Where are the lower class cars?

[Mark Yacavone]

I go Class racing to try to turn on the win light either heads up or in the eliminator, while blowing as little money as possible,
If I felt "the need for speed" , I'd take a mild 455, stick it in a tin can 10.0 bracket car, stay at my home track and still save money....

[GarysZ24]

Originally Posted by Mark Yacavone

I go Class racing to try to turn on the win light either heads up or in the eliminator, while blowing as little money as possible,
If I felt "the need for speed" , I'd take a mild 455, stick it in a tin can 10.0 bracket car, stay at my home track and still save money....

x2 Mark, heck I could find a Vega, and put a small block in it and build it up to be 10-12sec. car with minimal money spent...since they were so popular in past decades...

[Lambertcars]

I have a super stock 68 Camaro that my son Frank drives, also a 91 Firebird crate motor stocker that I drive and a FWD 79 Dodge Omni stocker that is as slow as a herd of Turtles and I get as much fun out of driving the Omni as I do the other cars. And I have won more money with the Omni than the other cars and that includes 1 national event and 3 national event runnerup and 9 points races with the Camaro. As far as the Firebird it is fast for the class but so far not to much luck in winning. I had planned on running some NHRA races with the Omni in 2011 but when the National Event went to $305.00 I lost interest and did not renew my membership and car number with NHRA that I have had since 1974. BTW 99% of the money won with the Omni was bracket racing, very little won in NHRA and IHRA races.
Just my 2 cents worth.
Allen

[The Hawk]

I`ve always raced with the main intention of winning. I`ve won Championships with a wide variety of vehicles. I`ve won the Summit National Championship in Super Pro in `03 with a 20 year old dragster,and the Division 5 Stock Championship in `96 with a V/SA Buick Skylark. I`ve enjoyed all win lights,reguardless off what my dial in has been.

[Ed Fernandez]

Originally Posted by Alan Roehrich

I'm not here to "impress" you, or anyone else, with my answers.

I never said I thought I was good, if I was, our stuff would be a lot faster.

I said many people are not happy going slow.

If you like slower cars, that's fine.

For me, there is just not enough excitement to be had on the track with a slower car, no matter how challenging it is to make it a competitive class car.

The threshold for fun in a race car, for me, is around 11.50 at 115 or better.

I have no criticism for people who like slower cars. If that is what you like, by all means, have at it. It's all about what you find to be fun. I do, however, find it amusing that people want to criticize people for preferring to go faster.

That's one reason I enjoy racing a "slow/Odd ball" combo.Imagine the conversation when one of the high buck,stacker trailer,renegade guys gets home and the missus says "How did you do this weekend?" and you say "I lost to a 13 second gremlin".And you could cut the silence with a knife.:>):>):>)

In the scheme of things we're all a bunch of schleps spending money doing what we think
we enjoy.Some of us take it wayyyyy to seriously.Unless you're doing it for a paycheck. Then you're really in need of a reality check.
The winners are the guys who supply the tools (cars,parts,etc) to perpetuate this madness.

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by Ed Fernandez

That's one reason I enjoy racing a "slow/Odd ball" combo.Imagine the conversation when one of the high buck,stacker trailer,renegade guys gets home and the missus says "How did you do this weekend?" and you say "I lost to a 13 second gremlin".And you could cut the silence with a knife.:>):>):>)

In the scheme of things we're all a bunch of schleps spending money doing what we think
we enjoy.Some of us take it wayyyyy to seriously.Unless you're doing it for a paycheck. Then you're really in need of a reality check.
The winners are the guys who supply the tools (cars,parts,etc) to perpetuate this madness.

X 2 on that !

[Dwight Southerland]

Originally Posted by Alan Roehrich

I thought the need for speed was the reason most went racing.

Actually, Alan, that was a tongue-in-cheek statement of mine to lament that maybe racing has become more ego-driven than ever before. Faster cars can make one feel more important. I have no criticism for anyone who appreciates what they race and doesn't use their et (or paint job or money they spend, etc. etc.) to make themselves feel more important than they really are. As far as I know, the path to the winners circle is pretty level for everybody. I have raced 14 second stockers, 13 second stockers, 12 second stockers, an 11 second stocker, a 10 second stocker, a 10 second modified production car and a 9 second super stocker. I put them all in the winners circle. The slower cars were just a challenging, just as satisfying and a whole lot less work and money. I would hate for those people to be pushed out or forgotten.

[GarysZ24]

Originally Posted by Dwight Southerland

Actually, Alan, that was a tongue-in-cheek statement of mine to lament that maybe racing has become more ego-driven than ever before. Faster cars can make one feel more important. I have no criticism for anyone who appreciates what they race and doesn't use their et (or paint job or money they spend, etc. etc.) to make themselves feel more important than they really are. As far as I know, the path to the winners circle is pretty level for everybody. I have raced 14 second stockers, 13 second stockers, 12 second stockers, an 11 second stocker, a 10 second stocker, a 10 second modified production car and a 9 second super stocker. I put them all in the winners circle. The slower cars were just a challenging, just as satisfying and a whole lot less work and money. I would hate for those people to be pushed out or forgotten.

X2 Dwight, but sadly it seems to be heading that way (especially with the more well known NHRA), which is why I've been pushing the (now more sportsman friendly), IHRA's apparent western migration...competition is becoming bliss...don't believe me, ask Sheldon Gecker, Mark Faul, and now Les Norton!!!

[GarysZ24]

Originally Posted by Alan Roehrich

I thought the need for speed was the reason most went racing. For me, personally, anything slower than G/S just isn't much fun. In an age when you can buy 12-13 second production street cars, and "bolt-ons" will yield 10-11 second performance, why is anyone surprised that slower cars are falling out of favor?

Alan I respect your needing to run G/S et's or better, but I like the competition drag racing allows...plus not having to be concerned with speed limits, and unsafe drivers/roads. That's why I race...I'm too old for human drag racing (track), and I didn't do very well with horses...real horse power, and the way they race turning in circles, I refuse to do that, because if someone tries to purposesly wipe me out, there's going to be problems...what Richard Childress did to that Bush guy would only be part of it...if you can't beat someone in a clean and fair race, then you shouldn't be racing...my .02!

I race my slower roller for three reasons:

1. It's something completely different than most cars out there.

2. The insuing challenge of doing something only two others have done (on a divisional or national event level), is something I choose to embrace.

3. Since my car is slower, there's less breakage, so my budget is happier.

Trust me though, when I bought this car I was looking at a 4dr Belvedere with a 318 in it. I wish I could've gotten that car too, because I love mopar products (especially Belvedere's, Savoy's, Coronets, and Darts), but I can't afford the bigger engine cars, so I choose to run a small engine/car. It's all about choice....

[bill dedman]

[QUOTE= It's all about choice.... [/QUOTE]

And who wants to deliberately choose a ("slow") car that runs a class that can be unfairly screwed by the first red light rule, most of the time they race (handicapped races)???

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that, just like what happened to Ed F. at his last national event, if you run enough rounds as a first-to-leave car, some faster car who gets a free ride when you red light could possibly go on to win the event. People see that and think, "why me"? As, well they should...

Until equal red light jeopardy is a fact for every car, I think the exodus from the lower classes will continue. It's just one more contributing factor to the disadvantages of running a "slow" car...


I promise not to write more about this; you've all heard my rant, but I couldn't believe that no one had mentioned it...