PINKS vs Class Racing

[Michael Beard]

Originally Posted by Bunkster

It is vulgar, ignorant and low-brow. Like MTV, his product is geared towards the pop-culture crowd: Tattoos...baggy pants....backwards ball caps....and belching.

What are you talking about? Evidently, you haven't even watched Pinks All Out.

[Harry 6674]

Originally Posted by Alan Roehrich

Gary, this is really simple.

Who picks the ET range of the finalists?

Who picks the finalists?

Who picks which of the finalists is the fastest?

Who picks which of the finalists is the slowest?

That's right, Rich and his crew make every one of those decisions and more.

If you enjoy all of that, fine, you go, and you have a good time. I'm not the least bit fooled by it, nor am I interested in it. Enjoy yourself.

Sportsman racing, Stock and Super Stock, can be promoted just fine without all of the silliness. It is easy, but NHRA and IHRA are not interested. The only thing that needs to be changes is how the events are run and promoted. Pinks All Out ain't gonna make that happen.

Alan it really is simple. I'm not sure you or bunkster have ever competed in a PAO. If you had you would have known better then to make these comments or have you forgotten how to race without shoe polish? Sandbaggers need not apply. Its so simple.

[chris3racing]

"Baggy pants, backwark ball caps" I've had enough. When we attend a race whether it is bracket racing, Mopar Show or Pinks All Out. All of our crew goes there to represent our sponsors to the best of our abilty. Yes we were team shirts at a week-end bracket race. If this is the best we can get offered on this board I"m done.

[Bill Harris]

Well, I HAVE been to and run a PAO event and I can definitely say that the most accurate statement in this thread was made by Bunkster. Hit the nail on the head. There was essentially NO safety tech and it was an aggregation of the biggest bunch of junk ever assembled at one event. I saw more scattered parts, broken axles, wheels flying all over, bikes dumping, antifreeze spilling, oil pouring, redneck barfing and total staging lane mayhem in those two days then I have seen in a lifetime of sanctioned events.

By all means go and have a great time, but don't expect some fabulously organized and safely run event. After what I saw, I would never go again. At least when you line up next to a car at a sanctioned (IHRA or NHRA) event you have some level of confidence that the car in the next lane is in reasonably good condition and has a driver who is reasonably competent. That is absolutely not true at the PAO that I went to.

[Marine One]

Originally Posted by Bill Harris

Well, I HAVE been to and run a PAO event and I can definitely say that the most accurate statement in this thread was made by Bunkster. Hit the nail on the head. There was essentially NO safety tech and it was an aggregation of the biggest bunch of junk ever assembled at one event. I saw more scattered parts, broken axles, wheels flying all over, bikes dumping, antifreeze spilling, oil pouring, redneck barfing and total staging lane mayhem in those two days then I have seen in a lifetime of sanctioned events.

By all means go and have a great time, but don't expect some fabulously organized and safely run event. After what I saw, I would never go again. At least when you line up next to a car at a sanctioned (IHRA or NHRA) event you have some level of confidence that the car in the next lane is in reasonably good condition and has a driver who is reasonably competent. That is absolutely not true at the PAO that I went to.

The individual track hosting PAO is charged with inspection and safety. If the safety sucked, talk to the track management.

[Dana Fitzpatrick]

There are some good points made on both sides of the discussion here, but take it from someone who made the 32 car show at Martin last July- there was some serious sandbagging going on! I ran All-Out all weekend, then they let the racers breakout by a couple of tenths? My car would not have gone 2 tenths faster that day if it fell off a cliff! I got trailered by a car that qualified much slower than me, and he spent more time looking at my front bumper than he did looking out the windshield. I had a good time, would do it again, but there was sandbagging going on for sure!

[Bill Harris]

Don't need to talk to track management. I would never go to another one. You would think the TV production company would have an interest in seeing that the event was run safely. But probably not, since most of the stuff you see on the show highlights the breakage and out of shape cars. That is the show after all, just like NASCAR, sit around and wait for something disastrous to happen.

[Gary Smith]

Originally Posted by Bill Harris

Well, I HAVE been to and run a PAO event and I can definitely say that the most accurate statement in this thread was made by Bunkster. Hit the nail on the head. There was essentially NO safety tech and it was an aggregation of the biggest bunch of junk ever assembled at one event. I saw more scattered parts, broken axles, wheels flying all over, bikes dumping, antifreeze spilling, oil pouring, redneck barfing and total staging lane mayhem in those two days then I have seen in a lifetime of sanctioned events.

By all means go and have a great time, but don't expect some fabulously organized and safely run event. After what I saw, I would never go again. At least when you line up next to a car at a sanctioned (IHRA or NHRA) event you have some level of confidence that the car in the next lane is in reasonably good condition and has a driver who is reasonably competent. That is absolutely not true at the PAO that I went to.

When did you attend? Last year? 2 years ago? I'm sure you had a horrible experience. I'm not surprised after hearing stories of shoddy tech at previous events from other racers I met last weekend. But they checked all the safety tags, stickers and what not on my car, and watched them bounce a car and driver with expired cert, belts, and license right in front of me. Is everyone here implying NHRA/IHRA/AHRA were perfect right out of the box? Every organization goes through teething pains.

You, Bunkster, and the other few naysayers are missing the point. I have nothing against IHRA and the regional S/SS Associations. But NHRA is the current media darling that's promoting pros at our expense. Is that acceptable to you? Or are you simply afraid of change? Class racing is on borrowed time and the current economy isn't helping. All I'm saying is we need to have an open mind in finding ways to keep our beloved class racing alive instead of bitching, moaning, and allow "big brother" to roll over on us until we are dead or replaced by something similar to PINKS (which I mentioned is under way http://www.nhraunleashed.com/ ).

Bunkster I'm sure Clay Millican and Royce Miller will appreciate being associated with the "homeboy" posse, even though they still dress and act like humans, along with the rest of the production crew.

I'd also like to get something else off my chest...I own 2 race cars and a resto-mod street car. While the 2 classic Mustangs get plenty of "ooohs and aahhhs" from everyday people, I'm embarrassed having to explain what Stock Eliminator is to common race fans at displays/shows when I bring the stocker. 20 - 30 years ago that probably wasn't the case. But now I can count on one hand the people who identified what the car is. Even more shameful is hearing "jeez, I didn't know Stock still existed". How many you owners of $120k Super Stock Cobalts have taken your car to a display only to have a gang of "homies" mistake it for an outlaw street racer? It has happened...I've seen it. To me, that would be the ultimate insult after such an investment.

Simply put we need someone of Rich's calibur who can bridge us to new blood through the masses. Running LODRS events in front of empty seats or national events outside of prime time is taking us nowhere.

[Gary Smith]

Originally Posted by Dana Fitzpatrick

There are some good points made on both sides of the discussion here, but take it from someone who made the 32 car show at Martin last July- there was some serious sandbagging going on! I ran All-Out all weekend, then they let the racers breakout by a couple of tenths? My car would not have gone 2 tenths faster that day if it fell off a cliff! I got trailered by a car that qualified much slower than me, and he spent more time looking at my front bumper than he did looking out the windshield. I had a good time, would do it again, but there was sandbagging going on for sure!

Dana, I certainly agree there was some sandbagging at PBIR. But Rich laid out some new rules where they will be watching all the numbers and warned they will be DQing suspicious runs more often than the past. And don't be surprised if light teardowns get instituted.

[Tom keedle]

Originally Posted by Bill Harris

Don't need to talk to track management. I would never go to another one. You would think the TV production company would have an interest in seeing that the event was run safely. But probably not, since most of the stuff you see on the show highlights the breakage and out of shape cars. That is the show after all, just like NASCAR, sit around and wait for something disastrous to happen.

well, hell, that sounds just like NHRA/espn2.....


i can't even watch PAO because of willie....
can't stand his show on the radio and i SURE don't want to watch him.
i STILL think PAO has done more for sportsman-type drag racing than NHRA lately


and i'm missing the vulgar part ....again.
i always miss the good stuff