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Old 07-15-2015, 07:39 PM   #2
Alan Roehrich
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Default Re: NHRA ProStock changes coming!

I seriously doubt it will work. It will require a return to the constantly changing weight breaks that were killing the class 35 years ago. Or some form of factoring as seen in Stock Eliminator and Super Stock. That will discourage both OE corporations and teams from investing the millions of dollars required to field a Pro Stock operation.

Pro Stock is actually struggling because of NHRA's failure to properly market drag racing.

If they were really smart, changes to the classes themselves would be minimal, at most, for 2-3 years. See what actually broadcasting and promoting the sport does first, and then see if changes are needed.

The multiple weight break format that somewhat allowed widely varying engine combinations to compete on a marginally level playing field barely survived 10 years. The 500 cubic inches and 2350 pounds format has kept Pro Stock fairly viable for almost 35 years, well into the era during which NHRA failed miserably in promoting the sport to the point where multiple championship contenders either fell by the wayside or barely survived due to the inability to obtain and retain sponsors.

Pro Stock is not struggling because of 500 cubic inch engines. Pro Stock is struggling because practically no one ever sees them race, and as such, few sponsors are willing to spend massive amounts of money on the class. Championship contenders and racers with dozens of wins could not get money to race. The "big three" are not suddenly going to step up and fully fund a 16 car field just because they use stuff found on the new factory race cars.

Could Pro Stock improve with some rule changes? Sure. A wholesale rewriting the engine rules in hopes of inciting a "factory war" which will require continued participation by all the OE corporations on a large scale, however, is not likely to work. Remember, both Ford and Chrysler have pulled out more than once rather than spend money on an engine program to compete with GM. Let a few OE combinations get penciled a few times as they were 35 years ago and see what happens.
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