PINKS vs Class Racing - Page 2

Jeff Stout · 03-08-2010, 10:19 AM

About 4 years I tried to inform everyone about having a class event with Rich. All emails needed to be sent to Pullin TV and if they had enough interest then something could have came about. All Hemi shootout, CIC race like Pat does in LA. Anything to get the S/SS racers on TV for publicity and some good money. I have competed in Pinks All out and Passtime. IT was fun and I would do it again. I didnt see where it was slower then any NHRA event and it was only 1 day for $10,000 with a $40.00 entry. At the time it was the best thing in town but it has become old. To bad it didn't happen when it was hot.
Jeff

03-08-2010, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wade Mahaffey

My plan is larger than Pinks and/or NHRA. Build a car that is multi-faceted and can do many things. NHRA, IHRA, IMCA, NMCA, Nostalgia, Pinks, Local Brackets, Street driver, 10.5, Show, then do whatever you feel like with it! I like all of it, oh did I mention the fun of building that car yourself !!!

Wade Mahaffey

I agree with your thinking completely on this Wade.

I grew up going around the country with NHRA Stock racers and enjoyed it very much. When I was old enough and could afford to class race I did for a brief time until my divorce when I sold the car. I love everything about class racing and still follow it very closely. I don't think the average "fan" understands all that goes into getting a S/SS car to run to it's potential. However, I just purchased a new car now that I'm back on my feet but have no plans to class race it. High entry fees, cost of traveling, how NHRA treats the class racer, etc. are all huge deterents. I have a '95 Impala SS that I can drive on the street, take to car shows, bracket race (runs low 12s NA and high 10s on nitrous), go to POA and hope they pick my time, attend Super Chevy events, ... Yes, it could pretty easily be a good class car (ok, not easily but if I write a big enough check) but why do that? I can have a versatile car, still attend S/SS racers as an "above average informed spectator", and not have to deal with all the BS that goes with running a class car. I still do really, really respect those of you that continue to keep these cars going.

Scott

chris3racing · 03-08-2010, 11:54 AM

Pinks All Out can be a slow process depending on the cooperation between the racers and the production crew. They make announcements at the drivers meeting and over the PA system all during the day about antifreeze and leakage on to the track.

There are 450 to 520 cars, most of them the cars you would see at a stock/superstock race. The cars are divided into classes based on your, "all out" et. Each class is called to the staging lanes one at a time. Some of the classes at Z-Max had as many as 60 cars in them.

At Z-max they had over 300 tv production crew members. These folks were spread out on the track, in the staging lane, in the pit area and in the stands with the spectators. Remember the spectators section is typically sold out and in the case of Z-max, the standing room section was sold out. That was 30,000+ at $25 per person, except children under 12 years of age were free, they just had to pick-up a ticket for their seat. The production crew is doing interviews. As an example, Hemiparts, my son, was in his suit, helmet everything in place in the staging lanes. The camera crew came up and requested that we unbuckle the harness, get out of the car, remove coat and helmet. Then put everything back on, get in the car and re-buckle the harness. We had a camera guy outside and a camera guy with the passenger door open filming from inside the car. The young lady, driving a car pitted beside us, broke a connecting rod on her run and dumped oil on the track. The camera crew came to her pits and interviewed her and her family. All laughing and joking around during the interview. It would be good if a lot more of the film footage these guys do could be show; however, time on tv is short. You know like an show of nothing except the taping that was cut to make the two show segments.

Most everyone stayed overnight in the pit area. The staff was so cooperative. The staff members without their cameras were finished work for the day and were out going around though the pits talking with racers and their families. The grills were fired up once racing was stopped on Friday night and the feed was on. If you went to bed hungry that night it was your own fault. There was more food than could be eat. Just walking around through the pit area, not using the 4-wheeler, you got a chance to talk with people from all over the country. The car pitted on one side of us was a family from Ohio, the car across from us was from, I believe, Mississippi and the car on the opposite side was from New Jersey. There were some transmissions changed, universal joints change and rear gears changed and general mechanical work. Guys around a particular car all pitched in to help out the guy which you might have to race the next night for $10,000.

And one last comment. As someone mentioned the entry for one of these events is $60.00. Registration is done over the internet. Registration at Z-Max this year was scheduled to begin at 10:00 am. Within a matter of seconds the whole computer system was jammed. We had three separate computers working and all three locked up. The same thing happened at Virginia entry which was schedule for 7:00 pm. Both of these event were filled within 15 to 20 minutes. 460 entries.

69ss/rs · 03-08-2010, 11:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wade Mahaffey

I like them both, but there are parts of each that I don't like. POA is really neat if your the fastest guy of the top 16 that they pick for whatever reason (something with a girl, a wagon, a minority driver, a truck, a mopar with a chevy engine, father-son etc). If your not lucky that day, you might get two time runs and watch the rest. Take away the chance to be on TV and see what happens. Same for the NHRA, everybody wants to be where the big deal is going on, myself included. I respectfully really feel bad for the diehard class racers, who have spent a life time perfecting their combinations. And today nobody cares, the fans just want to see FAST...(turbos, blowers, nitrous). Then if that don't get ya, at the Nationals the #83 quailifier puts you (#3 quailifer) on the trailer with just a good reaction time. He bought his car last month for $10,000. You bought yours in 1971 and have 25K in the engine. To me something ain't right ! There must be something that I'm not seeing. I should be seeing it soon though, with this 60 Corvette for Super/Stock. My plan is larger than Pinks and/or NHRA. Build a car that is multi-faceted and can do many things. NHRA, IHRA, IMCA, NMCA, Nostalgia, Pinks, Local Brackets, Street driver, 10.5, Show, then do whatever you feel like with it! I like all of it, oh did I mention the fun of building that car yourself !!!

Wade Mahaffey

In that case Wade you shouldn't be complaining, because you are always trying to go for the oddball attention getter, so you should fit right in. Wade, you had better be careful; your Super Comp, Super Gas colors are showing. If you are planning on building a serious Super Stocker, than it just can't be flip/flopped from one type of racing class to another; unless it is a direct crossover. From what you have been saying your car is going to be a lower class car, which will further limit your chooses. Anybody that has a serious car uses most of their time working on making the car faster and more consistent. Maybe you need to take a closer look at Super Stock and see that you have two types of racers; the serious ones and the also rans, then you can figure out which one you are. You can't worship two gods, either you are serious or you aren't.

Wade Mahaffey · 03-09-2010, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 69ss/rs

In that case Wade you shouldn't be complaining, because you are always trying to go for the oddball attention getter, so you should fit right in. Wade, you had better be careful; your Super Comp, Super Gas colors are showing. If you are planning on building a serious Super Stocker, than it just can't be flip/flopped from one type of racing class to another; unless it is a direct crossover. From what you have been saying your car is going to be a lower class car, which will further limit your chooses. Anybody that has a serious car uses most of their time working on making the car faster and more consistent. Maybe you need to take a closer look at Super Stock and see that you have two types of racers; the serious ones and the also rans, then you can figure out which one you are. You can't worship two gods, either you are serious or you aren't.

Sorry, I did'nt mean to come off as complaining. I will be loving to compete with you, and just can't wait! I surely am not trying to offend any of the S,S/S racers here. I do have my idea of what it takes to win in S,S/S eliminator. What I do NOT have is daddy's nickel, or his or anyone elses racing experience to draw from. I have to learn it all by myself, and pay for it all by myself. And that's the way I like it, individual accomplishment. That's why I don't have a Cobalt (serious car), and thats why I'm not as concerned about how fast it is. I feel that the key to being competitive in Super/Stock Eliminator (not class) is consistancy (driver and car). And that means "seat time" to me. I don't need dyno time, I can evaluate my program directly from the time slip. Then make adjustments to the car and/or myself. Thats why this car is multi-faceted, to allow much more seat time in order to refine and polish my driving skills and car set-up quicker. Right, wrong, or indifferent, I am a "seat time" kinda guy, more than the "dyno time" kind.
You can draw a good game plan or play up on the board. But if you want to win, you gotta get your helmet on and get in the game!

Wade Mahaffey

Alan Roehrich · 03-09-2010, 08:24 AM

Pinks All Out is a contrived "American Idol", run at a drag strip. They book in a bunch of cars, and let them make time trials all day, hoping for a few "high lights" to put in the show. Then they pick a winner, and a few other cars to race, and then run the race for the benefit of their winner. And boy are they pissed when their winner doesn't win. It makes for good TV, I guess, if you go in for that sort of thing, but it ain't racing. The crowd is there to see the carnage, and hopefully get on TV. When the "new" wears off, it'll fade away and be forgotten.

randy wilson · 03-09-2010, 08:31 AM

it is fun but real racing involves rules and no-break-out. check out eddyville june 12 and july 17.

Harry 6674 · 03-09-2010, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan Roehrich

Pinks All Out is a contrived "American Idol", run at a drag strip. They book in a bunch of cars, and let them make time trials all day, hoping for a few "high lights" to put in the show. Then they pick a winner, and a few other cars to race, and then run the race for the benefit of their winner. And boy are they pissed when their winner doesn't win. It makes for good TV, I guess, if you go in for that sort of thing, but it ain't racing. The crowd is there to see the carnage, and hopefully get on TV. When the "new" wears off, it'll fade away and be forgotten.

Alan have you ever been to one? You are way off base. No way it can be fixed. The race in Seattle was a kick in the butt. Beats the hell out of shoe polish. The fans proved that. Thats the kind of fan support S&S/S had before shoe polish.

Gary Smith · 03-09-2010, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan Roehrich

Pinks All Out is a contrived "American Idol", run at a drag strip. They book in a bunch of cars, and let them make time trials all day, hoping for a few "high lights" to put in the show. Then they pick a winner, and a few other cars to race, and then run the race for the benefit of their winner. And boy are they pissed when their winner doesn't win. It makes for good TV, I guess, if you go in for that sort of thing, but it ain't racing. The crowd is there to see the carnage, and hopefully get on TV. When the "new" wears off, it'll fade away and be forgotten.

Alan you're WAY off!!! Didn't you see I just ran one? Doesn't my money, effort, and time count? I can tell you first hand absolutely NOTHING is orchestrated, pre-planned, rigged, or hidden. Everyone has a fair shot. If anything it's a welcome change from shoe polish racing, which isn't any better. There has been some sandbagging but those guys WILL GET CAUGHT.

My advice is to attend one of these if you can. Rich Christensen has certainly hit on something when he can get ordinary car buffs into the stands to watch our junk run. His logic is common sense, you must have something to sell in order to attract fans. In his case it 's attitude and drama which he can build off the racers, cars, and fans.

There's no way around it. Class racing (even sportsman drag racing in general) in it's present form does not nor ever will have the fan appeal of PINKS format.

Alan Roehrich · 03-09-2010, 12:26 PM

LOL. Rich and his staff run a ton of cars all day. They pick an ET range. Then they pick 8 cars within that ET range. And you're going to try to tell me they have no idea which car should win?

They pick a winner, and then run the race. They pick 8 cars in a given ET range, and you think one of those cars isn't faster than the rest,

and you think they don't know

? If you don't think they pick a winner before the race, I can't help you. They may not get the winner they want, their chosen one might be late, he might go red, or he might break. But he is their chosen winner, regardless. And if he doesn't win, they start asking questions and getting pissed.

I've sat in the toter after the races and watched that contrived BS dozens of times, I've watched Rich and his boys pick out their chosen few, and their chosen winner. Then I've watched them be stunned when it doesn't work out the way they planned.

You can run all of their races you want, it doesn't bother me one bit, I really don't care what you do or what you believe. But I know a scripted "show" set up for TV "drama" when I see it.

03-08-2010, 10:19 AM	#11
Jeff Stout VIP Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: phoenix Posts: 1,455 Likes: 58 Liked 691 Times in 274 Posts	Re: PINKS vs Class Racing About 4 years I tried to inform everyone about having a class event with Rich. All emails needed to be sent to Pullin TV and if they had enough interest then something could have came about. All Hemi shootout, CIC race like Pat does in LA. Anything to get the S/SS racers on TV for publicity and some good money. I have competed in Pinks All out and Passtime. IT was fun and I would do it again. I didnt see where it was slower then any NHRA event and it was only 1 day for $10,000 with a $40.00 entry. At the time it was the best thing in town but it has become old. To bad it didn't happen when it was hot. Jeff

03-08-2010, 11:54 AM	#13
chris3racing Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 528 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: PINKS vs Class Racing Pinks All Out can be a slow process depending on the cooperation between the racers and the production crew. They make announcements at the drivers meeting and over the PA system all during the day about antifreeze and leakage on to the track. There are 450 to 520 cars, most of them the cars you would see at a stock/superstock race. The cars are divided into classes based on your, "all out" et. Each class is called to the staging lanes one at a time. Some of the classes at Z-Max had as many as 60 cars in them. At Z-max they had over 300 tv production crew members. These folks were spread out on the track, in the staging lane, in the pit area and in the stands with the spectators. Remember the spectators section is typically sold out and in the case of Z-max, the standing room section was sold out. That was 30,000+ at $25 per person, except children under 12 years of age were free, they just had to pick-up a ticket for their seat. The production crew is doing interviews. As an example, Hemiparts, my son, was in his suit, helmet everything in place in the staging lanes. The camera crew came up and requested that we unbuckle the harness, get out of the car, remove coat and helmet. Then put everything back on, get in the car and re-buckle the harness. We had a camera guy outside and a camera guy with the passenger door open filming from inside the car. The young lady, driving a car pitted beside us, broke a connecting rod on her run and dumped oil on the track. The camera crew came to her pits and interviewed her and her family. All laughing and joking around during the interview. It would be good if a lot more of the film footage these guys do could be show; however, time on tv is short. You know like an show of nothing except the taping that was cut to make the two show segments. Most everyone stayed overnight in the pit area. The staff was so cooperative. The staff members without their cameras were finished work for the day and were out going around though the pits talking with racers and their families. The grills were fired up once racing was stopped on Friday night and the feed was on. If you went to bed hungry that night it was your own fault. There was more food than could be eat. Just walking around through the pit area, not using the 4-wheeler, you got a chance to talk with people from all over the country. The car pitted on one side of us was a family from Ohio, the car across from us was from, I believe, Mississippi and the car on the opposite side was from New Jersey. There were some transmissions changed, universal joints change and rear gears changed and general mechanical work. Guys around a particular car all pitched in to help out the guy which you might have to race the next night for $10,000. And one last comment. As someone mentioned the entry for one of these events is $60.00. Registration is done over the internet. Registration at Z-Max this year was scheduled to begin at 10:00 am. Within a matter of seconds the whole computer system was jammed. We had three separate computers working and all three locked up. The same thing happened at Virginia entry which was schedule for 7:00 pm. Both of these event were filled within 15 to 20 minutes. 460 entries.

03-09-2010, 08:24 AM	#16
Alan Roehrich VIP Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Murfreesboro TN Posts: 4,969 Likes: 1,136 Liked 1,218 Times in 313 Posts	Re: PINKS vs Class Racing Pinks All Out is a contrived "American Idol", run at a drag strip. They book in a bunch of cars, and let them make time trials all day, hoping for a few "high lights" to put in the show. Then they pick a winner, and a few other cars to race, and then run the race for the benefit of their winner. And boy are they pissed when their winner doesn't win. It makes for good TV, I guess, if you go in for that sort of thing, but it ain't racing. The crowd is there to see the carnage, and hopefully get on TV. When the "new" wears off, it'll fade away and be forgotten. __________________ Alan Roehrich 212A G/S

03-09-2010, 08:31 AM	#17
randy wilson Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: N/A Posts: 882 Likes: 0 Liked 21 Times in 21 Posts	Re: PINKS vs Class Racing it is fun but real racing involves rules and no-break-out. check out eddyville june 12 and july 17. __________________ don,t have one

03-09-2010, 12:26 PM	#20
Alan Roehrich VIP Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Murfreesboro TN Posts: 4,969 Likes: 1,136 Liked 1,218 Times in 313 Posts	Re: PINKS vs Class Racing LOL. Rich and his staff run a ton of cars all day. They pick an ET range. Then they pick 8 cars within that ET range. And you're going to try to tell me they have no idea which car should win? They pick a winner, and then run the race. They pick 8 cars in a given ET range, and you think one of those cars isn't faster than the rest, and you think they don't know? If you don't think they pick a winner before the race, I can't help you. They may not get the winner they want, their chosen one might be late, he might go red, or he might break. But he is their chosen winner, regardless. And if he doesn't win, they start asking questions and getting pissed. I've sat in the toter after the races and watched that contrived BS dozens of times, I've watched Rich and his boys pick out their chosen few, and their chosen winner. Then I've watched them be stunned when it doesn't work out the way they planned. You can run all of their races you want, it doesn't bother me one bit, I really don't care what you do or what you believe. But I know a scripted "show" set up for TV "drama" when I see it. __________________ Alan Roehrich 212A G/S