Is Nostalgia Top Fuel Dying out?

The racers refuse to give up their BIG SHOW mentality ,thats #1
and #2 is the builders refuse to build new tables and fixtures

 

I built this car too

 

"Its the lack of venues thats killing T/F, its the lack of events thats killing it."

Yet the funny cars are thriving. The same as 1970, FC's can always get some bookings for appearance money , granted not a fortune, but something. Almost any track will book 'em cause they can advertise " Jungle Jim Nova v Chi Town Hustler Dodge", dragsters have no such identification.

 

Sort of like the Geezer Gassers. I'd love to see something like that.

 

Now tell me people wouldn't pay to see cars doing THIS all the way down!

 

Gary its been tried before and they wont pay

 

Tracks in old days didn’t get prepped like tracks today. An old style T/F car could not do one of those full track wheel smokers without breaking something. Heck slipping and sliding in old days was considered a normal pass.

 

Hmmm. Who tried it? I'm not disputing what you say, I'm just aware of it. Were you at the reunion a couple years back when the re created Bebee & Mulligan car made a little squirt before idling down the track,That 60 ft smoker got a big reaction. Ok. I'd pay!

 

BS...maybe to the mouth breathers, but NOT dragster guys.

 

The NTF guys priced themselves out of a class to race. The NFC guys are on the same path with CF bodies and "trick" big show parts. At least the NFC's don't oil the track almost every run and f#ck up the program for everyone else.

"Nostalgia racing" is thriving in every other class other then NTF. Look at the Pro Comp or Pro 7.0 pits. There's 300 plus cars for the ANRA races in Bakersfield for NE1-3, A/Gas-E/Gas and sportsman.

 

I'm actually seeing a lot less of everything even at the local track level. I think the economy is a major factor in being able to run these cars but also the group that is into them is phasing out. Either stepping down due to age or passing away. Let's face it. The next generation of gear head isn't going to be into this stuff, that is if they could even afford it!

 

And that is all Dave West is allowed to do-60' smoker and for him to do any more then that it would cost him 16k in parts,updates and safety equip. His car has an assesed value at over 140k and he is not one to risk it by making a full pull just to impress the crowd.

The MM and CHRR are anomalys and are the only events tht draw any type of crowd. Any other event wether it be funnys or dragsters themselves will not draw out here on the west coast.

They used to have a tire smoke rule in the early NDRA days, had to smoke past the tree or disqualifyed, soon the arguments hit the shit because the smoke stopped before the tree or the tires were hazed instead of smoked.
As soon as prize monies were introduced, the racer showed up to the party.

 

"nd that is all Dave West is allowed to do-60' smoker and for him to do any more then that it would cost him 16k in parts,updates and safety equip. His car has an assesed <nobr>value</nobr> at over 140k and he is not one to risk it by making a full pull just to impress the crowd."

I know all that. My point is that people resond, just like they do to jets, wheelstanders and the like.

 

Gary heres a little promoting lesson

Lets say B'feild charges $40,000 to allow you to have a race at their track(1 day event) turn key and all you have to do is provide cars and crowd.
Now in order to get the product (cars) you have to put up and gaurenty a purse say 10g each for both F/C and T/F (thats real cheap).
To get the crowd one must promote and advertize long ,hard and frequent. Long so that people can make plans to be there, Hard to get the excitment up, and frequent so people dont forget or if they missed it the first time around. Plus fliers and the people to post them. There goes another $20,000 which may seem high but people will tell you for anything less, you will only draw flys.

So now you are in the hole $80,000 and not one person has stepped thru the gate and you need 4000 pairs of shoes walking in just to cover it with zero profit.

Now one just cannot have fuel cars without some fill to cover the downtime while the fuel cars are servicing, so there is another group that a purse has to be structured into the mix.We wont get into the other issues such as frequent oil downs, racer no-shows and low car count, chance of rain.

So really you cant say what you would pay to watch , its getting everbody else to pay also-all 3,999 of them

 

Another short NTF field at the CHRR. How about a 8 car NTF field and an 8 car classic AA/FA field. I guess the old boys got their wish and killed the class.

 

I still say one solution/idea is to revise 1999 N T/F rules.

Many say if you do not have enough money do not cry about it or do not go nitro racing BUT. Nostalgia Top Fuel was created to be affordable where a few guy with normal income could run a front motor Top Fueler. In the last 15 years, the rule makers have moved that class away from its roots.

Let the funnys do their thing, they put on a great show but, there is a place for an affordable nostalgia Front Motor Fuel class.

Remember this folks- The MM and Reunion was a very big, successful hit BEFORE the funnys. the funnys did not make those events huge, they just added to it.
With the time the funnys take over the weekend, we have much less exhibition runs, no more full pass smoke shows like Art Chrisman used to do, etc, etc.
40 funnys is great but, it is at the cost of all other classes and exhibitions at these large events.

You asked for opinions of NTF car owners, I am one of those.

 

^^^Here, Here!

 

I totally agree with you. I just don't see it ever happening. The 5 or 6 guys who are driving the cost sky high just wont let it happen.

I wanted to go NTF racing but the BBF is "out-lawed" funny an engine built in 1968 is not legal, but a billet AJPE 426 deal with a 44 amp MSD is just fine.

So we're buildng a AA/FA. Maybe you could drop that Pontiac in an altered???

Ford vs Chevy vs Chrysler vs Pontiac could be a crowd pleaser.

 

Steve you could talk about this for hours. Little guys always get pushed out. SUCKS. I think back and how much fun it was to see all the different cars and everything that went along with that. Wasn't always about seeing that great time or speed, that was just part of it. It was the whole experience. The CHRR going on now is great, but I see it happening again. Hope NHRA doesn't mess that up. Talk of letting RED's run next year. Not sure about that one. There are a lot of splinter group's around that are keeping it real. Thats my own hope-dream right now that if I can get my car going to be involved with something like the NDRL or something. At least get out so I can just go to test and tune, have fun.
Anyway life is good there's room for everybody it just got to get organized. And for tracks to stay open....
take care
Luke

 

I am not finished fuel racing, just ''onleave' spending and time money on my new property in the high cooler high country and planning my Pontiac Museum and race car shop. I have commited myself to get my Pontiac into the 5's with consistency and will continue trying in the future. Also have an altered wheelbase Tempest funny car to play with.
Even have a few vintage 'glass Pontiac funny car bodies but. what I have is already more than enough. Into performance boating too but, that is another story... After those goals are accomplished, I have my sights set on Bonneville, Lord willing.

as for your Ford illegal, I would not take it so personally. I am sure when they wrote the rules, their mindset was NOT to keep you out. If you approach them with your car, I am sure they will be happy to have you run with them and change the rules.
I did it in the late 1990s. At that time, the rules had said chev and early hemi only. When I went to them with my wedge Pontiac and later Hemi Pontiac, they were accommodating. There is no reason for that AA/Fd group to not want you. I wish you well and hope your bank roll can handle it.

 

Makes no difference to me anymore. AA/FA is where I want to race now. I hope to see you out here racing soon. Hey Fontana is going to reopen in 2014.

 

The problem, especially for NTFD's, is that there is really not much that's nostalgic about them. There are almost no 354 or 392 Hemis left, the chassis don't meet todays standards, tires are different, and so on. No boiling the Atlas Bucrons for the whole 1/4 mile like the old days.

And even with the newer stuff it's still hand grenade hemi. To be competitive all you have to do is get the car down the track, rarely is there any side by side racing.

So with modern stuff the first thing the owners do is throw money at it to try and get an edge.

Nostalgia racing is like who is fooling who? Plus throwing in some NHRA pro drivers is kind of defeating the purpose.

It's a fun deal but nostalgia it's not. I've only missed one HRR sinc they started it years ago, I can remember when it was just a fun little deal but now it's a big deal.

 

The guy that drives for me has his own AA/FA and he runs a match race circuit through IHRA around the US. He actually makes good money doing it too. That is quite an accomplishment for any fuel racer to actually make money. It has gone as quick as 5.93 but, they normally run 6.20s-6.30s. He only hurt a few pistons the entire season so, he has really progressed with his tuning knowledge.
2 weeks back, I crewed for him at a track near Miami, Fl. Quite the drive living in Az.

In this pic, I am on the left. Car owner/drive is Ron Maroney

 

The Western Fuel Altered deal looks like a fun place to race. Problem is you can only run 50% in the tank (I understand why, to keep the cost down). Still I think it's catching on. They also run a Western Funny Car deal.

I have a feeling the IHRA AA/FA is a hard nut to crack. It's and invite only deal.

The Bilnd Faith guys have been doing it for a long time, class act.

 

What I am writing about is not Western Fuel Altered and we did not run 50%. This was a match race with true fuel altered running high percentage loads.

Ron's counsin Jim run WFA. I do not think Ron runs in WFA although he helps with it. Jim normally crews for Ron but, this weekend in FL, Jim had a WFA race in Tucson so, I was asked to help out because they were shorthanded with Jim running in Tucson. WFA is a different deal.

Yes, the IHRA match race circuit is a invite prepaid agreement. They want cars and crews they can count on to help fill the stands. Ron does not disappoint.
That weekend, Ron ran against Mike Hisabeck. Both cars running in Florida out of Arizona. Obviously, the haul had to be worth it.
There is money to be made, for a few, in nitro racing. I do feel a AAFD could do the same.

 

I feel the same way.

The class is big on "TOP FUEL" and incredibly small on "nostalgia". Literally the only things "nostalgia" on the cars running today is the engine location being in front of the driver.

Not sure what all it would take to make everyone happy . . . to me, the modern stickers, billet everything (blower, heads/block, wheels), and lack of hand-painted signage kill it for me.

I hate to say it but I honestly would rather watch the modern rails go down the track. Funny cars do draw the crowds because like it was said on page 1, they at least look the part still. A lot easier to hide the modern parts/cage under a body.

Hospitality and Lodging?!?

When I was working on Andy's and Jeff's nitro funny cars, hospitality were the lawn chairs at the back of the pit and the grill. The lodging was a cot/bring your own sleeping bag in the upstairs of the trailer.

Why is someone in "Nostalgia" doing that when some of the low buck guys running the modern T/F circuit don't even do that?

 

Ego!!!!

 

As a first timer to a meet such as the CHRR, I am glad to see this conversation. Much to learn about from the "behind the scenes" guys.
Keep it up.

 

Light um up !!!!!!!!!!

Have the tire makers make up some harder tires like M & H made in the mid 60's, then run a 1/8 track and smoke them throu the lights with 2 cars at a time [ wow what a concept ]

And let the new Cacklefest cars run too then you would have the best of both worlds

New pipe 60's looking cars that are safe and smoking the tires too and two cars racing just like it was

You would fill the stands, and throw away those gumball sticky tires as all they do is kill parts

When you think about it those old iron 92's lived pretty good smoking the tires, some burned pistons and black death on the skirts were the big concern

G Don

 

Sounds great, but they (the ntf guys) will never go back. It's a lost cause.