4
this is just my thoughts but........
Of course I hope that no drive EVER dies again while drag racing.
I dont like 1000 foot racing. I would rather see NHRA take away the percent of nitro, or add weight, or take away a magneto.
You run into a guy on the street with a cool hot rod and you ask, "what will it do in the quater mile?" (not in 1000 feet) We measure our speed in Miles Per Hour. Miles, not Feet per hour. And I think it takes away from the old records. You know like the guys who can claim they were the "first in the six's or first in the five's". So do we have to put an astrix after new records like they did in baseball to Roger Maris?
I guess I'm just a traditionalist or old fashioned. Maybe I just dont like change.
Jeff Arnold
Of course I hope that no drive EVER dies again while drag racing.
I dont like 1000 foot racing. I would rather see NHRA take away the percent of nitro, or add weight, or take away a magneto.
You run into a guy on the street with a cool hot rod and you ask, "what will it do in the quater mile?" (not in 1000 feet) We measure our speed in Miles Per Hour. Miles, not Feet per hour. And I think it takes away from the old records. You know like the guys who can claim they were the "first in the six's or first in the five's". So do we have to put an astrix after new records like they did in baseball to Roger Maris?
I guess I'm just a traditionalist or old fashioned. Maybe I just dont like change.
Jeff Arnold
1320 FEET............ The way it always was.......... the way it is......... the way it should ALWAYS be........
Give these Top Fuel guys a little time and they will be going just as fast to the 1000 ft........ hopefully no one will crash and be killed or we will then be watching 1/8 mile racing, which is absolute crap.........
NHRA needs to stop applying bandaids and address safety issues in the shut down areas or start regulating the cars to cut back on performance........
Would the extra 320 ft have made a difference in E-town???....... at that speed, I'm thinking not....... the report states that Kalitta entered the pea gravel at approximately 125 mph....... I'm not sure how much slower it would have been with the extra 320 ft, but it would have still been a substancial impact....... especially head-on........
Back to 1320........ back to REAL drag racing.........
Give these Top Fuel guys a little time and they will be going just as fast to the 1000 ft........ hopefully no one will crash and be killed or we will then be watching 1/8 mile racing, which is absolute crap.........
NHRA needs to stop applying bandaids and address safety issues in the shut down areas or start regulating the cars to cut back on performance........
Would the extra 320 ft have made a difference in E-town???....... at that speed, I'm thinking not....... the report states that Kalitta entered the pea gravel at approximately 125 mph....... I'm not sure how much slower it would have been with the extra 320 ft, but it would have still been a substancial impact....... especially head-on........
Back to 1320........ back to REAL drag racing.........
Let's hope 1000 ft is not true. I don't have much confidence that NHRA will get the new indexes accurate.
Let's hope they contact someone like Patrick Hale to do that. I believe he has that in a spread sheet already.
Bill Kraus
Let's hope they contact someone like Patrick Hale to do that. I believe he has that in a spread sheet already.
Bill Kraus
I think 1000ft racing would be bad for the sport. I dont even watch or follow tf or fc since they switched to 1000tf. I would much rather see the cars go slower and run 1/4 than 1000. If this is true, i think nhra should let the races vote on the issue. We all know the risks of racing, and what can happen. But we do it because, its what we love. I don't think i would quit racing, but it wouldnt be as much fun.
Ryan Warter
6088 Comp
Ryan Warter
6088 Comp
I think the lead in to this thread is 1000’ racing. The reaction is normal and expected, “we want to race to 1320”. Honestly, I don’t think that’s the issue. The issue is track safety.
Years ago Ford had a SUV that was later found out to have defective Firestone tires. There was a lot of finger pointing after many people were hurt or died, a lot of law suits, but while it was going on Ford did not continue to use the same tire.
At Indy this year we saw a “state of the art crash pit” that would slow down a runaway 200+ MPH car. I applaud their efforts and solution, but saying play nice til next year, and we hope nobody gets hurt, isn’t a solution or abstention of liability. If Ford had said “we have 20,000 more tires, and as soon as they are out of them, we will switch to a better product” the press would have burned them.
Around the country at ¼ mile tracks there seems to be two standards. There are 3500 – 3600’ tracks, to the sand, and there are 4000 – 4100’ tracks. The Commerce track is in the shorter category. That adds to a “Situation”, but it’s not the answer. If the Indy prototype is the answer, why is it not mandated at all NHRA tracks where vehicles exceed 200 MPH.
Will Pomona have the good stuff, the track that is the beginning and the end of the season?
I was in Shreveport when a Sportsman car, on a long track 4000’+ went an extra 500’ into the trees, over the creek, and then more trees. Injuries, yes, but nobody died. The reason that the care was not slowed going through the end is a separate issue. The fact that it happens has to be allowed for.
In 2 weeks we will be in Noble Oklahoma at a good 3800’ track. At 4000’ there is a railroad track right after the ditch.
I’m not a dog in this fight, but I have an opinion. Safety is not a next year problem.
Years ago Ford had a SUV that was later found out to have defective Firestone tires. There was a lot of finger pointing after many people were hurt or died, a lot of law suits, but while it was going on Ford did not continue to use the same tire.
At Indy this year we saw a “state of the art crash pit” that would slow down a runaway 200+ MPH car. I applaud their efforts and solution, but saying play nice til next year, and we hope nobody gets hurt, isn’t a solution or abstention of liability. If Ford had said “we have 20,000 more tires, and as soon as they are out of them, we will switch to a better product” the press would have burned them.
Around the country at ¼ mile tracks there seems to be two standards. There are 3500 – 3600’ tracks, to the sand, and there are 4000 – 4100’ tracks. The Commerce track is in the shorter category. That adds to a “Situation”, but it’s not the answer. If the Indy prototype is the answer, why is it not mandated at all NHRA tracks where vehicles exceed 200 MPH.
Will Pomona have the good stuff, the track that is the beginning and the end of the season?
I was in Shreveport when a Sportsman car, on a long track 4000’+ went an extra 500’ into the trees, over the creek, and then more trees. Injuries, yes, but nobody died. The reason that the care was not slowed going through the end is a separate issue. The fact that it happens has to be allowed for.
In 2 weeks we will be in Noble Oklahoma at a good 3800’ track. At 4000’ there is a railroad track right after the ditch.
I’m not a dog in this fight, but I have an opinion. Safety is not a next year problem.
The safety issue is not just about the end of the track. By my unofficial count, at least two of the reported five deaths this year were from impacts with the retaining wall. I have suggested some sort of soft wall in a prior post, and feel that should be part of the discussion. Changing to 1000 feet would likely not have made a difference in these cases.
Metric 1/4 mile
I just read the dragracingonline article and it appears that the change to 1,000' is inevitable. It'll be a sad day.....but my kids all talk in metre's and millimeters and the 1,000' fits right into that mess. From NHRA's viewpoint, they don't have much of a choice if the Pro's are going to stay at 1,000' permanently. You can't have 2 distances or I guess you can, but it's kind of like having 2 races under different rules running at the same time. I know in fact that is not the case, but we are racers, we are given the rules and work within those rules, as best we can.
There will definetly be some rear gear changes, once the out right shock of the decision is over, it will be racing as usual....I don't like it but I'll deal with it. On a positive note, can you imagine the improvement in 330 and 660 times, with the new gearing.
I just read the dragracingonline article and it appears that the change to 1,000' is inevitable. It'll be a sad day.....but my kids all talk in metre's and millimeters and the 1,000' fits right into that mess. From NHRA's viewpoint, they don't have much of a choice if the Pro's are going to stay at 1,000' permanently. You can't have 2 distances or I guess you can, but it's kind of like having 2 races under different rules running at the same time. I know in fact that is not the case, but we are racers, we are given the rules and work within those rules, as best we can.
There will definetly be some rear gear changes, once the out right shock of the decision is over, it will be racing as usual....I don't like it but I'll deal with it. On a positive note, can you imagine the improvement in 330 and 660 times, with the new gearing.
1000 ft. would be fine with me; probably reduce my speed by 10-15 mph and be a bit safer.
Last edited:
I belive it would kill dragracing . I hear people say they use to watch racing on tv but now they dont . Did nascar make their tracks shorter or take away hp .
They took away HP by mandating the restrictor plate at the Super Speedway races. In my opinion, it would be easier for NHRA to reduce HP on the 4 Pro classes than it would be for the Sportsman classes; but will anyone want to watch a 400+ cu.in. single 4 barrel Pro Stocker? Those 2 changes will reduce HP but what fan appeal would they have? Initially, I was completely against 1000' racing for the nitro cars; but after seeing it on TV during the Western swing, and then seeing it in person at 3 straight National events (Reading, Indy, Charlotte), I discovered that it is not as bad as I thought it would be.
My preference is that all racing be done at 1320'; but if given a choice between reducing HP and 1000' racing, I would have to choose 1000' racing.
If they took away the blowers from T/F and F/C . They would have a lot more cars running those classes . The injected nitro car with a bigger motor could be running high 4 sec at 280 . That should be fast enough .It would be a lot better racing and some new faces in these classes . It is getting hard to get 16 cars in either class . The cost of racing T/F AND F/C has put a lot of racers out of T/F .
"If given a choice between reducing HP and 1,000' racing, I'd take 1,000' racing" is a very clear cut question that addresses the 2 options directly. We can't dodge the safety issue with the nitro cars and give back the 1320....let's try it again. That is not going to happen, so the painful process of making a decision on the best of 2 evils, begins. If it does in fact end all interest in drag-racing, as Charlie is eluding to, I'm sure there would be an about face on the change.
I hate changes as much as the next guy and to not be able to say to the person asking, we drag race in a straight line, no turns...for a 1/4 mile, rather now say for a 1,000', totally sucks. 2008 is a long ways from 1958 and look at what has changed in that period....and we're still here. Bob Glidden was #1 qualifier at the 1978 Fallnationals,in Seattle, with an 8.50 and he had the field covered by a tenth. 90% of all classes in Comp are faster than that, so there is little arguement that 2008 drag-racing is being done at much more dangerous speeds. There is a scary number of Comp cars that run close to and over 200.....how much slower would they be to 1,000'? I'm afraid we are going to find out real soon....
I hate changes as much as the next guy and to not be able to say to the person asking, we drag race in a straight line, no turns...for a 1/4 mile, rather now say for a 1,000', totally sucks. 2008 is a long ways from 1958 and look at what has changed in that period....and we're still here. Bob Glidden was #1 qualifier at the 1978 Fallnationals,in Seattle, with an 8.50 and he had the field covered by a tenth. 90% of all classes in Comp are faster than that, so there is little arguement that 2008 drag-racing is being done at much more dangerous speeds. There is a scary number of Comp cars that run close to and over 200.....how much slower would they be to 1,000'? I'm afraid we are going to find out real soon....
If they did change to 1000 ft racing it would be a plus for car owners .Because most all motor`s blow the last 320 ft. The cost for running all season would go down a little .If you entered 10 races you should be able with a fresh motor make the season . But I still dont`t like the change .
The speed of running the entire race would be reduced and NHRA has always shown that as a primary concern. I presume that is why they eliminate some of the classes on a rotating basis from National events.
Current 1/4 mile National Record holders will have a place in history....forever.
Other than tradition and the loss of that, there are few negatives than arise from this change. The bottom line is the insurance company's are going to make the call, even for NHRA.
Current 1/4 mile National Record holders will have a place in history....forever.
Other than tradition and the loss of that, there are few negatives than arise from this change. The bottom line is the insurance company's are going to make the call, even for NHRA.
If I were racing to 1000ft. in Shreveport, I would not have throw the rod out of my motor. It happened at about 1100ft! Oh well, back to work.
1320' Forever
Why not take one Mag and one Fuel pump away plus mandate Blower pulleys and go back to racing 1320 ft.
Seems like the PROs are dictating who runs the organization. Common sense says the above approach would solve alot of problems.
Somebody needs to pull there pants up and say this is how it's going to be.
Why not take one Mag and one Fuel pump away plus mandate Blower pulleys and go back to racing 1320 ft.
Seems like the PROs are dictating who runs the organization. Common sense says the above approach would solve alot of problems.
Somebody needs to pull there pants up and say this is how it's going to be.
If they through with 1000ft for EVERBODY, would that mean the super clases would still be running the #.90 format??
