Competition Plus DP and CJ article

[Adger Smith]

I find it interesting that if you are going to race one of Mother Mopars late model products it is going to be one type of car. You might have to clone one, but it will be one basic car. check the classification guide. This whole situation with the DP is all about marketing, plane and simple.
P.S. I didn't bother checking on the Fords. I was sick enough when I had seen what was done to the classification guide.

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by Ken Miele

Wayne, your going to take heat for your post. I just wish members could stay civil.

Terry, so which is it? NHRA loosing racers or NHRA is gaining racers.

I'm confused, you and others say its NHRA is doomed, but then you say more and more racers are build or buying new cars that will stop the old cars from qualifying.........very confused here.

I never said NEW racers. Some will park their toys, some will sell, and some will buy the new stuff. Its a fact that without Indy, possably Pamona, and Div 1 NHRA can not have a full field of cars in just about any of their eliminators. If you look at the past car counts from just a very few years (3-4) ago you will see approx. a 25% drop off. Maybe more as I dont have the exact numbers in front of me. Excluding Div 1. Look at just a few years ago......Div, 1 usually had cloe to 180 stockers showing up at Englishtown or Maple Grove. WHY.....Location and population. Div. 1 guys seldom travel to another Div..... except for Indy and if you want to be able to qualify at Indy you had better hope something is done about the new cars before 2011.

[Ken Miele]

I'm still confused, either NHRA is gaining racers or loosing them, that's all I want to know. I didn't say that you said new racers, man your confusing me.

You can't have it both ways. You can't say NHRA is loosing racers because of the new cars and the way NHRA treats racers, and then say racer will not be able to qualify because of the new cars. If the fields are down 25%, then there is room for everyone to qualify.

I have been racing in stock since 1987, and have never seen 180 stockers in a div. 1 race, national or div. The most I had ever seen was 138 at a div 1 points meet.

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by Ken Miele

I'm still confused, either NHRA is gaining racers or loosing them, that's all I want to know. I didn't say that you said new racers, man your confusing me.

You can't have it both ways. You can't say NHRA is loosing racers because of the new cars and the way NHRA treats racers, and then say racer will not be able to qualify because of the new cars. If the fields are down 25%, then there is room for everyone to qualify.

I have been racing in stock since 1987, and have never seen 180 stockers in a div. 1 race, national or div. The most I had ever seen was 138 at a div 1 points meet.

OK....I can see its a numbers game. Let me just ask this......Did you qualify this year at Indy due to the influx of the NEW CJ's and DP's? Hope this clears up the confusion.

[Ken Miele]

Terry,

Of coarse its a numbers game, numbers can be used to make a point either way...... and that's my point of this discussion.

I did not qualify because I choose the wrong class, if I would have been in A instead of AA, I would have been in the top 40. The same thing could have happened last year with only 5 or 6 new cars. AA is a tough index, its 4 tenths from the A index. Very poor judgment on my part.

Indy is the only race were anyone will have issues qualifying, new cars or not.

Back in 1988 I did not qualify at Indy, who should I have blamed then?

[Adger Smith]

Ken,
The people I've talked to say the numbers are more like 30-40 % down in overall attendance with NHRA. Due mostly to economy.
As to the new vs old I know a couple of New racers that have bought DP's, but alot more old racers that have parked their other cars/programs and gone to DP's.
I can also name a few in the upper classes that have just parked/quit with their upper class muscle cars because of the DP's/Fords. So, I'm not going to fall on either side of the discussion. I'm going to say Times and Things are in a state of Flux/Change.....You just have to accept it. It's just the way it is...

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by Ken Miele

Terry,

Of coarse its a numbers game, numbers can be used to make a point either way...... and that's my point of this discussion.

I did not qualify because I choose the wrong class, if I would have been in A instead of AA, I would have been in the top 40. The same thing could have happened last year with only 5 or 6 new cars. AA is a tough index, its 4 tenths from the A index. Very poor judgment on my part.

Indy is the only race were anyone will have issues qualifying, new cars or not.

Back in 1988 I did not qualify at Indy, who should I have blamed then?

1988...Hummmm you could blame NHRA for not allowing all of the good parts that the CJ's now are allowed?????LOL Ken the point Im trying to make is.....when more of these new engines and combos finally hit the track the guys with the older combos will no longer have the ability to win a heads up race, win class, or qualify if their are more than 128 cars showing up in the eliminator. You have a cool car, a fast car, a good driver behind the wheel, and a car I would hate to see made obsolete by just the thing that happened this year at Indy. AA or A stock class index aside. The more cars that get built (and they will be built) , and show up the less chance the guys who have supported class racing and NHRA for so many years will have for a win. Unless.......either they get HP and SOON and not rely on the AHFS to do the job, are put into thieir own class for a while until the HP factors catches up, or the older guys who are racing them die off of old age they will take ALL of the top qualifying positions and what happens when 128 of them show up? And Im not just talking about the blower Mustangs. There are NEW engines coming out and being included all of the time. Going back to class winners only for the eliminator wont help either except in the lower classes as who can make up 5, 6, or more tenths advantage? No more old cars ! They will become extinct, become nostalgia race cars, bracket cars, or street rides sooner or later.