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Originally Posted by jmcarter
Appreciate your comment Cary, and while your car created a lot of interest when it first appeared at Indy the ensuing hassles with NHRA are probably indicative of just how receptive they would be to trying to again build a following with that segment. Do you think 'traditional' class racers would welcome more classes while Stock and SS quotas keep shrinking? Also wonder where the 'tech-less' direction (=cut qualified staff) would fit in with new classes. Think the import racers would put up with the hassle of running NHRA when they can attend so many Import Races that fill the stands? Afraid NHRA has completely drank the DSR/JFR/COPO/CJ kool-aide and they will probably ride that horse into the ground meanwhile giving lip-service to Class Racing, Comp and Pro Stock.
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I got hassled pretty hard one year at US Nationals for sure. To the point of not allowing me to race. It was really hard for me to come back to NHRA after that, but I wasn't going to let 1 bad apple spoil my fun. I'm glad I came back because I've been treated well since then.
I don't know if others from my genre of racing would've came back or not. But there are a lot of really nice cars that could definitely put more buts in the seats and develop some rivalrys as well!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rory McNeil
I seem to recall NHRA did just that a few years ago, with the NOPI series. Between very few race cars in each class, with drastic spans between qualifying positions, constant breakage, no shows, and singles, very few "races" had many runs with 2 cars running together, even fewer where the 2 cars ran within 20 feet of each other.
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It was like 10 years ago, and it was dissolved way too early to even know whether or not it would've worked. GM and Mopar money pretty much drove every privateer away! I raced in that series and sold my car in 2003. Pretty sure it was dissolved in 2006. Yes, there were definitely breakages, major discrepancies in qualifying times, you had factory backed teams and privateers, but you need to realize that the cars we raced had ZERO aftermarket support, unlike the factory teams....which was why there was such a wide gap in ET/MPH. We were basically making due with OEM parts. It was probably like 60 years ago, but I would imagine there was a time where you guys didn't have the beauty of just opening up a catalog and ordering parts that wouldn't break. Things are a lot different now. A ton more cars, and much better aftermarket. So the racing is a lot better, and the parts are a lot stronger. So those 2 items have been addressed.
The cars I'm thinking of wouldn't be stock or super stock. They'd have to fit into some sort of Comp class or even a class of their own. It could work and be successful if implemented properly. There are a lot of 6 second, well built imports, and a handful in the 5's now.
I'm obviously just spit balling, but I hear people say things like the younger generation isn't in to racing. They are, but unless they were born into class racing, most lean towards import/sport compact, heads up racing.