Factory X

[onefarmer]

Originally Posted by Ben Holt

The spec tire will be 33 x 10.5w x 16 and on a 16 x 16 beadlock style wheel. Currently MT and Hoosier make the tire, with the MT being a little more common. Now that Goodyear owns MT we may see a third offering as well. The w tire is pretty big. Nothing like the "true" 10.5 stuff some of the outlaw stuff runs. And as far as the radials going 3's. Sure, anybody can go as quick as they want on just about any tire when you talk about unlimited HP and running on tracks that are practically disneyland. Plus, on tracks like those the slick tired machines can't go but about 2 feet because they are just too sticky. So there's no way NHRA would prep a track like that for one class and make it impossible for TF and FC to go down.
And as far as spectators. Everyone wants to say NHRA is dead. I went to 2 national events this year. Gators, Indy. And several customers of mine went to many more. It was unbelievable how many people were in the stands. Looking on TV can be deceiving. And I have been to several NPK races. SUre, the crowd is decent, but it's one day. NHRA maintains their spectator count across 3 sometimes 4 days.
I think this class is great idea. Getting the cars to weight will be no problem, and the teams that are coming out with cars will come out swinging abd be fast.

Agree with you, I attended 6 national events and 1 NMCA at Norwalk This year, the attendance at NHRA was surprisingly well attended. The NMCA race which was my first to attend in, which I personally think they had a great racing program full of awesome racing but the stands were empty, very sad when compared to the array of racing going on. Apparently people want to see the Pro Nitro classes. The stands just seem to clean out when there done. Pro stock and FSS gets little attention at races and I think FSS is great racing and much better than prostock but thats my opinon. I know of atleast a dozen new FX cars being built at 3 different chassis shops but they will be late next year till any of them will be completed. I hope no factory support people or anyone that wants to be a sponsor does not scroll past some of these threads. So many nanny nahsayers here complaining about the rules and NHRA its kinda sad. Everyone knows what arena they are gonna be stepping into when they decide to go racing and should not be surprised when the rules get changed since that has been going on for decades. I understand brand loyalty but I gave that up my self when the manufactures gave up on customer loyalty. I will now buy and race what ever I think is gonna be the best use-full or best competitive for me at the time of making the purchase. I dont care for some of the rules of the new FX class and how there is no public explanation and reasoning of how they come up with the paraity adjustments in FSS but it is what it is.

[doglover44]

Hope this class has a lot of cars not just 4 or 5

[SS/GSI]

Originally Posted by onefarmer

Agree with you, I attended 6 national events and 1 NMCA at Norwalk This year, the attendance at NHRA was surprisingly well attended. The NMCA race which was my first to attend in, which I personally think they had a great racing program full of awesome racing but the stands were empty, very sad when compared to the array of racing going on. Apparently people want to see the Pro Nitro classes. The stands just seem to clean out when there done. Pro stock and FSS gets little attention at races and I think FSS is great racing and much better than prostock but thats my opinon. I know of atleast a dozen new FX cars being built at 3 different chassis shops but they will be late next year till any of them will be completed. I hope no factory support people or anyone that wants to be a sponsor does not scroll past some of these threads. So many nanny nahsayers here complaining about the rules and NHRA its kinda sad. Everyone knows what arena they are gonna be stepping into when they decide to go racing and should not be surprised when the rules get changed since that has been going on for decades. I understand brand loyalty but I gave that up my self when the manufactures gave up on customer loyalty. I will now buy and race what ever I think is gonna be the best use-full or best competitive for me at the time of making the purchase. I dont care for some of the rules of the new FX class and how there is no public explanation and reasoning of how they come up with the paraity adjustments in FSS but it is what it is.

Although NHRA may be attended more than its counterparts, its attendance is dismal and embarrassing....my problem is I was a fan way before my brother and I began racing...I was at Englishtown, Maple Grove, Indianapolis, etc...when my dad and us use to buy an extra seat just to get 4" more of bench each! I remember Fridays at E-town where it was 10 deep at the fence for Friday night qualifying. I remember having to book my hotel and buy tickets the day the schedule came out for the next season! So while some may be satisfied or even impressed with the attendance...I say its sad. Did the aging population of fans simply dwindle the numbers via attrition or did Live TV kill the Fans in the Stands??? Maybe a combination of both. Regardless, my point was that I know how hard the teams will work to get involved into this class. The $$$ they will spend as well as the commitment I'm sure they have made to NHRA, seeing that NHRA wouldn't come up with this class without support already behind it from teams. All I am hoping for is that the cars don't become jelly beans(ie. PS) and that politics and/or personal/manufacturer based agendas are not accommodated by NHRA via bogus parity rules. Hard work should prevail...not be punished. IMHO

[onefarmer]

Originally Posted by SS/GSI

Although NHRA may be attended more than its counterparts, its attendance is dismal and embarrassing....my problem is I was a fan way before my brother and I began racing...I was at Englishtown, Maple Grove, Indianapolis, etc...when my dad and us use to buy an extra seat just to get 4" more of bench each! I remember Fridays at E-town where it was 10 deep at the fence for Friday night qualifying. I remember having to book my hotel and buy tickets the day the schedule came out for the next season! So while some may be satisfied or even impressed with the attendance...I say its sad. Did the aging population of fans simply dwindle the numbers via attrition or did Live TV kill the Fans in the Stands??? Maybe a combination of both. Regardless, my point was that I know how hard the teams will work to get involved into this class. The $$$ they will spend as well as the commitment I'm sure they have made to NHRA, seeing that NHRA wouldn't come up with this class without support already behind it from teams. All I am hoping for is that the cars don't become jelly beans(ie. PS) and that politics and/or personal/manufacturer based agendas are not accommodated by NHRA via bogus parity rules. Hard work should prevail...not be punished. IMHO

Very true points, TV shows today are now doing to racing what the tv shows have done to the Hunting scene. Every one thinks they should be able to shoot a 170" white tail buck the same they think only a car on street outlaws is fast. Not knowing that if you would give any good competitor in stock or super stock the same budget they would probably eat their lunch easily. the whole media thing is ruining about everything. The negativity amoungst fellow racers is what no one needs to hear. There is allways more to the story than what is told by the guys one a key board. As a racing community we should promote all the classes from the entry level to the top pro class. I am sure no one building a new FX car or any class car spending the $, like to hear some ones opinion about how expensive it is or how it is going to be screwed up soon. Some one with a fast super stock car may say an FX car is out of budget but a guy in super street could say a super stock car would to expensive along with a person racing locally would say anything else is too much $$. just my two cents..

[Dan Bennett]

I was really happy to see the rules for this class since it took me back to what Pro Stock cars used to be and I saw it as a much better alternative to the mutants we see racing now.

My only hesitation has nothing to do with the class itself. It's the parity thing that seems to be the new standard. It's ludicrous that a manufacturer could admit their stuff is slower and they need help so they can win too. That is totally 180 out from what this sort of factory racing is/was supposed to be.

I'll probably draw some hate when I say it makes me laugh when racers with a crazy soft index tell others "Work harder". But that is exactly what I would say to any manufacturer who can't be bothered to improve their product to meet the competition.

I'm also not sure what I think of the situation when improving the product just means a bigger blower or different pulleys. But without a doubt, this class has tremendous potential.