Nostalgia racing fans....what do you think....

Jackwagon?

 

Just my opinion here. True NTF, like the one posted are appealing to folks. Allow big block and small block Fords, Chevy, and Chrysler.

AWB cars on nitro, and real AA/FAs not funny cars with roadster bodies.

A true JR Fuel class, injected small blocks on fuel.

 

They are appealing to the fans, just not to the racers that have to build them.

Vince- get your rulebook yet??

 

Interesting read here and I think I might have something to add here.

Scott to answer your question...No I do not like the modern NTF's. Phone booth cars. Can a more era-representitive car be built? Absolutely. My friend Bruce builds an awesome looking SAFE era correct looking car.

Problem is finding enough guys or gals that are willing to spend a big chunk of money to race them. Racers are their own worst enemy. We all have egos and want to go faster each time we drag our shit out. That is why you have the "Phone booth" dragsters you see now.

I am a Funny Car guy and was tired of working in the big show. I was lucky and I mean lucky enough to find a guy that wanted to Nostalgia Funny Car racing but with Alky not Nitro. So I found a couple of others willing to do what I had in mind. Now fast forward 5 years. We have 14 BB/FC's in the association and about 6-10 races a year depending on how much we want to travel. Yes we get paid but that has always been the case for Funny Cars. Nitro or Alky.

I am very aware of the group that Marty was talking about a few pages back. They are struggling due to the fact that they can't seem to find tracks with ant interest out here. Now mind you this is the NW. We are not blessed with the track density like you have in the midwest or the east. The group out of Texas??? SW Jr. Fuel Assoc.???? They seem to have a number of races and are having fun.

My advice is build a car that is what you want. Preferably one that will find a home with others. Race your car and have fun. If you can round up 2-3-4 or 6 more that can agree to some common guidelines and meet NHRA safety specs(you need to do this to race at most any track and will save you lots of grief) you may just have something! It was a lot of work but worked out for me.

One last thing. Whatever you do build it SAFE! If you have any doubts go to an experienced race car builder. I have been to a few of these "nostalgic/outlaw" style races and there are cars there that I wouldn't put my ex-wife in!

 

Bruce, I did get the rule/tech book. I posted some info on the AHRA thread. Straight forward rules and lots of classes to race in.

 

I like the older looking cars myself . . . its a fine line though.

I do think more people are starting to come around though. There are still some FEDs out there that look like modern day REDs except the motor and the driver have switched places.

Modern jr. fuel comes to mind with the anodized aluminum/powercoated runners, junk ton of electronics, modern stickers etc.

It also looks terrible IMO to run (like its been stated) welds/centerlines and billet stuff up front.

 

X2

 

That's awesome!! Gonna steel that picture if you don't mind.....

 

I'd love that show.

 

That's what I've done with my current car. Not a FED, but it's a blast and I have a lot of fun driving it and have pride knowing I did everything myself (built chassis/engine/rear, bla, bla, bla..). One of the cool things is it's street legal...so I can take it out for a blast when the urge hits me....WhoooHoooo!

Had a few racers tell me NOT to go any quicker than I am now...as that's where the fun factor starts to go down a bit with chassis certs, physicals, upgraded safety equipment,etc. Keeping that in mind. Have to make sure all that I'll not only be able to afford the car itself, but what it takes to run it. Would hate to build something then not have the money to enjoy it.

 

Brad,
Really good points. And coming from someone who's been there.
It proves that there are no easy answers to this. " Do you send the 7 home?" If you do, you won't ever get anyone to come back. If you don't, you dilute the rules to the point that you may as well not have any.
On top of that, you have to get the track owner involved in advertising. We run in the O/T "Racesaver" 305 Sprint car series. Many times, the track owner will "talk up" the up coming event, and we have a good spectator turn out. Then sometimes, we pay to watch ourselves race.
How do you get a guy to come back when he traveled 200 miles to race to empty stands?

 

Hi Scott, I will send you your approval to the Meltdown Drags email soon when i get the list rolling. You are approved to race. Your Fiat body looks like the same style of the body we gave away for free to registered racer. We all look forward to seeing your car run at the Meltdown Drags!

 

Brad, thanks again for the coverage last year. We look forward to hanging with you next year!

 

I did see your post and replied. They made the rules for cars that do not exist and you will not get anyone or existing teams to build new out of there own pocket for an organization run out of a trunk of a car.

 

Bruce, in my opinion there are dragsters out there that will fit into the AHRA Top Fuel class. PM my your mailing address and I'll buy you a rule book to check out.

Back to watching The Big Go!!!!

 

I'm flying from the UK to visit Famoso for the HRR in October for the second time, that's how much I want to see the real thing

 

guys dont need to just run out and build more cars just to build cars. one look at the chhr or the mhhr or the heads up or the melt down to name a few and you can see there are a lot of cars out there. the problem is no organization. no one has taken the lead to put some thing together. a point series with one race a month would be a good start. simple rules and simple classes that are heads up. if union grove and byron and cordova and kaukona and cedar falls could get together we could have something big in the midwest.one race at each track. there are already some individual races through out the summer at these tracks but nothing tying them together for a series. there are plenty of cars around here and lots of spectators.

 

Hey, it was WELL deserved!
I've gone to races and car shows professionally as a magazine guy for 15 years, and if there was a show I enjoyed more, I can't think of it.

I'll be there next year for sure.

-Brad

 

Anybody catch Shirley's interview at Indy yesterday? Looks like the NHRA agrees that nostalgia is a big part of drag racing.

 

they do agree on that now they just need to find a way to suck every dollar out of us.

 

I talked to a promoter about booking us at his track he told me that if it didn't bring in an extra 500 spectators plus what came in the back gate he wasn't interested.

 

Jeff. Was that at Luskville???

 

I would say keep the speeds down and stay out of the eye of the NHRA. Out west there is the ANRA great races 5 times a year. They run NE1-3, A Gas-E Gas and two dial in classes. Top Fuel or AA/FA

ANRA.com

 

no it wasn't but all promoters take the same courses even ones that use to be racers