PDRA Quick 8 Dragster class - Why no screws?

The class sponser and the PDRA know what they are doing. Pro nitrous is a NOS only class and so far has had good attendance. PRO boost allow turbos and roots only and has taken off with over twenty car trying to qualify at every race. Open outlaw, IF it happens , will do just fine without allowing screw blowers or clutches (in dragsters ) to race. I think altered's and funny cars can run a clutch ( but no screws) If turbos get out of hand they will be hit with a rule change. It will be hard enough to convince NOS racers to try and compete against a roots blown car, much less a screw blower. Limiting the OD of a screw blower may work, but you'll never convince a NOS guy of that. That is why Bob Harris of the PDRA is quoted of saying that they will never mix NOS and blowers again in a pro mod class. If NOS wants to race with this class they will have to follow the class rules.

 

So how come an altered or a funny car can run a clutch but a dragster can't? Doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense. If the class is going to allow funny cars, altereds, and dragsters running NOS, roots blowers, and turbos what difference does it make that a dragster runs a clutch? Is a clutch really that big of a performance advantage like a screw blower? What happens if an altered or funny car starts to run away with the class and they have a clutch? It just seems odd that you can run so many different combinations with different style cars but the one that is excluded is a blown clutch dragster. Nonetheless, My original question back at the beginning of the post was just to see if anyone could provide a good reason roots blown clutch dragsters couldn't run in Top Dragster or a quick 8 type series and it doesn't seem anyone knows a good reason other than that was a rule back when top dragster was formed and it was never looked at again.

 

Like Stroud said, no clutches was to keep TAD cars from running TD and outlaw dragster. Now the present day, it might not matter. Everyone still has to make it down the track, some marginal. You'll be lucky to get 8 3.60's cars anyway. Just my opinion.
Is this going to be 1/4 mile? I might have to blow the mice out of my turbos!

Glenn

 

1/8th mile only Glenn at PDRA events . Eric V's car is right up there with the fastest outlaw dragsters around but is not running away from the converter cars .

 

Thanks, we haven't been out in years, trying to get our new set-up done. Don't think it will be heads up competitive in the 1/8th mile though.

 

Glenn, you have to be in it to win it old man. Dust that sucka off and drag that pile to the track. Hell, it's only gonna be five races...... This year.

 

but if I stay home you'll have a chance!!!!!! I'm trying hard to get it done. Changing cam and converter now. Hope to be out there!

 

There will be an announcement this week with the details of this new PDRA class. Should be bitchen!!

 

heads up

so is pdra gonna have a heads up deal so me and will can come ???? hate bracket racing

 

Yep. Five races. No screws. Heads up. Pro open outlaw.

 

open outlaw

Jody is with the PDRA if so any info on it yet
gk
my e-mail
g.Kelly@kellytrucking.com

 

Yes. PDRA. Nothing is set in stone yet. This week I'm told.

 

pdra

great just got my dragster ready that gives me a place to race plese let me no
if u no anyone I can talk to may can throw n some purse money mayb #1 qualifier
gk

 

Awesome, we'll be glad to have you. Plus it is going to be a pro class and treated as such.

 

any ideas of the chassis cert. required. will it be a 2.1 or will they try to keep it a 2.5 and open it up to more top dragsters to move up and have a place to race

 

An NHRA or IHRA chassis cert for TD should be fine. Will not have to be a TAD cert.

 

Thanks. I just wondering how long it will take to get below that 3.60 and if a effort to keep the class from moving to a 2.1 cert.

 

Don't see that happening. Thing is, even at 3.60 and quicker the speeds will be less than 210 mph. Since regular NHRA TD cars can run these speeds with the lesser cert don't see why we can't. Energy in a crash is due to speed.. Not how quick you get there. Most cars will be below 200 even in the mid to high 3.60s, hell some damn super comp cars run 200 in the quarter with no wing even. That being said , it would take a damn fool to build or race a car that isn't safe for the et's we're running. Other than the wing stand and head shroud, my car and most other fast TD cars are built to TAD specs. And you don't need that TAD wing stand to run 200 mph. All of our cars have live axles or floaters now anyway. The PDRA isn't going to let some fucked up pos race if it's not right..... Neither will the racers running in the class.

 

I agree, hope is goes as stated. Thanks

 

Rules

Hi,

For what its worth I had a long conversation with David Cook who helped implement the rules for the PDRA when it started. I did so because I had a question about why the new class could be tethered but had to be self starting, when hooking up the tether is the same as hooking up an aircraft starter. He explained to me that they used NHRA's rules to get started and anytime they make even the slightest change to a rule they have to jump through many burning hoops to get an approval and its not guaranteed to pass. It had to do with every track accepting NHRA's rules because they were the most stringent so using NHRA's rules as a base would prevent any hassles. He did say that he is no longer involved in that anymore as he runs his own pro mod deal but the rules may change in the future as things get going. Also as per Buzz so far this class is a 1 year deal. I suspect this is a trial deal and if it goes well it will continue further.

I have spoken a lot with Bob Harris lately and they are going to allow billet blowers so as not to rule out any cars who already have them. I will say however from my research with someone who knows, dynos, and manufactures blowers, the advantage over some modified cast blowers will not be enough to give someone a huge advantage, a little...yes....huge no. The rules were set using the NHRA TD rules as a base and from what I gather they seem to want to get the class up and running without having to worry about parody issues or policing the cars. Just a fuel check and weigh in, everything else is visual.

I could see them allowing clutches if they do there own rules seeing as how they are pretty equal performance wise in the 1/8 mile but we'll see how it goes.

Is there still a huge delay in getting new screw blowers or has that cleared up?

Also what does a modified competitive screw blower go for these days?

I know the most expensive roots I could find was a Chuck Ford at $25,000 to lease one for a year but as Jody said the SSI that I bought from him has ran a 3.68 on an aborted run and so far the unofficially quickest roots blown alky car in the world is Mike Dedomenico at 3.65 with a cast blower, followed by Phil Esz 3.66 (official record) with a cast blower, Jody and one other guy have ran 3.68 with cast blowers, I know Buzz has went 3.68 or 3.69 with a cast blower, and outside of that I don't know of any other cars that have went in the 60s and I have done a good bit of research on it.

Best wishes,
Trevor Sherwood