Top Alcohol Racers Association

There will be an open Top Alcohol Racers Association meeting held during the U.S. Nationals in the Racers For Christ tent on September 4, 2004 at 9:00 AM.

 

bump

 

Shelly,
Count me in.
And thanks for all the work you put into trying to help the alky classes.

Keep it up,
Marty

 

Thanks for your support. No doubt TAD/TAFC are great classes and hopefully they'll survive and flourish.

Looking forward to seeing you and Kim again.

Shelly

 

Shelly, I brought this up on another thread. What's the Purpose of TARA since more and more Blown racers such as yourself have switched to A-Fuel???

 

Why would you think that parity is the only dilema and foremost problem common to TAD and TAFC? TARA has and will continue to present the valid concerns voiced by drivers and owners of TAD/TAFC when meeting with NHRA.

I'm leaving for the weekend in about forty five minutes, so I won't be here to answer your posts.

So, hopefully any cheap shots will be saved for when I return.

Shelly

 

I didn't take a cheapshot at all, wasn't TARA formed to deal with the Blown/A-Fuel issue??

 

Not hardly. As I stated before, there are many issues common to the Top Alcohol classes. Participants in TAD and TAFC hopefully will take a pro active role and address the problems which concern them. TARA doesn't determine issues, the racers do that.

Shelly

 

I don't know if you will get this in time but if you do consider asking NHRA to allow the new digital timing box that would eliminate the retard and six shooter. The six shooter is unreliable and causes lots of problems. This would be a great improvment to both alcohol and fuel cars.

 

Thanks Bob,

Got your suggestion and we'll present it along with others.

Shelly

 

Does anybody have any info on what was discussed?

 

With all due respect and the utmost of understanding of what you alcohol/nitro TAD folks are going through I think you are pretty myopic about the fact that NHRA, and a vast majority of the fans, will never care whether or not you show up to be the B-Squad filler for the Pros. NHRA will continue to park you in the dirt and the fans will continue to leave the stands after the Pro sessions. I am amazed that you cats still spend such significant amounts of money in order to assuage NHRA so they will let you return week after week. Sponsors are hard to find for the alcohol/nitro TAD class for all of the obvious reasons - no fan intrest and no visibility (Unless you are anointed with the last name of a famous daddy). So with that said I believe you need to ask yourselves "Why continue with the class? Why not run IHRA Top Fuel? How long do we want to be the red-haired stepchild of NHRA? What are our racing options?" Obviously, everyone has "The disease" of a pretty good ride and the sport of drag racing. I had the opportunity to run an alcohol car as well as an A/FD a number of years ago so I speak with some knowledge. These days I hear so much grumbling and ranting from the TAD competitors that I feel it necessary to ask this final questions: Do you have any clear thought about why NHRA would ever change your status? and - What will be any different five years from now? Don't misunderstand - I care about the class and hope to see it survive. I just don't see any plausible reasons that it can. EPS938

 

Me, personally...We race as often as we can just because we enjoy it.

I don't need any butts in the grandstands watching me in order to have a good time. Some people fish or water ski, some go camping, some motorcycle ride...etc. You don't need recognition to have a good day fishing. Yea, it's an ego thing if the stands are full, I suppose. But lining up against the Newb', Gordon, Branch or anyone else who I have a lot of respect for just to see who'll win is all I need. The rest is "fluff."

NHRA kindly gives me a place to let 'er rip. Beyond that, let the Pro's have the spotlight.

RG

 

Well said Randy! The people in this class like to go fast. It's one of the few classes that you don't have to slow the car down to be consistent. It's great heads up racing and you don't have to be rich to do it, unlike top-fuel.

 

"Butts in the grandstands" pay the freight. No butts = no major individual sponsorship money and no good payout. It has nothing to do with ego. If you want to believe NHRA when they are peeing on your leg but tell you it's raining, more power to you. It just seems that even though it is swell to line up against and beat the best the situation with TAD folks and NHRA is more like a hooker who keeps selling tricks so her pimp will give her a snort of crack and a safe place to get on her knees. Any good solutions or ideas out there? EPS938

 

Well said Randy, by the way it was nice to finally meet you. Although I do not have to fund the car from my pocket I feel that I still have an investment in it. I use all of my vacation time to crew our car. Some of us are there just for the fact that we live and breathe this class. I cannot remember the last time I did not think about racing at some point in my day. To be able to think back and say on occasion that our car was just a little better than Frank,Bob or Jay is more than enough to keep looking forward to the next race. Look at the three I just mentioned, Frank and Bob have most likley turned down more offers than they can remember to go Fuel racing, and Jay could do it on his own but they all choose to remain in this class. This class is not about sponsers and money, its about the people in it, and the fans that love to watch it.

 

eps..... You don't snort crack you smoke it.

 

Yeah well said, hell we had our worst race of the year at Indy and before I was on the plane to come home I was licking my chops thinking about our next race in Dallas. Dam I can't wait. it's funny what some pepole see and think, when we ran Seattle the stands were full every time we ran!! Hey Will it was great to meet ya in DT's pit.

 

EPS, Does it ever occur to you that these Guys/gals do it cause they like it??? Don't you think they know how much it cost?????

 

By the way EPS938, how many west coast IHRA races have ya been to lately. Lots of racers out here, (believe it or not) LOL. We all race NHRA because they're the best game going, all things considered. Such as safety, quality of tracks, and those "Rich Daddys" you referred to that support our sport. Ya we're all whores, but at least we're gettin' our kicks, doing what we love to hate! (at times lol). Back off of us idiots, we'll never learn, NEVER!