Oil Downs (Beat to Death)

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by will prater

Make them tech in with one motor and have to use it all weekend. Eddy Hill used to run the same one all weekend in his fuel drag boat. Calm them down so they can get down the track. So what if they are a little slower the noise will still be there. And they might actually have more side by side runs.

X 2 But NHRA has their head up their azz ! Cut out one fuel pump, limit the blower size and overdrive. Limit the percentage of nitro in the alcohol. I remember when they used to run a 64 (Yep...Sixty Four) car top fuel field and the used one engine and usually the winner AND runner up never had the heads off during eliminations. So who cares if they slow down to high 5 second runs ? As Will says the noise and nitro smells will still be there. At least they would run a real race side by side and the little guy could afford to compete. Just look at the Nostalgia front engine fuel races going on today. Its a much better show than the crap thats out there today and there would be less oil downs. .

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by X-TECH MAN

X 2 But NHRA has their head up their azz ! Cut out one fuel pump, limit the blower size and overdrive. Limit the percentage of nitro in the alcohol. I remember when they used to run a 64 (Yep...Sixty Four) car top fuel field and the used one engine and usually the winner AND runner up never had the heads off during eliminations. So who cares if they slow down to high 5 second runs ? As Will says the noise and nitro smells will still be there. At least they would run a real race side by side and the little guy could afford to compete. Just look at the Nostalgia front engine fuel races going on today. Its a much better show than the crap thats out there today and there would be less oil downs. .

X2 And if you remember in those days they were running a junk yard block and heads and a real GMC blower, and as memory serves ran better races. Would also mandate one mag and plug per cyl, and why not a 400cid limit .

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

X2 And if you remember in those days they were running a junk yard block and heads and a real GMC blower, and as memory serves ran better races. Would also mandate one mag and plug per cyl, and why not a 400cid limit .

Yes I remember and have some 8mm film of Colman Bros. Speed Shop, Tex Randle, "Joltin" Joe Jancano (sp?) with his small block Chev fueler at Aquasco in Md. around 1962-63. I dont recall any of them blowing stuff up during a race. I was there when Tex was killed and it wasnt because his engine blew up. Even when they smoked the tires the full 1/4 mile the race was close and exciting. More exciting to me because of the tire smoke. All of the suggestions sound good but I doubt the big wigs would ever go for it in NHRA. It would make to much sense. Do we really need 300+ MPH fuel dragsters and Ha Ha cars?

[Bill Edgeworth]

It appears they are no longer talking about the new smaller engine the NHRA was supposedly working on. Did they scrap the idea in favor flames, oil downs and explosions to keep all the nitro head bangers happy?

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by Bill Edgeworth

It appears they are no longer talking about the new smaller engine the NHRA was supposedly working on. Did they scrap the idea in favor flames, oil downs and explosions to keep all the nitro head bangers happy?

Unless NHRA restricts the blower case size, blower boost, fuel pump, nitro percentage, grear ratios, etc. or a combination of these the smaller engines that were once talked about would still blow up and spill their guts all over the race tracks. Maybe even more so because the teams would lean on them even harder to gain an edge. I dont understand NHRA's reasoning (i guess none of us do !). If it were less expensive to campain a nitro car they would have more cars showing up to race instead of one or two well funded teams that seem to own/buy the championship each year. The rest seem to just take up space on the ladder. The races would be a side by side race instead of seeing who can blow the tires off the most. Talk to Bruce Litton (Top Fuel owner and driver) some time when you have the chance. He is a great guy and holds nothing back.

[Peter Ash]

Maybe all they really need for the Pro's, is a one engine rule, same as the one chassis rule that JF b!tches about! Might help?

[Curmudgeon]

Oke thought I've had for years is sanctioning bodies are afraid if they slow cars down ticket sales and TV eyeballs would be lost. Do they think its speed numbers that fill the stands,or good racing? Just look at the Daytona travesty. If they were to go to a 4 X 3 engine and slow down to say 160 aerodynamics would play a lesser role and racing be better. With Drag Racing I don't believe the spectator can tell the difference between say 250 and 300 from the stands if not told. If you were able to give them side by side full quarter mile runs without lengthy clean-ups my belief is they'd come away satisfied they had seen a good day of racing. Nobody buys a ticket to watch the clean-up crew in action.

[Bill Edgeworth]

Originally Posted by X-TECH MAN

Unless NHRA restricts the blower case size, blower boost, fuel pump, nitro percentage, grear ratios, etc. or a combination of these the smaller engines that were once talked about would still blow up and spill their guts all over the race tracks. Maybe even more so because the teams would lean on them even harder to gain an edge. I dont understand NHRA's reasoning (i guess none of us do !). If it were less expensive to campain a nitro car they would have more cars showing up to race instead of one or two well funded teams that seem to own/buy the championship each year. The rest seem to just take up space on the ladder. The races would be a side by side race instead of seeing who can blow the tires off the most. Talk to Bruce Litton (Top Fuel owner and driver) some time when you have the chance. He is a great guy and holds nothing back.

Good points.
Watching it on TV yesterday The Snake was talking about one of the T/F explosions saying it looked like a $20,000 to $60,000 explosion. At that rate not to many people can afford to push them that hard.
It would not be that hard to limit boost or fuel flow. I know in some types of open wheel racing, not sure which class, might be Indy lights the sanctioning body issues their own boost regulators and takes them back at the end of the race. I know this is done to “dry” air in a turbocharged application but something could be done in a blower application without breaking the bank. As simple as an NHRA issued fuel flow/pressure regulator.
Why not? They make the Pro Stock guys all use the same ignition

[Chris Barnes]

Is the day going to come when the Pros and the Sportsmen don't race at the same events? Could that be a good thing?

Chris Barnes
Stock 6621

[hemidup]

So let me ask this stupid question. After the first event and you oil down the track, does that warning effect the Pro's for the rest of the season? Or just week by week?