Part of what hurt drag racing

[Dave Turner]

As much as we long for those nostalgic days of our youth, the stark, quaint simplicity of an open trailer and pick 'em up truck has been sacrificed for the security and anonymity of a "box". There was a time when we would welcome a chat with the crowd of curious folks surrounding the race car at a roadside restaurant or rest stop. Now, that scenario comes with fears that it may have been vandalized, stolen, or marked for future collection as we take a break from the highway. Also hard to argue that our aging group is less likely to be happy with a few relaxing hours in the cab of a half ton while the heavens dump their anger in our lap. I don't know where the milestone in the evolution of race haulers occurred, but someone saw the opportunity to move up and thought, "Why not?".....blame him.

Not sure if others have noticed, but I see quite a few youngsters trailering their entry level cars to events in my neighborhood and they use stuff that looks very much like my first rig. Lots of them destined for competition other than drag racing btw.

[ss wannabee]

These are all very good answers and certainly right on target especially the costs
involved, the economy, and how the new generation enthusiast wants to enjoy his
automotive experience.

Randy, I DO know what you're referring to though...that the "WOW" factor is miss-
ing when you haul a race car in an enclosed trailer instead of an open trailer or
ramp truck...back in the day, we used to check out race cars when they pulled into
a gas station or restaurant...or out on the road too.

Remember when "TV Tommy Ivo" had that truck rig with the windows so you
could see the race car? Think a Corvette rode on top too...he'd use that to run into
town possibly to get parts and stuff...Certainly a bit of "showmanship"...perhaps
some of that is lacking today? Maybe the open truck/trailer could provide a little..

Today we live in an ever-changing, complicated world, with so many forms of
entertainment to take up our spare time...many of the younger generation are
used to the "push-button....quick, easy, and cheap." Future drag-racers???
Probably not....

[rognelson777]

I think a part of it is the open trailer and the other part is times have changed.

Look at Hot Rod Magazine drag week, which was just completed. Do not quote me but here are details. Almost 400 cars pre- registered (sold out in something like 10 minutes online) to drive their street legal cars and make time runs at a different track each day for 5 days. You have to drive your car from track to track (there are hidden checkpoints to verify you are driving the car) and cannot have any support vehicles, additional crew or parts added to car. And here is the best part, the fastest cars have a average ET under 7 seconds.

Look at all of the quote manufacturer races, Super Chevy, NMRA, ETC, So many options, so close to home, .

Look at the cars you can buy off the showroom floor, a basic 2008 corvette with a tune from a computer will run low 11 s The new Dodge Challenger (Hellcat) street car (not dragpak) is going to have 707 HP and probably cost $50-60 K and you can drive it to work

And last but not least, sad to say it this way, the danger factor is gone. I think it is great the tracks are safe, so now when a car gets crossed up, it just bruises some body work and stops. Fans want to feel, see danger not really there anymore.
Think about it, when you watch a funnycar blow up, you now expect the driver to just get out of the car.

Times have changed, Enjoy what you have,

[cicero819]

This is a good question, all the reason brought forward have merit, I will add that on top of NHRA badly showcasing it's sportsman rank I have to point out it's bad management and promotions of events. I've started a Facebook page on Jr Stocker for the simple reason to show that with hard work, dedication and love of the sport you can have fun for a low investment. This year I decided to go back to racing and choose a car that could bring the fun factor back and decided to go back to a open trailer. Oh what a mistake, I had to empty my garage and fill it in my Suburban to make the trek to the track and once the event finish after the haul back home I had to empty the truck and place everything back, that wasn't fun.lol Yes, people did a double take take seeing a car on trailer but it didn't turn me in to the Pied Piper of drag racing for my local track. Enclose trailer is in my future when I will be hauling my new Stocker. The problem is not only with you and me having too much choices for our entertainment(1000 tv channels, casinos, bars,IHRA,NMRA.IRS,ISIS,WAR,DRUGS and all the other things that can get you in trouble like traveling, pro sports) kids are spoiled rotten and have their parents buy them Jr Dragster and later if they're lucky a brand new dragster. The sport is doing fine considering the competition it's going against.The biggest Problem is Compton acting as an Emperor and not one of his court telling him he's not wearing any clothes. What is the cars that could bring back a type of Jr Stock, the third generation Camaro and the Fox body Mustang, stock everything entry level racing, no aftermarket parts, only factory parts, that would be a great entry level racing and to finish what Ed said "We are not an automotive society anymore". CR

[Charlie A]

JMHO as a fan(atic) of the sport since the mid-late 60's.

I could watch stock and superstock all day long. It's what I grew up with.

That said: Pro's dont tour anymore.
Points meets do not always have TAFC and Alcohol Dragsters at every meet.
Factory Super Stock and Stockers don't travel to local tracks.
No grudge racing among the "Big Names".

This is what used to bring out the fans and what got a lot of the early guys into the sport.
You got to run against the factory guys.
I watched a local Torino Cobra Jet Pure Stock street car run against Herb HcCandless in his "Mr 4 Speed" Dart for Top Eliminator at a local track back in the day. A-L-M-O-S-T beat the big dog as well. Became a local legend for a time.

I remember when a few flat towed with a tow bar. They had a real racecar.
Then open trailers. Big time!

Where did that element of the sport go?

Is that something the "New" cars could bring back ?

Maybe it's time to go "Back to the Future" to save drag racing.

Fewer national events and more regional and points races.

Can it ever be what it was?

And as has been stated several times already....people just don't care anymore. At least not in the numbers that used too.

[rod]

last spring, at a early race in Vegas, there were lots of cars, local, ot of state and new ones. and there were 20 spectators in the stands. Vegas does great when they have the Big Show. but watch the crowds leave when the stutter and slow down cars show up. that is not racing.
bracket racing has NO appeal to watchers. yes I know it takes a lot of work on part of the racer. whereas the various small orgs which have heads up racing in various classes are standing room.
a race is between two cars and the first one to the finish line is the winner. it is easy to understand and is the American way.
any idiot with lots of $ can put a 550 inch big block Chevy in a 55 Chevy and run 10.90s. but that combo would go way way past the old a/gas lbs per cube. so what you have is no way to compare how fast some guys car is compared to another. there are no bragging rites. the only bragging is how good a lite you cut, and nobody watching cares about that.
then try to explain how you got to the finish line first and lost, to a spectator.
Rod in AZ

[Jimi B]

When I first read the original post I thought it was silly. But I do agree that it was and still is cool to see race cars out on the road. I also have memories of my dad and his ramp truck, and the late 60s ramp school bus we had in the 80s. We still have an open trailer, despite having fairly newer motorhome. We still do get the thumbs up and questions at the gas stations.

If anything has killed our sport, I do not think that killed our sport. At least not that aspect of it. Like most communities, the people that had money, still have it. And it sure shows in our sport. From what I recall in the 90s, you were doing alright if you had a nice dually and an enclosed trailer. You could go to a divisionals even and see many open trailers. Now its all stackers and toters. Drag racers have done the same thing that our entire nation has done. Financed themselves to death, and spent money they didnt have or at least should not have, on things that weren't needed. Don't get me wrong. I get out of bed every morning and chase a dream in hopes ill be pulling in to the track with a toter and stacker some day. But we definitely have spent a lot of money on keeping up with the jones's that wasn't needed.

Bigger than that probably. GAS PRICES. Not the economy as a whole.

As far as the the younger generation. I'm in between in my mid 30's. I have a lot of friends and engine customers in their early and mid 20's some even in their teens. I grew up at the drag strip in the 80's and 90's. I got in to imports in the late 90's right after high school. I love drag racing. Fuel cars, Pro Stock, Alcohol cars, class racing, super classes, and bracket. I love all of it. I love my sport compact racing too. In my opinion... I don't know about the 50's-70's but there are a lot more young guys in to drag racing in the last decade then when I was a kid. My high School was directly in the middle of 2 drag strips within in 5-15 minutes. One of which literally on the same road. I never saw random kids from my school at the track aside from a cpl with parents that raced I knew. Today it seems like all the teenagers and early 20 somethings have, want, or know something about "tuner cars" and have been to the track. And most them did not come from families that raced. Even in the older generation I have always found those people interesting. The people that got in to racing completely on their own. Now I have said that a lot of it is the Fast&Furious fad and most of them are not true gear heads that will stick with it. But some of them are. And those are people that may not of got in to racing if it wasn't for the tuner cars. Some of them have crossed over and are now in to class racing and other drag racing with domestic engines. And to them it never was import vs domestic. It was new technology. And guess what, the domestic cars now are using that technology. Even in class racing. Like it or not those folks bumped up the bar for the old school/domestic guys. So I disagree about the young ones not being in to racing. They just aren't in to the racing you are in to.

That is not their fault though. I have always said we need to unify rather than alienate no matter what side you are on. Most of the sport compact guys would think that Comp, Super Stock, and Stock is amazing with the different engine sizes, configurations, and forced induction with at least some heads up racing would be pretty cool. But they do not know about it. That stuff is not marketed. And the pro cars aren't marketed correctly. On top of the cost of racing being too high for pro and sportsman. Cheaper racing=more racers=more spectators=more sponsorship=cheaper racing=MORE RACING. Pretty simple cycle on paper.

Someone said you can not go back... But I disagree. Even in my short life their have been things that I have looked back on a few years later that I wished I would of tried that at the time seemed unorthodox. What ever it takes to make more of our racing. Make it more affordable. Id be all for rules that make it affordable across the classes even if it all the classes slowed down.

Unified... Bring the small tire/doorslammer, sport compact crowds, and conventional nhra closer together instead of competing against each other. Make sportsman racers part of the show and maybe make some of the sport compact classes and door slammer cars fit in comp/sstk.stk. All good on paper.

I've lurked and sometimes been active on this forum for years and everyone talks about Compton and company. But who holds them accountable. Who has gotten them to verbally or at least virtually acknowledge our complaints? Every now again I see an online article talking about NHRA knowing there is a problem but its just not that simple. If you do this to that class then they are not far et wise then the next slower class etc. If you do this, then what about that. Well they ask the questions hypothetically to their inner circle, but about asking all NHRA members? What about asking the family at home watching on tv that has never even seen a drag strip in person? What about asking all the other drag racers from other series that do not race NHRA fora reason? Why not truly ask everyone that has a stake in it? Why don't we the people complaining make them ask all of our opinions? With out protesting that is... What can we do to make Glendora accountable? What can we do to figure out if it is their fault or not? If it is all about greed.. Salaries, kickbacks, etc. What can we do as members to fix it?

[randy wilson]

Everyone here has good points, But truly the fact no one knows what a bracket car even does in the real world today, and no one cares. Also, if you went and randomly asked 100 people what Competition Eliminator is, I doubt you'd find even one who could answer. Even though it's the premier class of sportsman racing. When I was in school, right after the civil war 9 out of ten guys could tell you who won modified eliminator at the U.S. Nationals.