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nhramnl · 09-12-2018, 11:32 AM

My earlier comment was not a poor attempt at sarcasm; it was just sarcasm... period. If in your mind, it was a poor attempt, I can't help ya.

Also, in my earlier post, I did imply that "no expense spared" cars are hurting Stock (and, to some degree, Super Stock). Your response is that if I spent more on the car and less on the motorhome, there wouldn't be the problems there are today. I absolutely get your point, but respectfully disagree.

My point was not that it is relevant how a racer's money is apportioned; it was, rather, that very few people ever actually expected the day where a National Event-competitive Stocker would cost $150,000+, and outfits like Elite and DSR would be involved in building and racing such cars.

Sportsman racing is slowly, but steadily, moving to nothing more than a varied selection of professional classes, and just like with Econo-Dragster and Econo-Altered (from decades ago), the concept of building and having fun with a reasonably-priced, relatively low-tech Stocker is almost gone.

The argument that it is somehow "noble" to spend all of your money on the car doesn't wash. People who have the inside track will always have access to things you and I won't ever have access to, regardless of how much our motorhome cost. Millionaire schmucks can have it all, and because they're millionaires, they can "buy" access to people and technologies we can't. We kill flies with our hands; they kill flies with atom bombs.

My overall point is that it's a shame that the days where racer commitment and ingenuity were the primary measures of success are virtually gone. Need better heads? Buy 'em! Need to spend a few thousand dollars to develop better heads? Write that check! Need a completely state-of-the-art chassis? Buy it! Need access to the GM wind tunnel? Call your buddy who can arrange it! Need to rent a track to test for a couple of days? Get your wallet out!

Yes, my nice motorhome probably is a luxury that could be forgone for the sake of a couple of tenths, but if I flat-towed my car to the track with my daily driver, I could never out-spend the individuals (and corporations) that have literally limitless funding and access to brilliant engineering and testing.

I never said that wasn't a reality of today's drag racing; I just said it's a shame.

09-12-2018, 11:32 AM	#8
nhramnl Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 507 Likes: 8 Liked 358 Times in 83 Posts	Re: Make the Chevrolet Win My earlier comment was not a poor attempt at sarcasm; it was just sarcasm... period. If in your mind, it was a poor attempt, I can't help ya. Also, in my earlier post, I did imply that "no expense spared" cars are hurting Stock (and, to some degree, Super Stock). Your response is that if I spent more on the car and less on the motorhome, there wouldn't be the problems there are today. I absolutely get your point, but respectfully disagree. My point was not that it is relevant how a racer's money is apportioned; it was, rather, that very few people ever actually expected the day where a National Event-competitive Stocker would cost $150,000+, and outfits like Elite and DSR would be involved in building and racing such cars. Sportsman racing is slowly, but steadily, moving to nothing more than a varied selection of professional classes, and just like with Econo-Dragster and Econo-Altered (from decades ago), the concept of building and having fun with a reasonably-priced, relatively low-tech Stocker is almost gone. The argument that it is somehow "noble" to spend all of your money on the car doesn't wash. People who have the inside track will always have access to things you and I won't ever have access to, regardless of how much our motorhome cost. Millionaire schmucks can have it all, and because they're millionaires, they can "buy" access to people and technologies we can't. We kill flies with our hands; they kill flies with atom bombs. My overall point is that it's a shame that the days where racer commitment and ingenuity were the primary measures of success are virtually gone. Need better heads? Buy 'em! Need to spend a few thousand dollars to develop better heads? Write that check! Need a completely state-of-the-art chassis? Buy it! Need access to the GM wind tunnel? Call your buddy who can arrange it! Need to rent a track to test for a couple of days? Get your wallet out! Yes, my nice motorhome probably is a luxury that could be forgone for the sake of a couple of tenths, but if I flat-towed my car to the track with my daily driver, I could never out-spend the individuals (and corporations) that have literally limitless funding and access to brilliant engineering and testing. I never said that wasn't a reality of today's drag racing; I just said it's a shame.