Thread: I miss real drag racing

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Call me old fasioned. I guess, I am!!

At 71 years of age I no longer enjoy NHRA drag racing.

I used to attend 6-8 events every year, I loved the competitive spirit, the engenuity, the outright competitiveness of it all.

Now we have a bunch of slot cars with a driver.

Take the body panelling off any top fueler, or lift the body off ant funny car and what have you got??

Identical engines in identical chassis with a little spot to plug in a driver.

I went to my first drag race when I was 13. Sanford, ME on an old airport runway and it was exciting.

Door cars struggled to go 100 MPH, but it was fun. I remember the year an MIT professor announced that it was a physical impossability for a wheel driven car to exceed 150 MPH in a standing start 1/4 mile.

Two months later a weird (by todays standards) looking car called the "Bustle Bomb" went 151.

I remember when BB Chevys, Cammer Fords and Hemis all ran in top fuel competitively.

I remember Mickey Thompsons Hemi heads for Pontiacs.

I remember cars that you could buy at any dealership competing in Pro/Stock.

Is it just me, or has drag racing become to "homogenized"?

I know times change, but I'd really like to see an engine other than a hemi run competitively in the fuel classes.

And how about Pro/Stocks with production V-6's and fuel injection?

17 years ago I went out on a limb and produced an aftermarket block for Pontiacs (it's still being sold see www.allpontiac.com) and we proved you could make HP (2806HP) with a Pontiac.

Think what drag racing excitement could be produced with a serious effort on some of the "non standard" engines.

Or, maybe I'm just "old fashioned"

there are way too many rules in any kind of racing venue .. when you cant do this -cant do this -cant do this - for infinity you can only do the same as everyone .. racing should have only one or two rules .. gotta weigh a minimum amount and run a certain octane fuel ..who would`nt love to see this again

Try attending an outlaw 10.5 drag race & see if that gets your blood boiling!!!

REGS

Geezer 2, I would agree. (I also went to my first race... the US Nationals... at age 13. I have started threads similar to this, but since then it has gotten worse for me. I really dislike the 4-way racing, as do the majority of the spectators NHRA polled! I guess they will go against the fans opinion to appease Bruton Smith for his expense. That's not the way it should be. One more unfortunate happening is the younger drivers replacing the "heros" we came to idolize. It's harder to get excited about people you never heard of before, instead of Garlits, Prudhomme, Jenkins, Sox, Nicholson, "Sneaky Pete", "Fast Eddy", "Starvin Marvin", "Wild One-Arm Willie", and a hundred others. I miss those great times!

Like you I miss the brand identity. Many years ago a Ford, Mopar or AMC Funny Car had to run the same brand of engine as the body style.

I know what you mean about Pro Stock. Tucson, where I live, has the distinction of having the last actual "production bodied" car win in NHRA Pro Stock. It was Kevin Rotty in the Townsend Racing Works Camaro, at the US Nationals, in the mid seventies. I like the class best about 1970, when most Pro Stocks were converted Super Stockers.

I also miss the '60s when the cars had a lot of pride poured into the appearance. By the seveties they all were straight paint with lots of decals and unpolished wheels. No more cady and 'flake paint, and gobs of chrome and polish. They looked bigger than life. Today they all look like a box of laxatives, or a billboard for a cell phone company.

We are not alone! The popularity of nostalgia racing is directly because of you and me, and others like us. Tis year I will probably attend 2-3 reaces, and they will be the Fuel Altered event in Tucson, and a couple other events, with classes like "nostalgia funny cars" and "nostalgia top fuel". You will notice that street rodders feel the same, as many of them are building their version of fifties cars, and now I see it moving forward into the '60s building style. As long as there are enough of us around, there will be some kind of "real drag racing" to see.

this is why when everyone gets up during the lower classes like, stock/super stock and comp it gives me better seats!!

i love and i emphasize LOVE watching high winding ger banging cars launch at 9k and shift at 12 comp is a hoot!

stock and super stock is a blast to watch. everything is still competitave.

I couldn't agree more. Whenever I am flipping channels and some NHRA event is on I don't even stop for a moment to watch it. There is nothing there I can relate to..........a field of identical cars, all sponsored by so many companies the driver has a hard time spitting out all their names as he is interviewed after his run. It has become just like NASCAR for me. (something else I never watch)

Paul is right about the 10.5 thing. We occasionally attend the Mustang Nationals at Bradenton Drag Strip, and those races are pretty exciting. Mustangs and other cars running on 10.5 inch tires, turning times that seem impossible, in cars I can relate to.

I also loved going to the Billetproof Drags in Lakeland Fl last October. It was just like the races I remember from the 50's and 60's, just a bunch of guys (most of whom had never been on a strip before) having a blast running against cars that were build primarily to drive on the street. It was so exciting that I am prepping my 27 specifically to run it down the 1/8 mile at this year's Billetproof drags in October.

Since you are right in Dunedin, I'd suggest you go to both Bradenton (even on a regular night) and also DON'T MISS THE BILLETPROOF DRAGS. I put up good money that you will have the time of your life and not be able to wait for the next year.

Here is a picture from Billetproof of Glenn and Big Mike squaring off in their coupes (they only made about 1,000 passes that day) and also a couple from the Nostalgia Drags in Bradenton.......something else you would love.

Don

this is why if i got ahold of a front engine what would be wrong with running an inline gmc 6 banger on alky!!!!!! itd be unique

Yep, and we saw a few inline 6 dragsters that were faster than the hemi's there!

Don

theres a nova that runs our local track out here runs 11's used to run 10's when it was tuned up alot more. 292 with a 650dp!!!!!!

Originally Posted by gassersrule_196

this is why if i got ahold of a front engine what would be wrong with running an inline gmc 6 banger on alky!!!!!! itd be unique

You could name it in honor of Kay Sissel..... something like "Sissel's Ghost". :-) He gave them fits with six cycinder machines in the '60s! I suppose his twin six digger would be the high point.

didn't he use 2 ford boss 302 or 351c heads cut down to 3 cylinders?

I think you are right. I remember somebody making their own inline head from V8 heads.

You guys almost make me sorry I sold my collection of 6,000 magazines! BTW, I read them all. :-)~

NHRA is going to work it's way into oblivion if they stay with the current trend. I don't like 1000ft racing and they can put 4 wide where the sun don't shine. This in all likely hood will be the last year I go to Topeka or any other NHRA event for those two reasons and the fact that they are charging for general parking. At Topeka most of the parking is in grass fields with some fairly tall grass and it's damn near a force march to get to the track.

Originally Posted by NTFDAY

NHRA is going to work it's way into oblivion if they stay with the current trend. I don't like 1000ft racing and they can put 4 wide where the sun don't shine. This in all likely hood will be the last year I go to Topeka or any other NHRA event for those two reasons and the fact that they are charging for general parking. At Topeka most of the parking is in grass fields with some fairly tall grass and it's damn near a force march to get to the track.

yep they were parking in some long dry grass here and burn up a car or two that 4 wide sucks .who was pulling a hit off the crack pipe on that one

Originally Posted by gassersrule_196

this is why if i got ahold of a front engine what would be wrong with running an inline gmc 6 banger on alky!!!!!! itd be unique

Why stop with one six banger ......... Do like Roger Allred and Marvin Clark of Amarillo and their National Record holding D/D





Those were the real days of drag racing ............. and I'm with you ........ I miss them too