NHRA unleashed or is it unlashed
 

Is NHRA sending a message to the racing world, come back we love racers or are they just feeling their way through a new mine field. Is this the a new way to see if they can bring enough cars to fill in during the circus show? I hope not. Nice to see that Competition can scare Compton to get off his high horse and compete.CR

Re: NHRA unleashed or is it unlashed
 

It's neither; it's "UNLATCHED."

Re: NHRA unleashed or is it unlashed
 

unlashed= definition for lash is stroke with whip. My meaning was for NHRA to stop whipping their racers. Sorry if I was reaching.CR

Re: NHRA unleashed or is it unlashed
 

As in "somebody left the gate..."

Re: NHRA unleashed or is it unlashed
 

Cyclone great line, but why is NHRA is spending so much energy on people who aren't interested in them.

Re: NHRA unleashed or is it unlashed
 

I really don't understand the alienation towards one of the "original" classes that has been here since the beginning. As it has been hashed out many times before, they should enlighten the beginners and then unleash them, such as jr dragster, to stock or super classes. It seems that everyone wants it all too fast and go from jr to TF, you burn out and not fade away.

I understand I will race by myself, no crew or help, therefore much above stock is out of the question for me. I will be content there.

Just my .02

Re: NHRA unleashed or is it unlashed
 

There are a lot of younger racers who build cars with tubular K-members and power adders. They don't want the added weight and inconvience of working around the stock K-member and believe if power adders are the easy way to add horsepower why not do it. They also want to race heads up.

These are the racers NHRA is trying to bring into the fold. They are already racing with other sanctioning bodies and NHRA is just trying to tap into an existing market.

The Stock and Superstock racers won't build the Unleashed type of cars and the Unleashed racers have little interest in all the restrictive rules and handicaped starts that go along with Stock/Superstock classes. So NHRA has created a separate racing series.

I also don't think the Unleashed racers would put up with the treatment we get in relation to the pros so the unleashed series doesn't have them. With the diminishing number of pro cars it makes me wonder how things will end up

Re: NHRA unleashed or is it unlashed
 

NHRA Unleashed is the Pinks All Out of the NHRA. They are sending out emails to racers from the Pinks All Out entries. It's a lot cheaper than Stock/SuperStock at a National Event and according to emails the schedule is already expanding next year to a track near you. I've said this before, it didn't take NHRA long to realize that there was a lot of cars and a lot of spectators on the other side.

Re: NHRA unleashed or is it unlashed
 

I notice on Dragzine that the stands were empty, why not bring to NHRA 10.5 and some of the other classes, we could stand some new blood. I was hoping that Super Gas,Super Comp and super street was going to bring young new blood, I know people are going to bash me for this but get rid of throttle stops. CR

Re: NHRA unleashed or is it unlashed
 

Ive been bashed for years about stuff so get used to it....lol. Good idea about getting rid of the throttle stops and build your car to run the index. Ive said this forever.

Re: NHRA unleashed or is it unlashed
 

In my opinion going to one of these races is nothing like a Pinks race. It is more like going to a Divisional race.

The rules are more like an old AHRA rule book.

FTI X-TREME STREET TECH CARD $150.00
OCT 22,23,24th @ SGMP

n/a SB 2500lbs
n/a BB short deck conventional head 2900lbs
n/a BB tall deck conventional head 3000lbs
n/a BB short deck big chief 3000lbs
n/a BB 10.2 tall deck big chief 3150lbs
28 X 10.5 nonW slick or 275 drag radial

Nitrous Small Block: 2600 lbs
Nitrous Big Block (10.2 deck okay,: 3200 lbs add 150 lbs for Big Chief

Add 50 lbs on all nitrous combos w/non stock suspension, must have stock frame rail

Big Chief combos max 3 kits

supercharged (SB only)- 3100lbs base weight with F1C or Ysi
add 100lbs for F1R/Xi or
add 150lbs for Z trim or =
add 200lbs for F2
add 50lbs for non inline head
deduct 50 lbs for non intercooled
add 50lbs for non stock suspension; must have stock frame rail notch okay
gear drive okay
28 X 10.5 nonW slick or 275 drag radial

single turbo (SB only)- 3100lbs base weight with 80 mm
add 100lbs for bigger than 80 mm
add 150lbs for 88 mm
add 200lbs for 94 mm
add 100lbs for non inline head
deduct 50lbs for non intercooled
add 50lbs for non stock suspension, must have stock frame rail - notch okay
28 X 10.5 nonW slick or 275 drag radial

twin turbo's (SB only)- 3300lbs base weight max 67 mm
add 50 lbs 70 mm
add 150lbs 76 mm
add 200 lbs 80 mm (must run on 275)
add 100lbs for non stock suspension, must have stock frame rail notch okay
28 X 10.5 nonW slick or 275 drag radial
Leaf springs - 100#
No wheelie bars
Mufflers required on non turbo charged entries
Progressives okay
7531 okay
Lexan okay
Fiberglass okay
Alcohol -Ok
Auto Trans or Factory clutch type manual (clutch assisted okay)
REDUCER

$15,000 to the winner
My guess is that there will be close to 100 racers running in this class alone. In the Feb race they took the first 32 qualified for the original. purse. The promotor then took the next 30-40 cars and put in $5000 for the "B-Main" so everyone that made the tow could race.

There were almost 500 cars at the race I participated in Feb. The one in Oct should be even bigger.

NHRA is trying to tap into this market but doesn't have a clue how to do it. They had to go in the back door by using ORSCA to run the races for them. The only carrot NHRA has to offer is the chance you will be on TV. NHRA is trying to package it like a Pinks race for TV. From racers I've talked with it is all about the show and not the racing. I guess one good thing the show has going for it is that Paul Page isn't doing the announcing.

Today at Indy it looks like they have around 30 cars for the four true classes and around a hundred in the seven Billy Meyers type classes (index for you young types).

Re: NHRA unleashed or is it unlashed
 

Lots of folks are leaning toward this type of racing because it is a 2 day weekend only event. In these economic times it is very hard to take 4 or 5 days off for a National event and the divisional races aren't much shorter.

We have converted an old Super Stocker to run in Hot Street and I built a LS1 powered Vega to run a 8.5" true street tire class. Both are heads up classes and a lot of fun.

These races are more akin to the old days at Orange County International Raceway. You are going to see some of the most unique cars on the planet, with all the power adders, tubing, intercoolers, scoops, wings and stuff.

These guys are serious racers that you won't see at an NHRA race. Tom Compton and his cronies see the number of Racers at these events and think they are missing our on what is rightfully theirs, drag racers. They have gotten to big for their britches over the last decade and forgotten about the "Grass Roots" racers. Add to the mix the restrictive rules structure and you have made a perfect venue for other Associations to spring up, PSCA, NMRA...

There is no heads up racing with doorslammers in the NHRA and folks don't like that. I know you can say Class Eliminations are heads up but how many classes have multiple rounds for a win? One or two rounds a couple times a year?

Stock and Super Stock cars are the best thing on the planet but not everyone is willing to build one due to the cost, rules and limited venues to run them. For the same money you can build a 7 second heads up car, and no Graham Light at the races!

Re: NHRA unleashed or is it unlashed
 

One Question?
The index classes 11.0, 12.0, and 13.0. Are they shoepolish classes or is it heads up?

Re: NHRA unleashed or is it unlashed
 

They are heads up on a 5/10ths Pro tree. This is ideal for all those who have been pushing their agenda over the years for more and more heads up runs.

There were several stockers in attendance and we did not even have to check their carb sizes.

Travis

(Disclaimer: Opinions expressed by me on this forum are exactly that, my opinions.)

Re: NHRA unleashed or is it unlashed
 

So Travis were you at Indy helping with the tech?

Give us your assestment of how the race went.

I've been to few of these type of races and I don't see any agenda other than racers getting together with basic rules having fun.

Re: NHRA unleashed or is it unlashed
 

Terry,

Let's add to that the delay boxes as well. Get rid of these two things and drivers will have to go back to driving their cars.

Robert Swartz

Re: NHRA unleashed or is it unlashed
 

Maybe we need some clarification of terms here.
If you have a heads up 13.0 class, then you could just run in it with an 11.0 car or a 9.90 car for that matter.
Or, is it zero breakout, even start , like the .90 classes?
If that's the case, what about throttle stops from the 60' to the 1000' trap, 565 R-M motors, trans brakes and so on , or is the winning mph limited, like it should be?
In that case, what are we saying here? The fans can understand breakouts, but not handicap head starts?

I don't suppose you can deep stage in the NHRA 13.0 class ? hahaha

Re: NHRA unleashed or is it unlashed
 

You get your wish Robert, there are NO delay boxes or timers in the index racing. Just manual fixed throttle stops.

Of course some of them use adjustable release trans buttons which all you are well informed about.

Re: NHRA unleashed or is it unlashed
 

As an example, the same applies to all the heads up index classes. If you are in the 13 second class, you race only other cars in the 13 second class. There is no eliminator against other classes. First to the finish line without going quicker than 13 second is the winner because a breakout is in effect. If both cars go quicker than 13 seconds, the least under is the winner. Deep staging is allowed. 5/10ths Pro tree in 11,12,and 13 second. 4/10th in the others.

I teched at the Indy Unleashed. The rules are on NHRA.com. in the Unleashed section. The series is still new but is similar to other heads up groups that have been around for awhile. There were several Stockers running the 11 and 12 second classes. Lots of S/G and S/ST cars were in the 9.00, 9.50, and 10.00 second index classes. Pretty much anything goes in the index classes. They mainly have to meet NHRA safety rules for the ET they are running.

Pro Mod, Outlaw 10.5, Limited Street, and EZ Street do have class rules that are explained on NHRA.com. For those who have never seen these faster heads up classes, they are impressive. Lots of nitrous, turbochargers and superchargers. Although the crowd was not huge, they did seem to enjoy the race.

So for all you people that for years have pushed for a heads up agenda, looks like you now get your wish as there is no handicapped shoe polish racing here.

Travis

(Disclaimer: Opinions expressed by me on this forum are exactly that, my opinions.)

Re: NHRA unleashed or is it unlashed
 

Although throttle stops weren't allowed, people were using timers for nitrous, which is like a throttle stop in reverse. Just progam in the right number of thousanths for your shot until you run the number.

I ran no throttle stop, delay box out of car, rpm switch for shifter disabled. I launched .400 pro tree, had two .001 lights, and shifted by hand at a pre-tested spot on the track. Run slower - shift earlier. Run quicker - shift later.

But it throttle stops aren't allowed, nitrous timers shouldn't be either. They accomplish the same thing - ultra-tuneable computer--controlled e.t.'s.

Re: NHRA unleashed or is it unlashed
 

I agree with you Indyracer. The series I run in bans timers of any type. They do alow RPM shifters. Being able to use nitrous timers completely makes the rule against throttle-stops a joke.

Re: NHRA unleashed or is it unlashed
 

I would really enjoy seeing more heads up class in NHRA divisional and National races without incorporating them into Competion Eliminator, they should stand alone. Look at the Olympics, they introduce new sport every four years to see if they will have a following and remove sports that people have no interest, we could do the same with Alcohol F/C and A/D removing them to give room to an emerging new categories.

Re: NHRA unleashed or is it unlashed
 

A 1973 Duster, F/SA won the 12.00 index race.

Re: NHRA unleashed or is it unlashed
 

now your talking !

Re: NHRA unleashed or is it unlashed
 

The F Stocker that won the 12.00 class was Jerry Stamps. He and I raced in the quarter finals. On 5 tenths pro tree. He had a .035 I was .039 He goes 12.030 I go 12.027. MOV .0015. I got to tell you that was one of the funest races Ive had in a long time we were door handle to door handle for the full quarter with the loud pedals mashed. Glad to see Jerry win the wally and the race. Good Job Jerry !!!!

Not bad for a couple of stockers foot braking it

Don

Re: NHRA unleashed or is it unlashed
 

Congratulation to both of you and thank you representing Stockers. I just read about Don Bowles winning Hot Street(name is even hot) at Allstars National. Well if you don't know who Don Bowles is, just Google him, one of the most impressive resumé a racer could have. The only drag racer that many Presidents have called on his expertise on long term renewable energy solutions, and one fine drag racer. I remember one year at Indy Don Bowles used his helicopter to dry the track. He loves NMRA and all the young blood that is around him, he compares it to the beggining of Modified Production.

Re: NHRA unleashed or is it unlashed
 

Didn't Don after NHRA did away with Modified tell them what they could do with the decision and never went back?

Re: NHRA unleashed or is it unlashed
 

This class looks interesting,many possibilities.I just hope they keep the electronics out.I am going to keep an eye on it for the future races.Thanks for posting.

Kevin