A/Fuel FC???

I want nothing to do with it. If it happens, I will likely pack it in. Why start another forum for parity arguments?

 

DID YOU REMEMBER WHEN IHRA DID THIS??CAVALIER BROS. TOTAL DOMINATE..WILL BE LIKE T.A.D.CLASS,AND THAT ALL DEPENDED ON THE WEATHER TEMP...I SAY GO FOR IT,IT COSTS ME NOTHING..

 

I hear all the time how A/FD is a stepping stone to Top Fuel, so why not make A/FC a stepping stone to Top Fuel Funny Car. A/FC would leave at idle and you dont have to shift like a TFFC were, a Alcohol Funny Car leaves at 5,000 or 6,000 rpms and you have to hit 2 shift points

Lanny

 

would they run the huge wings like the AA/FC ?
or would they have to run similar bodys like TA/FC.

either way, i think it would be a good idea.

 

They will not split the class , if they were to do that would the racers be happy splitting the purse ?, I think not . Another class requires another seperate purse , more TV time , who would pay for that ?.

[ September 13, 2005, 03:47 PM: Message edited by: DQUES ]

 

Go for it. I'd build one.

A/FC done right would be significantly cheaper than TA/FC based on things JD has told me about his A/FD. Plus, they would light up the night sky.

RG

 

I assume that one day, you would want to get to one class and not create 2 classes, TAFC and AAFC.

As more of a traditionalist, I like the fact that a TAFC leaves at high RPM and hits 2 precision shift points, while requiring the driver to ride a buckin' bronco. If the casual fan understood the complexity of a TAFC and the driving requirements, it would gather more fan appreciation. That education won't happen for the common fan, I don't think.

2 big issues that everyone is aware of in the AAFC discussion:
1.) Conversion costs from TAFC
2.) Migration path/Parity and timeline

As a crew member of a newer TAFC operation, I would be concerned about the lower budget teams making the transition, including raw dollars and knowledge. Not only does change cost money, but it costs less experienced teams knowledge.

If there is a way to manageably phase in AFFC, without eliminating the investments of today's racer, then maybe it could be seriously considered and gain support of the TAFC community of today. The challenge for NHRA would be: How do you do that while maintaining the costs and keeping the playing field technically and mechanically level? If both IHRA and NHRA made the move, and provided a 2 year timeline (for example) and parity-based racing plan for the class migration, then maybe we could increase car count and drive up fan interest in the class, while not eliminating the lower budget and newer teams that represent about 2/5's of the class.

Question: What is to gain by moving to AAFC? Does it enhance the show to the customer? NHRA doesn't want TAFC running much faster, do they?

Interesting discussion.

 

Will,

After working with you last year at the fall Joliet race on Jason Cannon car, and taking notice of the work required and knowing how much work and money it takes to try and make a blown car completive in IHRA. I would vote injected nitro funny any day. Although one car dominated when IHRA experimented with this combination, I think they missed a golden opportunity to greatly promote the class and IHRA. All of us know that funny car in IHRA is a pro class and allowing injected nitro in funny would raise the quality of the show for the fans, and like it or not, putting asses in the stand is what it’s all about.

I’ll go out on a limb and say most IHRA fans at national events and NHRA fans at national and more so at divisional events would appreciate and even pay a few dollars more at the gate to hear the thunder and see the flames. All a track has to do is mention the word Nitro in their radio or TV adds and fans seem to come out of the woodwork. The other up side would be booking this type of car for match races, nitro cars would be much more attractive to the managers at the type of tracks you mentioned on your other post. I believe the quality of a show with this type of car would be much better, and once proven that they could bring fans to track, would then command better dollars from the tracks and promoters.

Of course some of the front-runners in IHRA would most likely object and I don’t believe IHRA would have the moxie to make such a change without commitments from the likes of Atchison, Thomas, Sickles, Tigges etc. that they would still remain and support the class either in an injected or blown configuration.

How about it Fred/Mark?? After pitting next to the Tigges the last few races and listing to Fred I don’t believe he would support anything like this, and after running the kind of numbers you ran last week why would you??

I don’t believe the cost of switching to nitro would be any different than going from a root to a screw. Will, because of your relationship with the Cannon’s you should be able to tell us the cost difference of running a blown dragster vs. a nitro car. Certainly there would be a learning curve, but with the experience tuners for injected dragsters the ramp up time would be much less then the dragsters experienced.

Jim Thurston

 

Thanks Will,

Comparing the combinations may be apples to oranges, but is sounds like the expense of running either is about the same. If that’s true then the difference in value comes from the what can be done with a particular combination, i.e.: winning races, booked in shows, price received for booked in shows.

Can one combination command a better price than the other given the operating cost?
Would it be beneficial for a track to book blown and nitro car at a given show or just one combination?

 

Hey I'd love to see A/Fuel Funnies, Would'nt you be able to offer promoters a couple of Fuel fuuny cars for reasonable price . Might even bing back match racing circuits.

 

Will:

I stopped checking into hotels last year. DT says he spent $2,700.00 in Seattle and $2,700.00 in Sonoma for his crowd in hotels. Clint Thompson and I had a conversation about how much we enjoy staying in our rigs at the track.

I've never had the desk clerk ask: "Paper or plastic? Diet or regular? Soup or salad? Top fuel or Super Comp? Alky or Nitro?" when figuring out our hotel bills in the past.

RG

[ September 15, 2005, 12:47 AM: Message edited by: Randy G. ]

 

With all the hassles NHRA has had to endure over Parity issue in TAD, I would be suprised NHRA would go through that all over again with A/Fuel FC