Spoiled Brats! - Page 3

SDT1DYI · 01-13-2023, 10:50 AM

Stk/SS Associations rules are decided on by its members. If they want heads up runs they have heads up runs. Many do not because they do not want to discourage slower cars from attending.
Yes a cars legal issue is challenging, but it's the same at a NHRA event today. There's no simple answer on verifying that a motor is legal . But certainly carburators, correct # on the heads and intakes is pretty straight forward to accomplish.
As to HP and classes, it's easier to use NHRA estblished numbers BUT it does not mean you can not modify and improve it with input from ALL the Class Association racers. Which I would add, we as Class Racers have very little input into currently under NHRA.
Class Associations only works with all the racers working together to make it what THEY want.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and and over, expecting different results
Try something different...

Steve Teeter Stk/SS 620

Carguy49 · 01-13-2023, 11:54 AM

There is no way to make everyone happy in this racing game. Association racing is a very viable option to help fill the needs of ALL the racers. Life alters our plans many times. We can't always attend all the events that we had planned to be at. Work and health are the biggest factors in altering our schedules, just a fact. I am retired - and in good health WOOHOO!!!!!!!!

Participation is the key to having success in ANY racing venue. That was a problem here in the Pacific Northwest as Steve Teeter and Larrry Merk did their very best to make the 1st season of NWCRA a true success. I believe we needed 32 cars at each event and the most we had was 26?? One of our racers won 2 races - How happy was he with $4000 in his pocket.

I had a great time helping them at each race and the racers I talked to said it was a lot of fun. Let's get out there and have fun racing and support the races that fit your needs. I will be at divisional races and association races as time allows. Like I said before - - association racing is a very viable option to fill your racing needs.

Paul Precht · 01-13-2023, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Casey

I disagree MJ , the Association that I race has heads up runs and they are often the highlight of the race. We could continue to run at todays factors and still have a fantastic time. I don't see any future factoring that would change things, and if there was , the association would simply address the issue. Personally I believe that all these associations should have heads up runs.

The All Stars is a great and well run association that I miss very much.

Dan Bennett · 01-13-2023, 02:12 PM

"Ever hear of any Racer trying to organize a "protest" of NHRA by not going to their races? Sure you have. Know why we don't? Because for every Racer who WILL stay home, 3 WILL show up because they KNOW that "if you're not there', I've got a better chance of winning that Wally"."

In my years of covering races - from the tower and sometimes from the staging lanes, starting line, or pits - I personally saw this happen at least twice.

One was a group of Pro Stock racers refusing to go down a very questionable track where there had been one crash and a couple of near misses. Graham Light adressed their concerns by telling them that if they chose not to run, he would have no problem still producing a full field. They knew he was right and all of them backed down.

IMO, our problem is that a lot don't realize that racers and Glendora are coming from totally different angles. I saw NHRA move to the maximize profit theory, where changes were made if a company was willing to pay. For example, look at HD in bikes and Barry Grant never being able to get his carbs legalized in PS. We people who've been around a long time remember when changes were made because it was the right thing to do.

Finally, the executives at the track keep a very close eye on the stands. When they fill for fuel and empty for most other classes, that's their metric for what paying customers (spectators) want to see. I can't count the times I was told that fuel was the show and everything else was just filler to avoid long delays between races. And yes, you racers here provide a huge chunk of money. But so do spectators at national events, and that's free money over and above the costs to run a race where there is little expense for their attendance.

But Billy is dead on. Through some shrewd decisions made years ago, NHRA was able to have a massive edge over any alternatives. Some of my work was done in the IHRA, and it was apparent that NHRA had locked in the best tracks in the country.

The most significant thing that's happened during the time I've been involved happened a long time ago and didn't seem all that big a deal at the time. It was when the proxies were sent out on a vote that essentially removed any power from the membership to have any say in how the nonprofit was run. And that is why even after decades of racing, watching, reporting, and writing I don't have even a ghost of an idea of how to make things better for the racers.

Alan Roehrich · 01-14-2023, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan Bennett

"Ever hear of any Racer trying to organize a "protest" of NHRA by not going to their races? Sure you have. Know why we don't? Because for every Racer who WILL stay home, 3 WILL show up because they KNOW that "if you're not there', I've got a better chance of winning that Wally"."

Ain't that attitude just a damned cryin' shame?

A Wally, at any cost, regardless of how many asterisks are next to it.

That's so different from true sportsman racing, and really, real racing, period. True sportsmen, and real racers, will wait for a competitor to make a quick repair, etc, and not even complain. I cannot imagine jumping to enter a race because a bunch of fellow racers were going to boycott it for a valid reason.

TBear5033 · 01-14-2023, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan Bennett

The most significant thing that's happened during the time I've been involved happened a long time ago and didn't seem all that big a deal at the time. It was when the proxies were sent out on a vote that essentially removed any power from the membership to have any say in how the nonprofit was run. And that is why even after decades of racing, watching, reporting, and writing I don't have even a ghost of an idea of how to make things better for the racers.

Dan - might you recall when this occurred?

Billy Nees · 01-14-2023, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TBear5033

[/I]

Dan - might you recall when this occurred?

Early 1980s.

4543 · 01-14-2023, 04:03 PM

Back when that vote was sent out none of us ever dreamed that NHRA would ever become what it has or that the sport would develop as it has. Sure wish I had the opportunity to do that vote over. Mike McMahan 2543 H/SA

Alan Roehrich · 01-14-2023, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4543

Back when that vote was sent out none of us ever dreamed that NHRA would ever become what it has or that the sport would develop as it has. Sure wish I had the opportunity to do that vote over. Mike McMahan 2543 H/SA

But we can all bet that most of the people at NHRA who were responsible for that had the current level of control they have in mind.

Billy Nees · 01-14-2023, 06:12 PM

The only person that I could imagine being there at "that point in time" would be Dallas Gardner.

01-13-2023, 10:50 AM	#21
SDT1DYI Member Join Date: Nov 2016 Location: Indianola Washington Posts: 356 Likes: 0 Liked 394 Times in 124 Posts	Re: Spoiled Brats! Stk/SS Associations rules are decided on by its members. If they want heads up runs they have heads up runs. Many do not because they do not want to discourage slower cars from attending. Yes a cars legal issue is challenging, but it's the same at a NHRA event today. There's no simple answer on verifying that a motor is legal . But certainly carburators, correct # on the heads and intakes is pretty straight forward to accomplish. As to HP and classes, it's easier to use NHRA estblished numbers BUT it does not mean you can not modify and improve it with input from ALL the Class Association racers. Which I would add, we as Class Racers have very little input into currently under NHRA. Class Associations only works with all the racers working together to make it what THEY want. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and and over, expecting different results Try something different... Steve Teeter Stk/SS 620

01-13-2023, 11:54 AM	#22
Carguy49 VIP Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Fife, Washington Posts: 1,842 Likes: 1,767 Liked 2,232 Times in 596 Posts	Re: Spoiled Brats! There is no way to make everyone happy in this racing game. Association racing is a very viable option to help fill the needs of ALL the racers. Life alters our plans many times. We can't always attend all the events that we had planned to be at. Work and health are the biggest factors in altering our schedules, just a fact. I am retired - and in good health WOOHOO!!!!!!!! Participation is the key to having success in ANY racing venue. That was a problem here in the Pacific Northwest as Steve Teeter and Larrry Merk did their very best to make the 1st season of NWCRA a true success. I believe we needed 32 cars at each event and the most we had was 26?? One of our racers won 2 races - How happy was he with $4000 in his pocket. I had a great time helping them at each race and the racers I talked to said it was a lot of fun. Let's get out there and have fun racing and support the races that fit your needs. I will be at divisional races and association races as time allows. Like I said before - - association racing is a very viable option to fill your racing needs. __________________ Ron McDowell - Did Race Every day is a Gift - Enjoy with family and friends.

01-13-2023, 02:12 PM	#24
Dan Bennett Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 355 Likes: 562 Liked 353 Times in 78 Posts	Re: Spoiled Brats! "Ever hear of any Racer trying to organize a "protest" of NHRA by not going to their races? Sure you have. Know why we don't? Because for every Racer who WILL stay home, 3 WILL show up because they KNOW that "if you're not there', I've got a better chance of winning that Wally"." In my years of covering races - from the tower and sometimes from the staging lanes, starting line, or pits - I personally saw this happen at least twice. One was a group of Pro Stock racers refusing to go down a very questionable track where there had been one crash and a couple of near misses. Graham Light adressed their concerns by telling them that if they chose not to run, he would have no problem still producing a full field. They knew he was right and all of them backed down. IMO, our problem is that a lot don't realize that racers and Glendora are coming from totally different angles. I saw NHRA move to the maximize profit theory, where changes were made if a company was willing to pay. For example, look at HD in bikes and Barry Grant never being able to get his carbs legalized in PS. We people who've been around a long time remember when changes were made because it was the right thing to do. Finally, the executives at the track keep a very close eye on the stands. When they fill for fuel and empty for most other classes, that's their metric for what paying customers (spectators) want to see. I can't count the times I was told that fuel was the show and everything else was just filler to avoid long delays between races. And yes, you racers here provide a huge chunk of money. But so do spectators at national events, and that's free money over and above the costs to run a race where there is little expense for their attendance. But Billy is dead on. Through some shrewd decisions made years ago, NHRA was able to have a massive edge over any alternatives. Some of my work was done in the IHRA, and it was apparent that NHRA had locked in the best tracks in the country. The most significant thing that's happened during the time I've been involved happened a long time ago and didn't seem all that big a deal at the time. It was when the proxies were sent out on a vote that essentially removed any power from the membership to have any say in how the nonprofit was run. And that is why even after decades of racing, watching, reporting, and writing I don't have even a ghost of an idea of how to make things better for the racers.

01-14-2023, 04:03 PM	#28
4543 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 594 Likes: 52 Liked 529 Times in 116 Posts	Re: Spoiled Brats! Back when that vote was sent out none of us ever dreamed that NHRA would ever become what it has or that the sport would develop as it has. Sure wish I had the opportunity to do that vote over. Mike McMahan 2543 H/SA

01-14-2023, 06:12 PM	#30
Billy Nees VIP Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: On a hilltop in Pa. Posts: 4,223 Likes: 3,103 Liked 6,791 Times in 1,524 Posts	Re: Spoiled Brats! The only person that I could imagine being there at "that point in time" would be Dallas Gardner. __________________ Billy Nees 1188 STK, SS World's greatest Under-Achiever!