Pro Mod or Pro Stock?

Alan Roehrich · 07-01-2015, 01:32 AM

"Pro Mod" is pretty much the old style more open rules of TA/FC or TA/D from the old days of Pro Comp, stuffed into a stretched wheelbase Pro Stock style chassis. Nitrous on this one, blower on that one, turbo on the other one.

Yes, they can be fast. They also crash on a regular basis, and it is not at all uncommon to see entire sessions where not a single one of them makes a full clean pass. Yes, I understand why that is the case. That does not change the fact that, after the new wears off of it, the fans will look elsewhere.

joespanova · 07-01-2015, 07:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan Roehrich

"Pro Mod" is pretty much the old style more open rules of TA/FC or TA/D from the old days of Pro Comp, stuffed into a stretched wheelbase Pro Stock style chassis. Nitrous on this one, blower on that one, turbo on the other one.

That does not change the fact that, after the new wears off of it, the fans will look elsewhere.

Don't hold your breath on that one. You have a passion for Pro Stock and if surveyed ( PS to PM ) you'd be in the minority.
Like I said before...........the PS class has become a bore , all Camaros and not very exciting to watch. You can be sure of this................if they don't rethink the concept of the class , it will die off within the next 10 years. Pro Mod will continue to increase in popularity and PS's will diminish.
Pro Stock? Give me a break...........500 inches and carbs? How much more detatched from the production platform can you get?
Small blocks and fuel injection / turbos are waaay more appropriate to suggest anything even "remotely" indicative of Pro "stock".
At a minimum get rid of the 500 inch combos..........

Ed Wright · 07-01-2015, 09:12 AM

If you build, or know anything about, building engines, it is hard to not be impressed and fascinated with the power levels, and the technology. Plus close races, and pretty much everybody making decent passes every time.

If your more impressed with noise, explosions, out of shape cars, and track oil downs, fuel cars & pro mods are for you. The vast majority of the people in the stands fall into the latter group.

At national events, the stands still pretty much empty after the fuel cars run. I go up to watch Pro Stock, not all that many stay to watch the pro mod cars. They draw well at small tracks, where everything else is bracket cars. People mostly don't watch the alky cars either. You can pretty much pick your seat.

Alan Roehrich · 07-01-2015, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joespanova

Don't hold your breath on that one. You have a passion for Pro Stock and if surveyed ( PS to PM ) you'd be in the minority.
Like I said before...........the PS class has become a bore , all Camaros and not very exciting to watch. You can be sure of this................if they don't rethink the concept of the class , it will die off within the next 10 years. Pro Mod will continue to increase in popularity and PS's will diminish.
Pro Stock? Give me a break...........500 inches and carbs? How much more detatched from the production platform can you get?
Small blocks and fuel injection / turbos are waaay more appropriate to suggest anything even "remotely" indicative of Pro "stock".
At a minimum get rid of the 500 inch combos..........

Exactly what fuel injected small block Pro Mod car are you talking about? And for that matter, how many supercharged 500 inch cars are they making these days? Especially running on a 14-71 blower and a buzzard catcher, or a 120MM turbo charger, or maybe 2-3 stage of nitrous? Sorry, not buying the idea that a stretched wheelbase Pro Stock chassis and body that looks like a funny car with a 500 cubic inch supercharged or nitrous injected engine is closer to modern production cars than a normally aspirated Pro Stock car.

Rob Petrie E395 · 07-01-2015, 05:56 PM

Look at it like this for a minute. Its easy to say kill Pro Stock or change to this or that. When you don't own one or have to pay for the changes. How would we like it if someone decided to kill Stock and Super Stock? After the whole PST deal I think it would take alot for NHRA to kill another class. Especially a Pro class.

boostedf22c · 07-01-2015, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan Roehrich

Exactly what fuel injected small block Pro Mod car are you talking about? And for that matter, how many supercharged 500 inch cars are they making these days? Especially running on a 14-71 blower and a buzzard catcher, or a 120MM turbo charger, or maybe 2-3 stage of nitrous? Sorry, not buying the idea that a stretched wheelbase Pro Stock chassis and body that looks like a funny car with a 500 cubic inch supercharged or nitrous injected engine is closer to modern production cars than a normally aspirated Pro Stock car.

Neither of them are even close to resembling modern production cars.

joespanova · 07-01-2015, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan Roehrich

Exactly what fuel injected small block Pro Mod car are you talking about? And for that matter, how many supercharged 500 inch cars are they making these days? Especially running on a 14-71 blower and a buzzard catcher, or a 120MM turbo charger, or maybe 2-3 stage of nitrous? Sorry, not buying the idea that a stretched wheelbase Pro Stock chassis and body that looks like a funny car with a 500 cubic inch supercharged or nitrous injected engine is closer to modern production cars than a normally aspirated Pro Stock car.

Alan , did you actually READ what I said.......read it again. Your reply has zero connection to my post.
I SAID..............PRO STOCK should be small blocks w/ fuel injection and or turbos.
Read my post again.
Leave Pro Mod out of this..........

SSGT Mustang · 07-01-2015, 07:37 PM

Pro Mod is awesome. Pro Stock is not.

Pro Mod represent the roots of competitive drag racing. Run whatcha brung. Different cars, some crazy stuff, some not so crazy, various combination, innovation, and most of all, scary fast and exciting.

Pro Stock used to be great, but not anymore. The fire burned out long ago. It's become pretty much the naturally aspirated version of funny car. What a shame.

For my money, Pro Mod over Pro Stock any day and twice on Sunday.

Ed Wright · 07-01-2015, 09:15 PM

Guessing you don't have a friend that runs Pro Stock? I do/did. Nothing like a funny car. Many 2 year old, or older, Pro Stock cars end up running in Comp with a different engine. Nothing at all in common with a funny car.

SSGT Mustang · 07-01-2015, 10:49 PM

You're right. I don't know anyone who runs pro stock. But I've been drag racing for more than 30 years and I remember when pro stock was pro stock. I also remember the pro mod guys like Oddy and Animal Jim who used to do grudge races, and always to a full crowd.

Pro stock has become like funny car because the bodies look nothing like the production cars, and the motors are not like the production motors. Glidden used to run a Boss Hemi, the Chrysler guys used to run a 426 based hemi or a wedge, Pontiac guys ran Pontiac motors and BBC's guys ran basically BBCs. The bodies resembled real cars, like Glidden in a T bird and the late great Lee Shepherd in a Camaro.

Now, in a 16 car field, if you can get a 16 car field, you have basically one body style and one style motor, with the exception of Allen Johnson and sometime V. Gaines. Does that mean that the drivers, tuners and engine builders are not working hard? Absolutely not. But the greatness of pro stock has been lost.

Because of all the PC crap, there can't even be real rivalries anymore. To see a burn down today looks like a joke. When you saw a burn down between Glidden and Johnson, it was a BURN DOWN. It had meaning. People dominated because they tried new combinations and worked them. Like when Glidden went from a Cleveland to the Hemi, and Reher and Morrison went to a BBC.

I'm one of the odd Super Stock guys who actually likes fuel and alcohol cars. They are awesome, and anyone who has the nads to drive them deserves respect. I don't care about crashes, I care about how these guys get those cars down track. Same with pro mod. The fuel cars, the alcohol cars and the pro mod cars will always be the top draw because they are killers. They push the limits of human ingenuity. They are almost super human.

Pro stock used to have a strong following too, because people saw the diversity in the cars, the combination and the rivalry. They didn't just root for the driver. They rooted for the full package. And, teams didn't lease engines.

And about those fuel cars. It's interesting to look back and see how Garlits was so ahead of his time and a true innovator. I remember people joking about his bubble hooded dragster back in the day. Now, it's the "new thing." At least he had the nerve to go out there and try new things that people used to scoff at.

Times have changed. But pro mod to me at least represents what drag racing used to be. I'm not sure what can be done with Pro Stock, but I do know that I'm not the only one who feels that it has lost its appeal, and I used to be a die hard pro stock guy.

07-01-2015, 01:32 AM	#1
Alan Roehrich Veteran Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Murfreesboro TN Posts: 5,124 Likes: 1,581 Liked 1,879 Times in 422 Posts	Re: Pro Mod or Pro Stock? "Pro Mod" is pretty much the old style more open rules of TA/FC or TA/D from the old days of Pro Comp, stuffed into a stretched wheelbase Pro Stock style chassis. Nitrous on this one, blower on that one, turbo on the other one. Yes, they can be fast. They also crash on a regular basis, and it is not at all uncommon to see entire sessions where not a single one of them makes a full clean pass. Yes, I understand why that is the case. That does not change the fact that, after the new wears off of it, the fans will look elsewhere. __________________ Alan Roehrich 212A G/S

07-01-2015, 09:12 AM	#3
Ed Wright Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Sand Springs, OK Posts: 8,132 Likes: 896 Liked 390 Times in 170 Posts	Re: Pro Mod or Pro Stock? If you build, or know anything about, building engines, it is hard to not be impressed and fascinated with the power levels, and the technology. Plus close races, and pretty much everybody making decent passes every time. If your more impressed with noise, explosions, out of shape cars, and track oil downs, fuel cars & pro mods are for you. The vast majority of the people in the stands fall into the latter group. At national events, the stands still pretty much empty after the fuel cars run. I go up to watch Pro Stock, not all that many stay to watch the pro mod cars. They draw well at small tracks, where everything else is bracket cars. People mostly don't watch the alky cars either. You can pretty much pick your seat. __________________ Ed Wright 4156 SS/JA

07-01-2015, 05:56 PM	#5
Rob Petrie E395 VIP Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Woodlawn IL Posts: 1,092 Likes: 162 Liked 216 Times in 77 Posts	Re: Pro Mod or Pro Stock? Look at it like this for a minute. Its easy to say kill Pro Stock or change to this or that. When you don't own one or have to pay for the changes. How would we like it if someone decided to kill Stock and Super Stock? After the whole PST deal I think it would take alot for NHRA to kill another class. Especially a Pro class.

07-01-2015, 07:37 PM	#8
SSGT Mustang Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Jersey Posts: 359 Likes: 35 Liked 204 Times in 54 Posts	Re: Pro Mod or Pro Stock? Pro Mod is awesome. Pro Stock is not. Pro Mod represent the roots of competitive drag racing. Run whatcha brung. Different cars, some crazy stuff, some not so crazy, various combination, innovation, and most of all, scary fast and exciting. Pro Stock used to be great, but not anymore. The fire burned out long ago. It's become pretty much the naturally aspirated version of funny car. What a shame. For my money, Pro Mod over Pro Stock any day and twice on Sunday.

07-01-2015, 09:15 PM	#9
Ed Wright Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Sand Springs, OK Posts: 8,132 Likes: 896 Liked 390 Times in 170 Posts	Re: Pro Mod or Pro Stock? Guessing you don't have a friend that runs Pro Stock? I do/did. Nothing like a funny car. Many 2 year old, or older, Pro Stock cars end up running in Comp with a different engine. Nothing at all in common with a funny car. __________________ Ed Wright 4156 SS/JA

07-01-2015, 10:49 PM	#10
SSGT Mustang Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Jersey Posts: 359 Likes: 35 Liked 204 Times in 54 Posts	Re: Pro Mod or Pro Stock? You're right. I don't know anyone who runs pro stock. But I've been drag racing for more than 30 years and I remember when pro stock was pro stock. I also remember the pro mod guys like Oddy and Animal Jim who used to do grudge races, and always to a full crowd. Pro stock has become like funny car because the bodies look nothing like the production cars, and the motors are not like the production motors. Glidden used to run a Boss Hemi, the Chrysler guys used to run a 426 based hemi or a wedge, Pontiac guys ran Pontiac motors and BBC's guys ran basically BBCs. The bodies resembled real cars, like Glidden in a T bird and the late great Lee Shepherd in a Camaro. Now, in a 16 car field, if you can get a 16 car field, you have basically one body style and one style motor, with the exception of Allen Johnson and sometime V. Gaines. Does that mean that the drivers, tuners and engine builders are not working hard? Absolutely not. But the greatness of pro stock has been lost. Because of all the PC crap, there can't even be real rivalries anymore. To see a burn down today looks like a joke. When you saw a burn down between Glidden and Johnson, it was a BURN DOWN. It had meaning. People dominated because they tried new combinations and worked them. Like when Glidden went from a Cleveland to the Hemi, and Reher and Morrison went to a BBC. I'm one of the odd Super Stock guys who actually likes fuel and alcohol cars. They are awesome, and anyone who has the nads to drive them deserves respect. I don't care about crashes, I care about how these guys get those cars down track. Same with pro mod. The fuel cars, the alcohol cars and the pro mod cars will always be the top draw because they are killers. They push the limits of human ingenuity. They are almost super human. Pro stock used to have a strong following too, because people saw the diversity in the cars, the combination and the rivalry. They didn't just root for the driver. They rooted for the full package. And, teams didn't lease engines. And about those fuel cars. It's interesting to look back and see how Garlits was so ahead of his time and a true innovator. I remember people joking about his bubble hooded dragster back in the day. Now, it's the "new thing." At least he had the nerve to go out there and try new things that people used to scoff at. Times have changed. But pro mod to me at least represents what drag racing used to be. I'm not sure what can be done with Pro Stock, but I do know that I'm not the only one who feels that it has lost its appeal, and I used to be a die hard pro stock guy.