A/Fuel Funny Car

Discussion in 'Pit Buzz' started by Randy G., Nov 9, 2007.

  1. Will Hanna

    Will Hanna We put the 'inside' in Top Alcohol
    Staff Member

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    a/fuel & busch

    the reason why you see many using the a/fd's as a stepping stone is there are more rent a rides with a/fd than tafc or b/ad. a big part of that is if you can drive a sc dragster, for the most part, you can get an a/fd from point a to b. so if a car is a proven car, a fairly mediocre driver can jump in and do well, and possibly a championship. there are considerably less rent a rides in tafc. just because you have the money to make a car competitive doesn't guarantee results, at all. it can be an awfully humbling experience to jump right into tafc. i can testify personally to that. so someone with money can jump in an a/fd and get results potentially quicker than learning the ropes of a tafc. especially if it's sponsor money.

    even in nitro fc, while they are certainly a handful to drive, the driver has less to do with the performance of the car. once again, how a driver responds to shake, smoke, pedaling, etc., is what separates the good from the average drivers, but if a driver keeps it in the groove, the car is going to run what the tuneup dictates. a driver can take a 5.40 tafc tuneup and turn it into a 5.80 with a few relatively minor screwups.

    so the reason why you see more people using a/f to top fuel is the fact there are more rent a rides out there and you can get instant success. ask marty nothstein how hard it was to find a rent a ride for tafc. he eventually got hooked up with brad mcwilliams and had some success before moving on to the parkertech team. since i've lost my ride, i've had the feelers out to see what was out there to find out how much money i need to bring. there's just not a lot out there.

    as far as a/fuel or top alcohol in general being promoted as the busch league, well, that's another topic for another day, but based on feedback from nhra on this issue, when it comes to sportsman racing at the divisional level, it's about participation and car counts, not fan base. when i told them it was bad for the sport to have empty stands at an event the caliber of an nhra divisional, i was told that it absolutely was not because sportsman participation is higher than it's ever been. but that's a topic for another thread...
     
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  2. Michael Veskovich

    Michael Veskovich New Member

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    Well I sure don't just watch Top Fuel. TAFC and what BAD's are left are my favorite classes to watch... I really have to disagree that if you marketed the class like the Busch series, you'd gain more fans, bottom line is the casual fan still wouldn't give a toss!!! Go ask the casual fan what Troxel, Bernstien, Ashley, etc raced before NFC or TF, you'd draw blanks! Do you honestly think the casual NASCAR fan is interested in the Busch series? No they couldn't care less! So what makes you think it would work in Top Alcohol?

    TAFC does not need A/Fuel mixed in, like Will and a few others said, you'd lose more racers then gain new ones, and that clearly is not a good thing...
     
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  3. Darren Smith

    Darren Smith New Member

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    It blows me away at how many feel that Blown cars don't "Train" drivers for TF/FC like A-Fuel does! I guess Gary Scelzi, The Pedregon brothers, Darryl Russell, Tim Wilkerson, Tony Schumacher, Phil Burkhart and others didn't get the memo!:confused:
     
    #103
  4. tjenna

    tjenna Top Alcohol

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    Let alone the best ever - Blaine Johnson
     
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  5. ITS IN MY BLOOD

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    ..lol......I think any car that you get to drive that is faster
    than the last one is all about more experiance and the making
    of a better driver,...with that said, the point is,..if you do drive
    a top alcohol funny car,..or...dragster the only car left to drive
    and go faster in is,.....hello,...fuel funny car or topfuel dragsters.
    you began your training the first time you went fast in any car,..
    at the track that is.
    you start out slow, and you finish with the fastest,...
    Nitro,..plain and simple...if thats where you want to be
    as a goal, or even as an accomplishment.


    I LOVE THE SMELL OF NITRO IN THE MORNING.....
    I DRINK ALCOHOL AT NIGHT.......
    AND I USE ALOT OF GAS TO HAVE BOTH.

    Vic
     
    #105
    Last edited: Dec 15, 2007
  6. bob szabo

    bob szabo FC / altered

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    neat looking

    I bet that look toys with the spectator's minds.
    Bob Szabo, author of Fuel Injection Racing Secrets & 5000 Horsepower on Methanol
    www.racecarbook.com
     
    #106
  7. ITS IN MY BLOOD

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    Bring back Pro Comp........

    I will be there...

    Infact ..I will be there,.. even without it.



    [​IMG]
     
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  8. backmotor

    backmotor Owner/Crewchief/Test Pilot

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    I agree, we run the A/Fuel rear engine funny car in the "Southern Classic Funny Cars" group, we are in division 2 (based in Florida) please bring back procomp, here is a pic of our car: [​IMG]
     
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