Would anyone be interested in a new racing class?

Now we're on to something.

But we need to realize we are not talking about "racing". We are talking about having fun going down the track. The faster you go, the more fun it is, right.

My goal is 12.5 and to beat Krupa. 12.5 to shut up the guys at work that talk up the new Vette. And going faster than Krupa is always my main goal.

 

I know Rand Man probably thinks I'm a pompass-ass... hell, I may BE a pompass ass... but I can tell you that I'm just excited as hell to build and race my hot rods... I want other people to get as excited as I am about it... and I want others to join in the fun! So I apologize for coming across as some "know it all"... I'm just here to help give some direction to it all.


Also, I agree about the "funnin' is in the runnin'... like ryan said... in fact, that's what we've been doing with our car for a year and a half and we've loved every minute of it!

But Roothawg is talking about a "new racing class"... and with that, comes rules.

Personally, I'd just like to see as many people as possible build a car to race at the HAMB Drags.

It doesn't have to be a dragster... or an altered... hell, Rocky and Tuck had so much damn fun with their Ramblings runnin' down the track... something like THAT would be kick ass.

I would encourage ANYONE who is interested in having "male bonding" sessions with their friends and/or club mates to get together on a regular basis and build a car together.

It COULD be a dragster or altered... but there probably isn't enough time to get one together for HAMB Drags '05...

Or it could be a door car with a big motor in it... buy an old clapped out Studebaker or Buick four door... or Dodge... or???? and get the biggest engine you can out of the wrecking yard... slap a lumpy cam in it, some slicks... headers... you know the routine... and DRAG IT OUT!!

I also think people should not get intimidated by the NHRA Rule book. Buy one, read the general regulations... and if you EVER have ANY questions on how to interpret what they are saying... send me an e-mail, PM me... or call me on the phone! I'm here to help...

The most basic car that anyone with fabrication skills could slap together to run 10's would be something like our digger. Basic square tube rails, an NHRA approved cage, speedway front end, fiberglass body... hell, you don't have to narrow the rear end even! Just slap ANY Modern OHV small block or big block in it... cam, intake and headers... and run the mother fucker! I can say that if you run a powerglide, with a loose converter, the right gears and wrinkle wall slicks... the thing will be running at least 11 second quarter mile times!

Another option is to build something like Grimlock suggested. I know I've probably beat that to death here... but three or four guys could screw one together for chump change... and be running by MOKAN. In fact, I will build one with shit I have lying around in my back yard... and drag the thing to MOKAN to have some fun. I will chronicle the build here on the HAMB to show people how EASY it is to build something safe and fun... in addition, I'll show people how to do it CHEAP!

Hell, maybe even Rand Man will accept my apology for calling his idea a "lame ass idea" and build one too!

Group hug anyone? Ryan?

Sam.

 

Jesustapdancin' Christ! You guys turned this around while I was typing up my dissertation!

I like the draggin' the tow vehicle idea...

Sam.

 

Now you're gettin' somewhere...

I'm tryin' my best to have the Morris there this year - to race FlamedAbone.

Next year I plan to have the new car there - to race Roothawg and Sam.

'07??? Maybe a HAMBdigger.....

 

You type too slow.......better drop a bracket or 2.

 

The Pie Crust slicks sold by Coker tire in Tulsa are all new construction and would definitely help put ET's in the hands of the driver and tuner.

And as regards the safety harnesses and time,A set of harnesses that have been laying on the shelf for 5 years and appear to be perfect are not.Nylon does not remain the same over time it goes through changes undetectable to the eye and becomes much more brittle than it was when manufactured and old harness will snap in a high impact situation.They really do need to be re-certified every 2 years.

As regards other things like trans sheilds and flywheel sheilds and things of a more solid nature I have to agree as long as there is no obvious sign of damage they should probably be ok.

The claim rule idea just covers heads and short blocks.You keep the bolt ons like trick intakes and valve covers ,ingnition,headers and say trick front covers things of that sort and I suppose the flattie people should get to keep their heads a they are a horse of a slightly different color than OHV heads.

If the idea is to be affordable then there has to be some way to keep costs in check.Hell it only took 3 years for JR fuel to get out of control in terms of cost.

The claimer idea to help control cost is borrowed from the days when I used to run Hobby Stock roundy round cars.The rules then were simple cars had to weigh 6.5 lbs per cid,maximum 13" tire width,run whatcha brung and a $2000 claim on the entire car except safety equipment,seats and tires and you had to run in the top 5 to claim.I personally can only recall one time it happened in about 4 or 5 years.

Some of those safety rules proposed can be (are)lifted from the NHRA like drive shaft covers,If anyone here has ever seen or experienced what can happen when a U-joint breaks at speed you know what I mean.Down at Sanger Texas last year a u-joint broke when the motor expired and locked up,and the momentum of the car made it continue down track and the driveshaft came through the floor and beat the guy nearly to death.They can and pretty often are a real nightmare.Ask ChiliPhil if he has any favorite d-shaft nightmare stories.

As to spec chassis they could help keep cost down by sheer repitition and still allow for individual taste and ideas like engine,engine height and location ,bodies, front and rear end assy's ,fueltank and location Steering ,battery placement Etc.I'm not sayin' they should absolutely be spec. per say but it would sure make it easier to build a car having the major construction out of the way.

Pretty much it would just assure that they all meet as was mentioned earlier some type of safety spec.NHRA,IHRA,or HAMB or whatever.

Anyway it's all just food for thought at the moment.

 

What was the reason for the HAMB Drag's? Re-gain that spirit. We complicate our live's enough with so many rule's, regulation's and law's as it is.

 

I don't think anybody here is an ass and I don't want anyone to think bad of me. I'm all for rules if they keep they will keep the cost down, make it safe, and fun. I'm trying to put together a T altered to run at the '05 HAMB drags. I will be lucky to get it done in time and keep the wife happy. I have a new short block ready right now and it's not under 300ci. I'm not building another one.

Maybe I should drop the T and come up with an afordable "Hambster" dragster.

 

Here's an enthusiasm building article for a racer
http://www.northernthunder.com/cheapthrills1.html
You don't have to run fuel, third part is the car, but it's a good read.

 

I went to the nostalgia drags last weekend in Lakeland, FL....this class already exists...low-buck FED's with flatties and such. Jamie Frankland was there with his five 97-equipped straight eight digger...don't know what group these guys were from but Jamie holds the Inliners record. Tons of nostalgia drag info on www.roadsters.com

 

Just because I think there were a lot of good ideas put out I want to see this solidify a little more. I like Sam's take on the rules, I think Brad has a good handle on it as well. I'll be building something special for HAMB Drags 2006, for 2005 you'll have to take your chances with my roadster, and I know the 425 is not in the spirit of these rules but then again if you beat my ass across the line I'll shake your hand and buy you some ice cream

 

I figure if this post sparks one guy to be a traditional drag car....it worked.

 

I'm with ya... And now I'm in full parts gathering mode... It'll be my project for next winter, or sooner if I finish what I have already... and that Altered "Little Digger" that was posted has me thinking about going that way...

 

Well you've already achieved one of your goals.

 

Here ya go, start with this chassis:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4531722582&category=98062

 

hey! I have jesustapdancinchrist trademarked you pompous ass!

Just build a car and go to the HAMB drags.

Have fun.

 

Yea... but I capitalized Jesus! Hahahaha... ok, I won't use the term ever again...

Sam.

 

I like the idea. I'd like to run a sbc if I build one, but I don't mind running a 327 or smaller. I have alot of parts I'd need to build one already. Hmmm

 

Glad to see there is still interest.

 

How do the dirt track guys do street stock without the winner having to build a new car after every race...and the playing field staying mostly level?

There will always be cheaters...like in NASCAR...they can be banished and fined...you just gotta figure out how to do that when it is a "for-fun" deal like this.

Got a HAMBster (Rodan) almost finished...I have another engine on the floor...if you get this thing figured out I will start bending tubing again. Count me in for now. Ron.

 

I want to cast my vote.....I think we should stay with the gas rails. There are a ton of classes out there that cover diggers, and in my opinion, it kinda goes against what it seems the original guys where talking about with the hamb gas rails.

I just see this is a slippery slope. How long till we are trying to be a sanctioning body, keeping up with tons of classes, top fuel safety, etc etc. if we start running cars too fast we are going to start having some real problems. Nothing wrong with diggers. I love 'em. I love my buddies 6 second top fuel slingshot, but I just think we need to be careful.

Ok, my vote has been cast. Still being a newbie, I don't want to ruffle any feathers, just say what I can only assume others are probably thinking as well.

 

one more thing.......we don't even have a car count of any size in the gas rail class...... enough said. Now I go back to the corner.

 

The gas rails are for guys that want 6 cylinders and flatheads. Some guys, including myself, don't wanna run in that class. That is why it would be seperate. Nothing has even been established. It's just a thought. You can't please everyone.

 

I've got a 283 in my garage waiting for something like this. I've passed up three trades for it because I wanted a small cid digger.

Jeez, I've got to get out to MOKAN. Maybe this will be my year.

 

let me in. in 58 another guy and myself along with a good welder built a car 98'' ford truck trans with a coupler,low and rev removed. frame was chrome molly.... drive shafts welded together. 283 bored to 4'' for 301/302 what ever. steel wheels anglia f/e, jeans, t shirt and a card board helmet. 10.70s at 127. now i am building something close olds r/e swap meet narrowed 40 spline axles, and a spool. trans ,eng is a freeby from the post man, after market pistons 60, included shipping.chrome molly frame ,That was the big cost for the tubing and welding ,torsion f/e all picked up at swap meets . well i had to go fast so i picked up a hilborn ,because i had the pump left over from my other fed in the 90s. The drivers suit can be expensive. At the present i think my car 134'' will weigh around 1000, without me. it weighs 565 with every thing except the eng. i think the small tire idea is good. mine are 31x10.5 there are lots of old plans out there that could be updated. i built mine so i could run it any where, certified to 7.50. i am only doing this for fun and have spent close to 10k. i plan on running the eng like i stole it .my chips are 8k up. with a steel crank, it will hold.think safety.

 

Oh! my God not another class. Hell it was hard enough to get the HA/GR class going. If I remember right there were a shit load of guys going to build a Hamb dragster for the 05 race. We had three. Trust me I may not be the leader that Sam I am but I have raced every fuckin thing there is to race in my life time and there is nothing any cheaper than the HA/GR. I think the HA/GR class has a bright future ahead. Im afraid another class might slow it down. My two cents

 

Kinda like the hambsters? I am thinking they will be out of control this year ..wait and see , gonna be some mega work goin on inside them old motors ............spirit of the class?, yea , if ya win...........

 

Mabe so.

 

want to keep cost and possibly cheating down .I'm stealing this from circle track guys facing the same thing.go with a # per cube type rule and a spec rock hard slick rule just like Dwarf/Legends cars there is no sense/reason to build alot of motor if you can't get the power to the ground.Win or loose is all in the chassis set up and driver skills.I'd love to be able to build for this class and can build something.For me the location of the racing is the factor I can't tow all over the country. I can remember a blown Crosley rail in one of my earliest hand me down hotrod books, the guy built the frame from antenna mast tubing whatever that was .Little bitty thing 800 lbs.