"WHAT IF" part 4

[treessavoy]

Originally Posted by X-TECH MAN

Because all you do is "BITCH AND COMPLAIN" and do your really think for a second that anyone in the grand stands likes to watch a FWD car or even cares?. Be honest..... I doubt it. Be happy with what you have now. The average spectator wants to see a show of some sort for his dollar. Without spectators you have nothing. Thats exactly why they vacate the stands when you guys run. They have better things to do and are not interested. You can quote me all you want as I just dont care anymore. I went thru this crap when Top Stock was started years ago with all of the whinning and complainning and I just dont need it or you. Have a nice life.

Gentlemen,

You're arguing a moot point. For the last 5 years I've laid out of class racing but have been to a number of national and regional events as a spectator.

After the fuel cars run a good 50% of the people leave the stands for the hot dog stand, when you guy's run the only people that are left in the stands are your crew and relatives and guys like me that appreciate the classes. So, what difference does it make how fast or slow the car goes a vast majority are still eating their hot dogs and watching John Force and crew go through their antics.

I would bet that 90% of fans have absolutely no idea the dynamics of our classes. I always heard people ask why one car leaves before the other, comments on how slow the cars were including the upper class cars, and they don't understand how the slower car could win.

Our part of the show just is not spectator friendly unless they are extremely knowledgeable, so arguing about the fwd's being slow are moot...the fans think all our cars are slow...although some like watching us for the wheel stands we do.

How I see it.

Jim

[Lynn A McCarty]

Originally Posted by treessavoy

Gentlemen,

You're arguing a moot point. For the last 5 years I've laid out of class racing but have been to a number of national and regional events as a spectator.
Jim

Firstly, I agree arguing is not productive, but America is all about a healthy debate. It is what we do. Secondly, take all the real cars out of the events and there is no cool cars to see in the pits. Ask Billy Meyers how well that worked in IHRA when he owned it. It failed miserably, not that they probably couldnt eliminate one class or another. I submit after watching those fuel cars the fans enjoy the most getting a great sausage and walking around to see all the cool cars. No cool cars, no sausage, no ticket sales. See one TF car you seen them all.

[Ed Fernandez]

So Terry,where do you draw the line between raceable and slow? 14 sec,13 sec,12 sec 11.50 sec??????????

Ed F.
Mid 13s,but alot more
under my index than alot
of "fast" cars.

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by Ed Fernandez

So Terry,where do you draw the line between raceable and slow? 14 sec,13 sec,12 sec 11.50 sec??????????

Ed F.
Mid 13s,but alot more
under my index than alot
of "fast" cars.

15 to 15.75 or so. There are some really cool stuff that runs U and V. I used to love (still do) the old Oldsmobiles like the ones that Jack Mullin's and Racing Head Service (Ivars Smeltniks) ran. Tom Goulds Corvair is an icon and he can still kick butt at his age. I hope to have his health when I get there. Im partial because Ive done his heads (for free) since the middle/late 70's and they have ALWAYS passed NHRA and IHRA tech. I did Bill Drevo's Citation X-11 (front wheel drive by the way) heads (in the stone age-early eighties) when he set the NHRA record at Rockingham years ago so YES I like the slower cars also. I also think Clayton Wrights U/SA wagon is one sweet ride and have thought about a 60 Chebbie wagon like Captian Jacks for myself now that the 3 speed is legal but that is a lot of weight to haul to the track. Think what you want about me but I like ALL stockers and most S/S cars. I remember when being a member of "The SLUG ARMY" was a badge to be worn proudly and not a put down as some seem to think.. I guess that was before your time and several others on here.

[art leong]

Dick where were"YOU in the late 70'S????????
Do you realize there were 50 stock classes then????????
It's more than the normal munber of fingers and toes, BUT there are 51 stock classes today. Only because of the AA/stock cars.
They were the last ones in so why not be the first ones out. LOL
A net gain of "1" for 30 years.
So whats your point
Terry I wish I could belive what you say is what you think. But at 15.75 only one class (Steve Polhills)would really be affected. If that is truly your goal why not leave things as they are?
One class isn't going to turn the "masses" away.

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by art leong

Dick where were"YOU in the late 70'S????????
Do you realize there were 50 stock classes then????????
It's more than the normal munber of fingers and toes, BUT there are 51 stock classes today
A net gain of "1" for 30 years.
So whats your point
Terry I wish I could belive what you say is what you think. But at 15.75 only one class (Steve Polhills)would really be affected. If that is truly your goal why not leave things as they are?
One class isn't going to turn the "masses" away.

Again....I NEVER said anything would be changed. I threw out suggestions, ideas, etc. I remember saying we were not going to "Reinvent the Wheel" about a zillion posts back but some of you want to make a debate about ANYTHING I say on here. Give it a rest already. Id be more worried about NHRA doing away with classes that are less popular (car count) than anything I ever said. If the economy was not what it was/is (poor) they had every intention of dropping seperate FWD classes THIS year (believe it or not-I dont care but it was talked about) and putting them into RWD classes. Even Im not that stupid to think they could run with that deal.

[art leong]

And personally I think there is quite a bit of fan appeal. When a car like mine runs a SS/AM car and gets a 5 second head start. There is a lot of anticipation as the SS/AM is going 65 mph faster than me at the stripe.
In my view that is good racing.
I only wish nhra would run qualifying off the index. That would give people a reason to watch stock and super stock.

[art leong]

Terry as far as the getting rid of fwd cars goes. I'll file that rumor right next to the cylinder head runner volume debacle.
It seems like much ado about nothing We are well in to the season now and nothing has really changed.
My head is about 20 cc's larger than a stock head. Imagine if they were to use mine as a guide. LOL

[Mark Yacavone]

Originally Posted by art leong

And personally I think there is quite a bit of fan appeal. When a car like mine runs a SS/AM car and gets a 5 second head start. There is a lot of anticipation as the SS/AM is going 65 mph faster than me at the stripe.
In my view that is good racing.
I only wish nhra would run qualifying off the index. That would give people a reason to watch stock and super stock.

Thanks for bringing that up, Art. That was going to be in my next post.

I would hope a new association would be better at promoting fast vs slower, handicap racing.
First thing you do is run time trials off the index with a staggered head start. It takes no longer for both cars to complete the quarter mile. What it does, is give spectators and racers alike, a preview of what our actual races look like. Plus ,it's good practice for the racers.
There is nothing so boring ,even for me, as two days of time trials , waiting for the lower class car to complete his run. Imagine what the casual spectator thinks.
Now, watch what happens during actual eliminations with the big head starts. Half the spectators stand up and cheer for the slower, underdog car, and the other half cheers for the come from behind rocketship A or B car.
It's all in the presentation, and the capability of the announcer at hand.

FWD cars- This calls for a different post. Still working on that.

[GarysZ24]

Originally Posted by X-TECH MAN

15 to 15.75 or so. There are some really cool stuff that runs U and V. I used to love (still do) the old Oldsmobiles like the ones that Jack Mullin's and Racing Head Service (Ivars Smeltniks) ran. Tom Goulds Corvair is an icon and he can still kick butt at his age. I hope to have his health when I get there. Im partial because Ive done his heads (for free) since the middle/late 70's and they have ALWAYS passed NHRA and IHRA tech. I did Bill Drevo's Citation X-11 (front wheel drive by the way) heads (in the stone age-early eighties) when he set the NHRA record at Rockingham years ago so YES I like the slower cars also. I also think Clayton Wrights U/SA wagon is one sweet ride and have thought about a 60 Chebbie wagon like Captian Jacks for myself now that the 3 speed is legal but that is a lot of weight to haul to the track. Think what you want about me but I like ALL stockers and most S/S cars. I remember when being a member of "The SLUG ARMY" was a badge to be worn proudly and not a put down as some seem to think.. I guess that was before your time and several others on here.

Terry,

Now that I read this post of yours, I'll cut you some slack on your other thoughts, and I'm glad that you help Bill Drevo's Citation be the record holder/divisional race winner it was. However, I still feel that fans love us too...not all of them are nitro injected!!!