S/g 1983

[Ed Fernandez]

Just watched clips on DRC of final 8 cars.No throttle stops,timers etc.A pleasure to see and real close racing at the stripe,the way it SHOULD BE.

[Paul Merolla]

Competition Plus....not DRC. If a S/G race looked like that today, it might be worth watching. One of the launches even sounded like a MP zinger.

[Ed Fernandez]

Originally Posted by Paul Merolla

Competition Plus....not DRC. If a S/G race looked like that today, it might be worth watching. One of the launches even sounded like a MP zinger.

Sorry,CRS attack.It was very entertaining though.

[X-TECH MAN]

Yepper....its to bad the associations let it get out of hand like all of the other classes. Probably cant go back because of the $$$$ and politics involved. Maybe if someone starts another sportsman association and has something like the .90 classes whatever the index might be they will have the forsight to NOT allow any electronics at all. No deep staging, .5 tenths trees in all 3 classes to equal different weight and styles of cars, build the engine and car to run the number to see how many "Jump Ship" and try racing the way it used to be with just a "bolt stop" for the throttle.. Its called DRIVER SKILL not robotics.

[billy leber]

I would love to go back. Makes no sense to me that we have 25000 dollar engines so we can all go 160+, if we all went 135 ,like a 9.90 et should be at, im thinking you could get away with a engine that costs well under 10 grand.

[Rich Biebel]

I won S/G at the SummerNationals in 1988 with a car that I probably had less than $10Grand in and won over $10 grand.....It went 9.90 at maybe 136. It was an LS-7 engine with a stock bore and stroke...aluminum heads and a roller cam and an 850 carb. The car weighed 2420lbs.....

[Ed Fernandez]

Originally Posted by billy leber

I would love to go back. Makes no sense to me that we have 25000 dollar engines so we can all go 160+, if we all went 135 ,like a 9.90 et should be at, im thinking you could get away with a engine that costs well under 10 grand.

Billy, 21st century mentality will prevent that.Can't hurt sponsors,have too much invested now,whatever.
I wonder how many current super racers could adapt mentally and mechanically to do what Labbous,
Cohen and the rest did in those ancient prehistoric times.

[bill dedman]

Originally Posted by X-TECH MAN

. Maybe if someone starts another sportsman association and has something like the .90 classes whatever the index might be they will have the forsight to NOT allow any electronics at all. No deep staging, .5 tenths trees in all 3 classes to equal different weight and styles of cars, build the engine and car to run the number to see how many "Jump Ship" and try racing the way it used to be with just a "bolt stop" for the throttle.. Its called DRIVER SKILL not robotics.

Terry,

I understand the reasons for all your suggestions and agree with them, except for your objection to deep staging. All the other suggestions you made make a lot of sense, but can you tell me exactly what it is about deep staging that is objectionable in your viewpoint?

I've heard people complain that they think deep staging takes an inordinate amout of time, and should be disallowed for that reason, but won't the Autostart program eliminate drivers who take too long to stage?

Please explain to me if you think there is something inherently unfair about the process of deep staging, and/or just what there is about that process that you find objectionable in a program like you were describing.

I can't see why it's objectionable. It seems to me that it might give a slower, heavier car a fighting chance against lighter, quicker-moving cars. Is that a bad thing?

Thanks for any information; I am curious....

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by bill dedman

Terry,

I understand the reasons for all your suggestions and agree with them, except for your objection to deep staging. All the other suggestions you made make a lot of sense, but can you tell me exactly what it is about deep staging that is objectionable in your viewpoint?

I've heard people complain that they think deep staging takes an inordinate amout of time, and should be disallowed for that reason, but won't the Autostart program eliminate drivers who take too long to stage?

Please explain to me if you think there is something inherently unfair about the process of deep staging, and/or just what there is about that process that you find objectionable in a program like you were describing.

I can't see why it's objectionable. It seems to me that it might give a slower, heavier car a fighting chance against lighter, quicker-moving cars. Is that a bad thing?

Thanks for any information; I am curious....

To many "GAMES" were played at the starting line. It was a drag race just to get staged. I saw it all when I was working at IHRA events and it was down right dangerous to the starting line crew. Why do you think it was banned in the first place several years ago? Besides with a 5 tenths Pro start tree, and thats what we are talking about here, it is not necessary. Notice I said 5 as in FIVE TENTHS Pro start not a 4 tenths tree as used in S/C and S/G today. The TOP STOCK program we started years ago proved that. Those guys were cutting 000 lights and red lighting right from the start. Mike Keener and myself heard all of the whinning and bitching about a 5 tenths Pro start would never work at all or they need deep staging, little front tires, the stick shift cars would kill the automatic cars, and on and on back then and it was proved WRONG. Some wanted a sportsman 5 tenths full count tree. If you can red light with a 3300-3800 lb stocker running low 10 second ETs on 9 inch rear tires, regular sized front tires, and no trans brake on a 5 tenths pro start why have deep staging? What do you want to race.....a 1960 Pontiac 9 passenger station wagon weighing over 4400 lbs ? ANY dedicated .90 car could go red anytime on a 5 tenths Pro tree so there is really no argument or reason for deep staging except for some real low classed slow moving stocker with an automatic trans on a full tree.

[herbjr]

Originally Posted by Paul Merolla

Competition Plus....not DRC. If a S/G race looked like that today, it might be worth watching. One of the launches even sounded like a MP zinger.

Actually that was Deat Buckner. That was a Econo Modified car in IHRA. Also Lynwood Craft's colt was a hemi and a lenco, it was one of the bodys that was built for Don Carlton before he was killed. And last the car Laboose was driving was built by my dad. It was the 1st of the 12 omni kit cars he built back then. You can see his name on the 1/4 panel. Johnny still runs the car today.

Herb Jr