Thread: Pro Stock??

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Dave,I'm just saying the cash side of drag racing to run a program like Pro stock,I do agree in the five yr rule.The sport can not afford to lose teams because the costs drive them out.

Gary

This is supposed to be the best the factories have---there is no Pontiac---- so --they shouldn't be competing against the other cars that have current models in production---

They can run in the comp classes

It would not be shutting anyone down as they will continue but will be in new current makes

Wanta run a Pontiac?? go Nostalgit!!!!!

I have a Pontiac Pro Stock Chassis in a storage facility that I had to stop running because it was too old----but they still had the same Make, Model and body shape!!!!

But----My concern is that this completely, over wellmingly, violates the con cept of PRO Stock---supposedly a factory professional class !!!

I hear ya Jerry.Thing is the factory money dried up long ago for the most part in drag racing.I over heard a major sponsor saying the primary reason was the lack of exposure on net work TV and limited exposure of the brand name because of single passes over NASCAR where it is on net TV and the brand being in plain site for the whole time the race is on.Said because of that,the ad time was tons more expensive.So if you don't have the backing like type in other racing,it isn't a factory class anymore.As always,it all about money bud I think.

Discovered that we can get results pretty much as they happen on NHRA.Com in the interactive bloggie thingie

There's still factory money in Pro Stock---That's why the brand name and model is so prevalent on the car and the driver's and crew chiefs always remember to thank Ford, Mopar, Chevy, and whomever else on their interviews!!!!

Heck, the rules I believe still say the body can be no more then 5 years old so the Pontiacs will be there. With all the expense already in campaigning a Pro Stock, why add the expense of putting new bodies on all the cars??? When was Pro Stock a Factory Class??? Last really factory effort with factory personnel that I remember was the old Ramcharger's team, made up of engineers from Chrysler Corp.... Even prior to the Pro Stock class starting up, the A/FX cars only vaguely resembled something you could buy off the showroom floor. The only thing "factory" on the Pro Stock cars was the body shell itself, not including doors, front fenders, hood, trunk, etc etc etc....

Racing always has been about the money---if you don't have enough or can't scare up enough from sponsors you ain't gonna race!!!! Back to when I was 9 year's old racing karts, if you didn't get the work done around the farm there wasn't gonna be any racing money from my sponsor (Dad)! There's still some very competitive racing for low budget efforts in NHRA and AHRA, it's called bracket racing....and it's about the money, too. Just look at the turnout at the $5K and $10K to win bracket events throughout the year. With the current condition of the economy, I don't think drag racing has taken it any harder then any other form of Motorsports. There's not as much money to go around as there used to be so the racers with the best program and best results get the majority of the sponsorship money.

I can't tell you who because of the sponsorship,but I do have a very good basis to say what I am.

One thing for sure.The payout for circle track racing has always been more than drag racing.In fact yrs ago when monster trucks where popular we did take a very hard look at going that route because of the money was that much better.If me or the partner's back had been in better shape,we would have.

You can tell where the money is at by the transporter/support rigs in the pits---

Years ago(probably early 70s) at the NHRA Nationals at Indy we would take the truck/trailer to the hotel at night and work on the car in the parking lot--it was nothing to be running a fueler in the parking lot at 2 or 3 am after a rebuild!

Now--there are more support/hospitality trailers than race car haulers--

I do remember that Jerry.Motel pits that is.

Originally Posted by jerry clayton

Years ago(probably early 70s) at the NHRA Nationals at Indy we would take the truck/trailer to the hotel at night and work on the car in the parking lot--it was nothing to be running a fueler in the parking lot at 2 or 3 am after a rebuild!

And the shower in the Motel room makes a great parts washer!!!

Jerry, I remember those days very well, in '72 or '73 I was in the parking lot of the Flagler Inn in Gainesville,FL late one night watching Ronnie Sox, Herb McCandless and Jake King swap the gears in the Dana rear end in one of their cars. It was a fun, laid back atmoshere especially when Linda Vaughn came by to see what 'the boys' were up to.

Mike

We had a documentary movie crew that traveled on our trip from Calif to Indy one year--left LA went to division 7 race in Salt Lake city, then Indy, and back via a race at Amarillo.
We were working on the car at the motel, they had bright lites set up so we couldn't see beyond right where we were, but I couldn't believe the number of people watching from the balcony when I shut the engine off after the start up at 230am!!!!!seems they had been there all along and talking to some they all were hoping for midnite cackle----the movie people loved the scene----racers, motel parking lot---never did see or hear anything about the movie---guess it was just swept under somebodies bench---

Hate to bring the reminising to a temorary halt but i agree with Jerry - Pontiac is gone so how can they compete? But heres another problem, it is a Pontiac motor they are running as well - remember that Warren Johnson developed it and Pontiac heads too. Will Buick pick up the performance parts? Caddy? They got to come from the factory and have a part number that you and i can walk into the dealer and purchase those parts - walk into a Pontiac dealer and order a pro stock head whydon'tcha.

Yup, you can still buy the heads from a GMPP dealer, here's a link to the GM listing of available heads... By the way, anybody can buy them but I sure hope you have a really first rate well equipped shop and a very, very good and up to date cylinder head guy to build them...

Cylinder Heads