NHRA Fastest 128 cars

[Jason]

All these years I thought having a different combo was cool. Meeting strict guidelines such as winning class while running at least .5 under the index allowed you to play with the big bucks racers. Not anymore.

Instead of flogging a different combination that no one else would even try, everyone needs to race what is currently qualifying quick. Early Camaros, Max Wedge Mopars, and Shelby Mustangs are a little pricey to build. Maybe something like a FI Camaro/Firebird would work. You can pick one of those up fairly cheap. Order the readily available trick parts from key places, follow cookie cutter instructions, and you may go fast enough to get to race at Indy.

Gone are the days of individualism and ingenuity. Long live the cookie cutter racecar!

[Larry Hill]

Alan, I can tell anyone from experience it cost more money, time, work, and phone calls to get slow car to run fast.
Slow cars are harder to drive the stripe.

[Ed Fernandez]

Originally Posted by Alan Roehrich

No Ed, actually the point I was making was there are very slow cars that are almost able to run 0.5 under the index as you buy them off the used car lot for $3500, and people buy them because they can race them and NEVER have to face a heads up race.

If getting into Indy is that important you you then build one of these stealth combos like someone we all know who has a history of finding these obscure cars and builds them then snatches up #1 qualifying money.Or do what the $$ guys do and sink a small fortune into you're current combo just to get your
$190 class win Wally.You were the biggest instigator for the AA/SA class and your signature shows G/S as your class.How come?
My budget allowed me to build what I race at a comfort level I can live with.I'd love to have a S/C Rambler
or 390 AMX but i built what I could afford.

Ed F.

[Alan Roehrich]

Originally Posted by Ed Fernandez

If getting into Indy is that important you you then build one of these stealth combos like someone we all know who has a history of finding these obscure cars and builds them then snatches up #1 qualifying money.Or do what the $$ guys do and sink a small fortune into you're current combo just to get your
$190 class win Wally.You were the biggest instigator for the AA/SA class and your signature shows G/S as your class.How come?
My budget allowed me to build what I race at a comfort level I can live with.I'd love to have a S/C Rambler
or 390 AMX but i built what I could afford.

Ed F.

I'm not that fired up about getting in to Indy. But I don't WANT to run some sort of obscure car in a class no one races in to get there either.

I run G/S because the guy I work for bought one, and offered to let me drive it (it is a privilege I've been afforded). I'm working on getting my own car built. I was NOT the biggest campaigner for AA/S, I was just the one a lot of people saw. And I did it because the guy I work for wanted the class for one, and because the class was needed. I didn't do it because ONE person benefited, but because MANY people benefited. The car I'm working on will not run AA/SA because it is a natural B/SA car at the moment. It just so happens that several of my friends CAN run AA/SA, and running A/SA forced them to add nearly 300# to their cars.

[Ron Ortiz]

Mr. Alan Roerhich,

Would you please list all the cars on a used car lot that will go .5 under for $3,500. I would like to buy them as if they can go .5 under in used car trim, then they easily should go 1.0 under with minor bolt in/on applications. A little bit of hard work and viola, 1.5 under and on the brakes.

As a side note I liked what Ed O'Brien stated somewhere, "what if 30 FWD cars showed up?" Now there is your $3,500 piece.

Ron Ortiz
U/SA bored of seeing Camaros

[Alan Roehrich]

Originally Posted by Ron Ortiz

Mr. Alan Roerhich,

Would you please list all the cars on a used car lot that will go .5 under for $3,500. I would like to buy them as if they can go .5 under in used car trim, then they easily should go 1.0 under with minor bolt in/on applications. A little bit of hard work and viola, 1.5 under and on the brakes.

As a side note I liked what Ed O'Brien stated somewhere, "what if 30 FWD cars showed up?" Now there is your $3,500 piece.

Ron Ortiz
U/SA bored of seeing Camaros

Mr. Ortiz,
Do your own research.
You quoted Ed O'Brien about the "30 FWD cars" and then said "there's your $3500 piece". There's your answer. From your own mouth. I do not bother to hunt those car combinations, as I have no desire to fool with one.

Bored with all the whining.

[mike withers]

Ed Fernandez, I like your choice of race cars. One of my first cars was an S/C Rambler and I still race a AMX SS/c. As per not allowing class winners who run .5 under to race in the eliminations at Indy I think is a bad idea. Class eliminations is the essence of Indy. You bring your best to test the rest in your class.If you win class you have bragging rights plus a little class money to help defray the cost of a week at Indy. Now it appears If you can't run 1. under stay home. NHRA will deprive the spectators and racers of viewing a truely representative sampling of the best muscle cars built in America.

[Ron Ortiz]

Mr. Roerhrich,
First of all I have done alot of research, that is how I came along with my combination about 25 years ago. I've been to Indy and have qualified #96 when they had a 96 car field. There were 4 of us running U/SA and I was the fastest running about .35 under. Class winners automatically qualified. The way it should be, regardless of how far under they are. If you think that just because there is'nt alot of cars in a certain class, and they only run about .35 to .5 under they should not be allowed to be class winners and qualify for the big show, then why don't you just build one and join in the fun and be the bad boy at .75 under.
As fas as cars that run .5 under that can be purchased off the lot, that is BS. Maybe a FWD car or a turbo, but not any traditional combo.
As far as FWD cars are concerned, that is a whole different animal that NHRA has no idea about factoring. (no offense to you FWD guys). if about 30 showed up it would really piss off alot of racers, probably about 30 of them.
The idea of only taking the fastest cars for qualified spots is a joke, especially when you have some classes that have bogus combos in it, aftermarket parts that are available to certain combos only, and the total lack of Glendora backing up their own tech people when they find individuals bending the rules to their advantage.
If you are bored with the whining, then quit whining about lowering the indexes and push to remove the trigger.
INDY is for class winners, always has been always should be.

Ron Ortiz
U/SA

[Alan Roehrich]

Ed,
I had NOTHING to do with the rule change. I had no idea it was coming, and gave no input. I do not know who asked for it, or if any racer actually asked for it. Ever think it might have something to do with NHRA trying to make class racing more appealing to fans, TV, and sponsors?

When we did not qualify, we didn't bitch, didn't whine, and didn't ask for ANYTHING. We went home, and went to work. We're still working.

There's nothing wrong with racing on a budget, using brains and hard work instead of money to be competitive. It should be encouraged. However, winning a class with one car in it, and being 3 tenths short of the 128th car is not what I'd call competitive. Odds are, if you can't qualify on time, if there was another car or two in your class, you might not win class either.

I think different cars being competitive is cool. There are plenty of classes, and room for a lot of different cars. And that is good. Slower cars from lower classes being competitive and winning races is good as well, and the way it should be.

It's funny to hear people say "you go to Indy and run class to test yourself against the best" and call winning a class with one car in it testing themselves against the best. The best what? Set of timing clocks? Oh well, if that's "racing", and "testing yourself against the best" to you, then good for you. Enjoy it.

[Jack Matyas]

Bruce -- Light conversations - I don't think so -- He was at the top of NHRA and I was almost at the bottom . Are you forgetting the ten or so years I worked for the NHRA right here in D1 ? You really need more facts about Wally before you try to destroy his legacy .
And BTW -- fill your glass up -- its always half empty ! !