Epping Nationals to have 603 Diesel trucks?
 

Just read that NHRA and New England Dragway is inviting 603 Diesels to have a truck shootout to "enhance" the spectator experience, not sure about anyone else who is struggling to get higher car counts and gradepoints and working their asses off like we are and paying out the *** to enter a National Event, but in my opinion this is just stupid. What is their entry fee, or how did they get "waived" gradepoint entry, or what happens when they oil the track will they get the $250 dollar fine also?

Re: Epping Nationals to have 603 Diesel trucks?
 

Where did you read that?
Thanks, Mike

Re: Epping Nationals to have 603 Diesel trucks?
 

imagine cleaning up that oil down...

Re: Epping Nationals to have 603 Diesel trucks?
 

Here we go again... :rolleyes:

Re: Epping Nationals to have 603 Diesel trucks?
 

Just remember that it is NHRA's show. I guess they are trying to WHATEVER it takes to put people in the stands.

It is positively NOT the good old days when it was about the racer. Just my opinion, others may vary.

Re: Epping Nationals to have 603 Diesel trucks?
 

They put plenty of people in the seats, last year they bragged about how it was a sold out show. Without 8 stupid diesel trucks or the 8 outlaw cars they said we needed last year, but hey let’s run class for stock and super stock but only allow 60 cars in! Sounds like one hell of a class competition to me, might as well call it a combo class shootout.

Re: Epping Nationals to have 603 Diesel trucks?
 

no problem when they run out of time as usual , they will just hand out plaques to the highest qualified cars . it has become such a circus it just isn't worth racing nationals anymore. parking at NED. is limited as is. just wait till you have to park in the gravel at the end of the track because the pits are full of circus tents. i think i'll just keep my 400+ bucks.

Re: Epping Nationals to have 603 Diesel trucks?
 

Easy solution. Don't run at National Events.

Re: Epping Nationals to have 603 Diesel trucks?
 

Six hundred three, or are they "diesel outlaws from the 603" ?

Re: Epping Nationals to have 603 Diesel trucks?
 

Crickets!

Re: Epping Nationals to have 603 Diesel trucks?
 

603 as in New Hampshire zip code

Re: Epping Nationals to have 603 Diesel trucks?
 

(fixed it for you)

Re: Epping Nationals to have 603 Diesel trucks?
 

603 Diesels NH
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Re: Epping Nationals to have 603 Diesel trucks?
 

Last year at the nationals N.E. dragway left out one set of stands to sell spots on the fence and give them half of the end stand.So fans and racers had no place to see the race on pit side.This was nothing but pure greed from n.e. dragway. also those vip stands were only a third full. they also gave out vip parking,and people parked where ever they wanted including blocking racers pit spots.I was ashamed to call n.e.dragway my home track.

Re: Epping Nationals to have 603 Diesel trucks?
 

OK, so maybe this puts some Street Outlaws type fans in the stands for Friday qualifying passes. Maybe they like what they see and come back again. This is bad?

The hottest spectator ticket out here at Pacific Raceways is the Good Guys show. A car show, music, beer and nostalgia Funny Cars fill the stands.

As for the 603 Trucks, there is/was a Cars of the 253 out here that ran Street Outlaw style races and it fizzled.

Re: Epping Nationals to have 603 Diesel trucks?
 

Drag strips are closing down at an alarming rate because it just doesn't make financial sense to stay in business.
Maybe we all have to occasionally bite the bullet too help the proprietors any way we can.
What do you think?

Re: Epping Nationals to have 603 Diesel trucks?
 

Tracks close do to poor management,or selling out to developer like englishtown.

Re: Epping Nationals to have 603 Diesel trucks?
 

Englishtown was not sold to a developer. The family is leasing the land to store cars.

Ken Kopecky
1454 E/SA

Re: Epping Nationals to have 603 Diesel trucks?
 

Where do you guys think the money comes from to operate these facilities.

Tracks have trouble putting spectators in the stands for a points race, forget about a normal race day.

The racer wants to get paid,
utilities must be paid,
taxes must be paid,
maintenance and new equipment is costly,
the help must be paid on time.

Who is supposed to pay for all this?

IMO it's really amazing that we still have drag strips today!

Re: Epping Nationals to have 603 Diesel trucks?
 

to get people in the stands takes marketing.They gave up on that years age.The fan base is there,just look at the number of fans at the nationals. was almost sold out every year.But they don't market the divisionals or the open when they had it.Other tracks market the races and do very well.maple grove brought in Badder to up grade their track.They did ok before but wanted to improve.The money is there,just need to find way to bring fans to track .as for englishtown,thought it was developer.but same outcome.

Re: Epping Nationals to have 603 Diesel trucks?
 

I worked at a track back in the day and I had this same conservation with the proprietor back then. His reply was that anything he spent on advertising he'd be lucky to break even.
Maybe you have a plan "B"?

Re: Epping Nationals to have 603 Diesel trucks?
 

You have to know how to market.you can throw a lot of money away marketing in wrong direction. that's why you need someone who knows the product and can market it.Plus you need better management in company just like any others.If they can't do that, they are better off selling track to someone who can like Bruton Smith,Badder,or Martel.When I started to go to the track in mid sixtys, they used to fill track every week. But they marketed a lot better then.

Re: Epping Nationals to have 603 Diesel trucks?
 

Todays car culture is not what it used to be. Most younger guys (but not all) could not care less about drag racing. Cell phones, I phones, I pads, drugs and booze is their bag. My kids are adults (one is 32) now and they do not give a poop about my Corvettes, Hot rod, or my Harley. They never enjoyed going to the races with me when I ran S/S with a Camaro. Its a different world. Just look at the age of most of the Stock and S/S racers today. Could not get them interested in Jr. dragsters either. They were boring to them when they were younger. I sometimes wonder if they are really mine.

Re: Epping Nationals to have 603 Diesel trucks?
 

You nailed it. A lot of kids today don't even care about getting a driver's license until they're practically forced to.

Re: Epping Nationals to have 603 Diesel trucks?
 

In the old days they could have the Batmobile brought in to draw crowds.
http://1966batmobile.com/replica-4-gallery/

People are still awed by things they see on TV, witness the popularity of Street Outlaws and all the various custom car builders (or ruiners in some cases!)

Re: Epping Nationals to have 603 Diesel trucks?
 

They have no motivation. Why would they want to drive a front wheel drive, slushy automatic? They all look the same, are all white, gray, or silver, and make hardly any sound, let alone a healthy V8 sound. I'm getting sleepy just describing them!
The only new cars worth driving cost $40,000 or more. Not affordable for most young people. (Or me, for that matter!)

Re: Epping Nationals to have 603 Diesel trucks?
 

Because it gets them where they want to go.