Index Change

[Alan Roehrich]

I'm still not seeing this as a way to bring young people to Stock and Super Stock. After a year of the new cars in Stock and Super Stock, how many are being fielded by young people new to the sport? None that I've seen. There are a few driven by the "'kids" of Stock or Super Stock racers, but those "kids" were likely to race in Stock or Super Stock anyway.

Face facts. Stock and Super Stock are not cheap. That is one of the big reasons why we don't have new young people in the classes in large numbers. Young people can't afford it. And just because you bring in "new" cars that are just as expensive as "old" cars does not mean young people will suddenly be able to afford them.

Take stock in reality. We are the bastard step children of NHRA. They don't REALLY want to save our classes. We're a heavy load on their tech department, especially at the track. Face it, we complain a lot (most often, with good reason). When we generate a decent car count, we take up a lot of space and a lot of time.

NHRA keeps us around because we pay entry fees and buy crew passes. They keep us around because we pay membership fees and certification fees. They keep us around because we pay competition license and number fees. They keep us around because they take the lion's share of the contingency money posted for us. They keep us around because they make a killing off of stuff we buy at the track. NHRA doesn't love us, they don't want us, they don't really care about us, and they certainly are not concerned with "saving us".

The "new" cars are here because NHRA can make an extra dollar or two (or more) from them. They're here because NHRA gets paid to have them here. NHRA isn't going to make rules, change rules, and make allowances for anything they aren't getting paid for, or saving money on. NHRA is not the "benevolent" "non profit" governing body it once was, long ago. It is a for profit corporation, and the board is driven by the bottom line and how they can improve it.

I just do not see a bunch of twenty something or thirty something "new" racers showing up in these "new" cars in droves, or in any real numbers, to race Stock and Super Stock.

[CycloneFE]

Stock is not necessarily the way to start Drag Racing, look at Don Garlits. Even with factory help he didn't even get in at Indy. He has really got to work as you guys say.

[danny waters sr]

[/I] I agree Alan. The stocker world as we know it will die. However i do see the NEW generation of cars still hanging around after all us older gens begin to retire or just hang it up due to fustration or other reasons. Then this class of stock will look almost like the 10 &1/2 tire class except with a few diff rules. Almost all of the stock classes will be heads up due to the classes they fit in today. The simple solution "would" have been create a class for these new "stock" cars,that would not discourage the older muscle cars to just give up due to not being competive. At the present situation it is like bringing a knife to a gun fight. Just my opinion and nothing against the new cars except they are classed wrong. Old stock as we knew it is on its way out and that is very sad.

[Alan Roehrich]

Danny, the old style class racing will only die if we let NHRA kill it. Before NHRA kills itself.

[RJ]

Originally Posted by Alan Roehrich

Take stock in reality. We are the bastard step children of NHRA. They don't REALLY want to save our classes. We're a heavy load on their tech department, especially at the track. Face it, we complain a lot (most often, with good reason).

To address this part of your post - As I suggested before, why not make it easier on NHRA/IHRA stock tech? - the heads are already ported anyway, and the piston/pins are already light anyway. Why not whistle test for compression, P&G for cubic inches, and put an inspection cover on the pan to put a bore scope through to check the bottom end, seal em' and send 'em on their way?

Your racing against guys that have had their own blocks and manifolds cast, big bearing billet cams, relocated lifter bores, etc. Integrity in stock is looooooong gone.

[Alan Roehrich]

Originally Posted by RJ

To address this part of your post - As I suggested before, why not make it easier on NHRA/IHRA stock tech? - the heads are already ported anyway, and the piston/pins are already light anyway. Why not whistle test for compression, P&G for cubic inches, and put an inspection cover on the pan to put a bore scope through to check the bottom end, seal em' and send 'em on their way?

Your racing against guys that have had their own blocks and manifolds cast, big bearing billet cams, relocated lifter bores, etc. Integrity in stock is looooooong gone.

All of that is EXACTLY why Stock has become so prohibitively expensive. So, your solution is to make all of that legal, that way we can move on to something else that we can make legal because NHRA doesn't want to look for it? And that is your plan to "save" Stock? Seriously? You cannot "save" Stock by making Stock into something else.

[bsa633]

Originally Posted by RJ

The 2010 indexes are 1/2 second quicker than they were in 1976, squeezing out 5 tenths in last 34 years, about -.015 ET per year (especially with the liberalization of the rules) isn't much.

Actually the 2010 indexes are only around 0.1 faster than they were 17 years ago...thats .005 a year!
Then ofcourse is it too bad that the reason for at last lowering the indexes is to make the new cars shine!

[Billy Nees]

Alan, I hate to say it but todays young racers don't want the structure or comitment involved in running Stock or SS. I help out a bunch of kids at the local track and they just don't understand why I waste the time messing with stock stuff when I can buy so much "shiney" stuff and go so much faster. I'm not saying that they WON'T get it eventually but I doubt it.

[Myron Piatek]

Originally Posted by Billy Nees

Alan, I hate to say it but todays young racers don't want the structure or comitment involved in running Stock or SS. I help out a bunch of kids at the local track and they just don't understand why I waste the time messing with stock stuff when I can buy so much "shiney" stuff and go so much faster. I'm not saying that they WON'T get it eventually but I doubt it.

It's todays society and their desire for "instant gratification".

[RJ]

Originally Posted by Alan Roehrich

All of that is EXACTLY why Stock has become so prohibitively expensive. So, your solution is to make all of that legal, that way we can move on to something else that we can make legal because NHRA doesn't want to look for it? And that is your plan to "save" Stock? Seriously? You cannot "save" Stock by making Stock into something else.

What's your fix? - all that stuff and more is bogus anyway, I suggested what I did because the only way to stop it, is to let everyone have it.