Life Support?

1320racer · 12-30-2024, 02:46 PM

Mark, as I stated in another thread earlier this month…

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1320racer

As I’ve stated before…

This is going to die, the only question that remains is when. My guess is the final curtain call happens in 10-15 years when you'll have less than half the class racers you do today. stock, super stock, comp will be decimated due to the large loss of racers. What little new blood is interested in drag racing, are going bracket racing where at least they have a chance of winning money that will allow them to be more competitive. Further they don't have to deal with NHRA's rules nor take a week off of work to compete at a 3 day event where you spend most of that time doing no racing.

This has been a long time coming. America fell out of love with their cars, no longer has a car culture. Young men and women no longer dream of the day they get their driver’s license much less dream of buying or building a hot rod. It’s no longer cool and the reason why auto shop no longer is a curriculum in high school. Without the youth of America loving cars, there is no future for drag racing except maybe on a screen gaming.

bigshow2966 · 12-31-2024, 11:59 AM

My personal view is that drag racing as a whole is fine. Some classes are hot, some not so much, but overall the outlook is good.

I first started hearing the NHRA was going under in the late 80s, but it's still kicking.

Alan Roehrich · 12-31-2024, 03:13 PM

The American love affair with cars was diminished by what Americans were offered since about 1974. For the most part, throw away junk.

What few performance cars are offered now are exorbitantly expensive.

Even the Camaro was stupid expensive, and it was a barge. Never mind that GM forced you to add all sorts of stuff you didn't want in every package. That's a perfect example of poor leadership in the corporations and government interference in the market.

People lost their love for cars because the government and the OE's gave them nothing at all to love.

What's being promoted to today's buyers, especially the youth, is the "fast and furious" crap.

NHRA only promotes the nitro circus. Even Pro Stock is barely hanging on, and only because a few are willing to spend stupid money to compete.

What Stock and Super Stock need is a Roger Brogdon, like Comp has. It's really sad that NHRA can't seem to take the cue that Brogdon has given. He's single handedly revived Comp.

Interest in grass roots amateur motorsports is cyclical, and it's taken some hard hits with the economy, marketing, the OE's, and some of the sanctioning bodies. It's not dead, but it's not real healthy, either. It will survive, in some form. What forms will that be, and how healthy will they be? Good questions, and the answers depend on the economy, marketing, sanctioning bodies, and to some extent the OE's.

heinriech · 01-01-2025, 10:53 AM

NMRA / pro media is gone that is why I came over here. We have a local class that is doing well and growing. Looking for a heads up solution. Looked at 9.90 class but when it says a 1000-1300hp car is needed to run 9.90 I am out. My car runs 9.70s with 500 hp. I would look to the sanctioning body to get things under control!

Cheers and happy new year!

Stan Weiss · 01-01-2025, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by heinriech

NMRA / pro media is gone that is why I came over here. We have a local class that is doing well and growing. Looking for a heads up solution. Looked at 9.90 class but when it says a 1000-1300hp car is needed to run 9.90 I am out. My car runs 9.70s with 500 hp. I would look to the sanctioning body to get things under control!

Cheers and happy new year!

Yes a go number of years ago people with $$$ come along and decide higher MPH was the way to go, and now it is all about who can run the lowest et from 1000 ft to 1320 without going under. So years ago I had some one ask me to do some simulations for how much HP he needed to run 9.90 in the 153-155 range.

Stan

1320racer · 01-01-2025, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by heinriech

Looking for a heads up solution. Looked at 9.90 class but when it says a 1000-1300hp car is needed to run 9.90 I am out. My car runs 9.70s with 500 hp. I would look to the sanctioning body to get things under control!

Cheers and happy new year!

This is no heads up class in the NHRA for your car. The 9.90 class is known as Super Gas and it’s a throttle stop class dominated by open cockpit roadsters. Look at the 10.90 class aka Super Street which is typically a backed halved ladder bar or 4 link car but it too is a throttle stop class with many competitors running at least 135mph and many running a bbc making 800-1100hp. In both of these classes, a transbrake and a delay box are the norm. That said, my honest opinion is your car as it’s currently powered won’t be competitive in super street as well.

jmcarter · 01-01-2025, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by heinriech

NMRA / pro media is gone that is why I came over here. We have a local class that is doing well and growing. Looking for a heads up solution. Looked at 9.90 class but when it says a 1000-1300hp car is needed to run 9.90 I am out. My car runs 9.70s with 500 hp. I would look to the sanctioning body to get things under control!

Cheers and happy new year!

Ed is correct, sounds like Super Street would fit your car well and there is plenty of competition, some would say just as competitive there as in Super Gas. I thoroughly enjoyed the class before jumping into Class Racing.

Stan Weiss · 01-01-2025, 12:13 PM

Just some quick rough calculations. You weight around 2600 lbs car and driver and run around 9.77 @ 136.

If that is the case I get

1000 Foot ET = 9.2043
1/4 Mile ET = 10.9021
1/4 Mile MPH = 133.5387

Stan

1320racer · 01-01-2025, 12:33 PM

Super Street minimum weight is 2800 lbs.

Alan Roehrich · 01-01-2025, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by heinriech

NMRA / pro media is gone that is why I came over here. We have a local class that is doing well and growing. Looking for a heads up solution. Looked at 9.90 class but when it says a 1000-1300hp car is needed to run 9.90 I am out. My car runs 9.70s with 500 hp. I would look to the sanctioning body to get things under control!

Cheers and happy new year!

It's a lot harder to run the X.90 heads up classes with a lower HP, lower MPH car, but some people are having some success. Those are the hardest working guys in the classes, though. You really need to be able to drive the stripe, and you need to have your car capable of being deadly consistent.

12-31-2024, 11:59 AM	#2
bigshow2966 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: chicago Posts: 654 Likes: 675 Liked 180 Times in 55 Posts	Re: Life Support? My personal view is that drag racing as a whole is fine. Some classes are hot, some not so much, but overall the outlook is good. I first started hearing the NHRA was going under in the late 80s, but it's still kicking.

12-31-2024, 03:13 PM	#3
Alan Roehrich Veteran Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Murfreesboro TN Posts: 5,116 Likes: 1,573 Liked 1,831 Times in 415 Posts	Re: Life Support? The American love affair with cars was diminished by what Americans were offered since about 1974. For the most part, throw away junk. What few performance cars are offered now are exorbitantly expensive. Even the Camaro was stupid expensive, and it was a barge. Never mind that GM forced you to add all sorts of stuff you didn't want in every package. That's a perfect example of poor leadership in the corporations and government interference in the market. People lost their love for cars because the government and the OE's gave them nothing at all to love. What's being promoted to today's buyers, especially the youth, is the "fast and furious" crap. NHRA only promotes the nitro circus. Even Pro Stock is barely hanging on, and only because a few are willing to spend stupid money to compete. What Stock and Super Stock need is a Roger Brogdon, like Comp has. It's really sad that NHRA can't seem to take the cue that Brogdon has given. He's single handedly revived Comp. Interest in grass roots amateur motorsports is cyclical, and it's taken some hard hits with the economy, marketing, the OE's, and some of the sanctioning bodies. It's not dead, but it's not real healthy, either. It will survive, in some form. What forms will that be, and how healthy will they be? Good questions, and the answers depend on the economy, marketing, sanctioning bodies, and to some extent the OE's. __________________ Alan Roehrich 212A G/S

01-01-2025, 10:53 AM	#4
heinriech Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2024 Posts: 2 Likes: 0 Liked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: Life Support? NMRA / pro media is gone that is why I came over here. We have a local class that is doing well and growing. Looking for a heads up solution. Looked at 9.90 class but when it says a 1000-1300hp car is needed to run 9.90 I am out. My car runs 9.70s with 500 hp. I would look to the sanctioning body to get things under control! Cheers and happy new year!

01-01-2025, 12:13 PM	#8
Stan Weiss Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2020 Location: Phila, PA Posts: 794 Likes: 0 Liked 734 Times in 385 Posts	Re: Life Support? Just some quick rough calculations. You weight around 2600 lbs car and driver and run around 9.77 @ 136. If that is the case I get 1000 Foot ET = 9.2043 1/4 Mile ET = 10.9021 1/4 Mile MPH = 133.5387 Stan

01-01-2025, 12:33 PM	#9
1320racer VIP Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: New Jersey Posts: 2,628 Likes: 160 Liked 759 Times in 379 Posts	Re: Life Support? Super Street minimum weight is 2800 lbs.