Is Nostalgia Top Fuel Dying out?

Gee, that sounds just like what we were doing at Fremont in the 80's, at the begining's of nostalgia racing.
If you were there, you know how good it was.

 

I think they're boring. Also not all that true to the OG's IMO. Also, they're responsible for too many oil downs @ Famoso. 9 outta 10 I'm in the stands there for a very short time if the dragsters are running and there's an oil down. And the cleanup time will make you crazy. Tedious

 

Another good point about the oil downs. It just kills the show.

 

Pete, It's hard to describe the fun we had back then, isn't it? This video represents how "cheap" it was.



http://youtu.be/xKv1AnWIMRo

 

Hey Pete, the Old Master when it became the Wheeler Dealer was the first TF car I ever got to work on...that doesn't matter to anyone but me, but it does matter to me. I followed the Don Long build in Hot Rod, then as the Ed Pink car. I'm glad you. Fought it back, just wish it was the candy striped nose piece body, ha!!!

I'm the guy that found then owned the Surfers II car ( for a very short time) before I passed it on to Tom Hanna.

You never forget your first though...(top fuel car, that is)

 

Yes, top fuel is on the way out. Mainly because of the oildowns and the fans ability to identify with the funnys. the racer that was to blame for the one and 1/2 hour oildown was told to park it and don`t come back until you get a handle on it because you do this every pass. the only good thing about it was i got to bs with austin coil on the starting line the whole time. the money thing won`t stop until nhra puts alot more restrictions on the two top classes. We went through 6 pistons and 3 clutches, entry fee, 1900 dollars worth of hotel rooms and food and the owner was happy. NFC 7800 We went out first round.

 

Who was told to park the car?

 

Somehow, I botched up a simple thing. I am on the right in the pic, not the left. I am standing on the left side of the car. Sorry for the goof.

 

Hi Surfrider

I was lucky to be asked to go to Don Long's shop when Eric Dhalquist was doing his interview while Don was building the ' Old Master '

So Don let me wander around his shop while they were talking, and just admired his fine craftsmanship with his aircraft type of fitting the joints together

I was a welder in the Cal Air Guard and knew what good work looked like and it was first class and at the time the best you could buy

I'am glad that Pete gave that beauty a tune up for all to see how great it looked back in the day

That nite is one that I will never forget looking at that fine pipe setting in the fixture

G Don

 

We got the word yesterday the NHRA would not allow our engine combo (BBF) to run in NTF or NFC. The NHRA would not remove the bore spacing rule. Per the rule you can't even modify the block to make it fit their rules. The rule was only put in a few years ago post VRA Goodguys. Funny, we can't run a 45 year old block and heads, but a trick AJPE billet block and heads with a 44 amp mag is just fine. Or a Chevy with Arias hemi heads is A-OK. No answer was given as to the reason why.

We even had some heavy hitters going to bat for us with, "The Powers that be."

Well enjoy your short NTF fields and 2 hour oil downs.

What a F-ing joke.

 

Too bad. Talking to old guys like me at the CHRR we ALL felt to a man, we'd rather see 6.50's or even 7's instead of the "modern" old cars ( oxymoron anyone?), IF they had the look. But hey! What do we know? It will never happen though, not with the current crop of racers and the NHRA!
The "nostalgia" FC's put on a much better show.

 

Screw NHRA...

 

X2 When people ask me if my comp coupe will pass nhra specs I normally answer with F**K nhra ,, I got my fill of them years ago,, Tim Jones

 

Yeah, but it's the racers as much as the NHRA really.

 

Yeah I'll have to agree with you there Gary, back in the 80's an 90's I worked on a bunch on indepentdent top fuel and funny cars, and there was always someone with a bigger pocket book out there, As I layed under a fuel motor polishing a blackened crank to go one more round , the guy we were racing was dropping in another bullet fresh out of the trailer, but from what I see now days, I'd say we had more fun Tim Jones

 

These guys got it right on ... Exhibition side by side racing

 

i always felt there should be a a/fuel and b/fuel. a fuel for aluminum block and head cars. b/fuel for iron engines. at least it would some what level the playing fields and everyone wins fans and racers.

 

It's sad, but the ship has sailed.

 

WHY? an iron block will make more power, you just cant fix it when something goes terribly wrong, With alu there is repairablity. My iron block lasted a year whereas the alu block I now have has lasted me 17 years, 24 sleeves, one main saddle , 2 head studs, 4 thread inserts. The main issue is that "THE PROMOTER/SANCTIONING BODY" did not mandate stock bore dia sleeves.

 

the a and b field would allow those that want to spend the big bucks to do just that and go as fast as they want. the iron block class is limited on how fast they can go due to durability. a iron block may make more power but not for long. now the fan that wants to see the fastest thing on four wheels regardless if it looks right and the guys crying for a more period correct looks get what they want. there has always been a division amongst the ranks big money and the down on bucks guys. so make two classes for two different pocket books.

 

Really Top Fuel started dying in 1968 or so. Funny cars have been more popular ever since , AND, if not handicapped by weight could run just as fast or faster in the "Big Show". It's just a fact, you may not like it but that doesn't change reality.
It's up to racers to change the class or not. Fuel racing has ALWAYS been an expensive endeavor. I have magazines from the 50's with letters and articles griping about the unfair advantage "rich guys" have. Well no kidding! Kinda true all across the board isn't it? Take out the word "nostalgia",( which I hate and is silly), and this whole conversation could have taken place in the late 60's. Things NEVER change. Racers gripe.

 

But the pocket book that has the most power is the promoters and he does not give a tripe about it.
As long as the fans come into the gate (and they do) why should he come up with 2 seperate payouts. Get the "B" group to pay to run with zero comming back and the promoter would be happy to have them.

 

Another idea might be: No payout (from the promoter for this "vintage" class) no entry fee for car and x number of crew members. More cars should, over time, equal more spectators. Historically, promoters want to make money at the front (spectator) AND pit gates.

The economy has a huge effect, as do oil-downs. Interest in fuelers is not dying.

 

Cant do that either. By paying an entry you are really buying track insurance to cover you and the track.
This guy came up to my house the other day and asked my wife if we wanted the tree in front trimmed, She called me and I asked her if it was a licensed gardener, no, its just some guy looking for work. I told her to get him off the property NOW!!!

 

True enough, BUT, classes that DO NOT pay an entry fee, and DO race for a purse are covered by the event insurance. The cost of that coverage is absorbed by the promoter. I speak from experience that those classes DO exist.

The point is: Even if class participant numbers are down, the reasons are many and may change by the very next event. The current trend seems to be down, BUT, the love of fuelers will never die.

 

But your first statement was no entry fee and no purse and let the crew in for free. A car or group can be bought in by the track or promoter under contract to perform a service for which is covered by the tracks insurance. Its the payed ticket in hand that forms the contract between the person and the insurance.

 

the promotor does not have all the power. if there are no cars that are willing to race there is no race they need each other. only a newbe racer would thrash his car for free. if you have a good show to offer the promotors will pay. if you have a rep of poor performance and oil downs you will not get booked in thats a fact. the car counts were down at the mhhr and chhr. in years past the teams would get some tow money. the west coast cars got money to do good guys and bowling green and the midwest guys got money to go west. this is no longer being paid adding to low car counts for both ares of the country. is it me or did it just seem like a waste of good cars to run altereds at the reunion in a exhibition class. they were running hard pair after pair. why not just run a class for them. the reasons are many for the nitro classes shrinking.

 

Cant say much about the back east Re-onions but the CHRR entries were at the limit (because of other events there is a limited entry) and the entries at the MM are limited do to pit space. When GG's left, so did the tow monies, partly to going back east to INDY only to get rained out (happened a lot) I went back east twice and put on a good show, never oiled, went fast and nobody ever gave me a little somthing extra in my payout for the effort. If the racers are willing to run for free on their own dime, why would the promoter want to offer them a purse. On the west coast here the MM and CHRR are the only events in nostalgia racing that draw a crowd, you could put on they same event at another time and not draw the same crowd as it took years to get it to that level and by holding more events of this type would only serve to delute the nature of it.

 

It's really too bad good guys dropped the racing from its shows. The back to back weekends were great. The field was full and the racing action hot. Good times

 

Without the financial backing the MM provided, all other races did not make enough money worth the investment. A business cannot survive by spending $1 only to make a nickle. The Host track for the MM needed that financial kick the MM provided to make major inprovments to the venue which it needed very badly and something that just track rental could not provide alone.