Hey Brad, you are going to get called sarcastic and bitter with truthful statements like those. The bottom line is, you can do it, it's just a giant pain in the ass to do it right. Or you can ignore the truthful advice and just go for it and hope you don't lose your house or go to prison. The world of the HAMB is not the real 21st century world. We all like to take a mental break from reality with our cars and the HAMB, but don't let it get you into trouble. I honestly hope you prove us all wrong.
Ok I got to throw something out here that I'm sure no one wants to hear. There are a lot of clubs and former clubs that once or twice a year land themselves at a non sanctioned track somewhere in the mid west ( and no doubt other places in the nation) for a day and race just the way they did way back when. The tracks are damned glad to have 'em. It brings spectators in who spend money and its not your normal redneck race night. They aren't buying up some major insurance policies the track is covered. They are not track owner's just folks who are paying the track owner to get in the gate and race their old hoopties. If you've olny got 30 fellas raceing then you just don't try to include every race class known to man. You pair cars that are well matched in a limited set of classes. You start out simple and work you way up as it gains popularity or if it doesn't at least you can say hey I made a whril of it. I don't think that the Raven was talking about wakeing up in the morning and knocking the NHRA out of business, but I think all of us who would like to do more than make a pass or two on grudge night or make it to MOKAN or Austin once a year would enjoy haveing some sort of a venue set up even if it was just 5 or six meets at some drinkwater track way out in podunk center. Then again it could just be that the I wish I had the intestinal fortitude to do it without the permission of the powers to be crowd is just to bitter to admit it.
Well, Alot of discussing going on here. That's what I hoped to achieve. Brad, Right now, I'm somewhere between number one and three on your list. I know it's a tall order, but I'm just looking for ways to achieve the ideal Porknbeaner has set out. I used to race at an eigth-mile track just outside of Lawrence, KS years ago. Yeah we had some high dollar cars, but most would be considered home-grown. We had cars that would run 6's in the eigth and some that were slower. If was a family atmosphere and we had fun. Definitely not a coporate event. Why not make a 'circut' if you will, of small out of the way tracks (non-*HRA) and take a group of like-minded individuals to races there. Kinda like a garage crawl, but a track crawl. Heads up, run-what-you-brung type racing with classes more like something you would see in the early '60's. Years cut-off somewhere around the mid sixties ('64-6). Favorable attention given to those who understand it. Bring in a 120" FED with an Olds or a Biscayne with a 409 and a 4 speed. Get the picture? I'm still attempting to flesh it out myself. I see a vision and am trying to put it to words, here. Oh, KIRK, I wasn't trying to bad-mouth you in any way. I feel the same way you do about the state of things. Just because it is a way doens't make it right, nor does it give us the excuse to do nothing to make it truly right. r
Absolutely true. Like I said, I always fight for the underdog, but if the underdog doesn't know the rules of the game he can't change them.
There are events out there we all could go to with our cars. Cordova Ill. has the Nitro nationals and Thunderfest on June 23. Flying Eyeball road show on August 19 Run what you brung at Cordova. US 41 August 18 has the Slingshot Nationals. These are a few i will be going to with the new digger. I can't aford to travel more than a few hours away from home so the mid-west is where i go. Maybe Ryan could post a page with just drags info for us to make plans. Kinda like what we do with car shows just drags instead. If we could get enough people commited to showing up at certain events and contact the promoter they may work with us and our style cars. Kinda like GG and the HA/GR cars. I know there are enough cars in the upper mid-west to make a decent showing.
I was involved in the nostalgia funny car movement when it was starting out, and it was "dissapointing" when we couldn't even agree to the rules or how to pay the participants (I just took a peek at the "official site" and they still are bitching at each other). Any time you get more than two people involved in setting up classes you'll have them lobbying for their particular setup (engine, blower, year, color, brand of lip balm....). We started talking only about safety and wound up having "performance oriented" payouts. Anytime you have money being spent, and money being earned (or awarded), you'll fight the cubic dollar people. Make it so that you only win a trophy and you lose the fast guys that most paying spectators will come out and spend money to see (which is important to the track owners). Most of the "nostalgia" organizations I've seen wind up setting up brackets instead of heads-up classes... I'd recommend that you wander up to Osborn, MO and check out US36 Dragway, a little 1/8mile track with lots of old-timey character. They have (or used to have) all kinds of weekly programs, including funny cars, altereds, gassers, and even jet cars. I don't know if the people at KCIR could/would help guide you along or not. One other place that you might contact is the track at Eddyville, IA. One other suggestion: Contact Bill Pratt at draglist.com...he started a nostalgia organization called Southern Thunder than seemed to be pretty well run. I have old nitromethane for blood, so anything that smacks of little-guy, old-style racing is a cool thing to me. How can I help?
One thing I learned just recently while being involved with the Outlaw Racing Street Car Association our company sponsors; They run 1/8th mile, and while most of us (me included) poo-poo 1/8 mile racing, it has several benefits: The cars cycle through much faster, so it's constant action for the specators Most oil-downs occur at the big end of the track--that's hard on parts/racers, and boring for the spectators. While watching a race, we (spectators) watch the start, watch to about the 300-ft mark or so, and then we watch the light board to see who won. In 1/8-mile racing, you get to see almost the whole race, which is more enjoyable. Most bad accidents occur past the 1/8-mile mark. That's bad for drivers, and bad for their wallets. All-in-all, I've become a convert to watchin 1/8-mile racing. Good for fans, cheaper for racers. Just something else to put in your pot to simmer. -Brad
Believe me, I ain't gonna' have this problem: Porknbeaner's got a real point. But if you start letting a guy slide on a safety rule because he's only .1 sec or 1 mph past where the rule would go, do you let him keep going when he's .15 sec, or .20 sec under the ET where the safety rule would come into effect? How 'bout .50 sec or 10 MPH? And if you start letting people who are cool/famous/popular/likeable get away with something, what about someone like me who's not 'a favorite son'? I think the suggestion about 1/8 mile racing is a good one. Keep the top speeds down; hard to wreck as much stuff and kill as many people (which is what the insurance companies worry about) when you only have 660 feet to get up a head of steam. Of course it doesn't really matter much to me; I don't have the financial ability to do any racing - even the bracket racing that so many people talk shit about - let alone run heads up. But a guy can dream...
I run a 11 second 4 speed car and was a "naysayer" of the 1/8 mile drags. Then one year we ended up at Irwindale CA. (1/8 mile) and raced the car ......It changed my mind! All the fun of Rowing the 4 speed was done by the finish line. I think the 1/8 mile could be considered, more so if the insurance rates were less monies. Maybe an Association that promotes 1/8 mile Nostalgia Drags which would be safer for the traditional cars we enjoy. It might also open more venues that could be coverted to Drag Strips.
"Absolutely true. Like I said, I always fight for the underdog, but if the underdog doesn't know the rules of the game he can't change them." That is one reason why I posed the question. I drive by US36 Raceway on my way to see my dad in Maysville. I think about checking it out everytime I do. I think the 1/8th mile idea is a good one. The little track we raced at in Lawrence, KS was an 1/8th mile track. nitrobrother, I think I could learn a lt from you. We should have a getogether and talk over some things. r
since i used to work for IHRA i have a little bit of insight here. starting an orginization is as simple as contacting the insurance company and paying their premiums. There are several other groups out there, NMCA, NMRA Goodguys even did their own version of it. Please remember it will need to be run as a business and with that in mind you won't be able to make everyone happy. Decisions need to be made to benifit the sanctioning body and not the individual racer who wants a class for 6 cylinder Ramblers with 3 working doors. It's the front gate that matters when operating a sanctioning body, you don't have to give any of that money back. The money that the racers/crew spend is used for purses, payroll, track rental ect. Most want their cut right off the top and concessions. and there is more.....
I like it. Set the rules right out of a 196- rule book with gear the same. i'll be there with sumthin
The Jalopy Journal
