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Traditional Gasser Class

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Gasser1961, Jun 22, 2012.

  1. To keep that sort of stuff out, just make a "Stock" block rule, single mag, fuel pump limit size, no modern injector hats. Or make it really easy - I used to run a low buck racing class that had what was know as a "Spirit of the Class" rule. Basically it was a panel of 3 folks from the class that if a car showed up that didn't meet the "spirit of the Class" than it wasn't allowed to race with us. It kept the high buck modern guys out and they knew we were serious about it and didn't even try and show up, so no hard feelings.
     
  2. Bean Dip
    Joined: Dec 25, 2011
    Posts: 881

    Bean Dip
    BANNED

    Its a killer ride you have for sure. I'm going to race at Meltdown this year and Thompson next year. Planning on bowling green and CHRR at some point so maybe see ya there?? Looking for match races because I LOVE the heads up competition. Hopefully you guys can figure out a way to do it in an event form. Could be cool!
     
  3. Gasser1961
    Joined: Nov 25, 2008
    Posts: 1,102

    Gasser1961
    BANNED

    I'd like to get in touch with anyone that is interested in getting involved with this. We're looking at trying to have a group ready to run next year around right after the March Meet.
     
  4. Gasser1961
    Joined: Nov 25, 2008
    Posts: 1,102

    Gasser1961
    BANNED

    This is just what we are talking about.
     
  5. Straightpipes
    Joined: Jan 25, 2006
    Posts: 1,084

    Straightpipes
    Member

    I ran Gas classes back in the 60s at the local strips. We had so much FUN....Competative without going broke. I've been out of it for decades and if I could run Gas heads up I would start building one again.
    I built a chassis car in 1963 so it ain't new for sure.

    Man you've got a nice car there.
     
  6. Bad Banana
    Joined: Jun 20, 2008
    Posts: 834

    Bad Banana
    Member

    Sigh... Nostalgia... All of us want to return to "the way it used to be" No one more than me. :(

    However.. I have thought long and hard about this. I have tossed many ideas around and I think some of them were pretty damn good until I started to realize there is really no way to police things... really.

    "Back in the day" weight to CI was pretty damn fair. There was no such thing as "aftermarket" blocks, cranks, rods, heads, etc and the tires and suspensions were either "stock" or "modified stock" as there wasn't the shocks, springs, tires of today.. Also, tracks weren't nearly as "sticky" as they are today. If two guys showed up at the track with similar CI and weight in the 60's, chances are both cars were within a couple tenths of each other. Alas... that is NOT the case today. Not even by a long shot.

    It is nearly impossible to allow truly "traditional" cars to even run down the track anymore. Parts don't have SFI certification as required. You can argue "well we need to allow modern safety equipment". Ok... what define's "safety"? SFI wheels? Axles? Modern heim ends? Shocks? Tires? Stronger crankshafts, rods, pistons, so you don't break it and oil your own tires and get into the wall... the list goes on and on and get grayer and grayer as you go. It is too easy and even cheaper to buy your power out of a catalog today than to try to hunt down "old traditional" speed parts and modify them yourself.

    I am all for some sort of heads up sprotsman racing but it is impossible to police and keep it "fair" and not piss off someone because you or some "panel" of competitors feels one car is less "in the spirit of the rules" then another (subjective rules will always cause hard feelings to someone eventually). It will always be someone who has a perceived performance advantage then shouting and profanity will follow. No one has fun.

    Unfortunatly, bracket racing is currently still the best way for everyone to show up and have a reasonable chance of having some success (and fun) and be willing to return race after race. You cannot deny that in a true heads up class, money will always eventually win every time and the class will always die from lack of participation. Only the fastest car will be the one to show up race after race.

    If you are dead set on running heads up CI to weight, it is already out there. It is called "NHRA Pro Stock" or "NHRA Competition Eliminator" Bring lots of cash and don't expect to win for several years...if ever. Hell... even Super Stock and Stock (NHRA) is just a rich man's bracket race.

    I would still like to figure out how to do it. I am willing to find just one other car like mine that is close enough in ET to just run each other on occassion and try to keep our own "rules" between just our two cars... Haven't found one yet within a reasonable driving distance.:(

    Actually, that might be the answer. Just find pairs of cars that are willing to police themselves and have that group of "pairs" run each other best 2 out of 3 or something?:eek:
     
  7. Gasser1961
    Joined: Nov 25, 2008
    Posts: 1,102

    Gasser1961
    BANNED

    Look guys I respect your points of view. We're not trying to estalbish a new NHRA class. We looking for a group of guys to run together. If a guy wants to run with a car that is not in the "spirit" of the class, then they won't with us.

    "It is nearly impossible to allow truly "traditional" cars to even run down the track anymore. Parts don't have SFI certification as required. You can argue "well we need to allow modern safety equipment". Ok... what define's "safety"? SFI wheels? Axles? Modern heim ends? Shocks? Tires? Stronger crankshafts, rods, pistons, so you don't break it and oil your own tires and get into the wall... the list goes on and on and get grayer and grayer as you go. It is too easy and even cheaper to buy your power out of a catalog today than to try to hunt down "old traditional" speed parts and modify them yourself."

    You sure can, it just has to be built right. I have a 40 year old race car that will cert to 8.50. You can build a cast iron SBC,SBF or Morpar and drop on a tunnel ran and go run 10's. If we keep our heads about us and keep the ets and speed sane there's no need for too much SFI stuff.

    I'm not saying you should pull an old car out of the barn and go race. I'm talking about "traditional" styled cars.
     
  8. Bad Banana
    Joined: Jun 20, 2008
    Posts: 834

    Bad Banana
    Member

    I don't understand? I thought you said "heads up"? But now you want to keep the cars "sane"? What is the definition of "sane"?

    You limiting ETor MPH? That is a bracket race. If you don't, cars will continue to push it until the "sane' line gets blurry.

    Good luck. I hope you can pull it off ..
     
  9. Larry T
    Joined: Nov 24, 2004
    Posts: 7,875

    Larry T
    Member

    You wanna level the playing field, make everyone run a "spec" narrow hard rubber compound slick. It wouldn't completely even things out, but it sure would help.
     
  10. Gasser1961
    Joined: Nov 25, 2008
    Posts: 1,102

    Gasser1961
    BANNED

    We want to keep it sane by keeping the "rules" basic and doing it for fun. Find some guys with similar type cars and go race.

    Thanks for your input, if you ever find yourself out here lets line up and go run'em.
     
  11. dreracecar
    Joined: Aug 27, 2009
    Posts: 3,476

    dreracecar
    Member
    from so-cal

    Vince , your bigest issue is where are you going to race these as B'field is your only track. Its 6 hours either direction to the next track from your house. So in order to get 8 to 10 people to invest $20 to $30 grand in todays economy the class must already be there and at multiple tracks within 3hrs driving distance. 20/30g's sounds high,but you want this class now and not 4 years from now where somone on a tight budget can piece it together over time. Heads up / non index racing is over along with trying to do it spec parts, All those type of classes are dying and nobody new is comming in.
     
  12. jimmy1931
    Joined: Jan 13, 2012
    Posts: 728

    jimmy1931
    Member

    BeanDip & dragrcr50 both have lots of experience in trying to run a group of racers that have somewhat silmiliar cars and JUST WANT TO RACE & HAVE FUN! Very, very difficult to pull off. Someone is always going to get P.O.'d and just leave. The group in Tulsa is trying to do the " spirit of the class thing". Members have to approve all cars, they run as an exhibition class at the track, so they have control of who gets to race. Their actual races are run like a bracket, so everyone runs together and they still can't please everyone. Their best rule is pre '64 cars, so you don't have to run muscle cars. Some of us have blown cars, but we are not the quickest, just the most unpredictable. You can run with a few cars ( 6), but you will probably tire of running each other & not draw many people. 12-16 cars will make better racing & create somewhat of a fan base.:)
     

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  13. bulletproof1
    Joined: Feb 23, 2004
    Posts: 2,079

    bulletproof1
    Member
    from tulsa okla

    jimmy you beat me to it....its not perfect , but it works,,,, cars range from high 10s to low 13s,,and try to keep the pre65 look and feel...not nitrous,no turbos,no modern EFI..
    we try to match the cars to keep it close,,,but ultimately the 2 cars in the final could have a big gap in ETs,,just keep it fun.....
     
  14. 56gasser
    Joined: Nov 4, 2007
    Posts: 285

    56gasser
    Member
    from lower al.

    That is the way we do it. Match up cars that are close to each other.
    Te racing is close and fun. The more cars you have the more options you will have.

    Southerngassers.com
     
  15. Count me in, and at least 3-6 others I can think of. It would be good to support the West Coast Hot Rod / TIM also.
     
  16. that would be cool
     
  17. WillysRule
    Joined: Feb 22, 2007
    Posts: 799

    WillysRule
    Member
    from Central FL

    Your 31 Vicky is awesome!
     
  18. landseaandair
    Joined: Feb 23, 2009
    Posts: 4,485

    landseaandair
    Member
    from phoenix

    X2, think I saw it all the way over here a few years back.
     
  19. Unfortunately you are way out of my area. But I'd like to see a 1965 or so NHRA rule book type rules. Use their wight to cubic in rules. Update safety as necessary. And pick a cut off date like say 1965. It worked back in the day. It's heads up. Would be fun to watch. Just my thoughts. Aaron Dupont
     
  20. Gasser1961
    Joined: Nov 25, 2008
    Posts: 1,102

    Gasser1961
    BANNED

    Very cool this is what I was talking about.

    We're not looking to develop a new class, just get some guys with these types of cars together and race them.
     
  21. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,934

    squirrel
    Member

    I used to see it all the time around here. Rode in a few times, even. :D
     
  22. lippy
    Joined: Sep 27, 2006
    Posts: 6,825

    lippy
    Member
    from Ks

    You may be on to something Larry. Lippy
     
  23. jimmy1931
    Joined: Jan 13, 2012
    Posts: 728

    jimmy1931
    Member

    Yes, Squirrel, It is Steve's old car. I hear you are coming to MoKan. Steve is planning on being there. Maybe the two of you can line up & see whose blower is faster.
     
  24. Gasser61, there's probably atleast 6 or more cars over here that I can think of off the top of my head.We have about 6 nostalgia races a year here at Speedworld and one of the groups even has a Straight Axle class that if I remember right they run heads up.
     
  25. yruhot
    Joined: Dec 17, 2009
    Posts: 564

    yruhot
    Member

    Well got my straight axle ,big block 55 gasser style car into the mid twelves. I'd like to give it a go. I'm out of vegas but don't mind a little hauls to try something different. hell you might be even to get something together here out at the STRIP at Las Vegas, nice facility. Just my two cents worth,YRUHOT...............Doug
     
  26. dragrcr50
    Joined: Jul 25, 2005
    Posts: 3,865

    dragrcr50
    Member

    I have been reading this, it sounds like one of our meetings used to. Please know if you get it going someday you will become an asshole as I have. I was told by the tulsa guys that if i owned the orignal stone woods and cooke car i wasnt welcome to race with them...remember rules can wear you down and limit the playing field. I always tried to make sure it was lax enough to have a decent class ( 8 or more) for the track folks to make it worth the effort to do. so i had to go with 72 and older.. now i am an asshole. I run nostalgia only and have two cars. whatever they want to do im glad to be able to race with them... good luck... interesting read here.........
     
  27. Gasser1961
    Joined: Nov 25, 2008
    Posts: 1,102

    Gasser1961
    BANNED

    Thanks for the advise. If anyone is interested please pm me an email address so I can keep everyone up to date. We're going to try and keep the rules as flexable and open to cars that really do fir the "spirit" of gassers.

    I would think the bigest issues right off the bat are going to be cars that will pass tec and get from A to B clean. We as a group can't hold up the other cars or cause problems. I also need to be able to go to the ANRA or West Coast Hot Rod and say, "I have this amount of cars commited to be here and run."

    Once again, we're not trying to run a points championchip deal. We just want to find a group of guys with traditional style cars and go run them.
     
  28. a30gasser
    Joined: Jul 12, 2011
    Posts: 21

    a30gasser
    Member
    from socal

    I'm the partner of gasser1961. We both have straight axle cars and have blast running eachother. We been saying for years it would be fun to get together with more cars of the like and
    have some fun. It's nice to see some interest.
     
  29. dragrcr50
    Joined: Jul 25, 2005
    Posts: 3,865

    dragrcr50
    Member

    I might add just for the sake of posting i guess, 20 guys will commit and 2 will show up regularly, you will hear every excuse known to man as to why they didnt make it. but on the days that you get a decent turnout is a great day for all. good luck
     
  30. flatheadgary
    Joined: Jul 17, 2007
    Posts: 1,012

    flatheadgary
    Member
    from boron,ca

    i understand exactly what you want to do. i have always wanted to do the same thing with altereds and run under 10's. as you say, under 10.0 eliminates alot of sfi requirements per the rules and it keeps it a more managable cost factor. i run in the open wheel class in anra and we have quite a few cars in the class. though, at first we only had about 5, now we get about 12 and up. open wheel is brackets though. i know for a fact if you can get enough cars together, butch will make a class for you in the anra. i know he will say he has a-e gas class but you tell him it's about heads up, he will get it. i have also seen your car running in anra and even talked to you at eagle field. love the car.
     

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