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Folks Of Interest Prudhomme selling out?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Larry T, Sep 5, 2009.

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  1. Flipper
    Joined: May 10, 2003
    Posts: 3,395

    Flipper
    Member
    from Kentucky

    Pinks all out IS bracket racing.

    The only thing different is that the racers don't know the class until the event is half done.

    If the ET target is known ahead of time...you get Super Gas.

    Foot brakes and no electronics make throw a wrench in things for a couple of weekends, but good drivers in good cars will make it boring again in no time.
     
  2. Sutton
    Joined: Apr 7, 2005
    Posts: 699

    Sutton
    Member
    from BTR

    Some people retire..... (Some with alot of $)

    It by no means is an end. It is time younger people step up to the plate.

    Sponsorship is a necessary evil, for drag racing

    I will quote some genius that I graduated with:
    If it don't make dollars, it don't make cents. (Sense):)
     
  3. tomslik
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 2,161

    tomslik
    Member

    maybe they could run a/sa and run with the rest of the REAL racers....
    oh yeah, garlits didn't qualify (at indy) in his new challenger at .86 under.... and that dissappointed me along with a lot of other guys
     
  4. notebooms
    Joined: Dec 14, 2005
    Posts: 2,077

    notebooms
    Alliance Member

    i'd rather watch today's NHRA any day versus NASCAR.
    not as good today is still not as bad as nothing tomorrow...

    -scott noteboom
     
  5. Chuck R
    Joined: Dec 23, 2001
    Posts: 1,347

    Chuck R
    Member

    no one needs 300 mph . i loved watching the rails in the mid 60's competition was tight and the always put on a great show with a big field. i was very young then so I might be mistaken, but I think I remember 32 car fields at fremont. It was always a great week end of racing. I also remember our local gas station had a car they took to all the local races. You don't see many gas station owners these days with a competitive fuel car parked behind their station. oh well I can always go to Bakersfield and relive my youth.
     
  6. I try to hit the Old Time Drags & Funny Car Reunion every year at Englishtown. Fantastic Gasser and REAL Funny cars whose body style you can actually identify even if they're still in primer.Try that on one of todays funnys. This past June I went to the Super Nationals after not attending a national meet in many years. I gotta tell ya, if nhra folded tomorrow it would'nt bother me. The modern funnys and top fuelers are fast but they have no soul. I found myself roaming the pits lookin for something interesting and I sure wasn't gonna find it in the pro ranks. Gimme' doorslammers on a Sunday afternoon anyday. If the nhra goes away, nothing will change. There will still be drag racing and it will be a lot better than watching 16 brightly painted easter eggs sguirt down the track.
     
  7. Zookeeper
    Joined: Aug 30, 2006
    Posts: 1,042

    Zookeeper
    Member

    Ok, since this thread is officially off target, can someone tell me what is wrong with this theory? Back when Scott Kalitta died last year, and all the talk centered around ways to slow these things down, I wondered why they never talked about aerodynamics? What allows modern nitro cars to attain such high speeds? Downforce, plain and simple. Everything else is just using the downforce to gain more speed. Nitro motors work best when there's a load applied, so they build huge wings to make the tires stick, then build more power which takes multiple fuel pumps to feed the motor, then multiple mags to light the flood, and so it goes. But what if they just down-sized the aero-aids? Look at 1984-era T/F cars, they were virtually the same layout, but the wing was MUCH lower and the front wing was virtually non-existant. The cars ran about 260 mph or so and the racing was just as good as anything today. Same with the funny cars, if alchohol floppers can run deep into the 5's with no rear wing at all, then why not make nitro funny cars actually look like the cars they are supposed to be? They could lose the wing, or at least cut it in half, move the front "bumper" of the body back about two feet and make the tuners earn their money. Is there any sane person on this planet who can say they enjoy seeing modern funny cars more then they enjoy seeing cars like the early '70's F/C's that actually looked like real cars? Let 'em run whatever combo they run now, they wouldn't have to change a thing motor-wise because they wouldn't be able to use all the power anyway. Look at what has happened in recent years when tracks get slippery, it opens the door for any car that qualified to win. Remember Tony Bartone's lone victory a while back? The track was greasy and Jim Dunn was the best at getting the car down the track that day, and they did it without blowing expensive holes in the engine. That's exactly what would happen if NHRA cut the wings down on the nitro cars. Besides, when was the last time you saw a Mustang with a tailgate on the trunk lid? That's what all the Force cars look like to me...
     
  8. fanspete
    Joined: Oct 22, 2006
    Posts: 686

    fanspete
    Member

     
  9. flatheadgary
    Joined: Jul 17, 2007
    Posts: 1,012

    flatheadgary
    Member
    from boron,ca

    i stopped going to nhra events in the '70's when they went pro. i may be odd but, i don't get involved with anything unless i can do it too. i have been running a '32 austin bantam with a flathead motor for 15 years at any track that has a class for me. also, if it wasn't for bracket racing, i wouldn't have any place to run. i always find if you are a part of the event, you really don't have time to watch all the races.
    i run in the anra series at "the patch". which i won open wheel last month.
    if you just want to race, anybody can do it with a minimum investment.
    an open wheeled altered will give you all the thrills and chills you can handle. now mine is not fast but, it gives you all the same fun as a fast car, because your out in the open. now i know everybody says, they are so expensive but, you can actually build an altered for a lot less money than a door car and go 10's.
    i loved going to the drags to watch when i was kid but, when i grew up, i wanted to be a participant.
    as far as the snake goes, i couldn't care less. i am not a looky loo and i haven't seen him run since the '60's when he ran the Greer, Black and Prudhomme rail.
     
  10. 32SEDAN
    Joined: Jul 30, 2008
    Posts: 1,315

    32SEDAN
    Member

    As a kid in the late '70s at PIR, I got "too close" to his car and he chewed me out. I was just a curious kid and he was just a DICK! I didn't even cross the rope...
     
  11. RossPreen
    Joined: Jan 21, 2008
    Posts: 207

    RossPreen
    Member

    I only have two things to say on this subject :D

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    @ 1320 !!!
     
  12. nefareous
    Joined: Nov 21, 2008
    Posts: 359

    nefareous
    Member
    from maryland

    Mr.Prudhomme is switching from drag to LSR.........
     
  13. <LI class=profilefield_category>About pwschuh <DL class="list_no_decoration profilefield_list"><DT class=shade>Location <DD>Mid-Atlantic <DT class=shade>Occupation <DD>Consultant <DT class=shade>Cars <DD>O/T <DT class=shade>Car Club <DD>O/T </DD></DL>
    And what are you here for????????
     
    Last edited: Sep 7, 2009
  14. Little Wing
    Joined: Nov 25, 2005
    Posts: 7,505

    Little Wing
    Member
    from Northeast

    Bracket racing SUX
     
  15. publicenemy1925
    Joined: Feb 4, 2007
    Posts: 3,187

    publicenemy1925
    Member
    from OKC, OK

    The snake has a hot rod.
     

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  16. The future can be summed up in two words.

    Tim Conder.

    Meaning the future IS is the past. Folks want a show, they dig smoke. I would take a field of smokers over 100 modern dragsters anyday.
     
  17. rick finch
    Joined: May 26, 2008
    Posts: 3,504

    rick finch
    Member

    A man of few words....well said!:D
     
  18. bardahl1
    Joined: Oct 16, 2005
    Posts: 353

    bardahl1
    Member

    Snake's main point is not that he cannot find a sponsor - its that even with a sponsor the vast majority of Fuel Cars still need owner $$ to race on a championship level.

    There are only a handfull of Fuel cars that race solely on Sponsor $$. Most Race on hobby $$.
     
  19. senior fried
    Joined: Jul 17, 2007
    Posts: 1,032

    senior fried
    Member

    I have heard the same thing,it costs about 3 to 5 million to run a fuel car for one season !
     
  20. 1. sponsors bailing out
    2. NHRA gouging spectators
    3. going to 1,000 feet for fuel classes
    4. fuel runs are now at 4 seconds...that's not racing, that's squirting
    5. funny cars all look the same, big ugly billboards is all
    6. fuel altereds banned
    7. gasser wars gone

    1. Economy effects everybody, sponsors wants the most bang for their shrinking advertising buck.
    2. Spectators want to be entertained. It's not the 60's anymore, there are alot more choices for people to spend their shrinking entertaiment buck..
    3.Fans will accept this temporally, but not as a permenant solution.
    4.Very quick races do not necessarlly equate to fan satisfaction.
    5.When drag racing was in it's heyday, fans loved cheering their manufacturer on. Now it's just another carbon fiber wedge with the same powerplant.
    6.short wheelbase + high horsepower = big excitemen!
    7.NHRA has become too bland. John Force has tried his best to inject some personality into a sport that is now on life support.
     
  21. There were lots of empty seats at Indy. Maybe because it was Monday but I doubt it. They put on a pretty good show, but no show is worth that kind of money + all the other expenses of going to one of these events. The best part was the war between Force and Pedregon's. That was a little excitement. I'm not sure how all that computer stuff works but it seems to me if they took all of the "automatic" stuff out they'd be better off. I think the clutch is all computer controlled, not sure about that .. Just no drive by the seat of your pants innovation anymore ... too bad...
     
  22. I've been going since '64, and yes there didn't seem to be a packed house. BUT, keep in mind the stands always get thin after the two fuel classes run, AND the huge new grandstands on the side where the pro's pit probably hold twice as many bodies as the temporary stands they have been building on that side for 25 years.
     
  23. The clutch and fuel are controlled with pneumatic timers.


     
  24. Although I would never defend NHRA in general, I think they lost track of things a few years ago, then came the count down deal, I don't like it in NASCAR either, then when Wally died I think they lost their anchor, and compass both
    That being said, after being in management of a race track, Altamont Raceway last three years, I can tell you all the money coming in the gate doesn't stay in the promoters pocket, between the county, state, and feds, the insurance, supplies, not to mention the staff, you want to know why the gate isn't $3 anymore try getting someone to work for less than $10 an hour, plus the purses that all the racers want to be more and more, the overhead is out of control.
    I love drag racing, I have been going since 1965 and still go when I can, although the CHRR and March Meets are my favorites I will still go to Sonoma and Pomona when I can. I wish we could turn back the clock sometimes to those simpler times, when music, and racing were at their best, my opinion, but then I remember I am typing on my computer, talking on my cell phone, watching racing live from all over the country on my dish, and every thing else we take for granted.
    My biggest complaint about INDY was ESPN, that is something else that was great years ago but has gone to crap, Paul Page is so incompetent, I lost track of the mistakes and overall dumb comments he made yesterday, it makes even watching it on tv a chore. Man I miss Steve Evans.
    Do I wish it was cheaper to go to the races, yes, do I wish the races were better, yes, do I wish the coverage was better, heck yes
    It will be interesting to see how this Force deal works out in the next races, the media people have made a hero out of him and now I am sure he will be pissed at Mike Dunn after yesterday, I have seen that side of Force in person now all of tv has...
    ok, back to the bashing...
     
    Last edited: Sep 8, 2009
  25. metalshapes
    Joined: Nov 18, 2002
    Posts: 11,138

    metalshapes
    Member

    Spec racing is lame.

    Its what people come up with when the decissions are made in a boardroom, instead of on the track or in the towtruck on the way home after a race.


    I've been to a modern Dragrace once.
    It was boring...
    I wont go again.



    And thats allright...
    I like Traditional stuff.

    Thats why I'm on a website for Trad Hotrods & Customs.
     
    Last edited: Sep 8, 2009
  26. indianhead74
    Joined: Mar 3, 2005
    Posts: 159

    indianhead74
    Member

    Can't blame the man, He's done as much or more for the sport as anybody, Maybe he's just tired . I wish him well
     
  27. Ricardo......you posted.....That's for all the kids he got hooked on Smokeless Tobacco

    I think that remark blows. Sponsership is hard to get from anyone.....and if trojan rubber company offered a sponsership....I imagine someone would take it and have a great big *$*$ on the hood of their car.

    Dont try to put a smoking habbit / blame on the Snake.....'cause that's just a sad ...sad mis-representation.. PERIOD.... Carl Hagan
     
  28. GEEZZER
    Joined: Mar 20, 2008
    Posts: 296

    GEEZZER
    Member

    Snake was one of the last hot rodders racing in the pro side. Last couple of years boring, just big money guys winning. Not that that is all bad, things change. Its just not the same for us old guys.
     
  29. As the money involved went up, racing evolved into "show business",
    and now into just plain "business".

    Inevitably, the integrity of the contest will be called into question.
    eg: John Force at Indy.
     
    Last edited: Sep 8, 2009
  30. Jim-Bob
    Joined: Oct 13, 2008
    Posts: 129

    Jim-Bob
    Member

    WJ looked MIGHTY PISSED last week at Indy....I figured there was something else eating at him.
     
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