Just to put my minor rant, (or whatever you wish to call it) in perspective. When we get our car finished we'll be happy to race at any venue that will accept us, in whatever format they let us race. My main point is that if we come up with a separate group with later model engines and automatics and they all agree on their rules for what they want to build, be it any year model engine and any transmission with fuel injection and magneto ignition, that's fine with me. We are getting more people out there racing and building cars in the vintage style which will create more interest within the realm of hotrodders that actually build the cars that they race, which is what gave birth to our sport in the beginnings. I just get tired of hearing all of the folks that say they would build a car if they could change whatever, when in reality it just seems to be a subconscious reason for not building. "Stick transmissions aren't reliable" or "I can't get speed equipment for old engines" or "radial tires are cheaper" or "Holley Four Barrels are easier to tune" are just lame excuses to avoid stepping up to the plate and taking a shot at having fun with a car that may never win a race. I know that our build has taken a long damn time and still has a ways to go. Sometimes life has a way of letting us know that just living is a great blessing and things happen when they are ready, not when we want them to. The HA/GR...HA/GMR...SDRA type of cars are not designed to be the fastest or quickest things out there. The original concept was to have a chance to live and participate in the beginnings of drag racing and that is why we are building our car. End of oration...Hope to see y'all in the lanes next year, Good Lord willing and the creek don't rise.
I agree with most of these statments being made. I came up racing using what we had or could scrape up.I have never bought a new carb or intake.I have raced for over 20 years and have used 90% used,rebuilt or self made parts. I even run used parts on my jr. I take the spirit of the class as using what you have and making what you need and buying what you can afford and got to have. Need it be a stick or auto. Radial or bias tire. The engine I have is a 66 250 chevy I am surethe purist think this is not old enough but SO WHAT its what I have. Like I said before there should be a way to equalize the cars enough to run them both together in the heads up format and enjoy racing. Me and my partner will bethe only cars around these parts I would guess but we will have fun with them.
Hey 27,, When you guys get your cars finished and out to the track, Watch out, You will get bomb barded with questions about them and the class. Hope you guys have alot of fun..
64 DODGE 440, I am with you on the reason some are not being built. I am sure by next year we will have maybe the largest group of HA/GR - HA/GMR - SDRA cars at one track. All our HAMBster's fit together real well and with the Sat Qualifying heads up setup and running O/W bracket on Sun, it is like Dick said, best of both worlds. Be assured I will run any one that wants to make a side by side pass and I don't care if it has a "Stick", "Automatic" or a "Direct Drive". ThingyM, you need to take a few more days and get well then it's back to the shop and get that car up and running. My excuse for being on the board is I am wighting for parts.
I am sure we will have a blast. Me and him have worked together on street cars and my bracket cars for years. He has never had a true racecar and is chomping at the bit. He is already worried about me killing him on the light but as I told him it will come with experience. I usually have plenty of folks to talk to so nothing new there.
I think that the length of this thread proves my contention that there is a lot of interest in this class out there. I recently spent some time reading the letters to the editor in some early '50s car magazines (Hop Up, Rod & Custom, Hot Rod, etc.) Boy, did the dialog back then sound a lot like what we are having here! The bottom line is that sixty years ago the people that loved to go fast and hang with like minded individuals found some common ground. And with the help of key people like Racerb, the past time has grown from abandoned air strips and dry lakes to every Sunday on ESPN. I believe that what we are attempting to do is worth doing. Not only for ourselves but also for those who weren't lucky enough to grow up with flat heads and stovebolts. Viva la H.A.M.B. (and HA/GR)!
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