CLASS RACER FORUM - View Single Post

Paul Plummer · 07-03-2010, 05:05 PM

Jim,

Fantastic Post! Everyone is dead on with the economic times,cost, rules migration and the aging population of Stock and Superstock racers who are slowing down as retirement age approaches.

Although the factors covered so well in this string are contributing to the immediate reduction in car counts, there is another issue that needs to be brought to light as well as some potential solutions.

Like many of you on this forum, I eat, sleep, drink and dream about drag racing. As I get older I am really concerned that the nostalgia stock and super stockers (1975 and earlier), the essence of this sport, will go by the way of the dinosaur. Shy of a few father/son teams, the youth of today were not raised in the 60's and 70's and have little appreciation or interest in these cars not to mention the science of class racing.

The new muscle cars are cool but so expensive that young people cannot afford to own one let alone set one up for class racing. In my opinion, the only way to get new blood into this sport which would help the industry in times of economic downturn, is to figure out how to attract the youngsters of today to the muscle cars of yesterday.

I am not sure how each of you became interested in the sport of drag racing? For me it was two of my "cool" uncles who took me for a ride across town in their SS B/Mod production Mustang at the ripe old age of 6. I was hooked the minute they started that car and remember be scared, nervous and excited all at the same time. The result of that day ( I remember every detail as if it were yesterday) has been the life long pursuit of getting an education and financially situated enough to enjoy drag racing. I am 100% a budget racer from trailer park roots. It took me until 1992 to actually get financially ahead enough to buy a car and race locally and until 2005 to field a stock eliminator car. The point is that it took from age 6 to age 24 to be able to start my racing career. Had I not been exposed at that young age, I would probably ended up being another video gamer.

The hook was being able to sit inside and experience one of these fire breathing dragons, something you cannot do from the stands or your sofa via the television set or video game console. From the stands all of these cars look slow compared to rail dragsters, alcohol cars, etc.

If our sport is to survive and along with it these classic stock and superstock muscle cars, we need to put together a grass roots movement to attract the youth of today to the old muscle.

Here is an idea:

The 2 schools in my area have about 2000 kids each. Only about 200 kids in each (10%) can make the sports teams. Another 200 each can participate in some of the other extra curricular activities. So lets say this leaves 1600 other kids in each school not involved in extra-curricular activities.

So you go to your local school and talk to the administrators and talk to them about this new "Geezer Program" you are trying to promote at your local track. The program consists of letting the "too young to drive crowd" take a ride in your car through the pits and down the track (not under full power) to experience the sights and sounds and a little of the feel of the big power. Ask the school administrators to poll the students/parents for interest. Next talk to your local track operator to see if they would be interested hosting a "Geezer Program" and let the know there is interest on the part of the school. THEN MAKE IT HAPPEN!

For the children of driving age who may be interested, pick out one or two kids, train them on how to drive your car, set the rev limiter in your MSD to 4000 rpm and let them take it for a spin with you in the seat next to them.

I am working on a proposal to present to my local track in Spokane, WA to put something together like this as a way to give back to the sport. At the very least it will be cool to see the kids eyes light up when I hit the throttle and would make for a fun track day. I remember one event in Denver, CO where I had 4 handicapped kids in the car for a ride down the track. Two of the youngsters had tears in their eyes (happy) when it was over and all four asked me for my autograph. The rest of that week-end I had a 4 person cheering section at my trailer after every round. It was cool.

If anyone in the Spokane, Coeur D Alene, ID area reads this post and would be interested in working on a "Geezer Project" please email me at m900rider@gmail.com.

07-03-2010, 05:05 PM	#78
Paul Plummer Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Coeur D Alene, Idaho Posts: 67 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Why Aren't You Racing? Jim, Fantastic Post! Everyone is dead on with the economic times,cost, rules migration and the aging population of Stock and Superstock racers who are slowing down as retirement age approaches. Although the factors covered so well in this string are contributing to the immediate reduction in car counts, there is another issue that needs to be brought to light as well as some potential solutions. Like many of you on this forum, I eat, sleep, drink and dream about drag racing. As I get older I am really concerned that the nostalgia stock and super stockers (1975 and earlier), the essence of this sport, will go by the way of the dinosaur. Shy of a few father/son teams, the youth of today were not raised in the 60's and 70's and have little appreciation or interest in these cars not to mention the science of class racing. The new muscle cars are cool but so expensive that young people cannot afford to own one let alone set one up for class racing. In my opinion, the only way to get new blood into this sport which would help the industry in times of economic downturn, is to figure out how to attract the youngsters of today to the muscle cars of yesterday. I am not sure how each of you became interested in the sport of drag racing? For me it was two of my "cool" uncles who took me for a ride across town in their SS B/Mod production Mustang at the ripe old age of 6. I was hooked the minute they started that car and remember be scared, nervous and excited all at the same time. The result of that day ( I remember every detail as if it were yesterday) has been the life long pursuit of getting an education and financially situated enough to enjoy drag racing. I am 100% a budget racer from trailer park roots. It took me until 1992 to actually get financially ahead enough to buy a car and race locally and until 2005 to field a stock eliminator car. The point is that it took from age 6 to age 24 to be able to start my racing career. Had I not been exposed at that young age, I would probably ended up being another video gamer. The hook was being able to sit inside and experience one of these fire breathing dragons, something you cannot do from the stands or your sofa via the television set or video game console. From the stands all of these cars look slow compared to rail dragsters, alcohol cars, etc. If our sport is to survive and along with it these classic stock and superstock muscle cars, we need to put together a grass roots movement to attract the youth of today to the old muscle. Here is an idea: The 2 schools in my area have about 2000 kids each. Only about 200 kids in each (10%) can make the sports teams. Another 200 each can participate in some of the other extra curricular activities. So lets say this leaves 1600 other kids in each school not involved in extra-curricular activities. So you go to your local school and talk to the administrators and talk to them about this new "Geezer Program" you are trying to promote at your local track. The program consists of letting the "too young to drive crowd" take a ride in your car through the pits and down the track (not under full power) to experience the sights and sounds and a little of the feel of the big power. Ask the school administrators to poll the students/parents for interest. Next talk to your local track operator to see if they would be interested hosting a "Geezer Program" and let the know there is interest on the part of the school. THEN MAKE IT HAPPEN! For the children of driving age who may be interested, pick out one or two kids, train them on how to drive your car, set the rev limiter in your MSD to 4000 rpm and let them take it for a spin with you in the seat next to them. I am working on a proposal to present to my local track in Spokane, WA to put something together like this as a way to give back to the sport. At the very least it will be cool to see the kids eyes light up when I hit the throttle and would make for a fun track day. I remember one event in Denver, CO where I had 4 handicapped kids in the car for a ride down the track. Two of the youngsters had tears in their eyes (happy) when it was over and all four asked me for my autograph. The rest of that week-end I had a 4 person cheering section at my trailer after every round. It was cool. If anyone in the Spokane, Coeur D Alene, ID area reads this post and would be interested in working on a "Geezer Project" please email me at m900rider@gmail.com.