Atlanta fan appeal.

[art leong]

I noticed something this week at Atlanta. There were a lot of fans looking at Jimmy Ronzello's car. And a lot of them were young. I also noted that there were more fans inspecting my "wierd car" than the early style Camaro parked next to me.
I you guys want to make stock and superstock a "notalgia" thing. It's all over but the car crushing.
These younger fans can relate to a new Mustang, or a Challenger, Or believe it or not my "lowly" Neon.
They were even born when those older muscle cars were 10 years old.
And due to the hard but very true fact, that old people are a dying breed. nhra better push the newer cars. If they have any hope of surviving.

[herbjr]

Dont laugh at Neons, Darrel Cox is 30 miles from us. When we owned Piedmont Dragway we had Darrel Cox neon day, figured maybe an extra 30 cars on top of a regualar TNT day. We had 125 neons, and at least 300 people. No one over 30. 1/2 of them ran in the 7's in the 1/8. We then did a Carolina Honda day with the similar result.

Herb jr

[D.Holly]

Art and Herb, I think you are both unfortunantly correct. That is why I am excited to see any of the new cars hitting the track. Don't get me wrong, I love the old cars, but maybe that is because I'm old.
New Mustang, new Challenger, or Camaro bring them on. It will be GREAT for the sport we all love.

[Dwight Southerland]

I remember the first race of the year at the old Little Rock Dragstrip in 1967. A local dealer had a new '67 Camaro 350 SS in Stock Eliminator. Also present were about two dozen '55-'57 Chevy Jr. Stockers from around the mid-South, many of them record holders, known names, etc. We were all over the Camaro, even though it was a slug. Similar deal, different calendar.

[X-TECH MAN]

Honest question here and not meant as a put down though some will take it that way. If they are so popular then why did the sport compact concept fail so badly ??? Even the bikini show couldnt keep it floating !

[Alan Roehrich]

When the new wears off, they'll all leave for the next new thing. Not just the next new race car, the next new fad. It's called a short attention span. Seen it before. Watched two grass roots sportsman style motorsports practically die and never really recover from it.

[GUMP]

Originally Posted by X-TECH MAN

Honest question here and not meant as a put down though some will take it that way. If they are so popular then why did the sport compact concept fail so badly ??? Even the bikini show couldnt keep it floating !

The import racers that I know are mainly younger (low buck guys). They are very active on test and tune/grudge nights, but they are not keen on the rules and expense of sanctioned racing.

[art leong]

Originally Posted by X-TECH MAN

Honest question here and not meant as a put down though some will take it that way. If they are so popular then why did the sport compact concept fail so badly ??? Even the bikini show couldnt keep it floating !

nhra screwed the sport compact racing up. It got off to a great start. Then they let the high dollar guys come in and dominate. You don't have a race car but if you did how would you like it if you had to run a couple of cars in your class that had a half million dollar budget for the season. It discouraged most of the racers. And they wound up with 3 and 4 car fields.
They did it to themselves. The sport compact racers or fans are there they just have no place to race.

[Sean Haning]

Originally Posted by herbjr

No one over 30. 1/2 of them ran in the 7's in the 1/8. We then did a Carolina Honda day with the similar result.

Herb jr

I was over thirty and had owned two Neons. LOL! I met Darrell and Mike in Gainesville at an import shootout before they had the SRT, both stand up guys. Scott Mohler's parents were there waiting on Scotts arrival, they were good people also.

[Mark Yacavone]

Originally Posted by art leong

I noticed something this week at Atlanta. There were a lot of fans looking at Jimmy Ronzello's car. And a lot of them were young. I also noted that there were more fans inspecting my "wierd car" than the early style Camaro parked next to me.
I you guys want to make stock and superstock a "notalgia" thing. It's all over but the car crushing.
These younger fans can relate to a new Mustang, or a Challenger, Or believe it or not my "lowly" Neon.
They were even born when those older muscle cars were 10 years old.
And due to the hard but very true fact, that old people are a dying breed. nhra better push the newer cars. If they have any hope of surviving.

Artie, That last sentence says it all.
The imports and FWD's turn in force everytime Speedworld opens the gates for a T&T night, same as everywhere else, I'm sure.

I was just thinking the other night when I was out there, how NHRA's "enhancements " over the years ,have made it virtually impossible for a beginning racer to compete in any kind of structured "class "
racing. Even if the late model FWD's were competitive , just think what it would cost them to try it.Tow vehicles, trailers, $300 entries, 4-5 days off of work, $10 approved gas, $50 numbers and so on.
The average young guy could never afford to get started in class racing, the way we were able to.

There are some here who say about NHRA "what does it matter, another $20 -50 here or there? I can afford it"
Fact is, everytime that happens , they are pricing a few more potential racers out of their program, or forcing out a few more veterans, who've had enough.

If someone could figure out how to get these new guys into some form of structured racing they could afford, he'd have a huge customer base to draw from.....
And please don't suggest the Summit Bracket Racing series. Expecting them to compete against 30 year veteran racers in RWD cars, is not the answer.