Nitro / Alcohol

I am unsure of the history of the TAD class relating to when they started allowing Injected Nitro vehicles and why. Can somebody give me a history update?

 

jr fuel

I'm not sure of how back, but I think they were around forever. Picture running on the 1987 rule book "3.00 lbs. per ci non supercharged nitro" against "4.40 lbs per ci supercharged methanol" and that was with standard helix roots.

 

Back in the Pro Comp days there were several different classes racing against each other. When I started going to Div. 6 races in the mid seventies it was a pretty viable class with alot of cars. Injected nitro dragsters and Funny Cars, Blown alcohol dragsters and Funny Cars. A mixed bag, if you will.
I remember it was alot of fun to watch and very competetive.
Chess Bushey's car was the first injected nitro car I remember seeing racing in TAD. I believe it was Gene Adams who really got that car down the track competetively, but it was hit or miss in the beginning. Probably more miss than hit. That was in the mid eighties if I'm not mistaken. Others followed suit shortly thereafter like Brooks Brown's family.

 

Clayton,

Your question should be stated the other way around. When did they allow blown alcohol? That was about 1974 when the class was called Pro Comp. The injected nitro cars were already there.

 

Veney and Armstrong final

the very first pro comp final ever featured a chevy powered a fuel dragster vs a chevy powered a fuel funny car. some fuel cars from the northeast I remember. Horner brothers chevy a/fuel. Scott Weney hemi A/ Fuel. Dale Hall B/Fuel smallblock. Samolyk and Alexander "Pleasure Seekers junior edition" B/Fuel smallblock.
edit to add
previous to pro comp but after the demise of junior fuel. A and B fuel dragsters ran in Comp Eliminator. No index back then in comp they ran against national records. No Breakout.

second edit to add
before pro comp I can remember watching Lorry Azevedo winning comp eliminator at the Summernationals with John Kinsels 'Drummer" A fuel Funny car.

 

Re: Boggs Bros Roadster

Just wanted to mention the boggs bros ft motor/altered injected on "pop". now how kewl is that? as my dad ken said, and he was racing when he used a chain off this trailer for a seat belt (TRUE STORY, JUST ASK HIM) injected on fuel/jr fuel was back in the 60's. i dont think there was such a combo as "blown hair dryers" till the 70's. so, a/fuel was there first. what ever that accounts for, which is nothing. good luck everyone this year.

 

As far as blown dragsters there was Top Gas before pro comp. I Think Mike Kosky can tell you a bit more about that. Mike didn't you run a Yenko aluminum block rat at one time? Top gas was dropped despite much protest. and moved to comp eliminator as AA/D. They merged into Pro Comp one or two years later. Weiss ands Scott did pretty good with a steel 392. 6.99 record if i recall. A year after pro comp was formed came Alky. if i recall Didn't Adams and Enriquez build an AA/DA which immediately ran too quick and the class was hammered with weight? I think they got disgusted and quit rather than add weight and instead worked on a dual engine A/FD top fuel project. Not certain about the chronology though.

 

Won't be able to fill a full field in a couple years if things continue the way they have been.

The whole class will be much cheaper.

 

"POP" and Nitrous... Pretty dam cool if you ask me!!

 

What the hell do you know? damn A/Fool guy anyway...I can just picture the old man in a chain seatbelt....he's a god....was then...is NOW!

I heard that norelco was bringing something to TAD....a 220v hair dryer....

Well enough of the chit chat...time to chop da broc-o-ree!

KB

 

Wow, I did not realize the history of this class. That is all great information.

It is truly amazing how some teams will actually give up. The grass must be greener on the other side, right? How could a decision be made to drop out after one race? How could you do that after one run? Look at other classes. Would Doug give up because of the run Tony made? Look at how Frank has outclassed the field in TAFC and I don't see anyone complaining or giving up. Sure, these might not be apple to apple comparisons, but the bottom line is the same.

As far as the TAD class goes, I think it will be a good competitive year. That is my prediction.

 

Not even Apple to Orange comparisons.

One Run? One race?

How about xxx runs in the teens and low twenties with speeds over 270.

How many races were blown cars #1 qualifier or had low et in the last 100 national events? Yea, I know they don't work hard enough and Santos isn't running...

And I wouldn't call it giving up either... Would you sponsor a Blown Car today?

 

Sponsorship... as a matter of fact, I talked with a blown car team last week. If a sponsor was truly only looking for a car capable of winning, they would be more apt to sponsor a blown car in the TAD class then most any car in the TAFC class. Since most of the vehicles in the TAFC class are racing for 2nd place, at best.

Most sponsors are looking for a combination of things from their teams. I certainly feel one of the top areas is how they represent themselves both personally and professionally.

Everyone has there opinion, and as I said before, I think it will be a good competitive year.

 

Thanks for your support of the blown cars and I am assuming talked = sponsorship... Look forward to the new announcement soon.

Though, not to nice of a comment about the TAFC competitors.

And it is unfortunate that they cannot get the same equipment either - so of course that is major disadvantage. But I know all the other TAFC guys are working real hard and I bet they will close the gap.

Again look forward to the big "blown" sponsorship announcement...

 

Bottom line the number 2 car in the world was a blown car. I guess funnycar is the better option. Manzo still looks like he's the man. I don't see anyone taking his crown. Why would people rip on Clay. He is not biased one way or the other, he is stating the facts relative to what sponsers are looking for.

 

I certainly did not mean to cause any hard feelings in the TAFC class. It is hard trying to run with a $25,000 sponsorship against a $250,000 sponsorship. There are some great teams out their on both sides. As far as others ripping on Clay, no big deal. This is for the most part my view. I should start adding a statement at the bottom which says something like.

The views expressed in this message are those of Clayton Parks and may not be any reflection on the company I represent or the people and/or cars I sponsor.

lol

 

Not sure who was ripping anyone. Just questioning some of the logic.

Really, not sure how Doug and Tony relate to TAD... and how you can compare TAFC to the TAD parity issue. But, I guess peope believe or dream up what ever they want. I do...

Go Big Blue...

 

Thanks Kevin, I understand your logic...

And best of luck getting some good hits this year.

Keep racing!

 

explanation

Thanks also for the explanation Kevin. Like the old saying, can't see the forest for the trees, well sometimes you just get too close.
Heck I think I finally figured it out. For some people, if they don't have anything to complain about, they won't be happy. Or is that if they don't have someone to blame, they won't be happy. I will leave that up to everyone to figure out an explanation for this one.