An Idiots Guide to Super Class Racing

[B CHILLIK]

i am very new to the .90 racing,but i am addictef...my dragster is a small block flat out runs 8.55 ish........how about a cubic inch limit,i see every one wants some change,but me personally,i cant afford the high dollar big cubic inch engines...i just flat out love racing,and am really enjoying the .90 racing.......please dont take any offense from this,but you guys did ask for opinions...

[SSTRACER323]

I just finished all 11 pages of the other thread and my head hurts!!!!!
I wonder how many of those guys have ever been in a car. I would like to know who the guy was that started the nitro injected car at 3:30am was.

It always make me laugh when someone that does not run a .90 car has all the answers!!!!!

Boo Boo and Chebby i agree leave it alone. and lets race.
My car only goes 128 and i have won a couple of rounds!!!!!
Weather you chase or get chased you learn what needs to be done.
I love having a guy come up on me that is 30 or 40 miles faster than me.
I know i will be right on my number so come and get some.

Now i have to get back to the free ice cream thread!!!!!

[Jason Oldfield]

Originally Posted by CBS

go ahead Jason.....put up a poll and word it properly.....lets see what happens....I think I need to see a car number with every vote...no keyboard drivers...

We prepare our cars according to the rules...we would change them if the rules changed.....

CBS

I don't think I'm going there Rock. Like I said before, this topic is like talking politics or religion, and I don't think I want to be the one everyone associates this topic with. I've stated my opinion, and I'm sure everyone already hates me for doing so (even though they're all dumb for not agreeing with me). But, I'm not ready to be the martyr for this cause.

That said, I'll proof read the text that somebody else writes before it gets posted. I just don't think I'm ready to be John Hancock...

[CBS]

We had the opportunity to go faster and we did....as you guys can see...its just as easy to lose going fast...why change the rules....the fan thing won't be an issue...unless we start blowing up on fire....if you enjoy this type of racing...which we do....you certainly feel like stepping up your car a little at a time...to make it more fun to drive...if nobody showed up...then maybe a rule change would be in order.....

The 2 guys in Div 3 that fought for the All Stars berth....both have slower cars(sorry guys).....and have run that way for years....and have no intention of going faster.....(the mopar one is probably not capable lol).....

so I don't think the speed is an issue......until we bring up the Mike Manners thing that occurred at Norwalk....the track was good so he didn't have a problem...but to run as hard as he was seemed dangerous.....it was... entertaining.....and he was surpisingly close for running 201 in super gas with a promod and 217 in s/c with an TAD...but...wow....

[63corvette]

I have also run a SG car for a lot of years (20 + years) and seen the evolution of .90 racing. The issue of speed is compounded by the finish line braking of some when there is a big difference in the two cars speed. That braking is the biggest issue for me.
NHRA and IHRA have both been non existant in enforcing the rules on braking at the finish line. I believe it is a disqualification offense by the rule book which I have yet to know of ever being enforced. I know first hand how dangerous it is by being taken out by the practice.
For me the speed is not the issue it is the braking at 1300 ft.
Just My 2 Cents

[Rich67stang]

CBS,

I know this is off topic, but how do I make a request to the sportsman advisory? I live in the middle of
NHRA Div 1 and only race IHRA because I cannot run SST & SC together. Is there anything to be considered? I understand the rule and why, but I think you should not have to protect racers from better racers.

Thanks,

Richard

[CBS]

How in the world would getting rid of the timer change the racing...the fast cars are still fast....

no matter what was changed it would affect somebody in a way they won't like....


this is a wintertime discussion anyway.....

[SSTHottie1236]

Only a couple of people said it but you'd never be able to enforce the CID limit. Seriously do we all want to pull a head every race?

Kelli
1236 S/ST

[Jason Oldfield]

Originally Posted by CBS

We had the opportunity to go faster and we did....as you guys can see...its just as easy to lose going fast...

Agreed. But, I'm also not naive enough to think that you (or anyone else) built their car to go faster simply for the sheer thrill of going faster at the finish line. I may be ignorant, but I'm not that ignorant.

Originally Posted by CBS

why change the rules....

Cost is the big issue with me. Why am I building a car to go faster and faster even though it doesn't run a quicker ET? Going faster doesn't make the ride any more fun. Leaving the starting line under wide open throttle? Now that's fun.

Does it make me more competitive? Yes, and does that make racing more fun? Yes. But there's no real sense of speed as you approach the finish line as you're not looking at your surroundings, you're looking at the car in the lane next to you! I haven't had a sense of speed in my car since 1988, when I first drove it. Once you get some seat time, you QUICKLY become used to the speed aspect of it.

And I know that's true for you too, because you wouldn't be as good as you are if this wasn't true.

Originally Posted by CBS

the fan thing won't be an issue...unless we start blowing up on fire....

At national events, I generally agree. I can't believe I watch people leave the stands when Pro Stock comes up, but many do. But, that said, we have the opportunity to put on a show that's much closer to Pro Stock than we do now, especially most cars in S/G. For God's sake, most of you guys can run only about a second slower than Pro Stock cars. But, you'd never know it watching the cars leave the starting line, or even in the first couple hundred feet. And by then, everyone's in second gear, and watching the car go down the track is about as interesting as watching a street car.

We could definitely generate more fan interest in our classes than we do now though by removing electronically controlled throttle stops. But, we'd never pack the stands like the fuel cars do. That said, I realize that none of us are doing this because of fan interest. But, if we ever want our payout to increase significantly (even at our local tracks), we have to face the fact that this is entertainment, and if we're not entertaining (which we're currently not), then nobody is going to pay to watch, and none of that money is ever going to funnel down to us. In other words, if we don't make our classes more entertaining to watch, we're ALWAYS going to need to be a self-funded operation.

Originally Posted by CBS

if you enjoy this type of racing...which we do....you certainly feel like stepping up your car a little at a time...to make it more fun to drive...if nobody showed up...then maybe a rule change would be in order.....

This is my point exactly. My car is getting faster, but this is not translating to more fun in the car. I'm just spending more money. I had more fun driving my car when I was racing at WOT the entire length of the track. I just wasn't having fun with the competition aspect of it because it was darn near impossible to win a race that way. So, I've sacrificed the ride to be competitive, and made my car boring to watch at the same time.

Originally Posted by CBS

The 2 guys in Div 3 that fought for the All Stars berth....both have slower cars(sorry guys).....and have run that way for years....and have no intention of going faster.....(the mopar one is probably not capable lol).....

How slow is "slower"? I'm guessing these aren't 9.90 @ 135 mph cars. I'm guessing they're 9.90 @ 150 mph cars, which would be considered "slower" in this day and age. But, if their cars can run over 150 mph, then they are more than capable of running S/C.

Originally Posted by CBS

so I don't think the speed is an issue......until we bring up the Mike Manners thing that occurred at Norwalk....the track was good so he didn't have a problem...but to run as hard as he was seemed dangerous.....it was... entertaining.....and he was surpisingly close for running 201 in super gas with a promod and 217 in s/c with an TAD...but...wow....

Why? Why should he be discriminated against because he can run 200+ mph? Seriously, where do you draw the line between what's acceptable for a speed in these classes and what's not? Why is 9.90 @ 170 mph acceptable when that person can be closing in on somebody running 9.90 @ 135 mph? Is it just because the majority of S/G cars now run 9.90 @ 160 mph, and that 40 mph difference would be construed as dangerous? Why hasn't the people running 170 mph been construed as dangerous to those running 140 mph?

Mark my words...unless something is done, the speeds will continue to climb, and in 10 years time the average S/G car will be running 9.90 @ 170 mph (with a smattering of guys in the 180 - 190 mph range). Silly....but hey, I know all the motor builders love us...

[Eddie Arnold Jr.]

My Turn !!

As most of you know I'm a samll block lover and ran one for a lot of years up untill this year ,, and yes Jason it was a bad A_ _ Small Block ,,, It would run 8.70 in the quarter and 9.90 at 148 to 151 depending on weather !!

I love this sport and scarfice a lot to compete like most racers ,,,, But was I competitive ? Last year I lost 5 races by a TOTAL of .007 ,, the only way I could win was by taking the tree with me every pass or running dead on every pass , and we all know that is not likely to happen , most of you guys and gals would just ride along the side of me and put a bumper on the Red Olds , if I wasn't dead on you would win , if I set up fast and I tried that a couple of times , you would let me go ,,,,,

Because I like winning and being competitive I made the switch ,,, yes I spent a lot of $$ , but I din't get anything that I didn't need , I was tired of fighting with one hand behind my back and getting beat up , I got beat up so much that I'm really a white guy that is Black and Blue all over from the whippings

Now , because I took a lot of pride in owning and running a Bad A_ _ small block ,, why wouldn't I get a Bad A_ _ big block ,,, after all I'm tha same person that still want to win and take pride in my equiptment and it is Racing , and we may not admit it but we all like to go fast and are probally are addicted to SPEED ,,,, but remeber I still have to cut a good light , I still have to stay on top of the track conditions read the weather , keep my equiptment in good condition , practice and get seat time ,,,,

The biggest difference that I've seen in the small amount of times I ran the Big Block is I usally don't catch the person in the other lane untill just before the finish line and I have less time to think about whether I should take the stripe or not . ( By the way I have yet to hit the brakes and don't plan on it ! ) ,,,, is there an advantage to chasing , of course there is but there is also an advantage to running 135 MPH if you can run close to the number and cut a light,,,,,,, SOOOOO seeing that I've done both and trust me I have another Small Block that is badder than the one I ran in Super Gas ,, what is my opinion ( Remember opinions are like A_ _ Ho_ _ _ ,, eyeybody has one ) LEAVE SUPER CLASS RACING ALONE ! Spectators will never watch us and we are never going to fill the stands unless we crash and burn !

By the way the guy at Norwalk that ran 9.90 at 201MPH got beat by a very good Super Class racer that runs in the 155/160 MPH , and I think the clas has set its own MPH limt by running the cars where they are repeatable and stable !

Colorful Racer ( Yea CBS this is winter time conversation ,,, I need to get back to work ,,, and quit doing these Jason's Post