Interesting...Jon Asher on Pro Stock and Factory Stock

[Barry Polley]

Originally Posted by Don Sofranko

From my experience racing SS in the 90s and early 2000 era, plus being a fan first to all drag racing, there are way more issues than pro stock. Remember Asher is a veteran writer, but has always been a nitro friend first. He doesn't love door cars from reading him for years. So Jade Grenade his PS ideas!

NHRA slipped up years ago when Wally left. They started a program where the cars were no longer the stars. They tried to emulate NASCAR where the drivers are the stars. I never came to watch a driver, I came for the cars and the party.

NHRA started a focus on advertising, where every extra spot on the TV screen was an ad.
They no longer care about the performance industry, and you no longer even see the best axle maker at the events.

NHRA doesn't make it a fair experience for the spectators. Its all about the advertisers, and their VIP accommodations. Just go to Joliet this weekend and look for the free parking spots! There are actually 2-3 tiers of VIP parking, leaving the average Joe a longer walk to the stands. Screw the fans over, and they will choose something else!

Remember when the funnest events, allowed parking behind or near the bleachers? Where did that space go to? Bigger tow rigs have hurt race car counts and fan appeal. Drive around a major race, and all you see is a campground of tall rigs, and few race cars. Now a spectator has to walk miles to see all the cars.

Bottom line is, Pro Stock didn't cause the technology problem. All drag racing is in chaos. I don't even know what the premier 9 or 10 wide tire event is, because they all are called World Ultimate Big Daddy turbo nitrous war. I actually want to go and see more of these, if it resembles a party and not a VIP parking event.

A fan wants to remain cool, and not get fleeced. They want to feel like they are at a party that can't be missed. You can stream races, and watch them on FS1 without the fleecing, but you miss the old time fun of seeing it live and meeting racers and fans.

There is nothing better than watching SS class at Indy, except for winning class at Indy!
As for Factory Stock... its been a bunch of lopsided mismatches from the start. I don't care for the blowers, they out run SS/AH cars, but I would rather watch SS/AH. In 2-5 years, a new Camaro or Mustang will be used plastic, and belong to a faded time. Who cares about a 1991 Olds Achieva anymore? They were once new, and the timeless cars will always be fun to watch. Well the new cars are good drivers and fun, but are blowers really needed? Its supposed to be about subtle mechanical skills in my mind.

Technology hurts the entertainment of watching the PS class, and comp, and other classes. The fast way down the track is the flattest and smoothest, so that's their goal. Go back and watch late 1970s Pro Stock on youtube, its way fun to watch, because its basically Modified Production on cash steroids.

Did the new rules make a change in PS? Yeah they ran off people racing PS, and made the whole thing more expensive, for people trying to get in. The brass made another dumb move, and I have no hope for NHRA to right the coarse. I still watch but can't believe how many dudes have quit, and chosen other fun things to do.

Thanks Don!
Great post.

[Coleydog]

My opinion, I've watched and raced since the sixtys, back then it wasn't just racing, it was BRAND AFFILIATION, I personally liked Plymouth, if they lost I went home. There has to be something to root for, your hero, your buddy, whatever, not just a race. I remember my first national event, 77 Gators. Loved funny cars but after the last pair went done the track I had enough, it gets old quick.just watching, Pro stock was entertaining then because the Chevys where always chasing Glidden, in the Ford or Plymouth, then the Dodges. Now just Cameros, boring. There was always someone to root for or against. Now it's no different than NASCAR, all look the same, without the decal no telling what car it is. The big three drove racing, now it's a joke. In 3-5 years after they stop making these "factory race cars" what happens then? The old Stockers and Super Stockers are still my period in time so I'll stay there and go down with the ship. The fix, there is none, they're done. Like Brad Pitt said everything changes, nothing stays the same.

[Steve Sullivan]

Originally Posted by Don Sofranko

From my experience racing SS in the 90s and early 2000 era, plus being a fan first to all drag racing, there are way more issues than pro stock. Remember Asher is a veteran writer, but has always been a nitro friend first. He doesn't love door cars from reading him for years. So Jade Grenade his PS ideas!

NHRA slipped up years ago when Wally left. They started a program where the cars were no longer the stars. They tried to emulate NASCAR where the drivers are the stars. I never came to watch a driver, I came for the cars and the party.

NHRA started a focus on advertising, where every extra spot on the TV screen was an ad.
They no longer care about the performance industry, and you no longer even see the best axle maker at the events.

NHRA doesn't make it a fair experience for the spectators. Its all about the advertisers, and their VIP accommodations. Just go to Joliet this weekend and look for the free parking spots! There are actually 2-3 tiers of VIP parking, leaving the average Joe a longer walk to the stands. Screw the fans over, and they will choose something else!

Remember when the funnest events, allowed parking behind or near the bleachers? Where did that space go to? Bigger tow rigs have hurt race car counts and fan appeal. Drive around a major race, and all you see is a campground of tall rigs, and few race cars. Now a spectator has to walk miles to see all the cars.

Bottom line is, Pro Stock didn't cause the technology problem. All drag racing is in chaos. I don't even know what the premier 9 or 10 wide tire event is, because they all are called World Ultimate Big Daddy turbo nitrous war. I actually want to go and see more of these, if it resembles a party and not a VIP parking event.

A fan wants to remain cool, and not get fleeced. They want to feel like they are at a party that can't be missed. You can stream races, and watch them on FS1 without the fleecing, but you miss the old time fun of seeing it live and meeting racers and fans.

There is nothing better than watching SS class at Indy, except for winning class at Indy!
As for Factory Stock... its been a bunch of lopsided mismatches from the start. I don't care for the blowers, they out run SS/AH cars, but I would rather watch SS/AH. In 2-5 years, a new Camaro or Mustang will be used plastic, and belong to a faded time. Who cares about a 1991 Olds Achieva anymore? They were once new, and the timeless cars will always be fun to watch. Well the new cars are good drivers and fun, but are blowers really needed? Its supposed to be about subtle mechanical skills in my mind.

Technology hurts the entertainment of watching the PS class, and comp, and other classes. The fast way down the track is the flattest and smoothest, so that's their goal. Go back and watch late 1970s Pro Stock on youtube, its way fun to watch, because its basically Modified Production on cash steroids.

Did the new rules make a change in PS? Yeah they ran off people racing PS, and made the whole thing more expensive, for people trying to get in. The brass made another dumb move, and I have no hope for NHRA to right the coarse. I still watch but can't believe how many dudes have quit, and chosen other fun things to do.

X2
Well Put!!

[James L Miller]

Originally Posted by Coleydog

My opinion, I've watched and raced since the sixtys, back then it wasn't just racing, it was BRAND AFFILIATION, I personally liked Plymouth, if they lost I went home.

I could go either way, Dodge or Plymouth. Sort of like both kinds of music, Country AND Western. The Jenkins Vega was the beginning of the end of PS for me. That was a big move away from Stock and they just starting calling it PRO. More opportunity to cheat and modify the cars and get to where the bubble aero cars we have today. I thought Freeman was spot on about the aero being needed for safety. At some point for safety they would have needed to go to the tube chassis. I thought the comment about the Factory Stock cars already being too fast was interesting as well. They should have their own class and go to bigger tires, 10.5"? The comments about the difficulty of getting sponsorship at the end of the interview was interesting. It's not there for most teams.