attention NHRA and IHRA Where have all the class racers gone

[Ed Carpenter]

Originally Posted by Paul Precht

Today's stockers and (especially) super stockers are pro classes. With exception of the rare dime rocket as noted there's no way a guy can put together a quality stocker on a young man's salary. A huge percentage of all the competitive stockers in the country have engines built by the same 10 or so engine builders and they are not cheap, in earlier times a good local engine builder could at least have a chance. Stock racers by nature have pushed the envelope that brought it to this point along with the many high dollar race teams. I try not to let it bother me but it can be intimidating to see a stocker show up with a motorhome that is worth more than my 2 race cars, tow rig and house combined. What's a 20 year old kid with a pickup truck and a 78 Camaro bracket car, that want's to race stock, think when he see's today's stocker teams, he's got a better shot at dating a supermodel.

Paul I have a friend who races SS. He told me one time that your car doesn't know what trailer it came to the track in at the starting line!

[M Brand 505B]

It's knowledge/money which prohibits young people from entering stock/superstock. Spending $20k to $40k on a competitve car is not something most young people can do or are willing to. On top of that where is the help from current class racers? If these classes are to survive current racers are going to have to bring in new blood.

[69Cobra]

Originally Posted by ALMACK

Don't forget to give that young gear head a ride around the pits in a open header class car !
I was interested in race cars before my free ride, but afterwards I was hooked !


This is my first season running in IHRA Stock, but it took me 30 years to get to do it, so cost is a big issue for alot of the younger gearheads.
Plus, for the same cost, alot of the younger guys can run heads up classes in the NMRA and NMCA without fear of going "too fast"...

Alan YOU hit the nail on the head in my opinion as far as running NMRA and NMCA heads up classes. If I wasn't raised around Stock Eliminator racing there is NO WAY I would spend the money I'm spending to build a mid 10 second Stocker. For the money I'm spending to build a mid 10 stocker I could build a mid 8 second Hot Street car or a mid 9 second Mean Street car and from what I remember when I was running NMRA's Open Comp (10 years ago) the payouts with contingency put NHRA to shame and its true heads up racing. Not shoe polish. Now there is a down side to this. True heads up racing is going to be way more expensive to keep up with year after year and their car counts are now showing that. The other thing is there is no press and no prestige anymore for the NHRA sportsman racers. There's no help from the sponsors like there used to be. I can remember Dad telling me that this company would give them this or that as far as new products if they advertised that product on the car (sticker). Now again if I didn't grow up around Stock I would not know anything about Stock Eliminator racing because you don't see a Stocker at your local weekend bracket races for the most part. Now I'm lucky to go out and see IHRA Stock Eliminator Champ Phil Combs and NHRA Div 3 stand out Bill Sempsrott at my local races but most people don't even know what they are looking at when they see these cars nor do they care. When you tell them that they are class cars they have no idea what you are talking about. Then when you explain it to them they are impressed for a second and then they walk to the next tube chassis 10 second bracket car with a 555 BBC with nitrous and a PG in it and think its the coolest thing there. All in all I agree that we need to help spread the word and teach others about class racing. Like the others have said take someone to the races with you its the only way to get the awareness out there. The other side of that is the money. Its not cheap at all. But its not impossible. There are cheaper cars to get started with and for those guys the shoe polish will help them get started. Everybody has a chance with the shoe polish.

[cicero819]

Generation Y's lack of interest in cars. This is the headline most newspaper carry everyday, they're right but unfortunately many NHRA and IHRA executive have decided to ignore it. How many business you know will overcharge and have but contempt for it's customer base. Let's go back to the beginning of organize drag racing, 98.9% of cars we're jalopies or nearly used vehicle(not abused) where you had no choice but to learn how to fix it or leave it in the lane-way(if you had one) Unfortunately man being man, we can't stop improving on a good thing. We cannot ask young men and women or should we expect them to make the hyper jump to race in a top notch set-up right out of the box with their first meager paychecks, remember how it was for you, this generation have been brought up on McLife(everything done in two minutes) and Toyotas,Hondas(these are their Camaros and Mustangs of our times, even their 55's is the Civic) we don't even have a place for them to race with us, we call them rice burners and poo poo them away. So come on and give them some slack. I've written to Div1 Director and spoke about a new class to allow new style cars that allows all type of performance cars to participate at Division level(much better that having snowmobiles in the middle of summer, no matter how well they're put together it's still a snowmobile) this might bring some new blood back into the sport. Like so many of you know and I hope you remember that it was hard as a young person to separate yourself from your disposable income(why do you think it was called SCRATCH after-all). Next time you're in the lanes at a bracket race at your local track, try approaching that new racer and passing on some of that incredible experience that you possess. We the Bald, the White hairs better get with the program because our legacy will be I pods and Apple androids drag racing games for our grandchildren. Claude Ruel

[Wade Mahaffey]

They say history repeats itself, maybe we'll get lucky LOL. I feel that getting into class racing can be done on a budget...you can do like me and shoot for the index instead of the record. My approach is to move on down the scale, and away from the busy classes. Down in SS/LA there are some really fast cars, but only a hand full in the country. I love the fast cars and it would be great to be one....on someone elses money LOL. I can only hope for success on the elininator side, which is the bigger picture for me. I look at it like this, I can spend 10K on a good engine program that will run a little under the index (11.20). Or I can spend 25K on something fast (10.60)....either way I'll be looking out the rear window with a 283. Other than class, you don't get a nickel for being fast, and MPH means nothing on the eliminator side. More money allows you to look out the front window instead of the back, it does'nt stop you from racing. Also I never was a guy that wanted what everybody else had, or whatever was most competitive. I like something different (not crazy different...just not another Camaro). I like the really cool cars....that folks choose to race

Our scale has been leaning toward (reasons not to go) for a while now. It's up to those that love it to tip the scale back the other way.

Wade Mahaffey

[ALMACK]

Originally Posted by Wade Mahaffey

They say history repeats itself, maybe we'll get lucky LOL. I feel that getting into class racing can be done on a budget...you can do like me and shoot for the index instead of the record. My approach is to move on down the scale, and away from the busy classes. Down in SS/LA there are some really fast cars, but only a hand full in the country. I love the fast cars and it would be great to be one....on someone elses money LOL. I can only hope for success on the elininator side, which is the bigger picture for me. I look at it like this, I can spend 10K on a good engine program that will run a little under the index (11.20). Or I can spend 25K on something fast (10.60)....either way I'll be looking out the rear window with a 283. Other than class, you don't get a nickel for being fast, and MPH means nothing on the eliminator side. More money allows you to look out the front window instead of the back, it does'nt stop you from racing. Also I never was a guy that that wanted what everybody else had, or whatever was most competitive. I like something different (not crazy different...just not another Camaro). I like the really cool cars....that folks choose to race

Our scale has been leaning toward (reasons not to go) for a while now. It's up to those that love it to tip the scale back the other way.

Wade Mahaffey

Very good points Wade !

I like the "looking out the (front or back) window" deal.

I also cannot afford to shoot for the record.
Since there are very few cars that run in my class, I'm just happy to run the index and survive the bracket race from there.

I will not say my total to date investment for my Pure Stocker is "cheap" (about 4.5K ), it is a car I am comfortable with.

Gotta love shoe polish... it's the great equalizer.....LOL

[Lyn Smith]

I have a friend who follows the NMRA and he says most classes have half the cars in them that they had a few years ago.Some are down to just a few real die hard racers with deep pockets.IHRA ,NHRA stock is still the way to go for a young racer.Just stay away from the populated classes, and you can still race on a budget.Just get a copy of Nitro Joes stats and see who running what and where.

[Dick Butler]

Continued hand wringing about the lack of class racers. Do you reallysuppose any of the current racers would make the changes to LIMIT the cost of the class cars? WOuld they buy a Spec motor? would they help fill the lanes locally to help the new guys get interested?
Randy Wilson discussed on Return of Super Mod . Will any of you down grade the motor you have to help the project if a sponsor could be found? I suggested a car of simple motor etc which COULD still run S or SS elim at a points meet so you still are in the game at NHRA event but would create a new image people could recognize and move towards.

[Ed Wright]

Originally Posted by deuces wild

Paul I have a friend who races SS. He told me one time that your car doesn't know what trailer it came to the track in at the starting line!

That's a good one to remember.

[Myron Piatek]

Originally Posted by 69Cobra

Now I'm lucky to go out and see IHRA Stock Eliminator Champ Phil Combs and NHRA Div 3 stand out Bill Sempsrott at my local races but most people don't even know what they are looking at when they see these cars nor do they care. When you tell them that they are class cars they have no idea what you are talking about. Then when you explain it to them they are impressed for a second and then they walk to the next tube chassis 10 second bracket car with a 555 BBC with nitrous and a PG in it and think its the coolest thing there. All in all I agree that we need to help spread the word and teach others about class racing. Like the others have said take someone to the races with you its the only way to get the awareness out there. The other side of that is the money. Its not cheap at all. But its not impossible. There are cheaper cars to get started with and for those guys the shoe polish will help them get started. Everybody has a chance with the shoe polish.

Every once in a while, a Stock or SS racer can grab their attention for at least a while longer when they see that Stock or SS car with the wheels in the air and outrunning that big block chassis car! It feels good when they ask if you have a big block or nitrous when all you really have is a small block in an all-steel car. But, unfortunately, that impression still doesn't always last and they go back to the shiney, custom chassied vehicles with power adders.

As discussed, bottom line is time and money. Kids these days want to go as fast as they can afford to and not have to spend time working to get there. I always liked to tinker, experiment and improvise with what I have.and can afford. But even in "Stock" these days, you can buy too much trick, aftermarket stuff to go faster. That's making it harder on the little guy along with the economy. A 1-2 punch!