I just read that. Here's the deal. NHRA is trying to not repeat with Pro Stock what it did to Pro Stock Truck and end up with a law suit. They are letting it die on the vine so when they kill it they can say the class just lost interest.


As I said when they went to EFI and no hood scoops it was over. EFI isn't the savior of the world. Plus, the performance just isn't there. Warren Johnson was dead wrong on his theory removing the hood scoop, or the big stupid mail box as he called it was worth 2 MPH. It wasn't.

You can save the class easily. Without much cost. It's just that is not what NHRA wants.

For those who think Pro Mod is the answer...it's not. Give them a 24 race schedule npand in 2 seasons it will be jus like PS.

Want to fix the class?

No more 4 door conversion cars. EVER. If you can't make a 2 door then don't run Pro Stock. That would mean mustangs and Challengers would be legal. Drop the body templates. It's a run what you bring body.

500 CID max. 5 forward gears max. 2 carbs or EFI who cares? Whatever intake you can get to work. Hood scoop or no hood scoop. It's up to the team.

Racing gasoline. Eliminate the RPM limit.

Increase the payout by trimming the dead wood out of the NHRA staff. The bloated parasites have had enough time to feast. Cut the staff and up the payouts.

Fixed. Done and done. Of course, it would require someone with balls to do it. The neutered sissies running NHRA are more worried about their pensions than they are keeping NHRA viable.

I kind of agree to some degree with Johnny Gray's assessment...... Pro stock out spent itself.

The class is too expensive to run vs what it pays and the amount of air time it gets(to attract sponsors).

It's not a viable business model.

NHRA has out spent it's self. That's why there are low car counts. It cost a ton of money to run a pro car in the NHRA. A corporate sponsor is a must.

The way I read the news from Light was he don't care about brand and I have news for him, without brand (Ford, Mopar, Chevy) the interest will not be there. I don't think they compete on the speed factor, NITRO is king there, but brand loyalty is huge so why not bring it back?

Who want's to watch carbon fiber replica's? I say steel bodies, roof, quarters, ect..., exact front ends and then work on engine packages, once again BRAND. Mopar runs Mopar ect...

I think the interest will come right back.

Back to win on Sunday sell on Monday.

Replace pro stock with pro street, when a national event comes to town televise the pro street cars of that area, oh dang, its been done and people come, race and watch.

Maybe if all these old guys with yellow teeth were not working for a paycheck off the backs of others things would be different.

Never a shortage of cars or money or people at our weekly street races in the sticks and the racers are the ones who take the money home... hard to find fault in that.

I see guys her post pics of a 1k check, thats great but a tough pill to swallow on some levels when weekly the top guy here takes home min. 2-4k cash.

Even the hole in the wall outlaw tracks prosper weekly when people who do little are not trying to make a living off of it.

Well IMO the entire sport is dying a slow death. The problem as I see it is how do you get the next generation involved? Sure the Jr programs help but those are already racing families to begin with. They need to find a way to get kids who are NOT already in racing families involved too. Even in racing families I think participation of the next group is at an all time low..

Well IMO the entire sport is dying a slow death. The problem as I see it is how do you get the next generation involved?

Al I know your big into it and I have alot of respect for you and the guys that spend big money to do so but the sport is not dying, just the professional side of it, ive never seen street racing hotter then it is today.

Yes it is a subset of the "sport".

The cars being sold off the dealer lot today are not being bought by 70 year old grandmas.

By definition sport is....an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment

Your version and the NHRA has the big $$$$$$ factor of the Professional sports label and there is where the problem lays... the money factor.

Make it cheaper to run, put more money in the pockets of the racers and it would flourish.

"Increase the payout by trimming the dead wood out of the NHRA staff."

NHRA has been cutting staff. They've been reducing the tech department. Getting rid of senior people who know and care about Stock and Super Stock. People who enforce the rules and ensure the integrity of those classes. At the same time, they're adding marketing, broadcast, PR, social media, and sales staff. It's becoming more about an entertainment product they can sell and less about racing.

Pro Stock is a great class with a lot of history, but it needs help. I don't know the answers. Perhaps they should ask the teams and racers for their opinion instead of having a bunch of stuffed suits and marketing "experts" try to micro manage the whole deal and dictate what the specs will be.

Brand fills the stands and gives purpose to the whole shebang.

People need a beacon to attach themselves to and take that leap of faith at the line and sigh at the stripe.
That beacon is brand.
Like said, steel bodies, brand motors, midnight tinkering just like the boys did at the Woodward garage and in Dearborn.

Mopar, GM, Ford, .......... even off shore brands if they have a two door sedan and drive train to command a stand. Bring it as they say, since this is a global market and mind set. If not, stay put and enjoy the scenery.
In other words, a movie is only as good as the audiences emotional investment in the central characters. The central characters have to present themselves in all their strengths and weaknesses. That's what makes them identifiable to the viewer. Plot, special effects and feast is boring with out the carriers of the voice.

I came up thru the Jr program right when it first came out. Most of the kids I raced against either their parent or grandparents raced and that's the reason they got into the sport. Maybe half the those kids moved up into big cars for a few years, but very few still race anymore due to having kids, mortgages, etc. The sport def isn't cheap. The kids that run in the Jr program at my local track very few of their parents ever raced and when most age out, they don't continue on. Most seem to think that if you raced a 7.90 Jr for years you NEED a 7 sec 1/4 mile dragster to run in super and most aren't satisfied with a 11-12 sec door car and don't race again...

Have the racers ever bucked up to the NHRA and said we want this, we want that or were done, your free ride is over?

If its all about the racing, whats the difference of going to a "Pretty" track vs a track with a gate, a nice field and two safe lanes?

If the NHRA died today, 99% of the people who race in this country would still race in one fashion or another. So why do people let them control so much of it.

I wont continue to beat this horse here, but look at nascrap... times are hard for them as well as they have strayed away from where the started for the dollar bill, same with the NHRA.

To paraphrase what I recall when certain teams were asked about what to do:
- Warren Johnson was asking the NHRA to go FI 15 years ago, so they obviously didn't take his advice in any timely manner. When they did finally switch, it was basically a poorly thought out knee-jerk type of change where they didn't give teams sufficient time to transition

- Allen Johnson said something like: "I don't know what the fix is, but there's definitely a problem." Maybe that's the perspective from someone too deep in the Pro Stock woods to be able to stand back and evaluate the situation better.

It's been my favorite class traditionally, but maybe it's simply run its course. Oh, wait, I already said that on another thread about pretty much the same thing.

If you try to copy from a loser (NASCAR) what do we you expect to happen. If you are going to copy, at least copy from a winner.

AJ has been interviewed in Hot Rod talking about what he and his dad suggested, including moving to a more drag pak car. NHRA didn't go that way.

The MP racers gave NHRA an ultimatum and NHRA dissolved the class. You can't beat the big machine. The south has the ticket for fans and racers and everything else is just OK. NHRA allowed some 275 cars compete at a national event. They are looking to cherry pick the sport in general. I don't think the ADRL has much of a chance to expand into a national market. NMCA is the best hope but they are very regional. NSS,S/SS alternatives, NPS, NFC, nostalgia in general, and all those outlaw classes is what brings the racer, vendors and fans to the track. Too many things vying for your money.

150% CORRECT. If you're not already in a racing family to begin with, you don't even know that Jr. dragsters exist.

The cost of an entry level jr dragster...

http://mikeboschassiscraft.com/jr%20dragster%20cars&price.htm

Say $4500, looks like no motor either?

I dont think the costs vs the future return is very reflective of even the middle/middle class of Americans.

Factor in the costs to and from, the parents time...

Umm what happened to starting out at 16-17 in a beater bracket car that might run 9.0 in the 1/8 or are kids just too spoiled these days.

It seems even the children of the big dogs of our era struggle to stay afloat.

Dont blame it all on the kids.

Most of the Jr's running 7.90's parents have close to 15K in them. Once they turn 18 they can no longer race them and the resell value on Jr is pennies on the dollar, why? Because alot of parents want the best for their kids so they might buy a used jr to start with to get the kids feet wet, but then they have to buy a new one so THEIR kid has the latest and greatest... Put 15K in a big car and you can drive it for a very long time....

I don't have the answer for the class, but IMHO it left anything to do with "stock" decades ago. So why call it "Pro Stock"? Why not call it what it is, the "Pro Millionaires Playground"? Run it as a sideline show or at limited events like Pro Mod. Then feature the new Challenger, Camaro and Mustang SS cars. This way at least the new car you see racing on TV looks like the one you see in the showroom.

IASCAR was the most spectated sport in the WORLD. Don't know about now. It's still probably pretty high on the list. NHRA did try to incorporate some of IASCAR's ideas (countdown, etc,) and has done a fair job of it. The big factor with NHRA is TV. It doesn't film well and TV coverage is nothing like being at the race. TV does not show how ridiculously quick and violent the cars are. Even the TV show one minute 1/8 mile runs with all the added tire squealing sounds doesn't come close to actually seeing the cars run. Add in the smells and sounds that are non existent on TV and you have a real loser. Sponsors are getting a tax write off and that's it. They are still spending the money but in no way is it a viable marketing venture. I have been to the Sonoma Nat. event, since it's inception, as a spectator or a participant and can tell you that fan participation when Pro Stock comes up has decreased steadily over that nearly 30 year time span. Fuel classes come up and the stands fill, fuel classes over and the stands empty. I have participated the last 4 or 5 years in Phoenix and Seattle and the yo-yo grandstand effect isn't nearly as noticeable as Sonoma. Fans pack the Utah Rocky Mountain Raceways Division 7 event. I don't know what the difference is besides locale. It seems to me that Pro Stock is not really the issue here as fuel fields are rarely full this year. Lose Force or Schumacher Racing and you've got a HUGE problem. My only thought is to maybe get some type of WiFi interaction with the head in my phone crowd. Apps for betting and fantasy drag racing and video and chicks and on and on... TV is NOT the answer, it seriously doesn't translate. I think it has to start with a renewed interest in the sport instead of the same old same old... Generally people are not interested in things that they can't afford to participate in. This steady decline has been going on for years and started with the imported car in the driveway and the closing of all the speed shops. I don't know about you but I can't stand the sight of Toyota emblems on a fuel car injector. Did that company actually do ANY r&d or engineering on ONE bolt of that engine? NHRA Pro's are whores, just like our US government personnel. To be honest, the thrill has waned for me too and I am just not interested in an imported commuter box turned race car. Camry! Let's Go Places!!! How about back to fukken JAPAN!!!