top 3 things i miss the most about stock

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by Jack McCarthy

im not miserable because of my hobby evan, and i agree with you and others life has changed... and not for the better.

i simply posted what i missed the most about "stock eliminator"... what we run is no longer that class and i miss it.

as far as charley bob and a few others go maybe they are too young to realize what we had. i have raced what i could afford to race, not raced on someone else or my daddy's money i paid for every cent it cost, and i raised two kids etc... but that was one of the great things... it did not cost a lot, just a lot of work, trial and error, testing and truly researching your combo. > that ship has sailed it cost big bucks to play now, just look at my old wagon it might as well be a 1970's pro stocker.

i miss the integrity of the racers (im not going to discuss the integrity of NHRA greg hill has that post)...we had TEARDOWNS at EVERY race not just indy and going through the barn was critical to your reputation and the respect given to you by the other racers... and getting tossed (and ive been tossed) was embarrassing to you and your family. today its no big thing to get caught with cheating parts... just lobby to change the rules and act like you were picked on by NHRA with the old"everyone else does it" excuse.

i miss the decency of our class... maybe it is the internet's fault, maybe it is society's changing morals but what the hell happened ? every time i log onto this / other forums i see jealous, whining, accusing posts. rarely is credit given. bob shaw has an outstanding record kicking my *** in several combinations, yeah ive given him fits and won a couple of races and i could whine with the best of them, accuse him of cheating, protest him but hey i RESPECT him... that seems to be gone.

and charley bob if all three of these cause you to reflect on your attitude and comments it would be great because you fall into all three... you race on daddy's (and now someone elses) money, you embarrassed yourself and a man i respect (your dad) by getting tossed for cheating at indy, and you are first to attack and accuse with mouth and keyboard at every opportunity (like harrisons carb)...and believe it or not until i was writing this post i did not realize this, this was never intended to be a charley bob bash...sorry.

anyway im sure im gonna get a keyboard assination from you and others but hey... im entitled to my opinion, and i miss the old days... do i think they are coming back > hell no not a chance. charley bob is right it is 2010 now get off the lets go back to 1970 bandwagon.

thanks for all the replies, sorry if i disagree with some of you, and to those who agree you guys know where to find me ... in U/SA

captain jack

AMEN to this post ! Thank you Jack.

[Frank Castros]

I too miss the old days. I wish NHRA never changed the cam rule which in my opinion changed everything. But, I envy everyone of you that stills races today. I sold my race car 15 years ago for all the right reasons and I have regretted it everyday since.
Guys, enjoy it while you can!

[Robert Swartz]

Originally Posted by Frank Castros

I too miss the old days. I wish NHRA never changed the cam rule which in my opinion changed everything. But, I envy everyone of you that stills races today. I sold my race car 15 years ago for all the right reasons and I have regretted it everyday since.
Guys, enjoy it while you can!

As someone hoping to return to racing. I've found this thread to be quite interesting. I cut my teeth cut as a pup on stock eliminator. The guys that took me under their wing were a couple of the hardest working guys I've ever had the priviledge to know, Toby and Kenny Meek. They worked their collective as@%$ off to earn their stripes. It paid off with quite a few class wins and a handful of national records in both NHRA and IHRA in the 70's. Back then the national record WAS your standard. Any car able to run under the record was a car to reckoned with. Teardown at a national or divisional was something you expected and dealt with. It wasn't a pleasent thing to be bounced from tech.

Looking back in reflection. Their car wasn't that trick. Back then, you could still build a car from junkyard parts. It's a lot more difficult today. 90% of what I've ammassed(sic?) for my 79 Firebird IHRA car has been swap meet "junk" and other peoples castoffs. As well as pieces I've acquired over the internet forums (both here and on RJ). With everything I keep reading, I wonder IF it's going to be worth building this car. Yes it is an IHRA crate motor car, which that seems to be looked down upon by many on the forum. A), I can afford, at least think I can, to build it, B) once I get the ball rolling, it will take less time to get it to the track.

I'll admit racing was always a lot of hard work and cost a tremendous amount of money. In fact not too very long ago, Toby Meek asked my wife, WHY is Bob building another race car after 20 years? Doesn't he remember how expensive it was? The thing is, racing was fun.

Maybe I should have my head examined. The cost factor started making it less fun back then. Not just the cost of a car but tow rigs added to the cost. I remember when a crew cab pickup was the thing (late 1970's), then the enclosed trailers came into vogue (1980's). When we were bracket racing in the late 80's, most people had more in their tow rigs than I had in my whole operation. Now I go to the track, I see motorhomes and semi's, LOL! If I were blessed with that kind of cash, I could have a killer operation.

I too remember when cars were driven to the track. I won a couple of class trophies with my 74 Pinto. Through the muffler, Crager SS wheels with street tires. Trickest thing about that car was the tuneup. Even back then at the local track, you had to race 3-4 rounds just to get into the eliminator. I even remember when it wasn't unusual to see steel wheels on SS and MP cars.

It isn't the 1970's anymore or even the 1980's for that matter. I have realised, one axiom is still true about racing, "it still hasn't gotten any cheaper"!

Not certain I've added anything to the thread but guess I've had my vent for the day. I feel I understand where Jack is coming from.

[FINESPLINE]

Originally Posted by frank castros

i too miss the old days. I wish nhra never changed the cam rule which in my opinion changed everything. But, i envy everyone of you that stills races today. I sold my race car 15 years ago for all the right reasons and i have regretted it everyday since.
Guys, enjoy it while you can!

Thank you Frank-----it opened up Pandora's box.

[Dean3870]

Originally Posted by X-TECH MAN

AMEN to this post ! Thank you Jack.

Jack this may be one of the all time best posts i have seen on this site, and hell im only 30. but i watched my father work is a@@ off in the shop to run 3 to 4 tenths under, and back then that was on the top of the sheet. I finaly got the 455 for my car and am going to build it, and i know i dont have a chance to be a quick car for many years if ever. Growing up stock eliminator was all i knew sleeping in the back of a suburban in a mall parking lot waiting to get creds. god those were the best time of my life. And the greatest part of it all is getting to go racing with my dad and people like you jack so to you and all the ones like you, i say THANK YOU

Mike Dean G/SA 3870

[Ken Miele]

Jack,

With all due respect to your 35 years of racing with NHRA. You talk about the lack of respect for your fellow racers. Charley in no way insulted you or disrespected you in his reply. Unfortunately you felt the need to slam Charley, and follow it up with a "I never intended to bash Charley", obviously you did.

I am not going to assassinate you, you did a find job all by yourself. You say there was more integrity and respect in the past, I guess you lost a little of that through the years.

You say its more expensive, I say its relative to the times we are in.

I know racers that have been running stock for over 40 years and do not have the same opinion as yours. They are not bashing others that may have had more then they had when they were young.

The internet is a great way to reach many people and express the way you feel, but civility and respect for others should go hand in hand. Please don't let yourself be jaded by the past, because the past is just that..... the past.

[Bunkster]

Originally Posted by Dean3870

...but i watched my father work is a@@ off in the shop to run 3 to 4 tenths under, and back then that was on the top of the sheet....

Are you referencing the great…the world famous….the almighty….Roy Dean, and his faithful pal Harlen Updike….of R/SA fame?

[Dean3870]

Originally Posted by Bunkster

Are you referencing the great…the world famous….the almighty….Roy Dean, and his faithful pal Harlen Updike….of R/SA fame?

Yes i am! they may not have the money, but you wont find any ont that works any harder. well harlin might need to do a little maint. on the old wagon! lol

[Jack McCarthy]

ken meile is right, this was not a great place for my comments on charley bob...we have a long standing relationship both good and bad and if i wanted to toss him under the bus i should have called him, not piled on on this forum

dwight sutherland...MAYBE the "we only remember the good" part of nostalgia did come through a little...a lot of what you said is true ! at least farmer was unleashed to straighten it out now glendora and the lawyers keep that from happening.

anyway... it has always been fun, and it still is enjoyable, just costs way too much and is way too frustrating > but im too old and dumb to quit id miss my freinds... and id miss charley bob.

jack

[Charley Downing]

I would miss you to Captain.

We can talk more about this topic at Godfather's in a few weeks.