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Re: Don Garlits Explains how to Fix Professional Drag Racing
garlits wants to makeover top fuel into super comp
the no wing idea should be enforced tomorrow though -in all forms of racing -
Re: Don Garlits Explains how to Fix Professional Drag Racing
Look what they HAD to do in NASCAR. Limit the engine sizes and so on and so on to make the sport (if you call it that) safer. And they draw millions so I do not think slowing down will stop the fans. TF and the rest have come so far what else can you do? You got 1320 feet that's it!
Personaly I PREFER NS/TF, Gassers and classes that REAL men and ladies can race in. Not stupid electronics or crap that makes you feel like a racer, REAL MEN SHIFT, or billion dollar R&D to get that next tenth. Bracket racing sucks to! HEADS UP OR HEAD HOME!Comment
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Re: Don Garlits Explains how to Fix Professional Drag Racing
Due to the extreme cost sportsman racers have very little chance at ever making a move into the pros. No matter if its NHRA, IHRA , Nascar, or any other Pro venue.
I DO THINK NHRA NEEDs TO MOVE FORWARD TO GO BACK TO FULL 1320 !!
I do not think anyone really wants to see the cars slow down though but I agree they need to put a lid on it ! For both safety and cost. Any # of things could be an easy solution in TF.....
Limit tire size
In-act the rule for only (1) engine for eliminations
Restrictions on engine and/or blower size
% Nitro used and impose Spec fuels
TICTOC,
I know you think bracket racing sux but if had not been for the sportsman racers and bracket track owners I do not think the sport of Drag Racing would have survived in this country. Or at least as it is now.
I'm with you, I love heads up racing !! And true index racing with NO breakouts. But with out the bracket tracks you would have NO entry level starting point to draw new blood into the sport.
No matter if you foot brake, run a delay box, or heads up Pro Tree race, No matter if you have a 15 sec street car, 9 second 10.5 " wheel stander, Throttle Stopped 90s class car or a PRO Class car THE WIN LIGHT GIVES THE SAME AMOUNT OF PLEASURE !! Ain't none of it easy !!Comment
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Re: Don Garlits Explains how to Fix Professional Drag Racing
the auto trans companys are major league sponsors , what's the big deal ? the sportsmen pay the freight and get pee'd on
lots of shifting and comp and the stands are empty
make it all fuel ?
drag racing is getting to be mostly for competitors - 50 general admission is not helping the working man
I agree with losing the wings , except for aircraft , everywhere alse they cause trouble and add nothing but bling
downforce is for girlsComment
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Re: Don Garlits Explains how to Fix Professional Drag Racing
You are right look in the stands at any sportsman event....Races for racers !
At National Pro Events..When the last Fuel Car or Pro Stock car runs the butts are out of the seats....By the time I get around in Stock Eliminator No one watching at all hardly.
I have heard rumors of NHRA having a specific division of PRO & Sportsman events.
Just Fuel Cars and Pro Stock at National Events. All about the money and TV Time Slot ( There goes Indy )
The only reason I think this has not happened already is that sportsman racers pay an entry fee....But T-Shirts, Burgers, Beer and admission rate hikes can easily cover that lost revenue...Comment
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Re: Don Garlits Explains how to Fix Professional Drag Racing
The TV guys do real good, but if you look close you can see plenty of empty seats at the NHRA events. Not sure what people want anymore - at the Dallas IHRA event, they had a decent crowd for the Saturday Night of Fire. Sunday - you could throw a rock and not hit anybody on the spectator side of the track and maybe one person on the pit side. And they race the full 1320, thankyouverymuch. IHRA also includes "sportsmen" classes in their show - the runs in Dallas were Pro Stock, Top Dragster, Top Sportsman,. Pro Mod (1/4), Outlaw Pro Mod (runs 1/8) and Top Fuel. They would have also run brackets (Top and Mod) at Dallas, but there was really no place to park the extra 128 entries so they called that part off.
TICTOK - yes, heads up is fun. But it won't support a local track. Period. Brackets barely get it by now and to do that just about everything better be paid for and you best run in the daylight. All your national event "heads up" classes are all throttle stop cars that run big MPH on the top end. I can't stand watching throttle stop racing, makes me nuts. Which is why T/D and T/S have so many entries - and those are really just really fast brackets. Try dialing 6.85 in the quarter and hitting your dial. Not a lot of foot braking going on at 200 MPH.Comment
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Re: Don Garlits Explains how to Fix Professional Drag Racing
Pinks " ALL OUT " sure sells out,,,,,,,,,,,,spectators and participants
Participant spots sell out in minutes when they open registration
The fans & racers love it....But I am sure the new will wear off.
Racers get to make a few passes just to get a chance to race. ( Like a game show ) The lure of getting your head on the cover of the rolling stone.
Sorry to get so far off Topic..........
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Re: Don Garlits Explains how to Fix Professional Drag Racing
I think we're still in the ballyard with the topic.
One bone of contention is the thought that it's impossible for the little guy to advance to the pros. While the path is different than before and no one is running a fuel car out of the local gas station or a pro stocker out of a deluxe home shop, I know a kid from Roslindale, Ma who is an ace bracket racer, tips the scales at just over 20 years old and ifs driving Jim Yates' Pro Stocker for the balance of this season. He qualified at the first race #14, cut the tree down on Jeg, but got out run at the big end.
It can still be done, but like professional sports, the numbers and percentages of people who get there are tiny and most have sacrificed more to do it than others care to think about. Skills are one thing, but the drive to see yourself to the top levels of the sport is another.
Great thoughts on this....a quick example:
New England Dragway hosted "Hot Import Nights" -- about 20k kids showed up. The place was so packed they nearly had to close the gates.
A match race with nitro funnies, and all the traditional stuff drew barely 10.
Pro drag racing as it is now will not exist in it's current form in 10 years in my opinion simply because the revelancy of what's happening is gone. If NHRA continues to pretend that small tire, heads up stuff doesn't exist amongst a lot of other stuff, they'll be heading down the same path as IHRA (which drew a whopping 170 cars TOTAL to their national event in Tulsa).
BrianThat which you manifest is before you.Comment
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Re: Don Garlits Explains how to Fix Professional Drag Racing
What needs to be there is do a couple large things to slow them down (small blowers, smaller motors, 1 mag, less discs in clutch, limit number of injectors) and let teams inovate in other ways. The little guys will only be able to have a shot if they can out think ever body. Throw some big curve ball that makes all data irelivant, take them back instead of building on what has been developed for 40-60 years.Comment
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Re: Don Garlits Explains how to Fix Professional Drag Racing
imports events are hot where you have a large ummm 'guest worker' population
legends cars and bandeleros are hot too
anybody but parents paying to see those racesComment
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Re: Don Garlits Explains how to Fix Professional Drag Racing
Very true, and here in Michigan imports are not very popular (wonder whyOriginally posted by SpiderGearsMan
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Re: Don Garlits Explains how to Fix Professional Drag Racing
My take on the this is that money will eventually ruin any sport . I really think all sports should be hobbies. When people start trying to make a living with their hobby it gets to be a job . This is why I like land speed racing , club racing, and closed of open road racing. People still do it for the fun of it . IMHO when ever anyone other than the venue organizer/forum provider/land owner is making money it will eventually self distruckComment
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Re: Don Garlits Explains how to Fix Professional Drag Racing
neither is pork , but scarves fly off the shelves like a flying carpet ;DOriginally posted by THUNDERBIRD86Very true, and here in Michigan imports are not very popular (wonder whyOriginally posted by SpiderGearsMan)Comment
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Re: Don Garlits Explains how to Fix Professional Drag Racing
privateers could run back in the day , but once money got into it , that was it
the tax structure was way different back then , so the working man had a few extra bucks
believe me , once you have kids , thats it , outta businessComment
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