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Re: The future of Drag Racing...
[Re: oldtimer5151]
#1003596
05/31/11 06:16 PM
05/31/11 06:16 PM
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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"greed will take care of NHRA."
I hope the IRS will take care of the five currently in charge (for life) of NHRA
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Re: The future of Drag Racing...
[Re: Kindafast]
#1003598
05/31/11 07:54 PM
05/31/11 07:54 PM
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Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 4,330
Lynchburg, VA
Leon441
master
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master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 4,330
Lynchburg, VA
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I don't know where people used to buy gas and where they buy it now. But, I can't argue the price of fuel has really slowed me down. In 1999 I bought gas for $1 a gallon and had a truck that was doing good getting 8 MPG. Then I bought a deisel that gets 14 and I can go 24 hours on the generater with about 10-15 gallons. The generater has not changed but I do run an AC unit on the trailer now and stay in it to save a hotel bill. Fuel has been close to the $4 a gallon mark for a while. To say it doesn't make a difference is insane. The total fuel bill for 1999 was less than $5K, I race all over the east of the Mississippi and a couple times across. Last year I ran a local deal that was only 2 hours from home. Total fuel bill was over $5K. Some of the hotest race fuel available in 99' was only around 7$ a gallon now it is $15-20 a gallon.
Here is the straw that broke the camels back. Won the points and the guys running the deal acted as if $1,200 in product was gold. I want some of the stuff they are smoking. My engine routine maintenance was over $5,000. There is just no appreciation towards the racer anymore. And this was a good points fund compared to others.
I like going fast but, face it, a little pat on the back never ran me off.
The truth will set you free.....
Leon
Career best 8.02 @ 169 at 3050# and 10" tires small block power.
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Re: The future of Drag Racing...
[Re: julian2007]
#1003599
05/31/11 08:01 PM
05/31/11 08:01 PM
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Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,141
Phoenix,Az.
hemicop
super stock
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super stock
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,141
Phoenix,Az.
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good time.  I take it your screen name means you have a hemi? if so no wander you can't afford to race 
You DO have a point there-congrats! 
Not meaning to attack anyone,really, if it seemed that way I apologize. The point I failed to make, I guess, is that there simply is no room or consideration for the little guy anymore. Another poster explained it best--2 passes (hopefully) & you're on your way to Eliminations.if you go out in first round,, you're done. Allow for one buy-back (20-$40) and you're now into your day for 4 passes, (say $60), gas ($100) race fuel ($8.50/gal. x 5gals per pass) plus misc race car parts (plugs, gaskets, etc. (say $50) & wear- tear on the tow vehicle & racecar & you see that in an arena where "they" obviously only want "pros" it's hardly worth it for the little guy to support the event. For the guys that can afford it evry weekend, I say GREAT! I'm jealous! But you won't see me supporting NHRA anytime soon..........
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Re: The future of Drag Racing...
[Re: AAR-B4]
#1003602
05/31/11 08:40 PM
05/31/11 08:40 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 32,394
Quicktree
I Win
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I Win
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 32,394
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Quote:
"The future of Drag Racing......."
Next time your waiting in the staging lanes look around. What would you guess to be the average drivers age? Late 40's? early 50's?
Sad but drag racing for amateurs may not be around much longer.
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Re: The future of Drag Racing...
[Re: Quicktree]
#1003603
05/31/11 08:43 PM
05/31/11 08:43 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,314
The Swamp
MegaDart
master
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master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,314
The Swamp
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I could've raced twin $2500 to win races on saturday but chose to go boating instead. My wife and kids hate the track and my girls will only be young once so... over 500 boats and 8 live bands on a local sandbar!  It is not that I can't afford it, but chose to spend my money elsewhere. Different strokes for different folks. [image]http://  [/image]
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Re: The future of Drag Racing...
[Re: cgall]
#1003605
05/31/11 09:28 PM
05/31/11 09:28 PM
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,161
Mississippi
Mr. T
super stock
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super stock
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,161
Mississippi
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I don't believe it's mainly the economy. I believe that the track owners and operators have got to do something to get young people involved in our sport. I turned 16 in 1970, and at that time there were a LOT of nice cars on the street. There were a lot of young people driving their Camaro's, Gto's, Mustang's,Roadrunner's etc. It is NOT that way today. How many young people today can afford a new Challenger, Mustang or Camaro. Without the support of young people, our sport WILL die. I first got my "feet wet" in bracket racing by entering the pure street class. Today, that class is almost nonexistent. Here we have 6 different tracks within a 2 hour drive, yet only 1 of those tracks even offers a pure street class. Like it or not, many of young people today drive "ricers", and most of those cars are not automatics. The young people need a class for strictly straight shift cars. That way, the "ricers" could compete on a equal basis against the straight shift Mustangs, Camaros and Challengers in a bracket program. Many young people will bring their cars to a TNT, but will not compete in a regular bracket race. And who can blame them? 
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Re: The future of Drag Racing...
[Re: Mr. T]
#1003606
05/31/11 09:59 PM
05/31/11 09:59 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,763
Walton's Mountain, Pa
Steve1118
master
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master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,763
Walton's Mountain, Pa
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I may be flamed for this, but I do think that the demise of match racing and the number of National events has also hurt the sport.
When I was growing up in the sixties, the biggies came to where the folks were. The biggest names in would visit the local tracks...I remember absolutely packed houses to see S&M vs Grumpy, Jungle, etc....the folks didn't have to drive 300 miles and spend $750 to see these guys. As a result, the sport, on a local level was well publicized and the interest was high.
The guy who has this all figured out is Bob McCardle at Beaver Springs. Bob George, especially Mike Beard can tell you about this...he hails from up there. The place is packed, with competitors and spectators. He has the blend of "shows" along with a good bracket program that moves along and ends at a reasonable hour. And, the place is in the middle of nowhere.
The sport will survive...the guys who love it will always do it. Someone mentioned the median age, in the 40's and 50's, but the faster classes were always older guys. They were the only ones who had any money.
I realize that all this is just an excercise in theory...it will take years of this to force a change.
"Old age and treachery trumps youth and enthusiasm, every time!" East Central Director / Chrysler Power Magazine www.reasbeckracing.webs.com
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Re: The future of Drag Racing...
[Re: Steve1118]
#1003607
05/31/11 10:16 PM
05/31/11 10:16 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 27,421
Balt. Md
383man
Too Many Posts
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Too Many Posts
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 27,421
Balt. Md
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Its the economy. I can honestly say I see alot more people building high dollar cars then I used to see years ago. I cant believe where some people get the money to build their cars as it seems like in the 60 and 70's only the Pro's had high dollar cars but now I see local guys with big high dollar cars. And if I can build a street/strip car then just about anyone can because I am poor.  And I love how popular the NSS type racing is getting as I love that style racing. You could take racing back to the 60's and I would be happy. Ron
Last edited by 383man; 05/31/11 10:17 PM.
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Re: The future of Drag Racing...
[Re: Steve1118]
#1003608
05/31/11 10:22 PM
05/31/11 10:22 PM
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Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 52,972
Romeo MI
MR_P_BODY
Master
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Master
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 52,972
Romeo MI
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When was the last time you heard any kind of advertisement on the local radio or TV station about any drag racing event... the only thing I ever hear about racing is some street BS or they crashed and someone died... alot of this falls right in the laps of the track owners, they dont advertise squat.... I remember a statement... if you want to make money you have to spend money 
Last edited by MR_P_BODY; 05/31/11 10:32 PM.
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Re: The future of Drag Racing...
[Re: Steve1118]
#1003609
05/31/11 10:23 PM
05/31/11 10:23 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,840
The Swamp
Sixpak
master
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master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,840
The Swamp
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Quote:
I may be flamed for this, but I do think that the demise of match racing and the number of National events has also hurt the sport.
When I was growing up in the sixties, the biggies came to where the folks were. The biggest names in would visit the local tracks...I remember absolutely packed houses to see S&M vs Grumpy, Jungle, etc....the folks didn't have to drive 300 miles and spend $750 to see these guys. As a result, the sport, on a local level was well publicized and the interest was high.
The guy who has this all figured out is Bob McCardle at Beaver Springs. Bob George, especially Mike Beard can tell you about this...he hails from up there. The place is packed, with competitors and spectators. He has the blend of "shows" along with a good bracket program that moves along and ends at a reasonable hour. And, the place is in the middle of nowhere.
The sport will survive...the guys who love it will always do it. Someone mentioned the median age, in the 40's and 50's, but the faster classes were always older guys. They were the only ones who had any money.
I realize that all this is just an excercise in theory...it will take years of this to force a change.
In one master stroke, NHRA killed off nitro classes in the 'other' sanctioning bodies and nitro match racing, by limiting the test and tune the pros could do. Late 70's early 80's we used to see Shirley, Jeb Allen, Prudhomme, Force, and a whole slew of other nitro cars at Lebanon Valley on the match race circuit in between National events. Now the only special events you see are points races, wheel standers or jet cars, or the independent guys - I remember some mid west organization that would tour with BB floppers and the like.
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Re: The future of Drag Racing...
[Re: rickstershemi]
#1003611
05/31/11 10:40 PM
05/31/11 10:40 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 20,169
Park Forest, IL
slantzilla
Too Many Posts
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Too Many Posts
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 20,169
Park Forest, IL
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I've cut back, and it is not necessarily the economy. Yes, fuel prices keep me closer to home than it used to, but I also have a wife working on her Masters. You don't realize what it means to have someone else living with you and not working until you've done it for awhile. I have a buddy who races a slower NHRA stocker and has a ball. He is part of a gang that goes to all the close national and divisional events together. It is very possible to race national events on a budget. He has less in his car, truck, and trailer than a lot of guys in AA/SA and A/SA have in their cars, and yet he can still qualify well (#4 at Topeka) and not worry about those pesky DP and CJ cars killing him in class and on heads-up runs. A lot of the problem is that racing has become too much about ego and not enough about having fun.
"Everybody funny, now you funny too."
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Re: The future of Drag Racing...
[Re: rickstershemi]
#1003612
05/31/11 10:59 PM
05/31/11 10:59 PM
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 6,446
NJ-USA
HPMike
master
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master
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 6,446
NJ-USA
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Lots of good points made here. I sure hope it's not just a "passing fancy" and that it will forge on. But as others have stated, everything is pretty much down. It's easy to blame it on the economy, but maybe there is more to it and that has become the convenient excuse. You hear stories all over the news about attendance at events like pro sports, vacation hotspots and the like posting record attendance, even in this shittty economy. Why aren't those venues suffering the same fate? Why aren't those people "cutting back" because of the high price of fuel? Lots of regular folks attend pro and semi pro baseball and football games, and ist certainly isn't because the prices of the tickets went down. Highest ever, yet they are setting attendance records weekly.  Huh? Maybe this type of motorsports is going to die a slow and prolonged death due to waning interest. I sure hope not. With many tracks closing and attendance down, it doesn't look very good, no doubt. I hava a DVD of the 1970 Nationals. Looked like the friggin Super Bowl. What a time for drag racing! MB
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Re: The future of Drag Racing...
[Re: MegaDart]
#1003614
05/31/11 11:55 PM
05/31/11 11:55 PM
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Joined: May 2007
Posts: 446
oregon
savoyracer
mopar
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mopar
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 446
oregon
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Quote:
I could've raced twin $2500 to win races on saturday but chose to go boating instead. My wife and kids hate the track and my girls will only be young once so...
over 500 boats and 8 live bands on a local sandbar!
It is not that I can't afford it, but chose to spend my money elsewhere. Different strokes for different folks.
[image]http://[/image]
..............................................................................................................Hard to argue with that...... .........What a great pic!!! blue skies, warm water, all the boats, I'm envious 
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Re: The future of Drag Racing...
[Re: HPMike]
#1003615
05/31/11 11:57 PM
05/31/11 11:57 PM
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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