Mitch Meyer-Steve Boggs

Did I hear correctly that Boggs won't be with Meyer and Meyer won't be racing at all in 05'. How is it that the champ from the previous 2 years doesn't show the following years. Just wondered?

 

Its all about funding.

 

888 car wreck i love the name

 

Lee are you switching to TAFC?

 

Funding my ass, its about a rule change. I have enough parts and funding to run whenever and where ever I want to.

 

Mitch I understand were your coming from I dont have a T/AD but I know it sucks to have the rules changed all the time. Not trying to be a smart azz but what would you change to make the et's closer

Lanny

 

Not trying to be a smart ass back at ya. But getting some better tuners over there in the TAD's would help. Lets just wait and see how Grimes and Obanion do this year. Should see a number of mid 20's from them.

 

Probably what he means is that a number of teams that usually ran at the top (faster than the rest) in the BAD days are now running AFD. What's left in BAD are teams that usually didn't run as strong as those who have now switched to AFD. Now NHRA is slowing down the fast guys who happen to have settled in AFD so they will be competitive to the BAD teams who typically weren't the fastest anyway? With Grimes/O'Bannon coming back to BAD it will be interesting to see the best of the best does again (in a BAD) just to see how they compare. Don't shoot me...I'm only guessing here.

 

Randy,
Other than Shields and Reichert, who are these top tuners that you're reffering to? Shields is the only one who has ran quicker (in tremendous conditions), in a BA/D, than Wells, Hentges, Haley or myself. Santos is out of the business and Payne left because of forecoming parity prooblem. In my opinion, most of the best blown cars are still blown, or parked. Grimes is a genius, but he tuned the Santos car (with Wells) all of 2003, and was still at a disadvantage.
If anyone wants to prove the BA/D's should go faster, PLEASE come buy my dragster and prove your point. I need a funny car.

Marty

 

I guess guys like Conway, Wells and Thacker etc... must idiots then? Did you forget that Grimes tuned Wells last year? I don't remember seeing any 5.10's coming from that car. Was Grimes an idiot then and now he's a genius? Statements like the one you posted do nothing but make you look like a jerk!!

 

Marty:

You would have to agree Grimes left a chemistry with the Santos/O'Bannon team that hasn't been seen since. They had a well oiled group which included Rick's dad and brother. And the Johnson's had it there way years ago with the alky cars, too. And Alan has moved on.

I think it's fair to say that the bigger dollars plus brain trusts for the moment have shifted to AFD and that's what Mitch is refering to? So the question is...now that all of the resources of the JFR brain trust are in J.D.'s pit area, who in TAD right now has any where near even 1/10th the JFR resources available to them?

Consider the talent on both sides of the aisle in this controversy. It's fair to say that with guys like Boggs, Darien and possibly Medlin, Coil and Federly working hand-in-hand to make Ashley's AFD win races, it's only natural to step back and take a hard look at exactly who should be running better, and whether or not a similar group of individuals working full time on a BAD would produce some amazing results as well.

Can Grimes recapture the past chemistry he had with O'Bannon in the past without Santos and family in the pits in BAD? It will be fun to watch.

 

Good post Randy !!!! Don't care which side of the isle you're on.

 

I bet NHRA wouldn't have made this rule change had Morgan stayed in A-Fuel! Just my opinion

 

Sorry Will. Didn't mean to step on you or Jason's toes. I was just trying to pinpoint what I was disagreeing with in Randy's post. Other than Shields, I would say you guys were the next best team to switch. I hope that sounds as good as I mean it.

And please, don't dump the tank again !

Marty

 

Marty:

Since the Santos/O'Bannon/Grimes team dominated TAD during their run, how would the current TAD teams in head to head competition compare to them had they stayed together and continued to refine their program? Would it be a fair to say that they might have run in the 'teens in ideal conditions by now? What's your opinion?

BTW, I'm not ragging on anyone. I am just curious about what you guys think...just asking the tough questions and you're someone in the know (according to Will Hanna, anyway) .

A friend of mine and I were talking about this before Las Vegas testing started. He wondered a couple things:

1) Since more and more of the faster TAD teams have left or moved on to AFD (Shield's, Thacker, Howard, Darien, Santos, etc.), do the group of cars left in TAD have the capability of running up to TAD's potential and how would they have stacked up against Santos, etc. if those guys were still running?

2) If it can be proven that the remaining cars are not representative of the potential for BAD, is it fair to keep slowing AFD's down to keep a level playing field when the playing field on the BAD side is diminishing with each team that switches to AFD, to TA/FC or quits, in a sense leaving lesser performing teams to compare the field to?

3) If number 2 can be substantiated, at what point should NHRA realize the resources and $$ are now in AFD and the BAD teams remaining, with all things being equal, would still be a slower group anyway. Should AFD be penalized for this?

I mentioned some teams I think are a very good representation of BAD like David Wells and Steve Federlin. There are others, too.

I did think he had a good point, though.

RG

[ January 25, 2005, 03:37 PM: Message edited by: Randy G. ]

 

Randy,
In my opinion, if the Santos, Grimes, and O'Bannon team were still together and running as hard, they would be the best BA/D team out there. However, they would not have matched performances with the AF/D's, over the last 3 years. I believe a few other BA/D teams would be close to their performances, on average.
At best they might have gotten into the low to mid 20's, by now, but only in the kind of conditions where Duane ran the 5.26. Please remember that NHRA has not allowed any new major technology since their heyday. Also, Some of their great performances were using parts that are not allowed now.
Also, with the exeption of the JFR/Darien and Lucas teams, I don't believe any other Alcohol team has ever had that kind of budget.

As always, these are just an opinion of a grunt, and not that of our great host, Mr. Hanna.

Have a great day,
Marty

 

Randy,
Did not see all of your post the first time.
1. I have not left the class yet. It seams that the world does not believe a BA/D has a good chance of winning alot, thus I have not been able to sell the dragster to buy a TA/FC. I'm still trying, but will race the dragster if that's my only affordable option.
2. That would not be fair, IF that were the case, which it's not. The best the Santo's group ever ran, with basically the same technology we're allowed today, was a 5.27. Well's and Grimes were on the same performance level at Joliet in 2003. That's a long way from a 5.10 with cylinders going out.
3. Since #2 does not apply, no need.

Since we are still in the class, for now, I feel our performance, along with that of Wells, Federlin, and Haley would be the benchmark. If they are not discouraged too much more, there are others on there way up. These are wonderful machines. I would hate to see them pushed into dust catchers. Wouldn't you.

Gotta get to work,
Marty

 

Yes.

<<The best the Santo's group ever ran, with basically the same technology we're allowed today, was a 5.27.>>

Tune-ups continue to evolve, so to say that because the rules won't allow new parts they wouldn't have run any faster due to a moratorium is incorrect in my opinion. That doesn't mean you wouldn't find HP by tweeking what you CAN run, and I know Grimes/Santos were good at that.