Columnist Wonders Why Pony Cars Don't Get Raced, Seems Unaware That They Do

[Matt Cramer]

Re: Columnist Wonders Why Pony Cars Don't Get Raced, Seems Unaware That They Do

Glad you guys like it! So far its fastest pass has been a 10.8, but the car has been only to one test and tune and one race so far, and we're still working out a couple teething problems. We have a page on it here:

http://www.diyautotune.com/cars/customer/megamaniac_nhr_drag_pak_challenger.htm

The wheels may not be the prettiest, but they weigh almost nothing. One rear wheel and race slick weighs somewhere around 25 lbs total.

[horsewidower]

Re: Columnist Wonders Why Pony Cars Don't Get Raced, Seems Unaware That They Do

I guess with cars, grass roots might sell more, but pro support would still sell a bunch. Just like back in the 60s.

In relationship to road racing, if this was true we'd all be buying Mazdas.

[horsewidower]

Re: Columnist Wonders Why Pony Cars Don't Get Raced, Seems Unaware That They Do

The pro classes in drag racing bore me to tears. I'd rather watch doorslammers all day long.

One element that I think is key to the declining interest in any pro class, be it drag racing, road racing, you name it, is that the cars look the same. I could care less about the Daytona Prototypes, they all look the same, but I dig the GT classes. But I dig the LeMans series prototypes because I can easily tell them apart. a Pug looks substantially different from an Audi. Nascar, modern floppers and diggers all look the same. They hold no interest for me.

[Brian Lohnes]

Re: Columnist Wonders Why Pony Cars Don't Get Raced, Seems Unaware That They Do

Speedy, you can cut IHRA Pro Stock out of your plan....it doesn't exist anymore.

Brian

[Super Sport]

Re: Columnist Wonders Why Pony Cars Don't Get Raced, Seems Unaware That They Do

You don't have nearly the coverage and exposure anymore for motorsports that you did in that era.

Oh, frickin' please!!!!
Back in the day you had maybe 10 car mags to choose from and 3 TV channels.
Today you can't count the number of magazines covering motorsports, it's on a multitude of channels, and then there's the frickin' internet!!!
We are OVERRUN by motorsports coverage to point of numbness.
Get real!!!

Ok, let me rephrase. You have a hell of a lot more options now. If it was a saturday afternoon in the 70's and there was a race on one of the networks, a variety show on another one, and news on the third, then you end up with a lot of people watching the race, if only by default. Those 3 channels had a higher percentage of auto racing as programming than the networks do today.

Now, you've got 300+ channels on cable and a ton of options. And I am guessing that translates to less people that are not normally motorsports fans seeing races if they have a choices. When I was a kid, everyone knew who AJ Foyt and Richard Petty were. Now, I'd bet hard cash that none of the kids on my blocks could name one NASCAR driver and one person that ever raced at Indy.

That's what I meant.

[38P]

Re: Columnist Wonders Why Pony Cars Don't Get Raced, Seems Unaware That They Do

Speedy, you can cut IHRA Pro Stock out of your plan....it doesn't exist anymore.

Brian

:o

When did that happen?

What does 10+ time mountain motor Pro Stock championship winning engine builder Jon Kaase do now? http://www.jonkaaseracingengines.com/about-us.html

I would have sworn I saw an IHRA PS run on TV sometime in the last year or so. I've got to start paying more attention, I guess. :-[

[Ron Ward]

Re: Columnist Wonders Why Pony Cars Don't Get Raced, Seems Unaware That They Do

What does 10+ time mountain motor Pro Stock championship winning engine builder Jon Kaase do now?

Can you say: ADRL?

[Brian Lohnes]

Re: Columnist Wonders Why Pony Cars Don't Get Raced, Seems Unaware That They Do

Speedy, you can cut IHRA Pro Stock out of your plan....it doesn't exist anymore.

Brian

:o

When did that happen?

What does 10+ time mountain motor Pro Stock championship winning engine builder Jon Kaase do now? http://www.jonkaaseracingengines.com/about-us.html

I would have sworn I saw an IHRA PS run on TV sometime in the last year or so. I've got to start paying more attention, I guess. :-[

IHRA has had a bad relationship with it's dedicated mountain motor racers for the last several years. It came to a head when the MMPSA (Mountain Motor Pro Stock Association) was formed prior to this season. They agreed (in principle) to race with IHRA and had drawn up an agreement which went to crap at the last minute. The MMPSA is racing with the ADRL and at a couple more dedicated races on their own. Crappily, Pro Stock was the longest continuously running IHRA Pro Class....that record is now toast.

They are awesome machines and I really loved announcing that class. I called the "tug boat motor" Pro Stocks.....neat cars.

Kaase? He's wall to wall with Top Sportsman motors like Sonny, Charlie Buck, et al.

Brian

[38P]

Re: Columnist Wonders Why Pony Cars Don't Get Raced, Seems Unaware That They Do

Thanks, Brian!

Just in case anyone else is as vastly uninformed on "tug boat motor" PS racing as I was, see http://www.mmpsa.org/about.html. (Of course I figure anyone sensible wanting to run that quick and fast ought to be using turbos . . . . ;D)

Seeing Tulsa on the event list vaguely reminded me of the Professional Racers Association challenge to the U.S. Nationals back in 1972. (Admittedly, the MMPSA is not remotely the same as the so-called "PRA Strike," but Tulsa apparently will play a prominent role in both. If memory serves, Jim Tice of the AHRA helped put on the '72 "National Challenge" in Tulsa (so the MMPSA's affiliation with the ADRL is also vaguely similar).

Also, seeing the handful of MMPSA events reminded me of an old 1996 IRL poster. The first IRL season had (if memory serves) only about five events. Hopefully this feud will turn out better than that one did.















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