Deconstructing Stock

[Len Imbrogno]

Mark, you are correct in your statement that the overall costs to compete in Stock for a "newbe" racer are prohibitive.

Step one in trying to get younger gearheads involved in NHRA style racing should be to develop a good nationally based street legal program starting at the NHRA member track level. If you think back to how many of us first got involved in the sport back in the early days, it was with the cars we drove to school and work in. Just think about the hundreds of thousands of older model (70's, 80s ) Camaros and Mustangs in the hands of young kids cruzing the streets today. This sport is based on passion and in order for anyone to want to build a Stock category race car (or any class car for that matter) requires passion for the sport as well as dedication. The best way to create such desire is to make it as easy as possible for young racers to first be exposed to the sport.

A nationally organized street legal program with rules close to "pure stock" as you indicated, would be a good first step to give young potential racers a chance to see what the sport is all about

[will prater]

[QUOTE=Len Imbrogno;333115]

Just think about the hundreds of thousands of older model (70's, 80s ) Camaros and Mustangs in the hands of young kids cruzing the streets today.

I haven't really seen too much of this and I believe that is actually part of the problem. Lack of availability of cheap older muscle cars after those TV car auction shows making people believe they have a gold mine sitting in the back 40 hasn't helped.

I see more young people trying to race at unsanctioned tracks than anywhere else. Low entry fee, decent payback, more liberal tech inspections if at all. I'm not saying I agree with this method of operation but it does draw new racers.

[D.Johns]

Originally Posted by Len Imbrogno

Mark, you are correct in your statement that the overall costs to compete in Stock for a "newbe" racer are prohibitive.

Step one in trying to get younger gearheads involved in NHRA style racing should be to develop a good nationally based street legal program starting at the NHRA member track level. If you think back to how many of us first got involved in the sport back in the early days, it was with the cars we drove to school and work in. Just think about the hundreds of thousands of older model (70's, 80s ) Camaros and Mustangs in the hands of young kids cruzing the streets today. This sport is based on passion and in order for anyone to want to build a Stock category race car (or any class car for that matter) requires passion for the sport as well as dedication. The best way to create such desire is to make it as easy as possible for young racers to first be exposed to the sport.

A nationally organized street legal program with rules close to "pure stock" as you indicated, would be a good first step to give young potential racers a chance to see what the sport is all about

That is it right there! Spark something within them by just having the opportunity there. Promote it. The heart of our sport is passion for cars and acceleration. The competitiveness comes later. The younger group has to gather a taste for it before they ever decide to build a class specific car. I think that's where it needs to begin and build off of that. Without passion for the sport no one would be doing this stuff. It's usually a very poor investment on money. The passion and genuine love for the sport has to be there for people to continue racing. The competitvness is what forms classes or else we all would just be going to test and tune sessions for a hobby. The classes come later has the people become more and more involved with drag racing.

BTW I'm not young at 29 years old. The CJs is what got me to even pay attention to the other NHRA classes below the Pro classes. Even though I knew of the classes somewhat thanks to Evan Smiths' articles on "Project Stocker" in MM&FF. I was more into the NMRA Heads up cars. I do not have a sponsor yet nor do I come from money. Just good ole hard work and lots of overtime.

[Ed Fernandez]

I've said it before and I'll say it again.
We're not a car culture anymore.There's too many diversions for kids today.They're more interested in electronis/computors/games.A lot of them have no desire to get dirty anymore.Society has dictated that.
Now go ahead and beat me down to the ground like a dog.

[Bret Kepner]

Sorry, Ed; no beatdown today. There is absolutely no question what you said is true but the folks on this board will (apparently) never understand. If they did, they'd realize exactly how the sport has reached its current state...and why.

[vic guilmino]

how about the cost to get to the track
fuel, truck, trailer, tools, ice,food,water,etc
it cost me 1000 every time

[Dick Butler]

Ed, very accurate but in some cases the costs etc of racing keeps it from being one of the available options. My understanding is cheap entry, grudge racing is the most popular nights at some local tracks. If these people were channeled into the class pool or other track races they could develop the "interest" to continue.

[ALMACK]

The single most effective tool to get a young gearhead hooked on racing a drag car is a ride-a-long.

I remember my first ride in an open header drag car. Awesome !
The young people can't get that feel from any video game....lol


I am a fan of Pure Stock myself.
The cars can use pump gas, and street legal tires and one of those cars could possibly be driven to the track.
Yes, they allowable mods are restricted, but that should help in restaining the cost to participate.
That is the easiest entry level class for a newbie so that would be where to start. ( for NHRA)

[Mike Pearson]

Things are totally different now than they were when I started hot rodding and racing. In my area there were several places that the motor heads went to hang out and do some street racing. On a friday or saturday night there would be at least 150 cars at the parking lot where we gathered. Steve Cohen and Corky Markwart were regulars there. That type of thing would not be allowed to happen in todays world.
Kids today barely know what a muscle car is or was. There are a few who have learned from their dads of friends.
Like Ed said the kids today like the electrinocs and games.
To attract the younger crowd first you have to get them to the events that run our type of classes. The entry fees have to be affordable. Then you need to have an anouncer that can actually inform them on what is happening on the track with the different classes and explain how the competition works in the different forms of racing with in our class structure.
There will be fewer and fewer new faces in our type of racing in the future due to the cost and the dedication that it takes to participate on a divisional and national event level.
We have the Southern Stock Super Stock assn down here in Florida which gives us a more cost effective and user friendly venue to race. This is where the new blood could come from if promoted properly. Some of these associations have been pretty sucessful.They just need the support of the racers.

[D.Johns]

There is truth to your statements. Generations are changing. They are absolutely into electronics/gaming. My 11 year old son and nephew are prime examples.

They don't want to go outside for very long and seem to have withdraws if they aren't playing a video game. They have had very little interest in drag racing. My son has asked me questions about engines in the garage off and on. He is starting to get into going to the race track with me. It's bonding time and he's getting into cars more and more now that he's around it more. My nephew who had zero interest in drag racing until uncle Daniel started building a CJ like he saw up at the US nationals. Now he's beginning to be more interested in it because racing at that level appears important and special.

My 5 year old daughter on the other hand. She is MAD if she doesn't get to go drag racing and can't watch it on TV. She loves cars. She always wants to be in the garage with me. When mom says its ok, and she is ready I'll build her a JR to go racing also. (I would my son also if he comes around to wanting to drive instead of watching/learning)

My 23 year old brother is into racing since he hung around me and my friends from 10yrs ago. I got into racing(driving at the track) from hanging out with my friends that were a few years older then I was. My dad raced in his youth(A Chevy none the less). However never raced after I was born so I wasn't around the sport unfortunately. My 35 year old brother is and has been into cars his whole life but never went to the drag strip till I convinced him to take his car to Test and Tune night at Indy when I was 18. He likes drag racing, but he is not a drag racer. He dislikes the political stuff of the class world and doesn't like how confusing the rules are in some classes on runs.

I see a reoccurring theme here. It took someone to get another person into the sport. To expose them to this world that many have never experienced and it started at the grass roots level most of the time. A class can not be designed to ignite the spark in new people to inspire them to build a car. That's like having the tail wag the dog instead of having the dog wag the tail. If the sport is waining in popularity, I think the proper question is what can we as racers/enthusiasts do to help our sport. IMO new classes and big revisions will not do that(maybe with very limited success with flavor of the months). Exposure and Relationships will. Perhaps I'm way off base in others eyes but that's the way it has been in my experience.