[Evan Smith]

Well stated Ryan. I love those who bash S/SS racing and say the "old days" was so much better. I'm sure it was great when there was only a handful of combinations and the cars were near-stock. But we didn't get a chance to experience it and for us younger crowd, racing is different. Times were simpler in the '60s, but you can't turn back the clock. Today's Stockers are heavily modified and cost a great deal of money and time to prepare and no one in there right mind would ruin a combination for no apparent reason (OK, there are a few exceptions). Nevertheless, many take great pride in having a fast car. You just have to be smart about when you cut it loose.

Drag racing, like all things, has evolved over time and the current format allows for heads-up action and bracket racing. If Stock were all heads-up there would be 10-50 cars out there and it would be nothing but a rich-man's game (as if it's not already one). I'd be willing to bet that all the guys who are against technology (and by that I mean all he advancements over the years in the cam department, valvesprings, EFI, transmissions, brakes, tires, etc.), don't watch a black & white TV, have a daily driver with a carburetor and points, have no microwave oven, Internet, cable TV, etc. In other words, it's OK to enjoy modern technology, as long as it's not on the racetrack, right?

An all-heads-up format would be fine if we raced cars that were 99-percent Stock and had loads of teardowns to ensure legality. Under those circumstances winning or losing came down (and would still) come down to driver skill and minor tuning.

Evan