stock and super stock racing

[RPM42]

I fairly young and just now getting a point in my life where I can think about getting a car and racing. I was excited to learn about Stock and Super Stock where the fastest best built car still wins. But that is not the case. From what I understand, unless your at nationals most of what you do is just bracket racing. This is disappointing. It seems like with all the classes out there now they could have one setup for just heads racing stock cars. It would be nice if they just used the class indexes to determine the head start and it was first to finish plus the reaction times. I understand there is a huge advantage for those who spend a lot of money, but if you just want to race and have a chance with a slower car just do bracket racing. Theres my young and dumb opinion take it what its worth.

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by RPM42

I fairly young and just now getting a point in my life where I can think about getting a car and racing. I was excited to learn about Stock and Super Stock where the fastest best built car still wins. But that is not the case. From what I understand, unless your at nationals most of what you do is just bracket racing. This is disappointing. It seems like with all the classes out there now they could have one setup for just heads racing stock cars. It would be nice if they just used the class indexes to determine the head start and it was first to finish plus the reaction times. I understand there is a huge advantage for those who spend a lot of money, but if you just want to race and have a chance with a slower car just do bracket racing. Theres my young and dumb opinion take it what its worth.

RPM42.....They had the type of first to the finish line racing back in the mid 70's you mentioned and it was the same 3 or 4 cars winning all of the time. The entries dropped of to almost nothing (less income for NHRA) so they changed it back to bracket racing except for class run offs and the ocasional heads up race if they couldnt find a class to hide in to avoid it.

[treessavoy]

Originally Posted by bill dedman

There was no "Army Racing Team," when I was there, in '62. Lots of fun, though, and not an NHRA decal in sight...

Wonder if that's still going on at "The Railhead"?????????

In the very early '70's the Army created the Army Racing team which was headed by a Lt. and the cars were driven by enlisted men. I believe the cars were their own but competition money and parts were furnished by the Army and sponsors. They raced in various classes and ran the NHRA circuit. It ended in '74 or '75....not sure on the exact dates. The team was stationed at Ft.Hood.

JimR

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by treessavoy

In the very early '70's the Army created the Army Racing team which was headed by a Lt. and the cars were driven by enlisted men. I believe the cars were their own but competition money and parts were furnished by the Army and sponsors. They raced in various classes and ran the NHRA circuit. It ended in '74 or '75....not sure on the exact dates. The team was stationed at Ft.Hood.

JimR

The Lt. drove the SS/PA 55 Chevy 4 door. I talked to him quite a bit back then but I cant remember his name for sure. Nice guy for an Army officer.....LOL. Did he drive a 71 454 Corvette C or D/SA in the 80's??? Glass Slipper???? Im thinking maybe his name was Lt Ham??? Or was it someone else???

[RPM42]

X-Tech Man I can see your point now. It would suck if every weekend the same cars won.

[Tony Janes]

Originally Posted by X-TECH MAN

The Lt. drove the SS/PA 55 Chevy 4 door. I talked to him quite a bit back then but I cant remember his name for sure. Nice guy for an Army officer.....LOL. Did he drive a 71 454 Corvette C or D/SA in the 80's??? Glass Slipper???? Im thinking maybe his name was Lt Ham??? Or was it someone else???

The car is the Norman Bernard:"Go Army"1955 Chevy 4 dr SS/PA which became the Berry Rachlin Buffalo Flash/LA Flash car which I ran from the 1982 Winternationals to the 1983 Winternationals. Picture is from the 1982 World Finals OCIR.

[JRyan]

Terry,

You're right. It was Lt. Frank Ham. He actually got a dragstrip started on the Ft. Hood warehouse road shortly after I left Ft. Hood. I had tried earlier, but I guess Spec 5 didn't have the pull that Lieutenant did. They only ran it a couple of years.

Jerry

[Harry 6674]

Originally Posted by X-TECH MAN

RPM42.....They had the type of first to the finish line racing back in the mid 70's you mentioned and it was the same 3 or 4 cars winning all of the time. The entries dropped of to almost nothing (less income for NHRA) so they changed it back to bracket racing except for class run offs and the ocasional heads up race if they couldnt find a class to hide in to avoid it.

It wasn't like that in the northwest. You had guys you just as soon not have to face but there was a lot of ways to lose back then(Breakage). Today you have the Fauls,Langs Waldos(back then to)Fletchers,Biondos I would just as soon avoid. They don't always have the fastest cars in their class but are great drivers and they do win a large portion of the races. Does that make sense at all?

[treessavoy]

Originally Posted by X-TECH MAN

The Lt. drove the SS/PA 55 Chevy 4 door. I talked to him quite a bit back then but I cant remember his name for sure. Nice guy for an Army officer.....LOL. Did he drive a 71 454 Corvette C or D/SA in the 80's??? Glass Slipper???? Im thinking maybe his name was Lt Ham??? Or was it someone else???

I don't remember his name but he did move to the Corvette and I think he did pretty well for a few years.

JimR

[Tony Janes]

Jerry Ryan was right about Frank Ham, he raced a Corvette back in the early eighties.