The Future Of Stock

[Coleydog]

Originally Posted by Buick6

Dwight Southerland nailed it for me. Most drag racing fans love heads up racing and just don't get handicap starts. One of the reasons handicap racing was started was to get more drivers participating. But from a spectator perspective, it can be pretty boring.

It was done to make even the lowly V8s competitive. Not just the ZL1s Tunnelports and Hemis

[Buick6]

More cars = more drivers.

[Dave Gantz]

Originally Posted by Dan Fahey

Dear Mark Yaccavone:

To answer your question.. YES !!
I suggested Bolt on Mods for the new Pure Stockers.
No modifications under the Valve Covers.
Stock MAF and TB and Pulleys.

Gears, Converters, Headers, Hi Perf mufflers, Suspension upgrades,
Pure Stock rules on DOT and Slicks.

All about keeping the inspection process clean and easy.
They are fast and see a pent up demand to race them in a Class Environment.
A lot of people have bought these cars....!

Asked many times how to get these new cars integrated into Pure Stock.
Many of these cars cost as much as our Stockers off the show room floor.
Would be drive the aftermarket for parts.

In fact willing to sponsor an ALL PURE STOCK race with new an Current Cars and put my money where my mouth is.
Could use a bit of advice how to plan, advertise and implement this.
Would use existing IHRA Rules.
Plus the ones I suggested for the new cars.

Would need volunteers to inspect the cars.
Again matching what IHRA would have to go through.
Exciting part there will be heads up races.
Truly believe there is a market to Classify and Race these cars.

I can see the heads up controversy now.
Remembering back in 1974..
Tommy Howes won Stock at 75&80 with his 454 Chevelle SS.
Tommy was challenged by Kenny Koonce and Leon & Eddie Maranian about how legal was Tommy's engine was. Offering him $200 back then to tear down his engine. What a conversation that was..!

Street Outlaws learned from us !!

Dan

Maybe I'm missing something but, inspecting cars is one thing; determining port volume, valve size, compression ratio, cam lift and duration, etc., is quite another. To paraphrase an old axiom, "The more rules there are, the more cheating there's going to be".

[Dave Gantz]

Originally Posted by Dwight Southerland

I have been following this with interest. There are two issues that are evident. First, whether you like it or not, heads up runs are a critical part of the value and attraction for Stock Eliminator. It is missing in just about every other sportsman eliminator definition, yet it is core to the idea of all forms of racing. The majority of race fans and participants find head to head competition much more exciting than handicap breakout racing, and it is easier to sell and understand. Secondly, while it seems that the common opinion is that NHRA makes a bunch of money from Stock eliminator participation, if you talk to them they state the opposite. We do not have hard facts to support either position. It would seem that if Stock Eliminator were such a cash cow, NHRA would put more effort into supporting it. But the evidence seems to point to a different reality. I think it is time to have the facts come out into the open and see what the real situation is. A healthy Stock Eliminator program will be better served with cooperation from both sides in this "association".

In reference to the first point, combining stick and automatics as well as eliminating half pound breaks will help create more heads up races. I know that will rub the wrong way because it threatens some protected corners that racers have found and will erode some racers' little fiefdoms they have built, but it will vastly increase the percentage of heads up runs.

In regard to the second point, trust from both sides in large quantities is the commodity that will be required to make it work.

I'm thinking that you have to be over 50 to even appreciate a heads up run. What percentage of NHRA's audience cares about a 428CJ vs. 440 6BBL (or whatever) race when they don't even know what they are?

[Coleydog]

Im thinking most on here are underestimating the spectators at these races. At the national meets I'd say 90% could tell you all about the brand of cars they like, while at a divisional, 100% know cars. The ones that haven't a clue are just tag alongs to the person who does. I hoping Stock/SS last a long time, this is what I go to watch, the rest can go jump. It doesn't take much brains to tell who wins or looses and I personally like seeing a fast car chase down the slower car and try to get the win. Like a Cheeta trying to catch an Impala, sometimes he does and sometimes he don't.
Mike

[Dan Fahey]

Originally Posted by Dave Gantz

Maybe I'm missing something but, inspecting cars is one thing; determining port volume, valve size, compression ratio, cam lift and duration, etc., is quite another. To paraphrase an old axiom, "The more rules there are, the more cheating there's going to be".

You know I cannot help that!
But there is still a huge limit to what constitutes cheating.
A builder who pushes past those limits get caught.
Amazing how the xHRA's manages to get so many fast cars pass tech.
You just do the best you can do!

Other than heads up runs in handicap racing it's mostly a drivers race.

Life is way too short to worry about what you call cheating.
Not to digress here.
I have lost about a dozen relatives, my dad, friends, their parents in the last few months...

Just go out and have fun!

D

[Dan Fahey]

Originally Posted by Buick6

More cars = more drivers.

Where are those more cars and drivers?
They are buying them and no place to run them except brackets.

D

[goinbroke2]

Wow, really beating all the dead horses here aren't we?

Locally S/SS is doing great and has grown each year for the last 5-6 especially. As far as understanding handicap racing, coleydog nailed it when he said "Like a Cheeta trying to catch an Impala".
Not sure why people think its so confusing, one car leaves first and the other chases it down. To think people in the stands can "see" a guy cross the stripe by half a fender and break out and then not understand how he didn't win is bull****. Like everyone, you watch the cars and as they get to the stripe, the light comes on telling you who won.
Cheeta chases the impala and when it pounces after running it down, the light either comes on that he got it, or the light comes on in the impala's lane saying the cheeta didn't get it.

As far as the rest of it, get all the cars from '96 on classed like was mentioned before and you will see more participation. Go on kijiji or craigs list and buy a 2005-2010 whatever for cheap and build a car. Right now you have to look for a 20+ year old car to start from and here in the rust belt they are few and far between.

Like others have also said...your mileage may vary. lol.

[RobbieRacer]

As a guy building a "slow" car I sure hope the Class racing doesn't go away. The car is taking a little longer, and costing a little more that I planed but I cant wait to compete at my 1st Div 7 race. I can only hope things change for the better.

[goinbroke2]

Robbie go to a local S/SS race and get the car sorted out and you'll see there are lots of cars. Go to a div race and you'll see a difference, then go to a national and it'll be totally different again. (in everything, not just car count)

Edit: Here's a link to a thread in 2007 complaining about how bad nhra is treating the sportsman and that the end is near.
http://classracer.com/classforum/showthread.php?t=629

One quote is

"NHRA= NOT HELPING RACERS ANYMORE"


Yup, it was going on long before that too and in 10 years people will still be saying "well, this is it, S/SS is done, nhra doesn't want us"