Thread: Things That Ruined Drag Racing!

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Originally Posted by DADNOVA

People who move next to a track and then complain about the noise!!!
Bracket racing, cars that will do 6s running 9s, boring. Tight brackets are fun but when you see a car roll off the line doing 30 mph down the track then hit the gas and finish at 200mph, Yawn.

Boring??? You've obviously not done a lot of bracket racing. I suppose it's easy to call it boring when you don't understand all the intracacies of turning that same time lap after lap, regardless of heat, temperature, humidity, barometric pressure or a million other variables not even yet counting keeping the tune on the engine the same...... Take your car, whatever it is, and go out and put down half a dozen runs, starting at 2 PM and sometimes not finishing til 7 PM and keep them all + or - .020 sec., then tell me it's boring. Heads up racing is for very big checkbooks, and usually the biggest checkbook wins. If drag racing had not instituted the brackets and left everything heads up based on cubic inches to weight, I doubt many of us here could even afford to make a pass, let alone be a winner....

Don't knock it if you haven't tried it. The cars who run out on the throttle stop, then accelerate to the end are basing this on countless hours and passes of information gathered on their car and how track conditions and weather changes effect it's performance.... It's no longer a case of just standing on the gas and wondering what will happen.

Drag racing has not been ruined, it has only changed. Those of us who changed with it still love participating. Those who couldn't accept the changes necessarey to keep the average guy involved only bad mouth what they don't understand.....

Well dave tell us how you really feel

Sorry, just tired of people saying it's ruined when they don't understand how complex running a bracket car or a Super class car really is. The "good old days" of some guy dropping his arms, the resulting arguments about who jumped and who didn't, and results measured in miles per hour weren't that great, either. Many tracks had lousy (if any) timing equipment, tech was a joke and cheating was rampant.... Probably worked ok when a fast car ran in the 13's, but it would be a fiasco with the performance level of today's cars....... I would imagine there are a lot of people that couldn't understand the technology, so they just gave it up and said drag racing had gone down the tubes..... Back many many moons ago when I was running my Econo Dragster, friend of mine kept saying how "boring" drag racing was. Got him to go with us a few times and spent some time explaining things to him. He got interested, built a bracket car the next winter and now at the age of 68 is still running a drag car. Complete with delay box, tranny brake, and all the electronic gizmos and gadgets....

The Super classes, Super Pro, Super Gas, and Super Comp are excellent classes to run. No handicap starts, just a breakout rule. The breakout rule is there to establish a time for the class and limit the amount of money it takes to be competitive in the class. And if you want to run heads up, there's always the Pro Classes. Yeah, they cost a ton of money to run, what doesn't???

If drag racing was still a run what ya brung deal, not many people could afford to run.....

here-here dave thats what they made timing systems for,or else there would just be a win light at the end of the track.

i enjoy the type of drag racing i do its the closest thing to what i seen when i was a kid going to the races with my dad .
i run heads up as fast as i can go, yes sfi is a total drag but if you wanna go fast you have to play by there rules.
not sure who nitro is but i know hes from my area and im sure i have met him before. by the way my name is ron i own a 69 gto judge 540ci blown injected on alcohol running in the 7's
the streetlegal drags seems to be where all the action is now days i have raced psca and npsa as well events i race at mission and have done very well would never go back to bracket racing ever.

I was just kidding dave, what you said makes perfect sence to me, but it would seem that even in the old days, that a guy had to have money to run all the events. Im guessing guys like garlits and pruddome had a decent amount of money

(QUOTE) "During this era, there were a few things that took the fun out of it for the spectator." (QUOTE)

I know it's been a while since I posted this thread, but I wanted to point out that I was speaking on behalf of the spectator.....not the racer.

Thnigs that made it harder for the spectator to understand.....like the faster car getting there first, but losing.....and things that made the show less entertaining......like fewer wheelstands, cars running perfectly straight down the track, no tire smoke, not being able to distinguish you favorite brand of car, and so on.

I can certainly understand the need to be able to race inexpensively, and the skill it takes to compete in brackets. I have a customer I have known for 30 years, that is a many-time champ in this type of racing. But to the guy in the stands, "heads up" racing and beautiful, but violent, hard-to-control racecars will always be best!

All I have to say to that is enjoy it if you do, leave it if you don't -I left and the sport is probably better for it ,It does'nt need an old fart w old school idea's holding it back. The times now are beyond awesome as is the Tech. in pro and bracket. The money is just plain ridiculous, I am NOT impressed w brake lights B4 the finish lights or today's drag racing, endless cookie cutter SBC /BBc's in the wrong make kit cars(I am aware that is nothing new,just too many of them now),cars that do not even look like their street counter parts (FC,Pro/G), sponsors making rules or mandatory equipment on + on , lots more reasons,-yes,Its BORING to me.The last time I went, I actually spent all my time on the starting line and rarely even watched the finishes unless something happened down there. I'll keep my spectator or entry fee's and save it for a major nostalgia event,which is where my interest is anyway.I long ago (over 25 years ago) lost interest in current drag racing.

Originally Posted by Dgas56

All I have to say to that is enjoy it if you do], leave it if you don't -I left and the sport is probably better for it ,It does'nt need an old fart w old school idea's holding it back. The times now are beyond awesome in pro and bracket. The money is just plain ridiculous for a trophy, I am NOT impressed w brake lights B4 the finish lights or today's drag racing -yes,Its BORING to me.The last time I went, I actually spent all my time on the starting line and rarely even watched the finishes unless something happened down there.

I've been an ardent fan since '59. Maybe you have hit on something. I used to go all of the time to either SIR in Tucson, or Firebird in Phoenix. Tucson used to have PRO testing in January-February, and Liked to see the mega horsepower cars go 320 MPH in person.

Now I find I only go to the Fuel Altered and Front engined dragster events, and only here in Tucson. Maybe I am losing interest.

My wife is always trying to get me to go, since she knows I have loved this sport most of my life. Most times I stay home and work on somebody's paint job. I do follow the NHRA races on TV, but that is because TV made heros or villians out of the people involved.

I never thought I would lose my passion for drag racing....but maybe I already am????

there are a number of tracks that are opening up now w no NHRA/IHRA sanctioning, and the big two are fighting the trend tooth + nail, One local track was so threatened by them that they accepted the sanction ,but run their way anyway w NO BS equipment rules on slower than 11 sec cars. a seat belt and a helmet are all that is needed, a RB hoop/cage is recommended,but not mandated. No experation date on lap belts or roll cages, no need to completely rebuild a car because of BS parts outdating, just gas it up and run. all heads up street car racing.
Something like this will have to be done or the street racing problem will only worsen. At the above mentioned Fri/Sat outlaw street races,we are seeing more n more older ex serious drag racers coming out to run their street rod/machines.We hear all the above from them as well, funny tho is that these are the same guys that spouted all the NHRA jargon only a few years ago. Three things most -COST = MONEY, saftey equip. expirations and electronics - wait n see if I'm right.

Some of that cookie cutter stuff is the Big three's fault w their corporate engines and the like,GM put the sbc in EVERYTHING sometime back, REAL Buick(except the V6)/Olds/Pontiac engines are gone ,Chrys is still hanging in there w their HEMIs and SBM's,notice how popular the trucks are ? Its not just the 4X4 guys anymore.They have the good stuff built in and lesser noise/emmisions restrictions.
(sorry my typing skills stink!)

For me it is still fun, even though i was not around in the glory days, and tech has took the rawness out of it , theres still nothing like watching a car go from zero to 300 in 5 seconds

I agree with Dave. Drag racing isn't ruined - it's just changed. The Super classes are a lot of fun, and don't have to be horribly expensive. Beyond that, the speeds and ETs in many of the amateur classes are WAY above what they were "back in the day." It makes for exciting racing.

Originally Posted by Dgas56

At the above mentioned Fri/Sat outlaw street races,we are seeing more n more older ex serious drag racers coming out to run their street rod/machines.We hear all the above from them as well, funny tho is that these are the same guys that spouted all the NHRA jargon only a few years ago. Three things most -COST = MONEY, saftey equip. expirations and electronics - wait n see if I'm right.

And wait and see one other thing. As soon as the non sanctioned tracks start drawing big car counts, they will also start drawing big money and the low budget racer will again be forced out.

Jack hit it real good on the ET and speeds. A D Super Stock is now running faster then the AFX cars "back in the day".

Anyway, wherever you can run heads up and be competitive in a budget car now, better enjoy it. The money boys will soon be there with the high dollar cars and Joe average will be competing for runner up spot.....

As for the safety rules on outdated belts, there's reasons for that. A 10 year old set of belts that have been laying around in a box, or worse yet leftovers from some circle burner car that were left in there when the car was washed inside and out with a pressure washer are not as strong as an up to date SFI legal set. But if somebody wants to run them to me it's just like the people who don't wear seat belts on the street, he nows how much he wants to be around and race another day so it's not my place to discuss how important it is to have really first rate safety equipment. As for roll bars, if they weren't checked in tech, the clowns would be out there running exhaust tubing cuz it's lighter and they're too good to crash anyway!!!!!

I've ran a couple of the nostalgia events in a buddys car a few years back, seems to me they were quite insistent on safety rules, also. The major nostalgia events have allready been taken over by the big buck boys, if you doubt it check out some of the ET's posted at the last big one. A few years ago a 7 second dragster was very competitive, now it would be fortunate to make the field at the Major nostalgia events.....

In closing, I've ran a bracket car for a lot of years. If your car is performing correctly and you figure your dial in right, there's no need for using the brakes... If you get a good light and have a consistent car you will win a bunch of rounds against the sandbaggers who dial in their 8.50 car at 12.00 and stand on the binders at the end. It's really tough for me to think as a spectator, mainly cuz if I'm not running my car or wrenching on someone else's I usually just don't go... But I do know when the "big cars", let's say Top Alcohol and up, fire up they are all on their feet to watch the pass. The knowledgeable fans also seem to stay interested when the Super Class cars and bracket cars are running, the rest stroll the Vendor's area and buy T-Shirts and check out the cars. I have never noticed a whole lot of them leaving early or demanding their money back........

I enjoy going to the drags at our local drag strip (Cecil County Dragway) from time to time, unfortunately no one else in my family does. I catch the nationals on tv, usually by myself as no one else wants to watch. Then occasionally, I return to my childhood days and go back home where on a clear Saturday nite you can head out to Flatland Road and with a drop of a flashlight you can barrel ass down the road next to someone who just wants to show you he's got a better car. No money, no prizes, no trophies, no pinks, just a lttle old fashion fun on a country farm road in the middle of nowhere. Still having fun and being a little crazy after all these years.