Deconstructing Stock

[philip miles]

Originally Posted by C and W Racing

I guess they closed Gainesville and I didn't know it. lol. It is a lot closer to you than sgmp, but I do understand about not being close to you
Chuck

You're right, it's the old age setting in. The NHRA wouldn't let me race at the Gators because of a grade point issue, so I guess in the back of my mind, it's closed. But it's 330 miles from home.

Casey Miles
248H "F" NHRA Stock!

[VStock]

Originally Posted by philip miles

You're right, it's the old age setting in. The NHRA wouldn't let me race at the Gators because of a grade point issue, so I guess in the back of my mind, it's closed. But it's 330 miles from home.

Casey Miles
248H "F" NHRA Stock!

Pardon my ignorance, but what is a grade point issue? I am thinking of getting back into Stock class racing after being away for 40 years, and this is a new one to me.
Marty Knox

[treessavoy]

As I see it you all missed Bret's point.

The simple fact is that 99.9% of today's kids don't want to go drag racing and very few even know what it is.

They would rather buy a big muffler and a giant stereo and hang around the mall parking lot all night.

Guy's, the interest is just not there, no matter what new rules we come up with.

JimR

[cicero819]

So we should pull our flag down and give up? Come on, help introduce your sport to newbies. I once took my truck, trailer and race car to the local cruize night and it was like flies on raw meat, they were interested and even some showed enough interest by showing up at the strip the next week-end, it all depends on how much you want to pass it on. Look, they have so much more information at the tips of their fingers we have to make it fun, different breed fo different times. If we are all going to be honest we were not so different, look how many muscle car that have been destroyed because we didn't take good care of them, as soon as we left the dealers parking lot, waving to the salesman as we were burning 100' out of the parking lot. Get involve. Claude Ruel

[VStock]

I think one factor in the waning popularity is the lack of local speed shops. I 'hung out' at Central Jersey Speed & Machine in Fords, NJ when I was in high school. A lot of my interest came from the stock class racers who would come in. After a semester of college I went to work for them hot tanking blocks, watching the store, and learning about machining from Nick Tosi. I did go back to, and finish college but I still have an interest in Stock class drag racing.
I guess nowadays speed equipment is bought online from Jegs and Summit.
Marty Knox

[ALMACK]

Originally Posted by VStock

I think one factor in the waning popularity is the lack of local speed shops. I 'hung out' at Central Jersey Speed & Machine in Fords, NJ when I was in high school. A lot of my interest came from the stock class racers who would come in. After a semester of college I went to work for them hot tanking blocks, watching the store, and learning about machining from Nick Tosi. I did go back to, and finish college but I still have an interest in Stock class drag racing.
I guess nowadays speed equipment is bought online from Jegs and Summit.
Marty Knox

When I was young and getting National Dragster as well as the big 3 So. Cal. magazines, I had a dream to work in a speed shop in California.
I got to do that in 1983 at the Service Center in Orange, CA.
I got to meet local gearheads and learn alot about the hot rod industry.
Sure was fun.

Not many young gearheads today will ever get to experience that.

[VStock]

I have read and re-read this whole thread. It sure is discouraging to someone who was heavy into drag racing in his teens and early twenties but has been away from it for 40 years. The sport sure has changed. It seems to take a LOT more money to be competitive these days. Makes me wonder if I shouldn't just build my El Camino the way I want to and forget about racing in Stock.

[ALMACK]

Originally Posted by treessavoy

As I see it you all missed Bret's point.

The simple fact is that 99.9% of today's kids don't want to go drag racing and very few even know what it is.

They would rather buy a big muffler and a giant stereo and hang around the mall parking lot all night.

Guy's, the interest is just not there, no matter what new rules we come up with.

JimR

^^ I Agree.

As I said in post # 16 here, put 'em in the passenger seat of a Stocker or Super Stocker and cruise around the pit area with open headers and let 'em feel that V-8 rumble and there's a pretty good chance a few will get hooked.

Alot of the import guys are young and they buy those type of cars because their friends have them.
When they get older, make more money, and become wiser they will realize it takes less money (and effort) to run 11's and 12's with V-8 RWD muscle than hopping up their Hondas.

Now as for the video game couch potatoes, I don't have any answer there.