1000' or slowing down

In my opinion I dont think 1000' racing is the answer. First of all, it doesnt solve any of the problems of explosions or engine damage. If anything, it only pushes the crew chiefs/tuners to lean on the tuneup harder because of a loss of 320 feet. As many can already see during recent races this has become true. Top Fuel cars are back to severe engine damage in just under a year after the rule change.

I think the only way the NHRA is going to completely contain the monster that is a Nitro engine, is to put a limit on compression ratio and overdrive. In my opinion, those are the only two items that you CANNOT get around if severely limited.

I think going to a smaller clutch, one fuel pump, one mag type set-up would be costly and inefficient, and i especially dislike the smaller fuel pump idea because the fuel pump is a major integral piece in the cooling efficiency of a Nitro motor.

I would like to see compression ratio limit and overdrive limit with a higher nitro percentage. That is just my opinion though.

 

Thats a good idea, but i like the Don Garlets solution, one block during eliminations. It will open up the game to a lot more racers.

 

I like that idea, or at least something along those lines. 1 or 2 engine blocks during eliminations maximum would force the teams to lean to the side of caution.

In my opinion 1000' never was and is not even close to a permanent answer, and it drives me nuts it keeps getting brought up. If for some reason they switched to 1000' for TAD/TAFC I would sure be looking to do a whole lot of match racing, our 1/4 mile purpose built car wouldn't be good for much else...

 

1000'

I think the TAD / AFC classes should both be a 1000'. I think safety is something we need to be proactive on, and cost and technology is running at a faster rate than most can handle. I think it is worth a look or discussion by NHRA to maybe test this for a term , possibly at divisionals or all events.
I think it would help the Exhibition Classes , ProMod (2750 lbs @246 mph = handful) , Jet Cars , Wheel Standers ETC. would all benefit from the change . The Fans want to see a winner and a great side by side race not an ironman contest of length and strength . My Opinion .

 

Yep, it worked out to be a real successful "Fiasco" in Noble, Oklahoma. Just ask anyone who was there. I'm sure it's just how Mr. Parks envisioned 1/4 mile racing from the beginning.

Reminds me of what Mr. Eisner did to Disney upon Walt's Death, hmmm I wonder if there are any similarities here.

 

Yeah what she said !!! so there !!

And for the other 140 million people in North America that didn't make it to Noble that weekend, and didn't happen to be friends or relatives to the 600 people that were there for the "Fiasco" in Noble. And also for those who didn't catch it on CNN ........ we wonder whats the rest of the story ???

As for Mr Eisner , you are absolutely right ! Walt at times gave Minnie , Mickey, and Pluto different clothing styles , for Mr Eisner to leave them in the same garb for this long is shameful !!! I say SELL , SELL, SELL those stocks folks ! he definately does not have the same vision as Walt did .

Whew ! on to the next crisis . Thanks for the HELP F/C Girl

 

Racers will be racers.

Now, before I get any crap for responding to this thread because "I don't have any dog in the fight." I was at Noble helping tune and do labor on a TAFC during the 1000' "Fiasco", and I'll be at Great Bend next weekend doing the same. I know we went through a thread just after the race about safety ideas as well, but here's the deal as I see it. I'm not for or against anything.

1000' for the Fuel cars was supposed to keep them from popping motors as often and to help keep the speeds down so they had time to slow down. Shorting it 320 feet at 220mph buys you a little less than an extra second to hang the laundry and get slowed down to hit the turn, thats at 220, not 300. In a sport that is measured in thousandths of a second, thats a somewhat decent margin of extra time. 1000 ft racing saves about 20mph and gives an extra .7-.8 seconds of time off the motor. 1000' seems like the most logical and affordable choice until tracks can get shutdown areas extended.

As for the popping of motors, well, how many Fuel motors in both classes have you seen go boom so far this season?

The point of the matter is that no matter what the NHRA does, the slowdown will only be temporary until we have this same conversation again. Racers and manufacturers are incredibly resourceful when it comes to working within a given set of rules and pushing the envelope. It's the sanctioning body's job to give you a set of rules, and it's our job to go the fastest within said rules. Obviously there are also inherent risks in driving or just being close to these machines, and most people have been around the sport long enough when they get to this level what risks have a better chance of killing them, and one would hope most manufacturers are in the same boat.

The last thing I want to see is people getting hurt, but it's the nature of the beast when it comes to racing unfortunately.

 

No!

Supporting 1000 is like supporting terrorism

 

i know im going to get some heat for this but, fuel cars are still blowing up even running to 1000' so whats to say that an accident like scotts arent going to happen again. if the car blows up and the driver gets knocked out or the chutes get tangled and the brakes fail there is no way someone will get a car stopped in time even with an extra 320'. i think we should start looking at improving sand traps because i feel those would save more people than running to 1000'

 

Why don't you let David answer this question at what happened in ENNIS. As for Noble, that was CREW Error. Maybe some more homework is needed for your education of your "educated opinion" and MAYBE just MAYBE you should try OWNING A Car before you make assumptions for what is reality and what is written.

 

Wow, someone is pissed off about something. I don't think anyone in the TAD/TAFC community should be discounting Will's opinion - I think he has earned everyone's respect.

 

word. id rather watch rosie odonell walk the victoria secret runway than watch 1000' racing.

 

I guess I just fell out of bed and hit my head or something. Just who is talking about slowing down the classes?

"I think the racers need to pull their head out of the sand and see the storm that might be coming." What storm?

The biggest single cost increase to TA/FC racers in the last 15 years was when NHRA agreed (based on bad advice) to reduce the blower overdrive from 125% to 92% to save us money. Now it's coated and recoated blowers and 10,900 RPM. 80%? Laughable.

Shutting it off .8 seconds earlier isn't going to save anyone anything. What would save everyone would be $1.00 a gallon diesel, $10 hotel rooms and $25 flights.

Right now at 1,000' TF and FC is won on the starting line all things being equal. Most TA/FC's and TAD's are pretty close in ET. If you take away the back half or the track you might as well make the 60' mark the finish line, because there won't be enough track left at 1,000' to run down anyone who left on you even if you are Frank Manzo. It would be as boring as Pro Stock.

I can gaurantee you this, if it went to 1,000 foot racing there will be one less white Monte Carlo in the pits. Not that anyone cars, but I signed up for 1/4 mile racing and not one foot less.

RG.

 

Well said!

 

This is my first post here but i have read for years here. I felt compelled to respond. I am partners with a VERY low buck A/FD dragster racer on the west coast. I feel F/C Girl and Nathan are spot on.

94% for Duane is no problem when you have pleanty of funds to go. But for us it is just another mile high hurdle to get over. As if we dont have enough hurdles to get over.

I have a novel idea......How bout NHRA just leaves us the hell alone! We dont have a blower. We dont blow stuff up any more like we used to and Im tellin ya 94% was a BAD IDEA. Not because of the hit A/FD took that alcohol didnt. But because NHRA is pushing our motors to a place where the shoulda never pushed us to be competetive with the alcohol guys and come summer it will only get harder.

I have a second novel idea....How bout people like Reichert put their MPH in their back pocket and sit on it. Years back when NOONE would touch A/FD but a hand full of guys, Bushey was the guy who took it to another level. He had the MPH in his back pocket for years and never showed his hand cause he knew what NHRA would do with it. I know this because i have his racepack with all his runs on it and saw what he did to kill MPH. As soon as Henklemen bought the car he let the genie out of the bottle and low and behold NHRA had to step on our penises. Reichert does it again and man does our penis hurt now. If some of us would stop trying to show us how big their penis is NHRA wouldnt feel compelled to step on it. These cars could run 4.99 without 280 MPH.
I dont believe 1000 ft. solves anything for us but another level of B.S. to have to deal with.

Nuff said!

 

Straight to the point

Hi, Nancy! Glad to see you back!