Drag racing Enjoy it while you can

[jmcarter]

Originally Posted by Dick Butler

How do you change anything? get involved with your Grand Children. That is the generation learning things. The last generation is lost. They are the computer hacks.
Spend time with your grandkids teaching carpentry, plumbing, how to check air in tire, parts of a real car. They might surprise you with their interest in Grandpas toys, hobbies and CARS. They will be the ones who might keep it alive.They are the ones who need to be impressed with the lack of Craftsmen, skilled in all the trades. They might chose a trade like welding where a great salary can be earned as opposed to a college degree.

Agree Dick; to help get out grandkids out of the "virtual world" we've started taking one grandkid on our sojourns to the Pacific Northwest in the summer. Lots of Jr Ranger Park badges along the way. Got the 9 year old helping in the garage and getting ready to put him on a little 50CC dirt bike (pretty sure his Mom doesn't read this forum, or at least I hope not!).

[Chevy55]

NHRA COMMUNITY GOES INTO PROBLEM-SOLVING MODE FOLLOWING NEWS OF ENGLISHTOWN EXIT
By Susan Wade Fri, 2018-01-19 23:27
http://competitionplus.com/drag-raci...glishtown-exit

Everyone has a theory on solving the problem and why it happened but no one is giving the real reason or reasons that the Napp family pulled the plug.

Were they tired of trying to please the neighbors, was the NHRA the only one making a profit off of the facility?
Why aren't the people in the know doing any useful talking?

[Bunkster]

Another trend that doesn't bode well for people that actually do something is licensed pilots, as well as AP licensing.

When they don't like cars.....they sure as Hell don't give a rat's sphincter about planes and flying.

Little Timmy Cook at Apple will get 10 million applications to design some silly-assed, mindless app for a freak'n phone, but no one can find a M/E to enhance the landing gear on a Cessna Citation.

The guy that raced that old 303 Olds in V/S....he moved on and is retiring from a well paid job rebuilding Lycoming and Continental gas burners.

[Dave Gantz]

Originally Posted by Chevy55

NHRA COMMUNITY GOES INTO PROBLEM-SOLVING MODE FOLLOWING NEWS OF ENGLISHTOWN EXIT
By Susan Wade Fri, 2018-01-19 23:27
http://competitionplus.com/drag-raci...glishtown-exit

Everyone has a theory on solving the problem and why it happened but no one is giving the real reason or reasons that the Napp family pulled the plug.

Were they tired of trying to please the neighbors, was the NHRA the only one making a profit off of the facility?
Why aren't the people in the know doing any useful talking?

I was thinking along the same lines.
IMO, the people in the know aren't talking because it's nobody else's business.

[Dave Gantz]

Originally Posted by Bunkster

Another trend that doesn't bode well for people that actually do something is licensed pilots, as well as AP licensing.

When they don't like cars.....they sure as Hell don't give a rat's sphincter about planes and flying.

Little Timmy Cook at Apple will get 10 million applications to design some silly-assed, mindless app for a freak'n phone, but no one can find a M/E to enhance the landing gear on a Cessna Citation.

The guy that raced that old 303 Olds in V/S....he moved on and is retiring from a well paid job rebuilding Lycoming and Continental gas burners.

As to "Little Timmy Cook", he's following the money trail.
Just a bit more money in IPhones, than there is general aviation. (Sarcasm.)

[Chevy55]

Originally Posted by Dave Gantz

I was thinking along the same lines.
IMO, the people in the know aren't talking because it's nobody else's business.

True, but I'm thinking if there was a monetary or neighborhood problem the Napp family would have issued an explanation to the racers but if the problem was with the NHRA they are more likely to take the attitude that some things are better left unsaid. JMO

\

[lstanford]

In the end, it's all about the money. Don't give yourself a headache trying to think too deeply on this one.

[boostedf22c]

Originally Posted by Dick Butler

How do you change anything? get involved with your Grand Children. That is the generation learning things. The last generation is lost. They are the computer hacks.
Spend time with your grandkids teaching carpentry, plumbing, how to check air in tire, parts of a real car. They might surprise you with their interest in Grandpas toys, hobbies and CARS. They will be the ones who might keep it alive.They are the ones who need to be impressed with the lack of Craftsmen, skilled in all the trades. They might chose a trade like welding where a great salary can be earned as opposed to a college degree.

I agree. But I don’t have kids or grandkids. However, I try and get ANYone I know to the track. And they all love it. It’s a pretty easy sport/hobby to get excited about and addicted too. The cars, awesome people and good and bad times. Just need to keep getting people interested.

[Steve1118]

Drag Racing is fine. It's not going anywhere. However, it is changing.

A local drag strip, or even a drag strip that hosts national events is a business. So many seem to lose sight of that. It needs support from the locals. Some of the guys complaining here wouldn't be caught dead at their local track, but complain and moan when it closes.

We sponsor a little Nostalgia series at our local track. It is very, very successful and we have cars coming out to the track that have been tucked in garages for years. We have Nostalgia SS, Nostalgia Gassers, and old type Modified Production cars. It has worked beyond our imagination. The Nostalgia thing works....period correct cars. Technical rules loose, to make it easy to race, and easy to get the old iron out there. Always cool. Draws a decent spectator count, too.

The same track is PACKED on special Street only Saturday grudge type race days, no classes, just locals coming to the track in their whatever-they-drive, and the place is jammed. "Grudgement Day" is a very successful venue. Newer Hemis, Turbocharged Imports.....some of them are pretty doggone fast, too.

They have large Alky funny car events, "Night of Fire", all kinds of stuff going on, something for everyone. Wheelstanders, jet cars. A Show.

Local Brackets for the local rank and file.10.5, whatever. It's a busy place.

A lot of guys seem to be waiting for the day when each track has local class eliminations, as they did in the past. Those days are gone, and they are not coming back. Like any business, the tracks are going to adjust, as any business has to. The ones that do, as well as the racers that do, will be just fine.

Personally, I like it. Although it's been my home track for years, I love racing and being there now, and would much rather do that than travel as we did in the past. I get to go home, eat a ham sandwich, use my own bathroom, and sleep in my own bed. At this age, I've found I really like it. I wish I would have done it sooner.

As I understand it, Etown's local participation and support for drag racing was down to nothing. A National event, and a divisional that draws, and the rest of the racers who race at those never coming otherwise, won't cut it, financially. Add to that the Napp's constant stream of litigation, as well as a guaranteed payday, and well, it's easy to see why they threw in the towel.

If you want racing to continue, support your local track. It's what's happening, and you'll even find some extra $ in your pocket.

[Coleydog]

I agree with above. Friday nite test and tune brings more people and cars then Sunday race day. $15 to test $5 to watch, fron 6:00 to 10:00. A whole lot of money changes hand from the spectators. No rules no tech. You wanna run In the grudge race, put up $20, winner and second get the money. Track pays out nothing.