How the factory "Package" cars may save Stock

[Chris "drooze" Wertman]

Ok points taken...

I see here no end to the compalints that things are "doomed" they way they are and this that and the other bad about Stock Eliminator.

I see how this could be a "shot in the arm" I do see how you say it could hurt also.

I am a big fan of the Lightweights and AFX cars,,,,,guys had to say the same thing when they were introduced....what happened ? It evolved, it evolved in 2 directions, the breaking out of the AFX into what became the funny car , hence the quote about "those funny cars" who was it that said that again ?

If youre saying it dosent need saved, Ill buy that you know your stuff, many others here seem to knell its gloom and doom and how noone cares.

If Dodge produces the 1320 for the public at large how will you feel then ? The SCJ's damm near can be bought asis at a dealer (the SC cousin) and the Chal SRT8..but I understand

People compain about the cost of these cars....but the truth is the SCJ "ready to race" is 72, not 100k....the Challenger is 37k and some change, it CAN be finished for another 10 if you do the work...in my math that does NOT equal 100k...I know 2 DP owners who are doing just that, own cage etc....so just because someone decides to spend as much as they do , dosent make these 100k cars....We WALKED into a dealer down the road and ordered it....simple...that simple...A Challenger SRT8 is 50....so the same price almost...how much is a new GT500 ? I dont even know. And then these , some of these are the same people who may very well have an additional 30 in their car that had an original list of say 10k (at the TOP) soooo...inflation sucks...no doubt have you looked at the prices of anything...uggghhh....

Others said they "wouldnt bet" the cars will be rated be high soon, and how the index adjustments are done in favor of these cars....the rules I cant comment on I dont have enough knowledge....What I DO know is we plan to run the car to the limit factors be dammed....maybe that will make them happy. I cant depend on some "super secret Challneger DP society" to all get together and under a blood oath commit to run the cars under X....so....simple I have to eliminate that from my strategy and had to come up with an alternate strategy that wasnt dependent on that, part of that involves running the car to its full potential. Itll probably piss DP owners off, and for that Im sorry, most are damm nice guys, but I have to worry about our competitive stance , not theirs.

I just look at what the first round of "Factory Specials" "Lightweights" and "AFX" cars did for Drag Racing, I sure dont think they had a negative influence on the sport, quite to the contrary....if its history repeating itself lets hope the outcome is as good.

I dont think anyone who loves drag racing can say it would have been better if the "AFX, Lightweights and Factory Specials" would have never existed.....that seems odd they would fight something that was so influential in the beginning.....

But your points are taken and I can see their perspective.

Originally Posted by Billy Nees

Drooze, I have no problem with new cars coming into the eliminator. Will they "save" the eliminator? No, and it doesn't need to be saved. Will they "help" the eliminator? That depends on how long the factories will bankroll them and how long the "celebs" will hang around. Can they "hurt" the eliminator? Definitely. How? IMHO whenever somebody dumps big money into a sport it "raises the bar" for all concerned (you can't argue with that). Most competitors will "ante up" and continue, some will leave and some that may want to play are now locked out. That is part of life it happens every day. So what is the problem? When the big money somebody gets their budget cut or redirected or just plain decides to "buy a boat" then they are gone faster then they came. Now they've increased the price of participating for eveyone else concerned, chased some away and retired some and they're gone. Let's add to the fact they've also left a hand full (in the grand scheme) of "mongrel" (neat but mongrel) cars that will probably need special attention from tech (special exceptions, superceded stuff) over time to keep them running.
Again, I haveno problem with new cars but these aren't STOCK cars. Period.