Re: Drag Pak/Cobra Jet FX classes
 

I for one like seeing the new cars out there. I have been racing stock as long or longer than most of you. And as anyone that knows my brother and myself we always try to be the fastest in the class. Our class if it's going to survive long term needs a way to get new cars and new people invovled. How can seeing Big Daddy in a car be bad for us. Guys like him will bring more press to our class than anything we could do. If we stick with the deal about how many cars needed to be built in order to run stock than our class will die a slow death. Terry lets face it they just aren't building the cars they did in the 60's threw the 80's. You either go with the times or get left behind. The only problem as we all know is the soft Hp ratings. Even when I looked at the new combo's I never though that I would see one of them able to run 9.79 at 135.63 in C/SA at Indy. If NHRA puts a hp rating that is close to where it should be then I for one think this is a great thing for stock. If they don't then it could also hurt our class badly. Charlie I also agree that the new cars need a slight advantage or no one would invest the kind of money it cost to build one. ( Excluding you of course) I just want us old car useres to be able to bring a knife to a gun fight instead of a rubber band. And Charlie as smart as you are you know there is a big difference between the P T Cruiser and the rest of the cars. If not just give John Shaul or Bryan Phillips a call.

Re: Drag Pak/Cobra Jet FX classes
 

I didn't see a baseball or a beer....................its picture, not pitcher.

Re: Drag Pak/Cobra Jet FX classes
 

Bruce Noland said "Also I don't beleive this promo stuff about this being a great deal for Stock and Super Stock. This is just a short term cash and carry deal." Yea, the cj/drag pak cars probably won't be around for very long just like the 68 1/2 cj's and 68 hemi Darts and Barracudas are now. Gee, its been such a long time since we saw a Hemi Challange with just 68 Darts and Barracudas LOL. Why don't you guys build your own CJ or Drag Pak and show us how fast they really are. If you say you don't have enough money to do that then you probably couldn't run with the same people that have the CJ's and Drag Pak's if they built a car just like yours. Here's an idea: take your old muscle car, turn it back to a street car, sell it , take the wheels and tires and use them on your new CJ or Drag pak.

Re: Drag Pak/Cobra Jet FX classes
 

Guys look what happen 1st round at Indy.
John Shaul runs into Doug Duell heads up in A/SA.
COME ON John who has one of the fastest cars COAST TO COAST.
And one of the hardest workers in stock.
He didnt stand a chance..
Gets A$@@ Clowned like a newbie in prison on the 1st day..
That should show you how BOGUS these cars are!!

Re: Drag Pak/Cobra Jet FX classes
 

Novel idea, but they didn't build that many and all of them are spoken for. There are a couple that are available at extremely high prices on the Drag Paks and those aren't done.

There are more that are affected by this that would love that choice that have never posted on Class Racer. There are not enough cars available for the ones that have posted in this thread.

Re: Drag Pak/Cobra Jet FX classes
 

It is a street car vs. factory experimental race car. Nothing that a stroke of the pen and a little shoe polish couldn't fix.

Re: Drag Pak/Cobra Jet FX classes
 

I asked myself how the synergy of this discussion would be if there was a GM offering such as a late model Supercharged Camaro or 'Vette running the same numbers and classes as the CJ's and DP's?

When the LT-1's and LS-1's were introduced years ago, I remember seeing the same type of arguments from other car makes. It would be interesting the day someone shows up at the track with a Supercharged Pontiac GTP FWD and qualifies 2 seconds under the index.

Re: Drag Pak/Cobra Jet FX classes
 

Bruce,
If you would stop cutting / pasting and leaving the original statement behind on the floor, you might understand. Here's what I said in reference to "negotiating"

"The OEM's sent their "recommendations" on DP/CJ HP levels. NHRA told them to "think some more". So yes, there was some negotiations albeit as we know now, not enough. "


A) OEM sent HP to NHRA.
B) NHRA did not accept HP.
C) OEM revised HP.
D) NHRA accepted HP.
E) HP in books.

I think the "big picture" is NHRA will straighten this out and not through the long & arduous method of using the AHFS exclusively. I see no gain for NHRA to specifically alienating and forcing 95% of the S/SS class into quiting.
Did NHRA get suckered in? Maybe. But there is no denying this move brought attention and new blood into the sport. Remember, no press is bad press.
Not everything is a conspiracy...

Re: Drag Pak/Cobra Jet FX classes
 

There is a whole lot more to it than who is offering what. The first problem you have with any of these cars is availability. Since they are not mass produced street cars like the LT1s, then not anybody can get one. You make an application and submit it for approval. Or buy one from someone that has already jumped through the hoops. Not to mention these are not cars that meet the intent of the class.

The next problem you run into is affordability. Not only the expense of these cars, but what about the spare parts? Most racers stick with a single manufacturer when they pick a car to race. It begins as a personal preference in a lot of cases, but it also has to do with parts that cross over to other applications or car changes through out a racing career.

Many of us have very limited funds and have gathered parts over the years. One of the reasons why Chevy seems to dominate sportsman drag racing is that so many of their parts fit so many cars. A Chevy guy buying a Cobra Jet or a Drag Pak is not unheard of or even a bad deal. You don't lose respect for doing it, but there is a tremendous amount of expense that extends beyond the initial purchase of a race car.

Sometimes, I think the car is the cheapest part of the equation.

Re: Drag Pak/Cobra Jet FX classes
 

In the case of the Drag Pack, I can assure you that it is absolutely true all of the time. The car lists (2009 = $37K, 2010=a six pack of beer under $40K) And then you open both doors, the trunk and the hood, and start pouring a ton more money into all of them. If you can build one for a $100K total, then I commend you. We did an awful lot of the work ourselves, and are still way over $100K total.

When the 2011's come out, that will most likely be completely different as they will come ready to race, like the Mustangs.... But hang on, before anyone starts whining about that, most of them will never hit the track as they will probably get mothballed as collector cars until we get the economy back on track and assets like collectible cars have some value again.

David
The New Hemi Guy