type of car and that appealed to me. Then the automatic transmission camel stuck his head in the tent. I can't remember any drag cars running them back then. I have a line on an old '61 model engine/tranny combo that's cheap and would be, in these old eyes at least, an ideal starting point. With the automatics it would no longer resemble what I had imagined....a true vintage-type racer.

I've been down this road before with the dragsters and sprint cars. It was fun racing until the rules allowed the costs to escalate beyond reason. All of a sudden it wasn't fun no mo'.....

 

OK people, there are going to be some rules very soon so please hold on and don't lose your excitement. I have a feeling there will be just a few specifics added to SamIYam's original guidelines. Nobody wants to rule-book this to death and it can't be too complicated because then we'd have to have people to police it. Just be patient and get your garage space ready.

This won't be any parade ! LOL

 

just my opinion, BUT:

i think this rule right here will eliminate mega buck cars. i don't care whether you have a $500 engine or a $5,000 engine, you still aren't gonna go any faster than some (unknown; at least to me) speed/time due to this limitation.

there will come a point where you're makin' all the horsepressure that the tires can handle (any more and they'll just go up in smoke) and there just won't be any point in spending any more ca$h on increasing the power.

 

Hey Mike and Sam, it may be a little much from a rook like myself to ask, but if you guys do build a HAMBster and would be willing to let my two hands get dirty on it, and invest some $$ into it as well, please give me a shout, my schedule's open any time you invite me.

Brandon


Also, what forming classes based on money spent; so the slower less expensive guys have their fun, and the sneeky deep pocketed get theirs, everyone would just have to be honest with how much they spent.

 

I'll wait to see the rules before deciding to build or not. Thanks for your offer of help and support.

Assuming total honesty on the part of all participants, dollar-related classes would be all but impossible to monitor and wouldn't tell you very much after all. Some of us have access to boring bars, hones, valve and seat equipment, etc. The essential work these tools do will add several hundred dollars to an engine-building bill if you don't have access to the tools, but costs some of us nothing more than our time.

Then there are all the bits and pieces folks have on hand -- things they have already paid or traded for. The tendency is to not factor these into the cost of a new build, but even if they were it would represent an accounting nightmare for rules makers and monitors.

Mike

 

Mike, I would like to see some of your handywork in a rail......do it.

 

Need some rules first, Root.

Mike

 

Hey guys, get the rules worked out. I've got the steel for the frame cut and tacked up and I've located a six banger. Let's have some fun.

Oh, the most important part, my wife has a nice color picked out!!!!!!!!!

 

I forgot to mention, I'm planning on using a 1962 slant six from an old Dodge. Anybody have heartburn about that? Don't worry, Chevy guys, a basically stock engine with a little off the head and bigger bumps on the cam.

 

I missed the MoKan HAMB drags, but I desperately want to go and have something to play with while present.

I may be a couple of years out on having a HAMBster, but I'm watching this discussion with alot of interest, and concern. Concern, because I see it is rapidly gonna nasty between the ones who are "over the top" competitors and those who just wanna run. Ya'll are on the fast track with the same problems that has basicly ruined antique tractor pulling.

I really don't know the solution to this problem. However, I kinda see it like this. The HAMB drags are pretty unique and a single event per year. If you want to go "over the top", plenty of local tracks around the country will give you that opportunity any weekend you want. Last time I checked, bracket racing will let about anything run anytime as long as you meet the safety requirments.

I just want to see vintage racing as it was, and take a part in it. I'm a Hudson fan and want to built that type of HAMBster.

If it is determined that a Twin-H 308 with a Hyrdamatic is too much, then I'll go down to a single two barrel 262 with a 3 spd.

I sure hope I can run a 308 with the Hyrdamatic, because I've got the 3 speeds in the drivers!

I like the current set of rules. As long as I can run as much as I want to, maybe pick up a grudge race or two (in the spirit of fun) - then I'm gonna be damnned happy.

Hud

 

Looks like there will be another Dodge entry! I will be building the same, a 170ci out of a 61 Dart with an auto behind it.

 

THANK YOU!

BTW, when you gotta play the "bad guy" at the drags, i'll stand next to ya, and i think a few others here as well will do the same... i'm to friggin BIG and UGLY to run away.

it might turn into the "full race car" kinda caveat set fourth already...if ya build one thats over the top, run it, but you aint bringing home a trophy for it. not a bad idea anyhow

 

Your confusing the shit out of me, Fiddy...

I mean NO disrespect... but what are you saying?

Are you saying that if someone spends all kind of time and energy on one, makes it a real "show and go" piece... they SUCK?

It almost makes a guy not want to try to do good...

I don't think Ryan, or ANYONE will ever hand out a trophy for "most money spent"... and I THINK that is what you are hinting at.

But, if a car is built with sweat equity... and the thing hauls ass and wins... I'd hope that it would be, at the least, recognized by their peers and not lambasted for being "over the top".

Sam.

 

I race vintage dirt track cars. I restored an old 31 model A modified sportsman car with a 300 ford six and started racing it in 2000. The problem I run into most often is they keep changing the rules. It costs so much to make those changes that it is more exspensive than it needs to be. Make your rules and then stick with them. It is to bad for me that the cut off year is 62. I have a 65 ford 240 engine I would sure like to see run in one of those hambster chassis. Good luck with your HAMBSTER RACING , I will sure be watching. Andy

 

yikes!!! keeep me informed and add me to list I already have started to get one in the works and don't want to build something wrong or too cool...........hehe