How long do you think 40 to 50 year old cars can continue to be raced?

[Robert Swartz]

Probably as long as "affordable" bodies are still available to use as a basis to build cars from. Let's be honest here, as someone said, many of the cars running today are more valuable as restored classics than they are as race cars. For some, budget isn't a problem, so they can take a rotted hulk and spend a fortune to build a car first, then make a race car from that.

Dare I say, for many of us, we have to have a usable platform to start with. With the older cars, that not only is, but for a long time has started to become a problem. Add to this the Barret-Jackson/Mecom/Satruday morning CARtoon shows, that have caused everyone with a junk body of any kind laying around to think they're setting on their retirement goldmine. I'd wager, the cost of building an old car versus buying a new car, isn't going to be that far apart, very soon.

It's interesting, in the mid-70's, NHRA instituted the 15 year rule for stock to legislate the early 40's-50's car out of the eliminator. Now 35 or so years later, we're doing the same thing they sought to prevent, kind of ironic, isn't it? It's been joked about but, the idea of a vintage class or "stock appearing" eliminator, may not be as far fetched as it appears. At that point, it becomes a pure bracket class and the end of the class as we know it.

For a class to remain relevant, it does need to appeal to the younger generations. That means newer vehicles THEY can openly relate to. We can do all the polls we want, this board, like most discussion forums is only a microcosm of the hobby. A trip to the track is revealing, most of the participants (I hope to be included in this categorey someday, again) in stock are older. A restrictive class with restrictive rules are not what the majority of the younger crowd seeks.

My .02,

Robert Swartz