30 years ago at Indy

[SSDiv6]

Originally Posted by Alan Roehrich

They outright killed H/MP, it didn't go to Super Stock or Comp, it was just gone. Cotton said he couldn't move up, and the engine couldn't get enough bigger, or the car enough lighter. He eventually ran an econo dragster for a while. But nothing ever as successful as the Pocket Rocket. We flogged stuff for a short while in C/MP, but it just wasn't working, so it evolved into a bracket and Super Gas car. We ended up with two S/G cars and a S/C dragster, and by 91 or so I was so sick of electronics I quit. I only went to the track with guys I did work for until 95 or so and then even quit that.

I have always believed that sponsor pressure on NHRA due to the small cars and oddball combinations that were winning the races and championships, caused the demise of the class.

I can recall some manufacturers complaining to NHRA about cars such as Cotton Perry's Chevy, Buddy Ingersol's Turbo Pinto, Samurai Warrior Mazda, Gene Berg's VW, Bruce Sizemore 6-Cyl. Pinto and many other cars in the class. Their complaint was that these cars did not run off-the-shelf parts and they were getting paid contingency money. Nevertheless, the spectators loved to see these oddball cars and hear their high winding engines.