Quote:
Originally Posted by goinbroke2
Alan, I think your pretty dead on with this, however I tend to look at both sides of the argument.
Back "in the day" factories got involved and the war was on. It got so wild they eventually spawned the FX classes then funny car. Very innovative times. For YEARS everybody on here or involved in class racing bemoaned the fact that S/SS is being abandoned and "wouldn't it be awesome if factories got involved again".
Well, they have.
And in a big way.
I'm not disagreeing with you, I think you hit it dead on. I only look at the bigger picture and see while there are certainly downfalls with paper cars and engines flying into the guide, there will be other larger benefits. Just being on the radar screen so-to-speak is huge! The fact that they are building cars and engines FOR COMPETITION right at the factory is eye popping if you look back say 10 years ago.
Once the big set ups are commonplace perhaps the smaller combo's/engines will be given more attention too.
The old combo's will be "playing against the house" and we know who wins there....that said though, there still hasn't been a runaway in wins for the new stuff on national or div level.
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Back then, the factories were making parts, and complete cars, though. And with regards to Stock and Super Stock, they were making real cars you bought at the dealer and drove on the street. Now they're making paper engines, and cars that can't be driven on the street, legally, period.
Yes, the factories are "involved" again. But is it good for the sport, or even good for the market?
Yes, people complained that the factories weren't "involved". They may soon wish they'd been more careful what they wished for.
No, other than one or two examples, no one has done much event winning, yet.
It would be FAR different if the manufacturers were building affordable, production street legal cars, but they're not. None of the big three is building a light weight semi stripped down under $30K high performance street car. They're building over weight, over loaded, over complicated $40K boat anchors. They could be building 3200-3400 pound cars with few options, less BS, and a far lower price. But they are not.
No, this is not by any stretch a "return to those thrilling days of yesteryear" when you could go buy an affordable muscle car, with rubber floor mats or thin carpet, hand crank windows, no power door locks, no high dollar radio, but with a stout engine and drivetrain. That is exactly what is wrong with this "movement". That is why this is not as good for the sport or the market as people want to think.
If this whole thing was getting 18-24 year-olds into $25K factory hot rods off the showroom floor, building a fan base and a participant base for the sport and the market, for the future, it would be a great thing. That's not happening, and it's not going to happen with the current structure.