NHRA opens the late model flood gates

[BBR]

The latest revision to the NHRA rule book (10/01/2018) includes verbiage that opens up the 2008 year model exception to "other local NHRA member track events". Previously this exemption was limited only to Street Legal Style presented by AAA branded events. The new rule also removes the "unaltered" qualification effectively opening the flood gates for 2008+ cars to run doewn to 10.00 or 135 mph without having to have a roll bar, harness, etc etc. Just grab a fire jacket, helmet and hit the track.

[Gateclyve Photographic]

I'm not real sure why they kept the DOT tire requirement and apparently won't allow real racing tires on late-model "bubble wrap" safety cars.
This new "Hellcat" regulation probably does not legalize sub-11.50 "new" cars for "national" stuff like HRDW, either.

Still, it's better than the baseless assumption that '32 Fords, rusty Vegas, and forty-year old Valiants need exactly the same intrusive safety add-ons as a NHTSA five-star-rated brick with ten airbags.

[BBR]

The big winners in this are the performance diesel truck crowd. High 10's, low 11's is right in their wheelhouse of what is considered fast.

Makes me want to buy an 08 model anything and never worry about out of date harnesses, roll bars, etc ever again.

One interesting part to me is that this seemingly eliminates the need for other safety stuff, like trans blankets/shield, SFI flexplate or flywheel, c-clip eliminators, driveshaft loops, etc.

DOT tires: An ET Street or Hoosier QTP is all the world the same as a full on slick. I have run equally as fast on an ET Streets.

[pdub]

They've done basically the same thing in ECTA this year, under the new government. The later model cars are turned loose. And that allowed Andy in his Hellcat to have so much fun, 175-178 MPH over and over. Running out whole tankfuls of gas. Fun. Epic fun. And fun to watch. I don't see anything at all wrong with any of it. I think in the professional world they call that "due diligence." Make rules where rules are needed, but study and back off when the rules are stifling.

[RockJustRock]

I'm not real sure why they kept the DOT tire requirement and apparently won't allow real racing tires on late-model "bubble wrap" safety cars.
This new "Hellcat" regulation probably does not legalize sub-11.50 "new" cars for "national" stuff like HRDW, either.

Still, it's better than the baseless assumption that '32 Fords, rusty Vegas, and forty-year old Valiants need exactly the same intrusive safety add-ons as a NHTSA five-star-rated brick with ten airbags.

Drag Week is NOT a big deal to NHRA.

I think a lot of bolt on stuff is good, just fewer Gymboree Halo Cages and such. Pro Stock did SO well with just 6 points for so long and those cars WERE Death Traps because of acid dipping and other bizarre "tricks" like dropping fluid levels for less windage and of course everything could freeze up within feet of the win light.

[Gateclyve Photographic]

Drag Week is NOT a big deal to NHRA.

HRDW is not any kind of a "deal" to the NHRA. They could care less about it because it's not their event.

HRDW parasites off of the NHRA rules. So the question is whether or not HRDW and the tracks will view HRDW as a "local NHRA member track event" or as something else. Which rules to apply is entirely up to HRDW's tech inspectors and the host tracks.

BTW, there were conflicting tech stories from HRDW 2018. At least one non-roll bar car was teched "legal to 10.00" (apparently prospectively applying the revised NHRA "street legal" rules) while at least one air-bag Dodge driver (with DOT drag radials, no less) was reportedly teched under the old 11.50 cut-off rule. (Of course none of this would be a thing if HRDW had some no-bar classes like RMRW).

[pdub]

They could care less about it because it's not their event.

I can't identify with anything that's not laid back fun. If Drag Week,,,,well, never mind anyhow, I'm talking out of my ass because I'll never have a car that will even do it.

NHRA, the real deal, huge money and sponsorships on the line, etc., like any other huge sport, it's over our heads, most of us at least.

The rest of us just want to have fun and I don't understand all of the imposed hoopla. I don't get it, I honestly don't. And I'm not even interested in it. I don't have to go to work again, not ever. And at that level, that's WORK. Serious damn work, avoid it.

Only just sayin, that's all, just sayin.

[RockJustRock]

Drag Week "Rules" are a joke and as far away from NHRA rules as DF's ego will allow. You "win" Drag Week when they shoot a feature on your car. The 8.50 index classes this year were dangerous. Clogging the staging lanes with 7 second cars doing weird stuff to run 8.50. That needs to be fixed. The Big Block/Small Block "What kind of rear suspension does it have" formula is SO OVER it is ridiculous. Did anyone REALLY miss the checkpoints being there or celebrate them being gone for weather? NO because it just didn't matter to anyone but DF.

NHRA just woke to the fact the if folks that spent high $30K to infinity on a newer car want to drag race they will spend a LOT on everything else at the track too. The carnage will come on the top end stopping these things without parachutes or using poorly implemented chutes wrong.

[pdub]

It's all in different flavors. Years ago, I don't know about now, but years ago the steering wheel for an Indy car cost $30,000. Because it's got brains and telemetry in it. Computer guts in the steering wheel.

I'm glad I'm not there. The guys who are....that and at every level of pro racing.....I'll bet it's fun to be able to sit in a ride that will go that fast, but that's WORK. The whole scene, that's work. I'd hate to sit in a fast car and know it's just another day at work. That would take all of the fun out of it.

[RockJustRock]

But the computer in Andy's Hellcat didn't look like work....And they get a whole lot BETTER on 2019s. Race gas tunes, stuff like that right there.

[pdub]

But the computer in Andy's Hellcat didn't look like work...

You'da had to be there. Ask Stude, he saw it. Andy did NOT stop, not ever. He ran the dog pee out of that car, Over and over and over and over and over....and that thing would haul ass. There goes Andy again. And again and again. It was amazing, the man didn't even need to eat. He was there to drive that car. He got every dang bit of it there was to "get."

Mind boggling. Like a 12-year-old adult but intently focused. He was, "I'm gonna run this car." And by golly, he did. That was really my takeaway from the whole weekend. Andy. Look at that guy drive that car. Again. Yep, there he goes again. Again. He wore the damn stripes off of the runway, that track. He got his frickin money's worth, and then some. It was AMAZING, it truly was.

[RockJustRock]

You'da had to be there. Ask Stude, he saw it. Andy did NOT stop, not ever. He ran the dog pee out of that car, Over and over and over and over and over....and that thing would haul ass. There goes Andy again. And again and again. It was amazing, the man didn't even need to eat. He was there to drive that car. He got every dang bit of it there was to "get."

Mind boggling. Like a 12-year-old adult but intently focused. He was, "I'm gonna run this car." And by golly, he did. That was really my takeaway from the whole weekend. Andy. Look at that guy drive that car. Again. Yep, there he goes again. Again. He wore the damn stripes off of the runway, that track. He got his frickin money's worth, and then some. It was AMAZING, it truly was.

I'd have to guess all the cans were RACE gas. The more he burned off and replaced the faster he went. And like I said the 2019s I believe have the Demon Computer. The one with the race gas tune screen. C'mon Dodge! Sell, sell, sell, Redeye Hellcats to get that resale value down! C'MON 2030! Even Andy (whoever Andy is) NEEDS a 2019 Redeye Hellcat. You can tell them by the twin scoop hood. Andy's is older.

[pdub]

You can tell them by the twin scoop hood. Andy's is older.

Naw Rock, you still haven't made the transition from drag strip to land speed. I can see it developing but you're not there yet.

Andy brought pump gas in those cans. The only reason he did, he didn't want to leave the track, not for anything, not even to fill back up during the day.

And to your point, and everybody's else's... there's lots to be gained at the start line which will translate into more speed a mile later. I agree, that is very true, so said Keith Turk himself. But it's not a drag race, it's not a quarter mile. It's different, it's like night and day from what you're already familiar with. Don't try to compare the two, it's not the same. Totally different animal. And having NOT drag raced myself, I still know the two drugs are not the same.

[RockJustRock]

And YOU haven't drag raced. FIRST you can hot lap all you want in time trials. THEN you RACE. I was juggling two cars one day at an all MoPar event. I focused on the faster one and gave my buddy the keys to take the other through staging. Even told him to do a pass if I got caught out of lanes. Faster one I got beat. The resto guys were soft dialing and trying to get each other at the stripe. I was going all out, because low 15s. Before I realized I was in the SEMIS. Temptation set in and I dialed up to like 15.50. Lifted waay too early and went out. BUT out of over 100 cars I got down to four. Coulda BEAT 100 cars, Hemi cars.

But you NEED the man pedal... We all understand... One pass, launch, shift, too hard broken Red. Launch too soft. Shift too easy Red looks slow, guys laugh. Lose, lose. Get it right Red will go high 11s I'd say. Maybe faster because stock he could go 12s. So mid to low 11s. 10s? NEVER. Not many can say they have an 11 second street car. You are not one either. Those Gassers. Most were prolly going 10s, but a few were stuck in the 11s. You were pushing Red pretty on the bottom of the Mile to go Bwaaaaaa in 5th. Do watcha like!

[RockJustRock]

Another scenario.....

A guy in a Shelby GT500, 2007. Picked it up for ONLY $30K on EBay. His girlfriend still dumped him. So he's at this All Ford Day at the drag strip. Guy with a beard in a GT beside him on the starting line. "I GOT this, I'm in a SHELBY" he thinks. The lights come down. Red goes "Get some of THIS". Goes his 11. Guy in Shelby misses a gear as he watches that GT gas cap getting smaller. Shelby guy goes home and even his DOG knows he got beat by his mood. It could happen! Or the other lane could be a Corvette breaking an axle....