Re: Calif. newspaper article
 

As obsessed as most of us are with our ridiculous sport, the sad truth is that the average person feels like this.

So this article really isn't that far off.

Re: Calif. newspaper article
 

Another sensationalist journalist....Nice name....Dr.Jeremy Torstveit wrote in Dragster a few years back that nitromethane IS NOT a carcinogen.I bet he put alot of research into that! Notice the green refference,...the new buzz word,funny he didn't finish up blaming Bush for all else wrong with NHRA. Hey,..evidently he dosen't like drag racing,so go watch mud bogging,...or tractor pulling, ..opps,... no time between golf rounds at the club. Have a nice off season ...Bart

Re: Calif. newspaper article
 

Bart,
The good Dr. is very wrong about nitromethane not being a carcinogen. Why do you think the pros wear face masks in the pits; as a fashion statement? And get off your damn political BS. We're tired of hearing it!

Re: Calif. newspaper article
 

"The term carcinogen refers to any substance, radionuclide or radiation which is an agent directly involved in the promotion of cancer or in the facilitation of its propagation."

Just because something smells bad and makes your eyes water doesn't mean it is a carcinogen. Your statement holds no logic. Until you can find a study that states otherwise, I am more inclined to believe Dr. Torstveit.

The journalist is well versed in hyperbole and "weasel words" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikiped...d_weasel_words) ... even if he is correct that NHRA's presence in mainstream media is not on the same level as NASCAR's. That being said, they are two different animals, and do not need to be compared.

Re: Calif. newspaper article
 

another friggin' idiot! pencil pushing pansie !!!!

Re: Calif. newspaper article
 

Dear Dinosaurs,

Nitromethane Study,

Carcinogenicity,
Nitromethane is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen based on sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in experimental animals. When administered by inhalation, nitromethane significantly increased the combined incidences of benign and malignant tumors at three tissue sites in mice and at a different tissue site in rats. In mice, nitromethane caused harderian gland and lung tumors in both sexes and liver tumors in females. In rats, nitromethane caused mammary-gland tumors in female rats but did not cause any increased tumors in Long-Evans rats(exposed to lower levels). The International Agency for Research on Cancer also has concluded that there was suffcient evidence for the carcinogenicity of nitromethane in experimental animals.

Well of course this is just a scientific study, you know the kind that has helped advance our understanding of diseases and aging. Now lace that Nitro with some potent tire smoke and then you have a really fun ****tail.

I remember falling in love with the stuff back in the early 60's when I watched the Crazy Greek fire up his dragster for the first time. Too bad it's like everything in life that we enjoy, ie., it's bad as hell for you!
And of course it does smell funny and burn your eyes like Mike said.

Re: Calif. newspaper article
 

The National Institutes of Health says it is could be reasonably be anticipated to be a human carcinogen, but not sure it is a carcinogen due to its high oxygen content. The testing is inconclusive. Also remember that Nitromethane is not used as a 100% mixture or blend. By the way, that also make radio controlled airplane modelers bad guys when they run their Nitro mix in their model engines.

http://ntp-server.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/...RG2RevSumm.pdf

My solution is to just drink beer to cancel out the effect:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/0..._fights_cancer/

Re: Calif. newspaper article
 

Rubbish Mike. What's been everyone's favorite subject to rant about on this forum for the last two years? NHRA and fans. That's what the article is about. Let's be real shall we. NHRA gets it's money from the racers, whereas NASCAR gets theirs mainly from the fans. This explains all their TV coverage, commercials, sponsorships, etc. Fans eat that up and will pay for more.

Shoot, many NASCAR racers are even household names. For example, I asked my Mom & Dad, who are very mild race fans, if they knew any NHRA racers. They couldn't answer, so I threw out the name John Force, hoping to jog a memory. All I got was, "Didn't he advertise for Castrol?" Hey, at least they knew that. Yet, both were able to name Gordon, Johnson, Kahne, Stewart, Jarrett, and even Ken Schrader of all people! Unbelievable......

To drive the point even further, I recently purchased a "Super Six" asphalt sprint car for next year. I could never get a sponsor for my stocker (who wants to sponsor a LeBaron anyways?), yet I have people asking me if I'd like to have them sponsor my sprint car. Incredible! Well, they know that lots of fans go to their local circle track, especially on Grand Nationals night, and will patronize businesses they see advertised on cars.

NHRA doesn't cater to the fans anymore, and they're not worried. If they want a pay raise, they can simply create classes to attract more racers. More racers equals more money. So the guy who wrote the article hit the nail right on the head. However, will lack of fans be the demise of NHRA? No. If there's hundreds of cars lined up at the local drag strip's front gate prior to opening, then what are we scared of?

Re: Calif. newspaper article
 

I guess my saying "they do not need to be compared" was another way of saying, "Don't bother comparing them, because they're never going to be comparable." They each have positives and negatives.

Bruce - thanks for the added info. That at least sits a lot better than "Why do you think the pros wear face masks in the pits?" Otherwise, you'd have people banning the peeling of onions in the kitchen! ;)

Re: Calif. newspaper article
 

I think the comment Oclk Dlux wrote about his parents only recognizing John Force's name when they associated it with Castrol. If you look at the most recognizable names in Nascar, they have been associated with the same brand for longer periods of time. Look at the frenzy that was created with Dale Jr when it was announced he wasn't going to have Budweiser as a sponsor. It led to a live telecast to announce his new sponsors!

I think that Force is clearly the most recognizable name in drag racing. The show driving Force has probably alerted more folks from non-racing arenas to know his name as well just because of the "drama" show on TV. People that tune in to see someone "Flip that house" are now introduced to a family that drag races.

I truly believe the best way we as sportsman can promote our sport is to be as friendly as possible when fans come walking through the pits. They need to know that we are regular people that work regular jobs, work on our stuff over the winter and between races. They need something to associate us with.

I think if they know that Joe ABC is a union electrician, or that Sally ABC is CPA, etc. They need to know that we have been racing the same cars for 20 years, or that the motor has 400 runs on it, or that you used to drive it to high school, etc. Naming the cars like was done in previous years can help out as well.
Take a name like "Steel CIty Wedge". You can immediately associate that with someone from Pittsburgh if the car was racing at Bristol or other tracks a far distance from their home. I was at Hagerstown last weekend and it was the first time I have heard an annuncer call my car " The Mountain State Mustang". I only run there a couple times per year, but that could be the difference between someone in the stands saying "Hey, I remember that car from last year" and "I think I remember seeing that white Mustang here before"

It also helps if the announcer is more familiar with sportsman racing and can tell the crowds about the drivers as well as the cars. Whether we are running a crate motor car, comp eliminator, or a hot rod or super gas, the crowd needs to know more about the person sitting in the drivers seat. In certain markets, such as North Carolina area for IHRA and the Northeast Division for NHRA, the announcers and the fans get to see the competitors more frequently, and thus are more familiar with the drivers.

In other markets though, such as instances, maybe in the western region of the country, in which competitors travel 8-12 hours to get to a race, names and cars won't be as familiar. I think both sanctioning bodies should put more efforts in telling the fans about the drivers. NASCAR promotes the drivers and their sponsors. They don't promote the cars. Fans can assoicate with that. Gear-heads are more interested in the cars that race, but I think casual fans are generally more interested in the drivers and the story that goes with them.