TAD class restructure in 08 ?

Bad Idea

I don't see this ever making it past 'talk.'

It's an idea that ignores many real world problems associated with it. The good certainly doesn't outweigh the bad.

As far as training goes, read Mike Dunn's statements a few issues of ND back where he feels that drivers of blown alcohol dragsters/funny cars are just as qualified to drive a top fuel car.

I don't see what would be different about crew member training. Crank and rods are still crank and rods. Heads are still heads, clutches are still clutches.

Existing equipment would be worthless. Not many teams would have the resources to buy the new equipment. Gone from the class would be the variety and the rivalry.

BAD IDEA. I also don't see it ever happening.

 

bad change still

smokey,

let me address your points-

"1- It DOES become a place to be able to train potential crew chiefs. (Most anyone can drive one but not everyone can tune one). "

Learning how to tune a 30% spec motor will not teach you anymore how to tune a Top Fuel car than any TAD/AFD or TAFC out there. In fact, if you look at most of the top tuners in the Pro Ranks, they came from blown alcohol applications. Alan Johnson, Jim O, Jimmy Prock, Dale Armstrong, Tim Richards, etc., all came from alky cars and did pretty good.

"2- It gives the division tracks a real nitro class to promote, not just a half assed class as it is now."

Most division tracks don't want a show to promote, they want a big car count sportsman event to earn back gate money. The sooner the powers that be and the racers accept this, and create a regional series for the few tracks that do want a show, the sooner the alcohol classes will move forward. The only thing half assed about the alcohol show on the divisional level now is the promotion by the tracks, the payout, and some of the facilities themselves. The tracks that don't promote the shows now aren't going to jump over backwards to promote a show with LESS nitro than what we already have. A 30% nitro coupe motor barely sounds like it has much cackle at all.....if they didn't tell you it had nitro, you probably wouldn't know.

"3- There are a number of pro car owners (Force being one of them) who said they would start a team of their own as soon as such a change would be announced. "

So because Force and Shoemacher want a training ground class we should just ditch the 200+ alcohol teams out there that compete? Force already fields a team, it's called Darien & Meadows. If Shoe really wanted to build a feeder team, he would have one already. An A/F car is just as close to a Fuel car as this spec car would be.

"4- With pro teams geting envolved in owning cars, it would increase the ability of tracks to promote "name" cars for division events. "

See above. It also boils down to the existing promotion problem. If the 'names' we have would get promoted more, then there would be 'names' to promote. See a pattern...promotion is the problem, not cars...

"5- Right now this class ain't goin anywhere and NHRA sees that. "

Promotion problems and a broke divisional system are holding the classes back from reaching their potential. The class is going somewhere. We've seen steady growth in both categories over the past few years, and I'm sure the strong TV package that Lucas has brought to the table helps. When was the last time the Gators had more TAFC's than TAD's? Once again, the problems lie in promotions and other areas, not the cars. Changing the combinations around won't fix those problems.

"6- The TAD car is tapped and can only continue to be propt up by NHRA factoring the A Fuel car. "

The Blown alcohol combination is only limited by the rules imposed by NHRA. There has been a new blower available since 1997. Heads are only allowed minor modifications.

"6- A spec blown fuel combo with a spec piston, fixed cc size chamber, spec pump, spec size blower and overdrive, with todays technology could almost be made bullet proof. "

First big problem is that sounds like a pretty boring class when you put it beside the current structure of TAD/TAFC. The rivalry and diversity you see in the current classes has much more ENTERTAINMENT value than a spec class. Any motor with any nitro will blow up without the right tune-up in it. If nitro isn't happy, it usually throws a parts fit. If you don't think this class will come with a very expensive learning curve, you're kidding yourself. Maybe the class will come with a spec tune-up too.....

"7- There was a meeting in Gainseville with the division directors where this was discussed, according to a tech official. Let the games begin because it is more than just another rumor!"

I don't doubt this has been discussed. I heard this rumor 2 years ago. It sounds like a bunch of PRO owners got together and dreamed this up as a great way to have an outlet to sell their used parts since the alky cars don't run their parts anymore. Then this idea gets pitched to some execs that really don't have a clue about alcohol racing. Then it rolls downhill to the functional level, where it should die a quick death. If Force having an alcohol team is the saviour of the alky classes, then it would have already happened with Ashley and Brandon in Darien's rides. The idea has some merits, but it has a ton, let me stress this - A TON- of problems.

I don't know what color the sky is in this fantasy world that anyone is in who thinks that if you change the class to this, that miraculously the series will become the Busch league equivalent it should be. I'd be willing to bet these cars would be slower, far less cackle, less flames, less rpm, less violent, less diversity and entertainment value than the current classes have. Let's fix the promotion problems and promote a class that has more entertainment value.