Thread: I miss real drag racing

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Yes Don and Tech, I agree about getting back to basics. Thanks for the photos also Don, that flat head front engine rail gets my blood boiling, just the finish on it is awesome. Another thing that excites me is organised street racing.like the days when you line up against the guy at the traffic lights and race to the next set. Boy was that fun, and wasn't so much about speed but reaction time and quick gear shifts. Bring it on!!

I agree with the masses. I have not returned to the U.S. Nationals in 5 years. I never missed one since 1967. The track was packed, reserved sold out, went general admission. No seats on the non tower side so we made the treck across the bridge. We went down to about the 1000 foot club. There was an entire section of bleachers with maybe a dozen people sitting at. We were told they were reserver for Mac Tool Company and could not sit there. We missed the entire 1st round, pro stock cars and bikes, funny car, and top fuel. I will never waste my time and money on another National event or a Mac Tool EVER. I have not watched one on TV either for more that an hour.

When its more about the pro teams entertaining sponsers than about the racing----A few years ago--Joe Gibbs had about 5 or 6 semis there just to support the hospitality tents for the cars they had (McDonalds?)
Shu has more trucks than the local dealership (or local truck stop)
Pay to park?????

just like nascar drag racing has sold out to big business.the tuners rely on there computers to set up there cars.bring back the old days,i'm tired of seeing hemis,sbc in everything.my street rod i.m building has a 304.5 cubic studebaker v-8 r-4 spec.engine with 2x4.it may not beat anything but i will get more questions than any one at an auto show.

Yep. Seems like no matter what type of racing it is, big money always ends up ruining it...

My favorite era in drag racing was the '60s. I was too young and broke to be anything more than a spectator, but I loved the Gassers, Altereds, and Street Roadsters. I went to my first US Nationals in 1961, the first year they ran at Indy. I was 13 years old and borrowed my sister's Brownie camera. I still have those black & white pictures... When I got my driver's license I became a regular Sunday spectator at IRP (Indy). Those were good times. I particularly liked the C and D Gas and Altered classes; that's where the ingenuity was. In those classes, the little guys still had a chance. I thought the altered wheelbase cars were cool, too. The supercharged cars were fun to watch, but they were more a contest of money. When the Gas classes started running Mustang and Camaro bodies, I quit going.

Modern drag racing, to me, is boring. The fuel and pro classes are just a contest of money. Four-wide racing at 300 mph is stupidly dangerous. The brackets were introduced to try to offset the cost for the little guys. Unfortunately, even the brackets have been ruined by money. You want to be competitive now? You need a trans-brake, a stutter box, a delay box, and a two-stage throttle stop. If you add radio control steering the driver will be unnecessary...

The nostalgia races are definitely a step in the right direction. By the way, what does HA/GR stand for?

I don't much care for the national events anymore, other then of course watching the top fuel cars!!!! As a racer, we have a blast on our local track!!! Still very competitive, but it's good to hang out with the same guys and race! I've ran brackets and the Super classes, all are fun and you better have your stuff together if you wanna go rounds! The Divisional meets are still kewl to attend, even better when you participate.

As others have mentioned, if it were still run what ya brung and hope you brung enough the average guy couldn't afford to be competitive!!! Going to do a few more Nostalgia events this year, but it's certainly not a cheap form of racing! If you like racing but get bored watching the bracket cars try getting involved!!! The boredom goes away when you're the guy watching the weather, checking out the track, keeping up with the tuneup on the car, and still trying to run on your dial-in with a 00 light!!!!

PS--most all the tracks around here run a non-electronics bracket, too!!! Or, like some of us, if you really want to test your abilities---run brackets with a five speed!!!

or, don't knock it if you haven't tried it!!!

skip the national events hit a divisional most fun i ever had!

everything but top fuel/pro stock.

top alkies, more exciting than fuel lots more squirrly plus they shift twice!
comp!!!!!! nothing beats this class for a show period.
super stock you gotta lova wheels danglin while grabbin gears
stock , still love watching station wagons poppin wheelies!
top dragster lots of innovation still going on in this class.
top sportsman, pro mod basically. still cool

super gas and super comp is really close racing, but the throttle stop thing gets boring fast. but still probably the closest classes et/package wise youll watch.

Originally Posted by gassersrule_196

super gas and super comp is really close racing, but the throttle stop thing gets boring fast. but still probably the closest classes et/package wise youll watch.

and then be 09 out on your package--and still get beat!!!!!

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

and then be 09 out on your package--and still get beat!!!!!

Well Dave.Might want to find a younger buck to drive with faster RT's.

Just kidding.

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

I'm not so sure that is it. For me, the sight of two new funny cars or dragsters going down the strip is simply not exciting. I pretty much lost interest in dragsters when they went to rear engines. I find much more enjoyment watching a gasser leave the line with front wheels aimed skyward, or an "obsolete" front engined dragster smoking them half way down the strip.

I think that is the attraction to shows like Pinks All Out or PassTime. We get to see cars to which we can relate. I can't relate to the Beretta's or whatever the latest body styles they are using in the top ranks these days. But that is just me.

Don

Me too. I think there is a point when it just becomes too professional. I know SCTA is not a money maker, but I find myself completely facinated by it even though it's not my favorite type of racing. The effort and dedication is beyond words.

Originally Posted by J. Robinson

The nostalgia races are definitely a step in the right direction. By the way, what does HA/GR stand for?

HA/GR stands for HAMB gas Rail. And heres what they had to say about it.

The H.A.M.B. Gas Rail (HA/GR) class is essentially just a group of pals with a passion for keeping the early days and scenes of drags racing alive. It's not a competitive class per se, but a class based on the egoless, the passionate... It just might be something you have to see for yourself before ya get it.

A kiwi mate, now living in Australia built one. They dont seem to run much faster than 13s there, but everyones having fun. Google ha/gr and have a look.

Originally Posted by J. Robinson

By the way, what does HA/GR stand for?

Hokey Ass Gas Rail

Originally Posted by 1gary

Well Dave.Might want to find a younger buck to drive with faster RT's.

Just kidding.

Well, that might help... I wanna go nostalgia racing anyhow, miss my wheels up 5 speed launches!!!!

I think you guys would enjoy attending a pinks all out event. Not quite old school dragsters but alot of stuff from the 50's up really tearing it up running real times and mostly street legal. Usually at intermission they will bring out some old drag cars and run them to like are pictured. Personally im going to make it a habit of attending at least one every year.

Fuel Altereds in Tucson in four weeks! :-)~