Re: Why Class racing dies slowly
 

IMO, I think there are more races held now, between Sanctioning bodies, Associations and individual events, there are only so many races that can be attended by a Class racer with the expenses stated previously. Racers choose according to Distance and payout. When does class racing become too diluted with races to sustain large car counts?

Re: Why Class racing dies slowly
 

Rich -
You have pointed out a very valid point of analysis. The "scaling" that was attractive and an incentive in earlier days is not much of a factor now. There is surely a homeostasis that has become a major factor in analyzing attendance.

Re: Why Class racing dies slowly
 

One factor not mentioned is the old fun meter. The addition of classes, not to mention draggin bagger!!,snow mobiles, TS TD, makes a looong day for class racers, usually a time trial mid morning, then a second at 6 or 7 if lucky.

Get an oildown or rain and we have been at the track at times from 7AM to 11PM, hard to invite friends and have them sit around 10+ hours

When Topeka first opened, I remember SS TT on Sunday mornings!, kinda felt like part of the event. 3-4 TimeTrials, Class, Teardown, spread over 4 days, now one can be loaded up and on the way home Friday mornings for those weekend "honey-do" projects one was trying to avoid.

For me, gas between 2 &3.85, and race gas costs, motel bills are not keeping my 100K+ operation at home

Re: Why Class racing dies slowly
 

Randall, I always value your opinion and most others as well. I know Pure Stock has been tossed around a while, maybe? These cars in Stock and Super Stock are so far out from where we started, maybe we need to start again? Cost to race is not for the light hearted. Maybe that is why all the old guys. I think they call it 'prime earning years'. Today I think the popular is 'long easy payments' and '11 second dead stock cars'. I miss the old days of winning class to run the eliminator. Love that wagon.

Re: Why Class racing dies slowly
 

It won't die, it will grow if you sign and share this:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/n...rtsmancoverage

Re: Why Class racing dies slowly
 

Well, that's not going to happen without the NHRA rebuilding it's Tech Dept.! It would be nice to be able to just hit the "reset button" though.

Re: Why Class racing dies slowly
 

Or use a sealed motor class. No tech except check seal.

Re: Why Class racing dies slowly
 

IHRA already has Pure Stock, and they can run at the Auto Meter Northern Class Nationals. (As warned prior to last year's event, don't assume that you can show up with a traditional Stocker and put Pure Stock on the window. We DQ'd a driver last year.)

Re: Why Class racing dies slowly
 

I could be wrong on this but IF this were to become reality it would play directly into the "deep pockets" group of racers. And here's why...Sealed engine, so let's see how we make this thing faster, ceramic bearings every where BIG $$$$$$, ultra trick and lite trans, again lots of dough, $4000 aluminum converters, ultra lite axles, oils thinner than water @ $ 20 a quart, $4500 third members that will spin with a gust of wind. Yeah sounds like a sealed engine comp class to me. Good luck Dick but it's been proven over and over again that the stricter the rules, the more money gets spent. I'm not quite sure what "problem" you're attempting to fix but to me at least it looks like "Class" racing is alive and well. Joe

Re: Why Class racing dies slowly
 

As far as sealed crate engine classes go, the NMRA started a Coyote class several years back that required a sealed production line engine.

I looked into it and added up everything a competitive car would cost to build to run that type of race (heads up) and it wasn't long before it exceeded $ 21,000.

I stepped away from the idea and then bought a turn key NHRA Stocker for half that and have had no regrets since.