Entry level class?

[Glenn Briglio]

Damn the never ending thread............ I'm going to have to make more popcorn.

[HR9121]

Originally Posted by Glenn Briglio

Damn the never ending thread............ I'm going to have to make more popcorn.

Glenn save some for me! This is certainly one of the more amusing threads in a while especially with opinions coming in from people that have not raced in both classes. That being said I have raced in both SST and Stock. I believe the intent of both was for them both to be entry level but for various reasons neither are now. The expense of Stock has turned it into anything but entry level and various rule changes and technology has made it even worse. Same goes for SST, with the invention of the throttle stop SST went from taking your 10.70 bracket car to you better bring a purpose built 9.50 or better car if you want to be competitive.
So the real answer here is there are no entry level categories anymore and eventually that will be an issue in keeping all of these categories alive.

[1320racer]

Originally Posted by HR9121

there are no entry level categories anymore and eventually that will be an issue in keeping all of these categories alive.

That I can get behind and stock will die long before S/ST based on the current median age and lack of young racers coming into the class.

[Billy Nees]

Originally Posted by 1320racer

That I can get behind and stock will die long before S/ST based on the current median age and lack of young racers coming into the class.

There ya go! THE END

[1320racer]

I knew we could find common ground

I won't call stock entry level if you/they don't call S/ST entry level.

[Billy Nees]

Hoo Boy Ed, I (me personally) never called S/ST an entry level class. First page, first post. I can only be responsible for my own actions.

[HR9121]

Originally Posted by 1320racer

That I can get behind and stock will die long before S/ST based on the current median age and lack of young racers coming into the class.

I guess that's possible also but being the Gators quota filled up before it actually opened this year I don't see it anytime in the foreseeable future. But honestly Ed looking around the staging lanes at a NHRA event I don't see a lot of young bucks in any of the categories other than the kids of current racers. I myself am a first generation racer in my family but I was practically raised around it since quite a few of my friends parents raced.

[1320racer]

age of NHRA racers is a huge problem for them and the survival of class racing. As previously I previously stated...

Originally Posted by 1320racer

in 10 years from now, stock, super stock, comp will be decimated due to the large loss of racers. Just walk their lanes at any divisional starting next month and start counting the racers that will be retired from racing or dead by then. The numbers should scare you.

but that's another topic for another day.

[onefarmer]

Well I will throw my two cents in here with another point of view, After reading all the comments here, some funny, some not not so much. I dont think there is a entry level class at all. I think it is more of what level to do you want to enter a class. I know first hand by my own experience and witness others that all/any class from Top fuel to Jrs.will be very competitive if you want to get to the winners circle. The commitment and effort put into it is more of factor than anything. I bought a stocker so I could get more seat time and warm up before running my FSS at events.
I was running it in FS/C at the time all stock, figured that was gonna be fine and leave it that way until Craig Madox handed me my butt in Denver with a heads up run. After that I put in a lot of time and effort to make mine better. The level of competition in any class at a divisional or national event is very impressive. Perfect or very near perfect packages while it may not be the norm, they are very common. I personally like heads up racing more than bracket but that is my own opinion as is everyone else. I was able to make it to two semi finals with my stocker at National events last year and I will admit that was harder than winning races in FSS. I tell people that if racing FSS is "checkers" then racing STK is "chess" I lost both those semis from letting the other people in my head. Most stock racers are so tuff, I say they are mean enough to eat their own young LOL as are the racers in all the other classes

[goinbroke2]

Excellent post OneFarmer!! I too noticed when I got a junior for my kid 13 years ago that there were kids having fun and driving "junk" (like mine) and there were others who were very serious and had more in the junior than my whole operation, lol!!

You're right, "entry level" is a really loose term, my older kid was into basketball, had size 16EE shoes which we couldn't get locally and had to get his sneakers from "twobigfeet.com" I **** you not. $375 for a pair of sneakers!! Some kids had nice sneakers and went to away games and others had "entry level" sneakers and couldn't afford the away games.

"I don't think there is a entry level class at all. I think it is more of what level to do you want to enter a class. "

Great point. Only reason I'm stepping up to a stocker after all these years is...if not now, when? I've always loved them, I want to try. If I'm handed my butt every race and can't hit the index, etc, then I'll bow out and recognize that I don't have the talent or ability to compete at that level. No shame, just reality. (of course I'm not smart enough to quit when behind so I'll be the guy with the ratty looking car mixed in with the S/SS jewelry, lol!!)