Espn

[GarysZ24]

Originally Posted by mcink

As I mentioned prior, this all sounds good, but comparing Stock, Super Stock, and Competition
eliminators to PINKS ALL OUT is a mistake. I believe the reason it does as well as it does, is that they
show some of the wilder stuff (wheelies, crashes, etc) and then pick a group of cars that run ET's very close to each other, and run it off.

This way, they have heads up racing, and the winner wins (unless you all of sudden go too fast).

Unfortunately, as we all know, the classes I've mentioned are not as simple as that.

They (PINKS) has also figured out that a field of rear engine big block Chevy dragsters isn't
a very good show, so they pick an ET range that has a great variety of cars, but can still run heads up.

I would love to see these eliminator cars racing on national tv, but the handicap starts, breakouts, and CIC penalties will be the hardest sell, as it is very hard to explain to the average Joe.

Am I missing something here?

Your thoughts are probably well noted , but after what I heard of the 2006 Mile High's and the apparent fan appeal towards my FWD car making it to the quarter-finals, and their stated groans after I lost my race to Ryan McClannahan's Firebird, I'd beg to differ with you. That experience told me that there are plenty of fans who would love to see "TORTOISE & HARE" racing (whether the handicap was .5sec., or 5sec.). If some announcer would offer the races as a mechanical (high speed) form of the "CHESS" game, then I think those who like those thinking types of games will gain a greater appreciation for what we do, because in all truth:

1. Heads up racing is pretty much the person with the most money wins most of their races (especially in the pro ranks).

2. Our level of racing requires some money to do it, but more skill/luck to succeed at it. Don't believe me? Ask Fletch, the Emmons Brothers, the Lang Brothers, the DeFranks, Lee Zane, the Taylor Brothers (Jeff & Charlie), etc.

There may be fans out there who want to see the fastest car win (w/o handicaps), but there are others who actually like competitions of the mind, and where that type is concerned "Sportsman Racers Rule"!!!

Thus something for everyone....

BTW, we have wheelstanders too and generally better ones than those on Pinks...I haven't forgotten how cool "John Friels" SS/AA Dodge Dart looked in that "Turbo Action" Video of Div. II racing from the early '90's...he was supposed to be racing "Bullet" Bob Reed, but Bob's car had problems at the launch, and all we were blessed to see was a 100-200' long wheelstand by Johns Dart, which after it "gracefully settled down", hauled *** down the quarter to the then tune of a 9.18 e.t. @ 144 mph.!!! You don't get many wheelstands (even today) that can rank with that, and I have yet to see any on that show that compare!!!

[mcink]

Originally Posted by GarysZ24

Your thoughts are probably well noted , but after what I heard of the 2006 Mile High's and the apparent fan appeal towards my FWD car making it to the quarter-finals, and their stated groans after I lost my race to Ryan McClannahan's Firebird, I'd beg to differ with you. That experience told me that there are plenty of fans who would love to see "TORTOISE & HARE" racing (whether the handicap was .5sec., or 5sec.). If some announcer would offer the races as a mechanical (high speed) form of the "CHESS" game, then I think those who like those thinking types of games will gain a greater appreciation for what we do, because in all truth:

1. Heads up racing is pretty much the person with the most money wins most of their races (especially in the pro ranks).

2. Our level of racing requires some money to do it, but more skill/luck to succeed at it. Don't believe me? Ask Fletch, the Emmons Brothers, the Lang Brothers, the DeFranks, Lee Zane, the Taylor Brothers (Jeff & Charlie), etc.

There may be fans out there who want to see the fastest car win (w/o handicaps), but there are others who actually like competitions of the mind, and where that type is concerned "Sportsman Racers Rule"!!!

Thus something for everyone....

BTW, we have wheelstanders too and generally better ones than those on Pinks...I haven't forgotten how cool "John Friels" SS/AA Dodge Dart looked in that "Turbo Action" Video of Div. II racing from the early '90's...he was supposed to be racing "Bullet" Bob Reed, but Bob's car had problems at the launch, and all we were blessed to see was a 100-200' long wheelstand by Johns Dart, which after it "gracefully settled down", hauled *** down the quarter to the then tune of a 9.18 e.t. @ 144 mph.!!! You don't get many wheelstands (even today) that can rank with that, and I have yet to see any on that show that compare!!!

You're preaching to the choir here. I really enjoy the handicap racing myself, and I have only ever been a spectator, never a racer. But, the general public wont understand it, even though it is cool.

It would take a spectacular announcer to explain it, and they would need to do it over and over again on
each telecast every week, not unlike the stuff they beat into our heads on the NASCAR races (i believe someone else complained about that on this thread) and we (the real race fans) would get bored with that.

I want it as much as anyone, but I don't think it is going to happen anytime soon.

I'll get down off my soapbox now.