Part of what hurt drag racing

[KEN BUGAJ]

Rising costs and poor economy . I was looking at the Super Stock class winners at Indy and thinking where are all the young people !
Even Stock is filled with older people, Most of the young people you see today have
Mom and Dad paying the bills,,, It just cost to much for a young family to build a car and keep it up.

[randy wilson]

Thanks guys. Just thought I'd throw that out there. I just remember going through K.C. or Eddyville, or Omaha, (Cornhusker) or Detroit dragway, (I worked up there in 73) and see open cars on the trailer, and if I had the opportunity I'd head for the track. I remember my first time at Eddyville in 77 to race, (I did not qualify in GG\Hot rod, formula 2) pulling in behind a pinto, a monza, a 48 ford pickup with a small block in it, an altered with an injected hemi, a 55 chevy, a 65 chevelle, etc. and just the excitement. 64 car field in SS, and a 64 car field in Top Street, (Comp). Full field, with 86, count em, 86 non qualifiers, with standing room only.

[Jeff Goss]

My 18 year old Son has no interest in driving my Super Stocker.

However, he is about to get a Subaru WRX, and likes the idea of hopping it up and running it down the quarter mile.

The customer base is changing.

[Eric Merryfield]

Originally Posted by Jeff Goss

My 18 year old Son has no interest in driving my Super Stocker.

However, he is about to get a Subaru WRX, and likes the idea of hopping it up and running it down the quarter mile.

The customer base is changing.

That is true, my kids had zero interest in driving junior dragsters, but were at the track day one with their drivers licences and parent wavers..........my 17 year old after proving she could drive a gremlin(tougher than you think) drove my dragpak...then raced it a couple of times this year....after a bracket truck.....the 16 year old son after experiencing that "red button thing" on the gremlin, thinks everthing should have a linelock, and has zero interest in racing a street car....He wants a linelock in the one ton farm truck he drives to school, and would like it to have headers and a freeflow exhaust just like many kids or all ages....Of course they have been exposed to this since 06 or so, so they likely have more interest in it than others.

Their friends at school may have the pimped out turbo this, and turbo that. But there is only one iconic "farm truck"

My daughter and I will never forget our trip to Indy to pick up the dragpak and tow it to Bristol on the featherlite open trailer for its first event for us. Many asked at gas stations, etc, it was very fun. Its much nicer to look in your review and grin, than look at the front of your enclosed. It went to epping, and lebanon this year for the divisionals and the national event that same way.

Eric

[Dave Turner]

As much as we long for those nostalgic days of our youth, the stark, quaint simplicity of an open trailer and pick 'em up truck has been sacrificed for the security and anonymity of a "box". There was a time when we would welcome a chat with the crowd of curious folks surrounding the race car at a roadside restaurant or rest stop. Now, that scenario comes with fears that it may have been vandalized, stolen, or marked for future collection as we take a break from the highway. Also hard to argue that our aging group is less likely to be happy with a few relaxing hours in the cab of a half ton while the heavens dump their anger in our lap. I don't know where the milestone in the evolution of race haulers occurred, but someone saw the opportunity to move up and thought, "Why not?".....blame him.

Not sure if others have noticed, but I see quite a few youngsters trailering their entry level cars to events in my neighborhood and they use stuff that looks very much like my first rig. Lots of them destined for competition other than drag racing btw.

[ss wannabee]

These are all very good answers and certainly right on target especially the costs
involved, the economy, and how the new generation enthusiast wants to enjoy his
automotive experience.

Randy, I DO know what you're referring to though...that the "WOW" factor is miss-
ing when you haul a race car in an enclosed trailer instead of an open trailer or
ramp truck...back in the day, we used to check out race cars when they pulled into
a gas station or restaurant...or out on the road too.

Remember when "TV Tommy Ivo" had that truck rig with the windows so you
could see the race car? Think a Corvette rode on top too...he'd use that to run into
town possibly to get parts and stuff...Certainly a bit of "showmanship"...perhaps
some of that is lacking today? Maybe the open truck/trailer could provide a little..

Today we live in an ever-changing, complicated world, with so many forms of
entertainment to take up our spare time...many of the younger generation are
used to the "push-button....quick, easy, and cheap." Future drag-racers???
Probably not....

[rognelson777]

I think a part of it is the open trailer and the other part is times have changed.

Look at Hot Rod Magazine drag week, which was just completed. Do not quote me but here are details. Almost 400 cars pre- registered (sold out in something like 10 minutes online) to drive their street legal cars and make time runs at a different track each day for 5 days. You have to drive your car from track to track (there are hidden checkpoints to verify you are driving the car) and cannot have any support vehicles, additional crew or parts added to car. And here is the best part, the fastest cars have a average ET under 7 seconds.

Look at all of the quote manufacturer races, Super Chevy, NMRA, ETC, So many options, so close to home, .

Look at the cars you can buy off the showroom floor, a basic 2008 corvette with a tune from a computer will run low 11 s The new Dodge Challenger (Hellcat) street car (not dragpak) is going to have 707 HP and probably cost $50-60 K and you can drive it to work

And last but not least, sad to say it this way, the danger factor is gone. I think it is great the tracks are safe, so now when a car gets crossed up, it just bruises some body work and stops. Fans want to feel, see danger not really there anymore.
Think about it, when you watch a funnycar blow up, you now expect the driver to just get out of the car.

Times have changed, Enjoy what you have,

[cicero819]

This is a good question, all the reason brought forward have merit, I will add that on top of NHRA badly showcasing it's sportsman rank I have to point out it's bad management and promotions of events. I've started a Facebook page on Jr Stocker for the simple reason to show that with hard work, dedication and love of the sport you can have fun for a low investment. This year I decided to go back to racing and choose a car that could bring the fun factor back and decided to go back to a open trailer. Oh what a mistake, I had to empty my garage and fill it in my Suburban to make the trek to the track and once the event finish after the haul back home I had to empty the truck and place everything back, that wasn't fun.lol Yes, people did a double take take seeing a car on trailer but it didn't turn me in to the Pied Piper of drag racing for my local track. Enclose trailer is in my future when I will be hauling my new Stocker. The problem is not only with you and me having too much choices for our entertainment(1000 tv channels, casinos, bars,IHRA,NMRA.IRS,ISIS,WAR,DRUGS and all the other things that can get you in trouble like traveling, pro sports) kids are spoiled rotten and have their parents buy them Jr Dragster and later if they're lucky a brand new dragster. The sport is doing fine considering the competition it's going against.The biggest Problem is Compton acting as an Emperor and not one of his court telling him he's not wearing any clothes. What is the cars that could bring back a type of Jr Stock, the third generation Camaro and the Fox body Mustang, stock everything entry level racing, no aftermarket parts, only factory parts, that would be a great entry level racing and to finish what Ed said "We are not an automotive society anymore". CR

[Stephen & Horace Johnson]

Originally Posted by KEN BUGAJ

Rising costs and poor economy . I was looking at the Super Stock class winners at Indy and thinking where are all the young people !
Even Stock is filled with older people, Most of the young people you see today have
Mom and Dad paying the bills,,, It just cost to much for a young family to build a car and keep it up.

Hey ken count me as a youngster. . I let my dad take the class winner pic instead of myself. He has never had his pic in the national dragster and I thought he deserved too..

On another note the young people are not interested in spending the amount of money we spend to race a class car. . They can run an outlaw car far cheaper , alot quicker and faster and run races every weekend at a cheaper entry fee and if they win get paid a good amount...

[jmcarter]

Originally Posted by Stephen & Horace Johnson

Hey ken count me as a youngster. . I let my dad take the class winner pic instead of myself. He has never had his pic in the national dragster and I thought he deserved too..

On another note the young people are not interested in spending the amount of money we spend to race a class car. . They can run an outlaw car far cheaper , alot quicker and faster and run races every weekend at a cheaper entry fee and if they win get paid a good amount...

DRC has posted the class winner photos and I thought that was very cool to see your Dad holding that trophy, well done. And agree that it must be pretty intimidating to see many class racers with the stackers and and rigs that represent such a huge investment. No wonder that they stick with the local 10.5, heads-up and brackets.