Hahaha Hot Rod Blog - Drag Week

[38P]

How many Australians know about DW as opposed to how many know about Bonneville, Daytona or the Indy 500? The Aussies didn't buy a new car to compete either, they "get it" as do most actual participants.

Were the Ford engineers a factory effort as you implied you would enter if you were running Ford? Didn't think so. Not if they "borrowed" from work. Is that like the old Johnny Cash song?

Indy 500 -101 years old
Daytona 500 -- 53 years old
Bonneville -- Ab Jenkins started running there in the 1930s, SCTA in the 1940s.

DW* is an infant compared to those events.

A factory effort would probably not be an OVERT factory effort. It would be more along the lines of getting a dominant car with a big logo on the side and some money to a trusted "contract" racer who could guarantee competitive driving and some publicity. See how Ford sponsors Tanner Foust or other small-series "contractors."

[38P]

Don't be so naive. Not every car on DW* is owner-built. There are some pro-built cars.

I was just proposing a plan for Ford to quickly get competitive cars into the hands of fanatics.

[38P]

How about when Ford invaded the Winternationals in '68 with a fleet of new Cobra Jets, distributed to trusted racers at minimal prices. Was that bad because the racers didn't build the cars?

[OldMachinist]

You stated DW gets as much publicity as Bonneville-that's what the reference to the other events was.

Didn't explain yourself as to what you would do if you were in charge of Ford so didn't understand it would not be OVERT. I believe Ford has been in business longer than GM or Mopar so don't understand the need for them quickly get competitive cars in the hands of competitors. Since they are so much better than everyone else as you are always saying I would think they would be winning everything at DW etc.

I realize not every car is owner built every one entered starts as a factory built car but don't know of any that are factory modified to compete. Makes no difference if owner built or pro built but if Ford needs to " factory build" to be competitive I guess that is what it takes.

[OldMachinist]

This has been fun but I'm going to bed so someone else can carry on.

[nesabo]

Being a Ford guy, and been on DW, I will put my .02.

I have worked on GM products during DW. I did it because the owners were good people not because what they drove. What it comes down to is, I help the people, not the car companies. Doesnt matter if it is at DW, the local strip, etc.


127 DAYS!

[BBR]

Not to mention you have to show proof of registration and insurance when you check in. No rental cars allowed!

[Ron Ward]

Speedy, have you ever actually WORKED an event with 200+ cars? Do you have ANY inkling what kind of manpower would be required to handle the logistics of that many cars over five days? I have personally worked events of 600+ cars and it is a real chore for all involved. Add in the fact that the majority of the tracks on Drag Week are not large enough to support 300-400 cars, nor are the local motels and restaurants prepared for such an onslaught, and I think 200 cars is a reasonable number to work with. I applaud HRM for keeping the total entries at a manageable level. A field of of this size allows the HRM and track crews to keep everyone in check and gives the event more of a family feel rather than a "national event" presence.

[38P]

I'd take a couple of Detroit sharpies about half an hour to prepare a short-term "equipment lease" that would temporarily transfer title to circumvent the rule, make it easy to recover the car after the event, and make the driver legally responsible for any stupid/incompetent stuff. Ford already brokers insurance that's written by a company in Ohio. So that's not really a problem either.

Remember that back in the day, Ford made sure that the "$1" race cars weren't titled in the hands of the Company.

Certainly none of this will happen, but it's not impossible.

[38P]

Speedy, have you ever actually WORKED an event with 200+ cars? Do you have ANY inkling what kind of manpower would be required to handle the logistics of that many cars over five days? I have personally worked events of 600+ cars and it is a real chore for all involved. Add in the fact that the majority of the tracks on Drag Week are not large enough to support 300-400 cars, nor are the local motels and restaurants prepared for such an onslaught, and I think 200 cars is a reasonable number to work with. I applaud HRM for keeping the total entries at a manageable level. A field of of this size allows the HRM and track crews to keep everyone in check and gives the event more of a family feel rather than a "national event" presence.

Ah yes, the old appeal to personal authority argument.

Certainly it will take more tech people to check in and tech more cars. But the same number of people for track clean-up, running the clocks, starting, medical and concessions. Given that virtually all of these folks are supplied by the tracks, not SIM, then it's just a matter of how much revenue SIM wants to share. Considering their bankruptcy, they probably just want to "ride the float" by keeping as many entry fee dollars as long as they want, and keep the revenue split as low as possible. That's just business.


The "insiders" will always "applaud" rules that artificially limit the number of competitors. And if the field is large enough for SIM to generate sufficient editorial on the cheap, then they're fat and happy.

And it's not exactly like they're going to Mo-Kan or Wildcat. Tulsa, Memphis, and Texas Motorplex all have sufficient facilities and staff to handle big fields. I don't remember the other track, so I've probably never been there. Another indicator of how little attention I've paid to all of this, I guess.

The bottom line is that nearly everyone on here is totally "in the bag" for HRM and most who've weighed in are "in the show," so I'm not surprised that the acolytes of the "DF Cult" reflexively rally to DW*'s defense. Which is a-ok. It's HRM's event and they can run it (or ruin it) how ever they want. Besides, I'd have been bringing a "store-bought" car running in the track-clogging bottom class, so I expect no support whatsoever from the exclusionists and "elites."

I just no longer have much respect for the argument that "everyone" should run DW* because it's always going to be limited to such a tiny percentage of hot rodders. Have fun.

[Beagle]

6 pages of butt itch. Your plan to piss off the entire planet is working.

[BBR]

I have found your posts in the past to be pretty interesting (and a bit Ford biased), but man I think you have gone off the deep end with this topic. You obviously have a real problem with this event for some reason. This is about the only big event I attend, so it was important enough to me to check HRM's site and FB to know when registration was going to open and to get signed up as soon as I could. I will not apologize for that. If that makes me an elitist or exclusionist or a part of the "DF Cult", so be it, because without DF, this event would never have been created. Maybe we need to make some "DF nutswinger" t-shirts. Haha I'd wear one.

Hey, Drag Week is what it is, take it or leave it. If you don't like it, fine, but your endless Proletariat vs. Bourgeoisie babble is really getting old.

If you live anywhere near Tulsa, and still want to participate, come on out on the Sunday before and hang around the registration table. I'd bet dollars to donuts there will be some open slots available because of no-shows. We'd love to put a face with a name and hang out for a while.

[Ron Ward]

[QUOTE=Speedzzter.blogspot;637338]Indy 500 -101 years old
Daytona 500 -- 53 years old
Bonneville -- Ab Jenkins started running there in the 1930s, SCTA in the 1940s.

DW* is an infant compared to those events. QUOTE]

Indy 500 - 33 competitors

Daytona 500 - 43 competitors

Speedy, I think you may have trouble getting into these events, too...



Ron

[bulletproof]

as you stated you didnt pay close attention,,so why are you still crying about it...theres no conspiracy to keep you or ford out of the event...they even give a fastest ford award... last year the fastest ford had a chevy motor...sorry to rub salt in your wound..there are a lot of people who really enjoy this event,,and with out the heavy hitters in the unlimited class it wouldnt be the same..i have no issue if they leave a few open places for guys that build cars like that..how fun would it be if there was only 1 car in unlimited? you learned your lesson..pay closer attention ....if you dont have time have someone help you...its not you against the world..or maybe it is...

[38P]

Everybody have fun on dw*!

I have found your posts in the past to be pretty interesting (and a bit Ford biased), but man I think you have gone off the deep end with this topic. You obviously have a real problem with this event for some reason. This is about the only big event I attend, so it was important enough to me to check HRM's site and FB to know when registration was going to open and to get signed up as soon as I could. I will not apologize for that. If that makes me an elitist or exclusionist or a part of the "DF Cult", so be it, because without DF, this event would never have been created. Maybe we need to make some "DF nutswinger" t-shirts. Haha I'd wear one.

Hey, Drag Week is what it is, take it or leave it. If you don't like it, fine, but your endless Proletariat vs. Bourgeoisie babble is really getting old.

If you live anywhere near Tulsa, and still want to participate, come on out on the Sunday before and hang around the registration table. I'd bet dollars to donuts there will be some open slots available because of no-shows. We'd love to put a face with a name and hang out for a while.

BBR, you have nothing to apologize for. I hope everyone who signed up has a great time.

I've repeatedly admitted that I FAILED TO CAREFULLY FOLLOW ANYTHING AUTOMOTIVE IN MARCH 2012 because I was too busy. I snoozed (based on what HRM did last year) and I lost. MY FAULT! I can't really take or leave DW* because it already "left" without me . . . . ;)

That being said, HRM does poorly manage aspects of the event. And far too many Bangshifters apparently cannot see that.

DF is the leading light in this generation of automotive performance journalists. You're correct that he reworked Brock Yates' idea for One lap of America into a drag racing format, and but for DF, DW* wouldn't exist.

But DF's events and actions are not beyond criticism. The "DF Cult" quip is just a commentary on how many UNCRITICAL disciples he has. "If DF says it, that settles it." That's just blind hero worship.

I'm also irritated by the haughty "I know DF and you don't" slams. Just because somebody spent five seconds with the GREAT ONE doesn't mean they can speak for him on all matters. If DF thinks my criticisms are unfair or incorrect, let him show up on a site HE HELPED FOUND and set the record straight. (not expecting that, BTW). I have no doubt that if I ever met DF, he'd dismiss me in seconds as just another insignificant, loud-mouthed, jerk magazine subscriber -- an "imaginary" Walter Mitty "Hot Rodder" with a bad haircut and a boring "store bought" car (even though I would make it a point not to ask him for jack squat or brag on my own meager stuff).

Who knows? Maybe I'll show up in Tulsa with my second-rate NON-LESS-POWERED "store bought" car . . . I know that there are plenty of Bangshifters and GM "LESS" V8 lovers who would like to tell me what a dumb@$$ I am and make fun of my "store bought," behind-all-the-cool-kids Ford.

Sorry, but this thread is just making me angrier by the post.