Are COPO's, CJ's and Drag Packs good for our sport?

[Rich Biebel]

Originally Posted by Ed Wright

Just fix the bogus HP ratings and they will still be awesome. Just won't be raping older cars in heads ups. Indy shoot out qualifying should tell you how far off they are.

I agree 100% with you on this Ed....

[Alan Roehrich]

Originally Posted by david ring

I like Eric M's point about more than just the super cars in the guide-I don't know if ithey are, but I'd love to see someone bring out a new Camaro v-6 or a mustang v-6 etc. I'm for any cars with less than eight cylinders.

Last year I was told by an NHRA official that Ford had zero intentions of ever giving them specs for any car newer than '08 or '10 that was not a Cobra Jet race car. In other words, no real production street cars in the guide from Ford.

They are nice cars, and there are good people who own them. But they belong in their own class, or at least their own sub classes. They do not belong in the same class or classes as real production street cars that were sold new with valid VINs, and all the equipment necessary to operate legally on public streets.

Can they be good for the sport? Sure. Have they really yielded all of the attention from the media or attendance from fans we were assured they would? Not even close. Will they? Probably not, the way things are being done at this point.

[Jim Bailey]

Yes they are. Around 1967/1968 there was a story in one of the major magazines, Hot Rod, Popular Hot Rodding, or Car Craft ...I don't remember which, but the story was titled, " ARE THE FACTORYS RUINING HOT RODDING?" It's sad to say, but history does repete itself, and the 1960s muscle cars / Factory Race Cars did not ruin hot rodding or drag racing. Neither will the new "Factory Hot Rods." Additionally, 3 years ago, Bruce, Travis, Danny, and others, completely revised the AHFS. It would have brought the HP Ratings in check much faster. But because of lobbing by the "Older under factored combos", your SRAC members voted it down. So suck it up, find more HP, play the lower the HP game, or buy a new Factory Hot Rod. JB.

[GUMP]

Well said Jim.

[Ed Wright]

What do you race Jim Bailey?

The SRAC is powerless. Can not vote down what Danny & Co wants to do.
We're they going to police all 4 barrels connected? Monitor throttles being run at WOT?
Outlaw shutting off at 1000'?

They have made a few guys that were never fast before suddenly fast.

[STK1217]

Yes they are.

[Alan Roehrich]

How was the entire AHFS completely revised? Or what was the "proposal"?

NHRA did not put any of it to a vote. They may have asked some people what they wanted. But no racer is going to tell Gracia or Bachelder what to do.

The ONLY way to make the AHFS work is to reward performance. We've asked for that repeatedly, and NHRA is not listening. You want the AHFS to work? Pay points and money for qualifying and class eliminations, and hold class eliminations at every event.

[boostedf22c]

Originally Posted by NewHemi

Not good for the sport, unless they are all equal.

Supercharged vs Naturally aspirated?????

When did that become equal?

It only became legal when Ford became a sponsor and started sucking on the NHRA's tailpipe. And it is no coincidence that Ford was the only one with a supercharger running in Stock and later in Super Stock.

They got the "Make Your Own Air" edge.

And then Chevy was next. A supercharged Copo. And suddenly the Fords had a little real competition. But they had already owned the playground, and ruled the roost for quite a while, so who could now object to a bow tie winning a few races. It only seemed fair. And another supercharged car competed with naturally aspirated cars.

Chrysler was NOT allowed to put a supercharger on the Drag Paks. Why? Because if they had, both Ford and Chevy would have had to compete with innovation, rather than just turn the screw for more horsepower.

But Chrysler will have to continue trying to do with cubic inches and the last great push rod engines, with what Ford and Chevy do with hair dryers.

But the question was not, are supercharged cars in Stock, and Super Stock fair.

So here is my answer:

Generally, the new technology cars are good for the sport because the crowds (the twelve to eighteen people, who show up for stock, and super stock) enjoy them.

David
The New Hemi Guy

[kdanner]

Originally Posted by Alan Roehrich

no real production street cars in the guide from Ford.

And there is nothing in there from anyone else post 2008 either. Well the Camaro SS is in there for 2010, but it's factored nearly the same as a 427 COPO so it might as well not be there. Not a single other production car of any make in the guide after 2008.

[Greg Hill]

I would have to say it's been a mixed bag. The new cars have definitely brought new folks into drag racing. The Skillman's are as nice as anyone you would ever meet and that Mustang has given Charlie Bob a new reason to race. On the flip side , they have also run some people off. It's such a shame because it could of been all positive. All NHRA had to do was put these cars in their own classes and rate them half way fairly. They could of run in Stock and Super Stock eliminator and because the old cars wouldn't of had to race them heads up or in class I think most everyone would have embraced them. Running in their own classes they could have been featured at national events and the manufacturers would of had the exposure they wanted. Sadly we have management at Nhra that is short sighted and really doesn't understand drag racing, so consequently we have an organization that has lost business and probably won't ever get it back.