John Force got championship number 16?
He and his daughter were setting records for et and speed last weekend!
The Boss 500 is finally showing promise and Ford is ending sponsorship.. what timing!:HMMM::(
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John Force got championship number 16?
He and his daughter were setting records for et and speed last weekend!
The Boss 500 is finally showing promise and Ford is ending sponsorship.. what timing!:HMMM::(
Maybe FoMoCo just needed to get his attention.....
HMmmm..we'll see what happens during the off season..
Yeah, I wasn't being serious. Ford's made it pretty clear that they're going to push money into the amateur ranks as opposed to the big boys. That said, they've been doing well world wide, so who's to say they can't do both....Quote:
Originally Posted by 34_40
Yep... they haven't been shy about their intentions.
But it's hard to fathom that they would bail when the rewards are so close after all the effort and money spent in the project.
Who knows? It'll be good to see some of the "amateurs" get some funding for a change too!
Allegedly a big announcement coming from Ford after the first of the year about their new sponsorship/contingency programs for 2014... Roush's son has been doing some road racing and a lot of R&D on parts that Roush is developing for the cars that run the twisty tracks. Also, they have the new Coyote engine available in a few different setups for drag racing and a new heads-up class for most anything running one of these engines!!!! Rumors around NHRA that contingency payouts might come down to the Divisional races level!!!!
As for John Force, what a phenomenal event to win Funny Car Championship #16!!!! and take his daughter out in the final round at Vegas doing it!! No mercy when you race at that level I guess! I doubt Force Racing would have had a lot of trouble grabbing new sponsors, but #16 probably made the task a lot easier!!!! John hinted at 3 new sponsors in a Vegas interview, suspect there could be some sort of announcement at Pomona, or for sure after the first of the year! The old fart sure isn't doing bad for an ex-truck driver anyway, he just might make it as a Pro Racer!!!!!
"old age and treachery will................................" you know the old saying. Good on the ol' man.
There's no reason the NHRA guys won't be going down a similar path the NASCAR guys have...........multiple sponsors to get through a season, the days of a single sponsors colors being on a car for the whole season are probably numbered. The cost for the sponsor has just gotten too high to justify based on the likely measurable return.
From an old marketing guys point of view it seems sponsors are getting smarter about how/where they allocate ad dollars. It used to be the standard was "how many eyes" which translated into whatever form of "get your name out in front of as many people as you can". Targeting was a matter of, for example, if you sell cars, advertise where car people go. In the digital world it's getting more sophisticated. They can get more and better feedback on both the number of people, and the all important demographics along with motivations. It's given the notion of targeted marketing a much sharper point. The old ways were much more of a crapshoot, but that's the best they knew how to do. Times are a changin'.
Force!! Toyota? Ugh!!
I was just at the dr's. office and in the waiting room was a road & track type magazine, as I'm reading I notice an interview with John Force, it was from earlier this summer but they were asking him about Ford departure. He didn't blame them at all really but he did say that NHRA has got to step up and do a better job for the sponsors, he mentioned the 3 rain-outs and he mentioned they (nhra) got bumped by ESPN by a soccer game and a little league game! Not to mention so many of the televised races are on so late in the day.
He also mentioned that Ford said it was "crowded!" Between his cars, Tasca and Wilkerson... I couldn't believe that is "crowded" but that's what he said!?!?!?
So now it's only Toyota and Chryslers left in the Pro ranks of NHRA.. oh well. It was nice while it lasted. I had hoped for more with Larry Morgan but it wasn't to be I guess.
And you didn't mention the delays caused by tennis matches and anything else Espn throws in. It was much better on TNN and it wouldn't hurt my feelings at all if Fox took over.
I didn't want to belabor the point! NHRA isn't important to espn as there isn't anyone in the stands or in front of the tv. Even NASCAR can no longer fill the stands so it is falling to the back burner also.Quote:
Originally Posted by NTFDAY
Wonder why those stands are so empty. I'm pretty sure I know. What do you think?
Well, I know what I think.. things like hotel costs, gas costs, food and then track entrance w\pit passes.. it gets costly!Quote:
Originally Posted by Babyburr
That's why it was nice to be able to keep up on TV. Remember Steve Evans on "NHRA Today"? that was another way to keep up but "they" didn't "sell it" and didn't get the sponsors support, so that went away.
Those are some of my ideas, so share yours! It's just bench racin' now...
Costs more to go watch these days than it did to race back in my days----------sponsorship then was oil and maybe some champion spark plugs------------
if a ford is in it i`m watching .. whether it be boat racing .drag racing . tractor pulling .or lawn mower racing .. i bleed ford blue .. as soon as larry morgan got beat i switched to something else .. i enjoyed IHRA pro stock .. ford ruled but it died .. i think there is too much drag racing now .. one event a month would be plenty .. and it could go year round .. and i would like to see a 24 car field .. and kill pro mod .. no need for it .. just like the silly nascar truck racing series ...
I'm thinking that as the sponsors back away.. so will all the "other" series.. Say so long to trucks and the craftsman series, nationwide will become a part time series I think.
So, I'll bring up the point I always get pounded on. Instead of sitting on your butt watching racing that you really don't like, why not spend a few days at your local drag strip helping out some young kid who will actually appreciate it!!! Bracket racing, be it cars or junior dragsters, is where the next generation of racers is coming from!!!
Add up the costs of going to any big NASCAR race or NHRA national event. Time off from work, travel, room, eats, tickets, souvenirs, and all the other stuff..... Buy some parts for this young bracket racer you met from just hanging out at the drags....Give you three guesses (and the first two don't count) where your money is appreciated!!!!!
Or, just sit back and complain about how terrible all forms of Motorsports are and watch them all slowly fade away!!!!!
If you're not part of the solution, then you must be part of the problem!!!!
Ok, bang away about how boring bracket racing is, especially those of you who have never done it for a few seasons, or wax nostalgic about how much better heads up racing was in "the good old days"... Well, you probably can't afford to be competitive in many forms of heads up racing (exception is maybe the new Coyote sealed engine class).
Soap box put away for another season.
Can't disagree, Dave, but like many other places the local drag strip in KC closed down and sold the land to a housing developer a while back - ended about sixty years or more of history for the local drag scene, and the kids lost their place for grudge matches, heads up run-what-ya-brung racing, and test & tune runs. Sure, there's Heartland Park over in Topeka but it's a place that caters to the big NHRA events. Down south you can find MoKan Dragway, outside of Asbury, but that's about three to four hours away, a pretty good hike unless you're spending a night or two stimulating the local economy. It's not getting easier....
Happening in far too many places Roger!!! I really hope the city fathers and hot shot developers are ready for the kids to be taking it to the streets again!!!! Way I see it, the city is going to get exactly what they deserve!!!!
I don't like "SPEC" racing, I don't like bracket racing
Give me a weight limit and simple rule set like maybe its got to have doors, carburators---no hydrazine, etc or maximum wheel base----------but don't tell me I can't go quicker than-----------,I 've got to have this spec sealed engine and make both sides of the tree work at the same time(think how much energy we'd save with just one set of lights) Hemmmmmmmmmm maybe put up a staged bulb, a green go and a red bulb)))))
Yup, and may the biggest checkbook win!!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by jerry clayton
If you set the Pro series--Top Fuel, Funny Car---classes aside----
I have seen more check writer issues with the so called sportsman classes than the pro classes----
Even tho today, it is very big operators in the pro ranks, the bigger check book doesn't necessarily win-------
And as for TEAMS----a team should be limited to one car per class---one tf,fc,ps!!!!!!!!!!!!!not enough to cover half the latter---------
Maybe, or maybe not good ideas....but I doubt that NHRA will be instituting any of that as rules, Jerry...
Once you're in the Pro ranks, all the checkbooks are big or they wouldn't be there in the first place!!!
Anyway, my concern (as it's always been) isn't with the Pro teams, or even the upper echelons of Sportsman's classes, it's with the kid and his Dad, or the kid and his buddies just starting out in drag racing!!! Bracket racing is the only thing they have enough knowledge to handle, or money to compete with! Their mid 15 second whatever can be just as competitive bracket racing as the high dollar 10 second car parked next too them!!!! I was (decades back) a hired gun in Super Stock, later in Top Alcohol. Especially with the Super Stock car I drove, the guy who ran things probably spent more per month then most of our competitor's spent in a season!!! Heck yeah, we won a lot! Big money gets you the good car, crew, and driver it takes to win. That's how Sportsman racing works.
The Pro's don't need my help, NHRA doesn't ask me my opinion, but these brand new participants just in their first or second year of drag racing are the one's that need the help!!!! A few of the good parts, a bit of help and advice on setting up a chassis and other such things will be appreciated by them a whole lot more then if I were at Pomona walking around with a brand new "Cruz" hat!!!!!!
If I had a ton of money so I could build my own track and run my own rules I'd do things different....but that ain't gonna happen so we've got to do the best we can with what the rules and budget allows......
I think that both of us have an opinion that would sorta border on the fact that the SPORTSMAN classes are purty (checkbook)Professional---------?????????
The bracket classes does allow good racing but even tho I have some friends/customers running the SUPER classes I hate that group of classes-------he runs superstreet (10.80?) and has a 3 second shut off right after leaving the line??? to come back on and chase the opponent whp also is doing something along the same lines???????????
the modified/comp classes that run against an index do some serious racing but for what????????and I see a lot of very big rigs in the pits-------
As for helping some guys with a chassis set up or similar thing-----man , you can see on here how much confusion there is about geometry in suspensions and then you want to talk weight transfer, instant centers, shock valving???????????I thought wheelie bars was for appearance???????????
Yeah, I ran Super Gas a few years....till it became the "who's best at setting the throttle stop" class..... Nothing like it was in the early 80's when I ran it. I now prefer the "no-box, no brake" brackets now, still all about consistency and tuning the engine and suspension to run that dial in!!!!! Had a kid (25) driving the car this year that is gonna be real good!!! Won the class for the track, runner-up at Divisionals, and just runner upped again at the big bucks bracket race in Douglas, Wy.!!!! His "package" at the Divisional finals was .004 off, and he lost!!!! Doesn't get much more competitive then that in any class, Pro, Sportsman, or weekender!!!!!
I did like the old Super Stock index, that was good racing!!!! Got to be a real chess game in the Division on who wanted to punch out the index, lower it, then defend it against everyone else!!!! There was probably $40K in that car and operation, would take $140K to get close to it today...... I don't have that much money to spend on racing, too damn old and slow to be a hired gun anymore, so no-box brackets has become my home!!!!!
I do a dozen or so cars a year on the scales, check out the shock valving, make some suggestions, etc. Like to think it helps out a few, at least they start to get the idea that it takes more then a killer engine to win a drag race!!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by jerry clayton
All of you guys have good points and it's the disappearance of the small local strips that will will kill drag racing if it's to be killed. However on the national level NHRA rolled the dice and lost. 1000' foot racing sucks, funny cars more closely resemble slot cars, and you can't come close to buying anything like a Pro Stock car off the show room floor as yo could in the 60's. I really don't care how much the participants love bracket racing, the fans don't and they pay the bills and delay boxes are another can of worms altogether. Gone are the days when the Surfers could go to the local bone yard and pull out a 392 and go fuel racing. One thing to remember, if you don't please the fans you lose. And why do you think Nostalgia racing is so popular?
Yep----it was really special to be out at Cordova for the 60th World Series(60 years) and they were parking them on the roadside as the place was full--------------
And I saw so many people that had been to my folks house to see the California Charger back in 71 and they came there because my cousins spread the word that I would be there----------
Oh well time to eat----------
I hate napcar
but I love local races of any kind.
it's fun.
I still need to go see the sand drags.
1.) Even our small tracks are gone, closest now is 3.5 hours. :(Quote:
Originally Posted by NTFDAY
2.) The cars are all the same, slot cars, this was the same problem in NASCAR and at least they've tried some things to break it up.
3.) So true, the fans are the bread & butter.:)
4.) Nostalgia is big right now because many of us that remember those days have the money available and the desire to relive our youth.. It isn't (imho) that the racing was better, the cars weren't as fast, but the whole evolution of drag racing came right off the streets and it was something anyone could and would do just because it was fun! The people who became the "big names" were just guys like us in a lot of cases, it was easy to relate with them.
For me, the days of tossin the slicks in the trunk and back seat with a toolbox and stuff are over, and I really have no desire to just watch.. with my medicals, they won't let me drive..:CRY: And I don't want to run 14's or 15's... If the right kid came along, I could see me having fun with them in a Junior Dragster..:HMMM::cool:
Fans, what fans???? At either of the local tracks, the fans left 30 years ago!!!! The only ones on that side of the track now are a few folks going over there to get pics of their car when they run in that lane!!!! The Divisional Meets, and big $$$$ bracket races still draw a crowd but the normal Saturday-Sunday action is bought and paid for by the racers and the guys who come with them! Promoters do book in a few special events that will draw (bring?) a crowd of followers with them but that's about it. If racing locally had to rely on people in the seats on the other side of the track, we would have shut down 30 years ago!!!!!! Oh yeah, Jr. Dragster days at the track might put 100 or so fans in the seat.....Quote:
Originally Posted by NTFDAY
Nostalgia racing is kewl, but a couple events a summer isn't going to keep your local track going.... Week in, week out, it's the bracket racers that keep the local tracks open!!!!!! Like it or hate it, if you want to see the local tracks remain open, you better thank (and maybe help out) the bracket racers!!!!!