unreal
 

Rumor (re-posted from FaceBook PSCA)- Heard some interesting news today on the "Sheik", from a couple of reliable sources. Kinda funny,.... in that it apparently turns out the "young Sheik",... acquired a bit of a drug habit here lately. Alan Johnson and Frank Manzo, (his Alcohol Funny Car driver) checked him into "Promises" a few weeks ago, and yes,....it's the same place Charlie Sheen went to dry out. Turns out "daddy Sheik" has had all the fun he has needed, and made his son cancel any and all racing activities,.....effective immediately. All of the Qatar cars are effectively done, and everyone that is employed,... is now UN-employed.

Not good for drag racing

Couple it with Kenny retiring and CoPart going away

WOW

Re: unreal
 

There was also a rumor that Del Worsham was leaving Al-anabi to be a Crew Chief for another team, this was before the recent revelations you mentioned. Of course this was also before he won the TF championship, so you have to wonder how conflicted he must be!

Silly Season, indeed!:eek:

Lew

Re: unreal
 

I worry about the viability of NHRA not just my own personal class

HP on the new cars seems to pale in significance

:-) peace

BTW - confirmed the Al-Anabi and Qutar cars are gone but not sure about the drug crap

Re: unreal
 

Maybe now NHRA will look at the big picture and give a little more attention to the sportsman racer?

Naaaah! Who am I kidding...

Re: unreal
 

remember all the torco sponsored cars when E.knoll went sideways,big effect on alot of racers,,,,sounds like AL-Anabi will leave a big void also

Re: unreal
 

I find it hard to believe that a professional team such as AJR wouldn't have a contract a year or two out to avoid a surprise like this.:confused:

Re: unreal
 

The money this guy has a contract buy out would be like going to McDonalds. This will be a big impact. He was involved in so many part of the sport.

Re: unreal
 

Bernstein has some duplicity in this by making fuel cars so expensive to run. His push for big $ sponsors isn't sustainable. Even NASCAR with its far broader base and non industry sponsors is struggling to keep the teams healthy. If they had adapted Big's recommendations years ago it would be a far healthier sport, all 1320 feet of it.

Re: unreal
 

X's 2 on what you said about Big Daddy.

Re: unreal
 

If anyone doesn't know, Don Garlets petitioned for one engine block per race to keep costs down. This way, you couldn't step on the engines as hard as they do now because you had to protect the block against catastrophic failure. If you did lose the block, you would watch the other racers for the day.
Bernstien got his way though and the rest is history, 6 or more engines in backup and huge amounts of money to run T/F and F/C.

Casey Miles
248H Stock?

Re: unreal
 

[ If they had adapted Big's recommendations years ago it would be a far healthier sport, all 1320 feet of it.[/QUOTE]

Is this refering to a interview he did several years ago where he stated that they need to be slowed down and run the full 1320?

Re: unreal
 

Is this refering to a interview he did several years ago where he stated that they need to be slowed down and run the full 1320?[/QUOTE]

Robert, it goes back years before that even. Single block as Casey said plus motor has to be able to refire after the run and several other things like nitro %, blowers, etc.

Re: unreal
 

Thats exactly what I was talking about on facebook yesterday when I posted the link:

http://www.facebook.com/jimmybowling...48892365167890

To recap here are some of my comments:

"They need to put rules in place to make fuel racing cheaper and easier to have larger fields. Who cares about the times on the score board. Keep the Nitro for the show/sound/feel. Less blower, fuel, rpm and other things to make them require maintenance about like an Alcohol car.. Start 1st rd on Saturday so they have more time to service cars between rounds (anything to make it easier to operate) (I doubt that will hurt Sunday specatator counts too much). High Light sportsman racing more (people in front of the tv will watch anything if you make it entertaining or interesting) More spectators, more involvement etc."


This. 32 Car fields on a Saturday night. In a time where your average alcohol guy could save and scrounge to move up to Nitro etc.
http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b..._3508009_n.jpg

"They need to make it a better product for everyone. Racers sportsman to Pro, spectators, investors, manufacturers. Its a cycle. Motorsport runs on money. Its a cycle. Better product for the racers =more racers=more racing=more products being bought+more spectators=more advertising dollars+future racers=more races etc. Sure you throw some 10.90 index cars randomly in the mix between top fuelers with out much by way of explanation of the class its probably not going to be popular to watch. But if you mean to ****ing tell me our human race can be so entertained by american idol but we cant make various forms of drag racing entertaining to tv audiences that already have an interest in cars/racing, and can probably relate more to cars that they have owned or are thinking of owning modded in a much more attainable fashion than a top fuel or pro mod.. Then I quit!"

Re: unreal
 

I'm no expert, but if they don't do something to lower costs, it will soon dry up. They could simply have a spec blower, head, fuel pump in the top fuel classes, and a spec head and manifold in Pro Stock. I think the cost of Pro Stock, I believe is 3 million a year or so. I went and watched the knoxville nationals with Sammy Swindell and Al Parker this year for the first time, and the 360 spec had more entries and as much following as the 410's. Engines are about half the cost of open. And Brodix was on hand for head inspection, the best of both worlds. What say you?

Re: unreal
 

OK, please bear with me as I slowely get to the point...
Jimi, here's an idea. Since everybody seems to be watching these ****ING reality shows which are FAKE DRAMA, why not play into that instead of yelling at the tv and stomping away? (I can't be the only one am I? LOL)
So, How about a program that would follow several sportsman teams (or pro for that matter) and get the fans and the non-automotive fans involved. I guess you could say all the force stuff is kinda like that, but focus on (1) racing and (2) multiple teams.

Each week the camera follows the top 5 Stock and top 5 SS racers. In car camera's, pit shots, breakage, dialing for next round, the "playing the ladder" all of it. Now obviously I and many other on here would want to see S/SS but what if it was top leaker? I hate them, but the "unwashed masses" would probably eat up the racing as much as the REAL drama.

Spent $1500 to get here, blew two tires on the trailer, qualified #2 then broke an axle. Hustle to get it fixed and get a buy first round, second round is the Fletch/etc.
Went to semi's and red lit. Motorhome won't start, got it started but it sunk in the mud and is stuck. Last shot is showing the motorhome and trailer leaving the track.

Now, run 5-10 people's stories in that hour episode and the other crap you put up with at the track...could be very entertaining.

If Rich Christianson can have people glued to the screen watching bracket racing...class racing should have NO problem. Heck, instead of people, base it on each track. Cover a bunch and then edit so you follow the eventual winner from start to finish.

If a dumb mechanic can come up with idea's.....

and yes I really do HATE those ****ING REALITY SHOWS!!!!

Re: unreal
 

I nominate the Emmons. Just the events surrounding them getting to the track would be good for ratings.

They generally have me in tears of laughter with all that goes on. No question that they are excellent racers, but what happens before the burnout and after the turn out would amaze you. :D

Re: unreal
 

Goinbroke that's sorta the exact direction I was going. We are obsessed with reality. It started with reality tv and now is split with social networking. There are so many businesses/organizations that have grown solely bc they put effort in to social networking. I'm not as social as my facebook would make you believe. I am a big fan of self deprication for the sake of humor and to beat others to the punch. I also like to be very self aware. So I use social networking to poke fun at myself. But when I make a status such as I did last month "My first night as an engine machine shop owner and I'm at the strip club. How cliche is that?" Its mostly due to the fact that I know the value of social networking. And I was drunk ha. We want to know behind the scenes. We want to know the exciting, the dirt, the kindness, the mundane details. This drug garbage is proof enough. A lot of us are so obessed with racing we want to be in the know about everyone and everything that goes on behind the scenes. Hang out at your local speed shop. More gossip than a salon.

Now, I have a lot of ideas on how to grow my business and get in to other areas such a promoting solely to help keep the sport alive. But even as some of you are laughing at the idea goinbroke an I talking about, that and making the racing as a product better/more affordable/profitable could be the direction we need to go. The problem is finding a balance. I don't care about money or recognition. I like those things. But the bottom line is I love this sport. I want to wake up and thinking about making hosepower, going racing, and winning races! The people and the life experiences are amazing!

I can't stand Rich Christianson or that show! Cheezy as can be!

Re: unreal
 

We're going to have to learn from the circle track boys. I remember when it kind of died, and they brought it back to local tracks with affordable, restricted, policed, rules. Locally here they are packing the stands with 1500 spectators, and 50 to 100 cars a night. Half my old drag buddies are running it now. I assemble way more roundy round motors then drag. I don't pretend to know the answers, but unless we get spectators, it will eventually die.

Re: unreal
 

History Channel did something similar a couple years ago called The Madhouse I believe. It followed the open wheel modified cars and drivers at Bowman-Gray here in North Carolina. I loved it, it was the everyday struggles of the common sportsman racer trying to make it to the track and find that little extra speed, etc. Me and my wife even went to one of the races while we were at a division race at Piedmont and went back again this year to watch another one when we were passing through. Only problem was the show only lasted for one season due to poor ratings but it had a crappy time slot, Sunday night at 10. My point is that I would have never gone to watch one of those races in person if it hadn't been for that show so you guys maybe on to something just need the right situation and person to be involved.

Re: unreal
 

James, don't quote me on this but my younger brother was a cup car tire carrier at the time and knows a lot of those guys at Bowman-Gray! The show went away because NASCAR bought the rights to it due to its "Negative representation of NASCAR racing" not sure how true that is but it is what I was told from a very good source.

PS they all did real well on that deal 60K-300K depending who you were on the show.

Re: unreal
 

Well I really can't say that was not the case, as much as I liked the show and how the fans acted I found myself wondering if people all over the country thought that was the way everyone in NC was. And if you ever saw the show I can tell you from the experience of having been there, there was no real acting, what you saw is what you get.

Re: unreal
 

Why hasn't NHRA's web site announced the departure of Al Anabi?

Ron Ortiz
U/SA time to go, time to go

Re: unreal
 

ok

Re: unreal
 

Because that's "bad" news. Where are your official NHRA "rose" tinted glasses?

Re: unreal
 

I like the way he slipped the magic word past the "censor".I'm interested to see hown
little Lucas does under A. Johnson.If he's still a middle of the pacer maybe daddy should
give him a new job,outside of the cockpit.Worsham was/is a very good driver.

Re: unreal
 

It'll be interesting to see how things "shake-out" at the Lucas Oil team with Larry Dixon and Morgan Lucas driving the team cars. Del Worsham had already announced he was leaving AJE to Crew Chief for Alexis Dejoria, so no one will be carrying #1 in TF this year. What happens to Shawn Langdon? Didn't he have a better record than Morgan?

Lew

Re: unreal
 

Well Dejoria is working with Kalitta and he has a lot of top fuel cars may see worsham in one of his cars at a race or two you never know.

Re: unreal
 

The announcement about Worsham "retiring" fails to mention anything indicating that Al-Anabi is finished. Perhaps Johnson is waiting to make a big announcement, heaven knows the Lucas fuel team could use the expertise.

Re: unreal
 

It was posted on the Bullet tonight that Al-Anabi is looking for drivers.

Re: unreal
 

And lord knows if its on the bullet its got to be true. LOL.

Re: unreal
 

That makes a whole lot of sense.Three world champions this season and they need new drivers????