Stocker almost wins PINKS ALL OUT--Seattle
 

Congratulations to 18 yr. old Dallas Glenn for almost pulling it off with Tom Turner's Dr. Injector Corvette, wheelstanding his way into the 2 out of 3 hotlap competition at Pacific Raceways this past Saturday night. The crowd went wild all day long every time he launched, as it appeared to be a 10.30 - 10.40 group of cars that were picked, even though there were a ton of 9 second cars available. The winner was Dave Wakefield in his 70' Chevelle. The only other stocker I saw there was Gary Johnson's Red Dawg 70' Olds F/SA driven by Russell Stevenson. I didn't see any SS cars in attendance.
It was interesting watching this process,, shooting the show, which by now is a pretty well oiled machine. There were thousands of fans in the stands all day,,,not leaving like they do at national events after T/F, F/C and Pro Stock are over,,,and this is basically just a ton of bracket cars! Go figure,,, please tell me it isn't because of the little bald headed guy! Well,, at least he did'nt dump a bike this time,,LOL.
Danny Durham

Re: Stocker almost wins PINKS ALL OUT--Seattle
 

It was a real interesting spectacle. I would love to see a comparison in attendance to the Seattle NHRA national event. The stands were packed and as Danny said the crowd was loving just regular cars. Especially all the guys putting on the show with across the starting line burn outs.
My friend was in it and never made the cut at least he can say he drives his car that runs 10.80 to the track. We were sitting there for the longest time saying to each other something is really different about this crowd compared to at a national event. And we finally figured out what it was. They were all true car enthusiasts not a bunch of head bangers just there to see the nitro cars. The stands were just as packed when 12 second street cars were running as when the quick 8 were running. And any car that popped its hood in the pits instantly had a crowd around it checking it out.
I would say it was good entertainment value also; $20 to get in and they didn’t charge for parking!
It is absolutely nothing like what we do but the NHRA better be looking over its shoulder for where the public’s entertainment dollar is going.

Re: Stocker almost wins PINKS ALL OUT--Seattle
 

forgot to mention there was a SS car; Peter Willie in his SS/AH Cuda

Re: Stocker almost wins PINKS ALL OUT--Seattle
 

as much as i can't STAND Pinks, All-out is pretty good to watch and has most likely done more for drag racing than NHRA lately..
i like Passtime, too.


and it IS a different crowd, or at least the drunk behind me was....
TV does kinda bring out the mildly interested and the never been exposed to it bunch.
i don't see that as a bad thing....

Re: Stocker almost wins PINKS ALL OUT--Seattle
 

I agree. I got some flack for even bringing up Pinks All Out after running the event at Z-Max in Concord. When you enter the event you know it is for television and have to accept the tv cameras, camera personnel and all of the formalities. The stands were packed and at times the sound was like being in a professional football stadium with over 30,000 screaming, standing, waving and flashing camera flashes. When they made a reference to the crowd during the actual tv show what you hear on tv was nothing like being on that track, being in the pits getting ready for the next round or sitting in the stands. I have already made this statement before and I have gotten some flack for it, but NHRA, IHRA and other drag racing events have got to question what is being done here to draw this number of spectators and cars to these events over and over again. As you said these are not multi-million dollar, professional type cars and racers and spectators did not get up and leave there seats for a group of cars. These are the same cars that can be seen in Stock/Superstock events and the week-end foot-brake and bracket events. Like him or not he is filling 450 car fields, classed cars based on your et, in less than 20 minutes on your computer, filling the manufacturer's mid-way and certainly jamming the stands and the pit area with spectators. The spectators and racers are young and old, you have racers who have been racing "for ever" and you have young men and women, 18, 19, 20 years old, racing in 50's, 60's and 70's model cars, wheels up, running the car flat out, there is no brake lights or nose dropping when you runs these races.

Re: Stocker almost wins PINKS ALL OUT--Seattle
 

Can you imagine if they held a PINKS ALL OUT at POMONA ????
Or Famoso (Bakersfield) ????
OUTRAGEOUS CROWDS !!!!!

Re: Stocker almost wins PINKS ALL OUT--Seattle
 

You're right Bill,,,I forgot about the wheelstanding 4-speed Hemi Cuda,,,ol' fart syndrome strikes again!! My apologies to Peter as that car always puts on a good show. You saw him when he chased down the W/SA Pinto at the National Open at Bremerton earlier this summer, in the combo, I hope.
Danny Durham

Re: Stocker almost wins PINKS ALL OUT--Seattle
 

The biggest draw is the heads up competition between cars that most people can relate to. No throttle stops or spot in the tree and the admission price is reasonable. They make a killing on concessions and souveneirs. Just my thoughts.
Mark

Re: Stocker almost wins PINKS ALL OUT--Seattle
 

I was lucky and got one car in the ALL OUT race at US 131. I tried to get all five race cars in, but no luck. They sold out in 3 minutes, The one in Maryland sold 500 spots in 30 seconds. I went looking to have some fun and meet some new racers and I did. Made new friends from Indiana and Northern Michigan. The place was packed and I laughed out loud as the announcers made a 12.50 et race sound exciting and it was. Several stock and super stockers were there, the same weekend as the NHRA Points meet in Stanton, MI. (how many spectators were there) I ran 10.80's and they picked 10.30's. That's what happens...After seeing the well oiled PINKS ALL OUT in action, I asked several racers, "what would you rather OWN?, the NHRA? the IHRA? or PINKS ALL OUT? The same answer from everyone, PINKS ALL OUT. What a gold mine, the PINKS ALL OUT crew liked US 131 and I've heard they will be back in two years.
As a racer who relies on sponsorship to get the race cars to the track, I HAVE NEVER SEEN SO MANY SPECTATORS at US 131 before looking only at SPORTSMAN race cars. The stands were packed and the fences on both sides were 5-7 deep the length of the strip on both sides. I've had "advertisers" of my race cars that have been involved for 5-10 years show up at this race for there FIRST EXPOSURE at LIVE drag racing because they became a fan of the race because they saw it on SPEED TV.. No Top FOOLERS, etc....the SPORTSMAN racers were the SHOW.....not a fill in....and the line up for the PINKS ALL OUT gear was HUGE....I had a camera on myself or my white/gold 69 Camaro around six times, we'll see if the we get any TV action on September 24th on Speed TV or the highlight show later. I had a great time and hope to get a stocker in victory lane at US 131 the next time. PINKS ALL OUT has its faults, but all in all its great for door slammer-sportsman drag racing.

Phil

Re: Stocker almost wins PINKS ALL OUT--Seattle
 

I was involved with PInks at Norwalk last year and it was the most fun you could have for a $50(?) entry. We didn't make the final cut but we still had a blast. I never had so many people inquire about my car before. The crew from Pinks were very accommodating. Norwalk..sold out of seats, it was incredible!!!

Re: Stocker almost wins PINKS ALL OUT--Seattle
 

Dont Imagine anymore Pinks is coming to Famoso in September 11th 12th has been sold out for a year!!!

Re: Stocker almost wins PINKS ALL OUT--Seattle
 

Danny we attended Pinks all out last year when they came to Sonoma with the 68 Firebird the Impala and even Mulry blew the moth balls out of the 74 bird, The crowd was unbeliveable they were in the stands
all day and packed the pits. Driving to the staging lanes was like the old Fremont days weaving threw
people to get to the lanes and they let everyone park on the CEMENT!!!!! if they wanted.We had a Great
time and that was a Quote from Mulry Also!! lol.

Re: Stocker almost wins PINKS ALL OUT--Seattle
 

>>>"but all in all its great for door slammer-sportsman drag racing."

But, it's still Bracket Racing... it's not DRAG RACING, per se, because you can still lose by going too quick.

Rich Christensen has rhe smoke an mirrors machiene going full-tilt in order to convince the great unwashed in the stands (and, on TV) that this is heads-up drag racing.

It's not.

It may be the best thing to hit our sport, commercially, since nitromethane, but it's still not drag racing.

Drag racing is where you can outrun somebody HEADS UP with no chance of losing by going too quick.

"All Out" is a misnomer, because if you reset your timing for more performance, and run your car ":All Out," in the next round and go quicker, you wil be disqualified. That's the way it's done in Bracket Racing, and for good reason.

Rich has his lackeys in the tower monitoring the sandbaggers and keeping them honest. That's the only way this game will work.

It LOOKS LIKE drag racing and it SOUNDS LIKE drag racing, and maybe the way things have evolved, this is the best they can do... It sure packs 'em in!

I am elated that it puts butts in the seats, and garners decent TV ratings; Hell, somebody may even acquire a sponsorship because of what goes on at these "races," but in the final analysis, the only REAL drag racing that goes on these days is in Stock and S/S class eliminations at national events, and when two like-classed cars meet in an eliminator "heat."

Too bad the audience at NHRA and IHRA events are not aware of that... they might not head for the concession stands when the Stockers run...

Christensen has found a way to sell a cleverly-conceived product that looks and sounds like one thing, but is in fact, something completely different.

He might be related to P.T. Barnum... ya think???

Re: Stocker almost wins PINKS ALL OUT--Seattle
 

Bill as I stated-- PINKS ALL OUT has its faults----

I had written a paragraph about its faults, but I deleted it before I replied. Lets think about the positives, I try to all the time. I've been a stocker racer since 1967 and trust me ALL drag racing has its faults especially todays and I quote you--the only REAL drag racing that goes on these days is in Stock and S/S class eliminations at national events, and when two like-classed cars meet in an eliminator "heat."---

This is a post about PINKS ALL OUT, and as a fellow participant in a PINKS ALL OUT Race, I am going to quote Terry Knott-- it was the most fun you could have for a $50--- It was fun and it was 50 lousy dollars, not 190 to 240 dollars.

Phil

Re: Stocker almost wins PINKS ALL OUT--Seattle
 

In Seattle if you were a defender you couldn't go to fast, if you were a contender they had a limit you could pick up. I think the number was 2 tenths and they better not hear you let up before the stripe. Of course there are ways to pick up a little each round.

Re: Stocker almost wins PINKS ALL OUT--Seattle
 

Harry-you are correct a 2/10th cushion..

Phil

Re: Stocker almost wins PINKS ALL OUT--Seattle
 

Whatever you guys do, Dont take the wife and kids to a PINKS All out race then take them to a divisional or a national event Big Mistake. I still do not have a good explanation as to why we pay a 1000.00$ to attend a national event or 800.00$ plus dollars for a divisional to maybe win 8k and be a four day event with hours of down time no Fans, When we can just go to PINKS all out and race for two days for 300.00$ and have a chance to win 14k paid in cash not by IOU and watch the same kind of cars Daddy races All day.

The Z-Max episode Four wide is by far the coolest episode yet..

Re: Stocker almost wins PINKS ALL OUT--Seattle
 

Phil, I hold NHRA/IHRA class racing (Stock and S/S) in a special place in my hierarchy of racing, and the fact that it contains SOME heads-up/No Breakout racing is the reason.

It's drag racing, pure and simple.

I am not sorry that Pinks All Out exists, and in many ways, it seems like a lot better deal for the racer than class racing... and I am sure that the exposure it gets really IS good for drag racing, in general.

My only contention was that I do think it's disingenuous in that, although they never actually CALL IT heads-up racing, the feeling (and, maybe this is just ME) is that they're presenting a show of heads-up, no breakout racing.... and, they're not. "All Out" would be a show with no breakout... and, we know that's not gonna happen, and we know why.

Like I said, maybe this is the best they can do, and judging from the turn-away crowds, they must be doing something right...

Who knows; maybe Rich Chrsitensen might go on to buy NHRA... somebody needs to.

Thanks for listening.

Re: Stocker almost wins PINKS ALL OUT--Seattle
 

For John (and someone already mentioned this), PINKS All-Out will be at Bakersfield in just a few weeks. The event sold out within' hours of the registration banks opening, several months ago.

Bill...it has been a long time, my friend. You really have a strong (and somewhat negative) opinion about PINKS All-Out. I can't and won't try and change your opinion, but I do want you to know that I participated in the All-Out event in Las Vegas, and left with a very good impression about Rich Christensen's production, which really is NOT as smoke-and-mirrors as some folks unfortunately think.

The bottom line is, TV is gonna be TV, and "real life" is what it is. Even the NHRA broadcasts I watch and events I attend have me on the edge of wanting to gag sometimes, when it becomes WAY too obvious that "the pros" are all that matter--to the sanction, and to the throngs who vacate the stands when Stock thru Comp are making their runs. As someone said earlier in this thread, in person, the PINKS programs bring out folks who don't need to be beer blasted, to enjoy, hoot and cheer, for cars running 10s, 11s and even 12s, in predominately side-by-side fashion.

I wrote a piece for 5.0 Mustang & Super Fords magazine about my PINKS All-Out experience. Here's a link, if you'd like to check it out. Hope all is well, Bill. Maybe we'll run into each other again at some point. It has indeed been a long, long time.

http://www.mustang50magazine.com/tec...out/index.html

Re: Stocker almost wins PINKS ALL OUT--Seattle
 

Stock and Superstock use to fill the stands the same way in the 60s and early 70s. I think we dialed in-under and out with the fans.

Re: Stocker almost wins PINKS ALL OUT--Seattle
 

I made the TV show here in Las Vegas with my old Ford Thunderbolt. It was quite an experience for sure.
The stands were packed almost llike an NHRA national event. They even cheered like crazy when you lose!

Re: Stocker almost wins PINKS ALL OUT--Seattle
 

REPLY TO HARRY:

When I started racing in 1961 there were drag strips all over where I lived Fremont, Half Moon Bay Lodi
etc. There were more spectators every week than there are at most divisionals now. I think the main reason is those damn throttle stop cars! I know, great drivers, close races etc. but at a divisional and National event there are HUNDREDS OF 'EM! A lot of old time racers I know won't even go to watch anymore. Sorry....just the way I see it.

Re: Stocker almost wins PINKS ALL OUT--Seattle
 

Hey everyone! Its Dallas, I would just like to say thanks to everyone, we had a blast at pinks, the car ran great and the crowd loved the wheelstands. It was really incredible to see how packed and full of noise the stands were. According to Rich, it was the best episode they had ever filmed, although I think the 4 wide at ZMax is going to be to hard to beat. But personally I really want to see what the show looks like when it airs, especially the 2 in-car cams they put in :D I want to see what kind of goofy faces I make when it leaves.
See you at the track!
Dallas Glenn