PDRA Quick 8 Dragster class - Why no screws?

Does NHRA have a turbo size restriction in top dragster?

 

Trevor you can add Vollmer and Molnar to your 3.60's list and both have run 200+ mph in the 1/8th .

 

I can't believe I forgot Paul and Vollmer was the gentleman whose name I could not recall. Thanks for the correction.

Paul Molnar went 3.67 I believe and Vollmer went a 3.68 or 3,69 I am thinking.

I can't wait to watch this class grow and develop.

Trev

 

Molnar has been 3.66 , .67 and .68 several times . I hope they let Vollmer run his clutch car it is a very nice piece and they are not against traveling , pretty sure they drive around 8 hrs just for a 1 day event at Thompson .

 

I was talking to Buzz today .....it seems like a few racers are not satisfied with the rules package for this five race series. The best option would be for all of them to pool their money and sponsor the other five races in the PDRA schedule. Since it seems most of the ones not satisfied are from the mid west it makes since to fund races in Houston, La.,St Louis ,And Memphis. Bradenton is on its own. Lol. This will be a successful class as we already have a ton of interest and pre commitments, and the powers that be at the PDRA are loving it. No set of rules can please everyone. Thanks Will for the space to promote the class your support is appreciated.

 

So since I am a mid west guy and was one of the guys challenging the rules I just wanted to put a couple thoughts out there. I am by no means upset I can't be part of the show, I will race Asphalt Wars again this season in Thompson as long as there are the 5 races out there and if that isn't an option I can run my roots blower in TAD. I just wanted to address Jody's comment about stepping up and sponsoring the other 5 races and this is only I how I interrupt that, basically pay to play. If I wanted the rules changed all I have to do is sponsor the class and I can allow myself to race. Money aside, that doesn't seem the logical way to promote growth for a class. My thought is why would you not want to start out with pretty open rules and see what happens? If a particular combination is dominant because of parts or other reasons a rule adjustment could easily be made to address the issue or that combination could be excluded after seeing how it plays out. It seems like the best way to grow a class and attract sponsors for it would be to have a lot of racer interest and say like 20 cars showing up trying to qualify for an 8 car field. With outside sponsorship, a racer or their company wouldn't have to fund a place then for themselves to race. Now if a select group of cars want to run their own deal and fund it that is awesome they have the ability to do as such, but I doubt that will sustain growth or interest. It just appears the rules were built for a select group of cars as they don't even follow top dragster rules since a clutch can't be run in an altered or in a nitrous dragster even though that has always been allowed in every top dragster class. Maybe there aren't enough clutch cars to make a difference, but I sure would love to see the class grow and attract more racers and to exclude a car because of a clutch I just haven't seen or been convinced that it is such an advantage to initially exclude them from a heads up type class. If top dragster rules were exactly copied over to this new class then I could see where the argument would be made that a clutch in a blown dragster isn't allowed but in this case the rules were written loosely based on top dragster and they could have easily included clutches or not excluded altereds with clutches or nitrous dragsters with clutches. I hope the class does well and if rules ever change to open it up some more there is an opportunity for the class to have some fast cars show up to try and qualify.

 

No worries..... But he knew from the start that there would be racers that felt disenfranchised, but there has never been a class with rules that made everyone happy. I, for one, am very thankful that Buzz stepped up to sponser this deal. But his decision was based on keeping the racers that were already running with the PDRA in TD a place to race. The fact that the PDRA in their haste to grab a set of rules for the TopDragster class used the NHRA's rules is a shame. They should have used the IHRA rules. I understand that to run on NHRA tracks they needed their safety rules but not the rest.

 

Q-8

I guess I will put my 2 cents in ...................
A altered doesn't have a chance ! Can't get the weight down to complete with these 1800/1900 lb dragsters running the 526ci + engines.
Even in NHRA the dragsters are running much quicker then the F/C's which are more aero. then a altered body.

Santo Sicilia

 

Sell clutch buy converter problem solved !

 

Look your right, I could buy a converter and everything else to change my car over but that wasn't really the point of anything I've posted. I was only looking at and making suggestions for growing the class and getting a quick field for an open outlaw style class. I've tried to bring up valid points so I'm not sure if your post was to just to be "smart" or if you were making a point beyond the obvious. I understand somebody has to make rules and not everyone will like them, that is racing. When you pay for a class you should get the final say on rules and that is cool. I respect that and if I want to run PDRA I need an automatic. I just was making suggestions to see a group of the fastest roots blown cars run against each other. Either way like I said before I have places to race my car yet and hopefully in an upcoming season we will switch our blower to a screw and move on. I am not upset I can't race in the PDRA class, I made my suggestions and tried to do so with class and explanation, not just post why no clutches? So it is a little offensive to see a post like buy a converter...I'd be happy to discuss any valid points anytime and wish to see the class do well and grow.

Eric Vollmer
815.545.5418

 

I get your point. I think there are more cars out there that run a converter than run a clutch. If what you said about allowing other combinations in and if one type develops an advantage change the rules to even it up. So instead of upsetting someone at the start you upset them half way into the season. I appreciate Buzz stepping up and starting this class.

 

Rules

I'm going to voice an opinion. Going back a year or so I'm told there will be a new heads up class at Kilkare. Talk to Ron Bales about it. All funded ready to go. Glenn, get your car together, the more cars the better. My dragster is sitting in the shop minus blower and hat. I decide since there will be a place to race it close to home, I'll go ahead and the build the twin turbo set up. So I ordered the turbos, get all the stuff fabricated, spend thousands of dollars, and then find out no racing, I believe weeks before it's supposed to start. I shared my project with many outlaw dragster racers, using 94 mm turbos on my build. I get wind of the PDRA quick 8 plans and get excited about racing again. So I get cooking on it again to get ready for this year. But WAIT, the rules come out restricted to 88mm turbos! I think, WTF? All I can figure is some racers may think there car won't be the quickest. Well, that's fine. Rules are rules, but as Eric said, get as many cars there as possible and let the chips fall where they may. There's not that many 3.60 cars around anyway. But consider this, is a racer going to buy a proline $100,000 engine and $15,000 trans set up to run for $3000 and 5 races to beat up on everyone else? Doubt it. I can't commit to particular races anyway, we haven't been down the track yet, and besides, my son, driver, has to orchestrate time off work to drive the sled. And before I'm blasted by a certain racer as having sour grapes, I say good luck to all and congrats to Buzz for sponsoring it. But let's face it, up until now there's been no big stage to run heads up since Norwalk Friday nights that I was aware of. Have fun and be safe! And remember, just my opinion, like an a-hole, everybody has one!
Glenn

 

Yeah.... But sour grapes make damn fine wine.

 

Good thing I don't drink then!

 

open outlaw

hey guys at least we hav a start, I probably want get 2 race all 5 races because of locations but I was willing to throw n som funds 2 get it started we as x TAD racers need another avenue to race ,,1/8 mile racin 4 more prize money than nhra runnin 1/4 it makes a lot of sense as far as maintenance and cost 2 me an organization ran by racers makes even more sense,, my thought was try and the key word is try and the class can evolve into a great deal with more combo's I my self don't hav a problem with screws and clutches but we got to hav a starting point and I think it may help grow the class by havin converters 2 keep down cost may be u others that r complaining throw in a few bucks and we can increase the locations make it work and we can hav a great race class we hav all complained about NHRA and poor crowds and pdra has great crowds so lets try and build us another class and hav a place to race
we all hav 2 pay 2 play n some form get real I wuld rather at least hav some input into the class than some suit in glendora
gk

 

GK, I take it you have a full blown TAD? So you're willing to put a converter in it and have a 14-71 blower?
Not trying to start shit, I'm just curious. And yes, there has to be a start. If this is the case, I wonder how many TAD 's would be willing to do this? And sometimes curiosity killed the cat!

 

open outlaw

actually didn't hav a clue wat I was gonna race I purchased a rolling TAD and was putting together our old TAD engine combo that we ran in 2004-2005 I had a bunch of leftover parts blk, heads actually wanted to do a nitro engine and do shows but found a good deal on a roots ssi roots blower and stuck a powerglide in it wen this came up probably want even b competitive but at least I can race heads up format and hav some fun i don't like bracket racing nhra killed the TAD class n the south so I am glad to help all I can
gk

 

Will, it is not an attitude.... Or some plot against screw blowers or clutch cars. SMDH. Open outlaw has the same rules as Bradenton's open outlaw class at the Snowbirds ( less clutches for ANY car ) and IHRA Top Dragster, which has never allowed screw blowers. Pro Boost specifically prohibits screw blowers, but does allow other types of boosted combos as does open outlaw. The last Snowbirds had a great turnout and Pro Boost has had enormous car counts, both without screw blowers. There are already two places to race screw blown dragsters NHRA TD and TAD. Also you can run PDRA TD with a screw. As for open outlaw.... You and your team are welcome to race just put a roots blower on it , or leave the screw on it and bracket race it in TD. At this point everyone complaining about the rules package are just beating a dead horse.... It isn't going to change anything, the rules are set and we all know that the only thing worse than rules you don't like are fucking rules that keep changing to placate different racers and their combos. Some rules had to be set , rules that have worked well for other classes were copied , end of story.