If we’ve heard it once, we’ve heard it a thousand times…” All the race tracks near me are gone.” And that’s not just from Drag Racers, but since this is BangShift1320 I figured I would be specific. After all, humans are encroaching on all kinds of new areas, including those where drag strips are situated. And it seems to be harder and harder for drag strips to make money with so many other options for entertainment out there. Really, it’s amazing we have any place to race at all. It’s no wonder people are racing on the street.
But wait. What if I told you that there were more operating drag strips in the United States right now than at any other time in history? Would that change your mind? Or do you still think we’re screwed?
There are many sides to this one folks, but I want your opinion. It doesn’t need to be supported by any facts or numbers, the question asks what you BELIEVE. That means there is no wrong answer.
Do you believe the state of drag racing is better or worse than 20 years ago?
The problem is that other than Pro Mod the technology has stalled for over 10 years. Imagine that in any other 10 year period.
Heads up racing is the only drag racing I pay attention to. NMCA, PDRA, and associations like them because its darn good racing. Used to be a huge Stock and Super Stock fan. However those rules are so outta wack it ain’t even funny. How can a car that came from the factory only a 4 cyl and fwd (sunfire) be allowed to run in SS with a tube chassis rwd sbc? At the end of the day they are bracket cars. Don’t even get me started on throttle stops. Close to me the former Dunn-beson dragway just got a huge make over. Now Galot motorsports park. Build it and they will come.
Modern Drag racing has nothing really to offer the younger generations coming up. I am from the old school days my dad ran a seriously cool D Modified production 1957 Chevy, I remember the days of push start FED’s. It was exciting to watch these cars & the “32 FUNNY CARS!!!” & so much more. It was fun and for the most part a hard working guy could build & run a quick car without busting the bank. No longer is this true. there is no entertainment value watching the modern .90 classes & their electronics that control / delay every second of a pass not to mention the astronomical cost to race anything considered a “class” competitive car.
There is hope for the nostalgia movements at race tracks across this country & people like this kind of racing. Modern sanctioned (NHRA) drag racing just does not have the allure it once did there is no connection it seems. Time was funny cars actually looked sort of like their stock counterparts not any more, Pro Stock was not that many steps from the showroom & there were legends; Snake, Mongoose, Wild Willie, Big Daddy, Da Grump, Dandy Dick Landy, 240 Gordie, and so many more. So is Drag racing better or worse? depends on where your allegiance lies. Modern T/F cars a sight to behold, an old FED firing up to make a pass is nostalgia at its best with a goose bump factor. I think there is just enough diversity overall to keep the sport treading water for awhile longer & just maybe pick the interest of generations to follow.
20 years ago , money was out there -lot of new cars -it was better -actually some new tracks out there. you kids think about 50 years ago -track in every mid size town-thankfully my Dad took me to Dragway 42 then.
Worse by far in the Kansas City area.
KCIR is gone thanks to Senator Claire McCaskill and her banking friends in Kansas City.
Today they shut the water service off at Heartland Park – Topeka because of 2+ years of non-payment. NHRA has been subsidizing the national event for a while.
On the hardware side, a Camaro and a Mustang are indistinguishable in AA/FC.
Any vestige of “run-what-you-brung” creativity has been outlawed in the pro ranks.
Until last weekend’s “tirade” by John Force, when has anyone in the sport shown any passion for drag racing?
A drag race is 1,320 feet. Period.
I could go on, but I’m getting depressed.
For sure it has gone downhill. Electronic controls have ruined the sport. Now it’s like the car factories …. run by robots and not human DRIVERS making the decisions.
Junior stock, Modified productions for those that felt the need for mods were the heart of dragracing now those classes are gutted by the rules that allow cars that ran high 14’s when new stockers to run in the low 12’s or even the 11’s while still being considered STOCK class.
It the perspective that you take when looking at all the facts. I’ve been blessed to see the days of old and the days of new, but I ideas haven’t changed. Go from point A to point B as quickly as possible. not fast as possible. In the old days that was new set of rods or a already abused kb 396 block. Throw the switch and run it. If it kicked the blower you fixed it. In simple terms consistency was not rule of law getting to the stripe first was. It didn’t matter how many pieces you were in as long as you had most of them, and a good welder you could still make the call. with sleeves off your shirt as main seals so ol buster didn’t get mad for a leaving slug trail.
Flash to the 80’s where we took a new approach (Consistency). Make it go every time the same. Uh boys, something isn’t right. Yes we went quicker and faster but now we had to carry 2 complete motors, 2 lencos, and enough rods and pistons to get you there. But now my poor old dully and gooseneck can’t take the strain. So gotta get a semi and a used lowbelly to get me and all this stuff there. May need it may not if it’s broke throw it away and lighten the trailer.
Into the 90’s double A Dale and the boys perfected the racepac and we are now 6 short blocks deep, 2 hat to pan, 6 different clutches, and a myriad of beautiful collard matching team shirts, and John’s burnt another one to the ground at the top end. While he’s kissing Steve Evans at the top end. There is 20 guys all matching white and green, stripping the chassis and assembling the car from parts from there own camp. Long gone is the days of grabbing the kid with the hot dog and Pepsi, sending him to find a set of bearings that you know is out there SOMEWHERE amongst the sea of cars.
In short WE and I mean all of us lost sight of what we were doing. We went from the guys next door with race cars, with every kid in the neighborhood trying to help in anyway just to be close to it. To the guys that sit behind a barricade and sign that handout, hat, shirt what ever as fast as possible but don’t get any closer kid. We did it to ourselves guys. We took away the dry hops and installed 3 big tv’s. We took away Linda Vaughan and got 3 teenaged girls who don’t want be there shooting t-shirts at people. We are called the kings of the sport, but what is a king with no followers.