:::Drag Racing Online::: Columns - Agent 1320 - 7/2/2009 (http://www.dragracingonline.com/agent1320/2009/1320-xi_6-63.html)


That ought to put a stop to all the part timers showing up to fill out the fields huh?

What's the Pro qualifying money at nowadays anyway?

If you belive all the PR hype from NHRA and the team owners, $5K a pass is the cost to drag it to the line... If Graham and Co. can say that they will payout at least $8K to see you up there at least once on Friday and once on Saturday, then bring on the new, RUMORED policy...

But if anyone can explain why someone has to go into debt just to make sure that Glendora can say they have a "show", please explain it in a fashion that the simple minded of us here can understand.... ;)

Ok then get rid of the the 12 "carryover" times and just go with the quickest 16... I have never liked that. And try explaining it to a newbie.. its almost as hard as a hole shot or the infield fly rule

I gotta think(ok hope) this is just some crazy rumor

Agent clearly states this is a "RUMOR".
That being said, Rulebook, Section 2 - Race Procedures - Qualifying - states "All qualifiers in Top Fuel, Funny Car (etc} must have A valid elapsed time recorded to be placed into eliminator competition."
And . . . Section 3 - Points and Related Programs - NHRA National Events -
"10 Points to all contestants – ONE qualifying run required."
I can't find anything stated about how competitors are paid.
However, I believe it was reported that B&J Top Fuel team was not paid at the Winternationals after winning round one because they could not return for round two - also can't find these payout rules right now.
Can NHRA really be this stupid? - I hope not.

All the talk from nhra about keeping cost down for the racers, then this. Just another way to screw the racers. Like T Sartain said, it should be the quickest 16, only one mandatory pass to get in.

Save the racer money (BS), like the "spec" nitro motor. you think that won't cost the nitro teams big $$. And if they DO go to the new motor, just wait till they re-write the alky rule book.

[QUOTE=Jim Young;214147]

Can NHRA really be this stupid? -

You don't really want to ask this do you???

Save the racer money (BS), like the "spec" nitro motor. you think that won't cost the nitro teams big $$. And if they DO go to the new motor, just wait till they re-write the alky rule book.

Zappy... Where is the big $$ that the nitro teams are going to encounter in the spec motor?? :confused:

Hijack alert

:rolleyes:

Zappy... Where is the big $$ that the nitro teams are going to encounter in the spec motor?? :confused:

Hijack alert

:rolleyes:

Unproven combination so would require lots of trial and error , oddbal part sizes so would have to get all new pistons and things like that . New heads would have to be developed to cope with the smaller displacement . You just need to look at all the setbacks the nhra themselves are having with testing the spec engine idea the common excuse being lack of available parts .

Unproven combination so would require lots of trial and error , oddbal part sizes so would have to get all new pistons and things like that . New heads would have to be developed to cope with the smaller displacement . You just need to look at all the setbacks the nhra themselves are having with testing the spec engine idea the common excuse being lack of available parts .

It's probably not that the new spec motor will cost any more or less than the current units. If they actually arrive at such a thing, I can't see where the components themselves should really cost any more or less than the current.

I would venture to say the fact that the current inventories most of the teams have for the combination being run now will all be obsolete and ultimately useless, hundreds of thousands of dollars worth, would be the major reason that this will be a problem initially.

Sean D

the money quote from the article: "And so it goes at the headquarters on 2035 Financial Way in Glendora … and evidently with a zip code in another reality."

If the privateers can get in with only one run, I say let them!

What is NHRA's beef here; that maybe some under funded nitro teams can at least cover expenses for running an NHRA event? HOW DARE THEY!

I say leave things the way they are. Under funded teams exploiting any angle they can to stay out there is not NHRA's biggest problem. Especially if you consider where the TV ratings are going!

It just seems like another ploy from NHRA to pick racers pockets because I think NHRA feels they're the only ones that should be making any money out there!

-90% Jimmy

Drag Racing Internet Magazine - Competition Plus.com - NHRA DENIES RUMOR (http://www.competitionplus.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10716&Itemid=6)

..........Especially if you consider where the TV ratings are going!........

as an organization, if nhra is paying the big bucks to espn to televise them
with respectable time slots, doesn't it stand to reason the last thing nhra
wants to present to it's tv/sponsor audience is a short field on your
sunday race telecast?.......something about perception is reality.

The Agent's track record tells me this is not true.

The Agent's track record tells me this is not true.

Let's not forget that NHRA also denied the Coca Cola Bottling Company was going to sponsor the NHRA series after Winston left... or that they were not trying to sell the NHRA to HD Partners or that they paid off the Pro Stock Truck racers and let's not forget they denied they ever had a tire problem in Top Fuel and Funny Car!

Has anyone seen the complete report yet on Darrell Russell's death that Graham was going to deliver to all of us on ESPN?

And recently they denied a SPEC engine in the works and changing to 1,000 foot racing.

And that NHRA denied how much was being paid for the ESPN TV production.

One last one... Steve Johnson's Pro Stock Bike win at INDY.


Have a great Independence Day, please remember what it means! ;)

Unproven combination so would require lots of trial and error , oddbal part sizes so would have to get all new pistons and things like that . New heads would have to be developed to cope with the smaller displacement . You just need to look at all the setbacks the nhra themselves are having with testing the spec engine idea the common excuse being lack of available parts .

Sure... right....

:rolleyes:

Consider the source. Everytime something like that comes from the "agent", you have to go to Comp Plus to find out if it is true.

Consider the source. Everytime something like that comes from the "agent", you have to go to Comp Plus to find out if it is true.

Good one Jay!:D

Next question - what is the definition of a "pass"? Staging the vehicle, posting a reaction time and moving 1/2 of an inch out of the starting line beams? Oh wait - maybe it's lighting up the 1000 foot timing scoreboards with a valid recorded time? And if that's the case - does that include coasting past the 1000 foot beam with your motor off, parachutes dragging...at a whopping 51.43 mph?

just another episode of "As the crankshaft turns."

[QUOTE=Martin Thomas;214152]Zappy... Where is the big $$ that the nitro teams are going to encounter in the spec motor?? :confused:

Like the others have said, a ton of R&D would be needed. And the teams inventories of rods, pistons, heads, blocks, blowers, ect would be obsolete.

There is no need for a new nitro motor. 1,000ft has done their goal already. Lowered the speeds and made the racing safer. And all with NO new cost to the teams, no R&D, no new parts. Also it saved tracks from being obsolete.

Like the others have said, a ton of R&D would be needed. And the teams inventories of rods, pistons, heads, blocks, blowers, ect would be obsolete.

There is no need for a new nitro motor. 1,000ft has done their goal already. Lowered the speeds and made the racing safer. And all with NO new cost to the teams, no R&D, no new parts. Also it saved tracks from being obsolete.

What more R&D would be necessary than what is already being done, Zappy?

In case some of you forget, this whole sport is based around a bunch of engineers that like to try and make things go faster- the actual 4 seconds of run is the end result of hours/days/months of R&D that a good part of the annual budget is already dedicated to.

Do you honestly think that those teams that already do research and development on their gear would just stop if told that their current combination would be the industry standard for the next 10 years? Please...

The teams don't encounter NEW costs- they just encounter COSTS... The dollar doesn't know if it is being spent on a 500ci piston or a 417ci one... The dollar is just spent. And to think that there is anyone out there running a Nitro combination today that DOESN'T take the time to sit down and try to figure out how to make something better/stronger/faster is naive at best. NONE of that is done for free, so R&D costs only go up exponentially based on the amount of exisiting available funding and the capabilities and imagination of the engineer.
To assume there is NO R&D cost in running a fuel team is just foolish- to steal a line from somewhere, it IS rocket science. Someone is always spending a dollar somewhere to make these things better- always have, always will. Even NASA has an R&D budget on a device that, to the untrained eye, looks pretty much the same as it did 25 years ago. Research and development costs are always included into any successful teams annual budget- hell, even I have a grand designated to trying new sh!te on the kid's Jr every year (tires, fuel systems, plumbing, etc)... can't get better unless you try things. Can't try things unless you spend money.

rods- expendables
pistons- expendables
heads- machining
blocks- sleeves
blowers- only 2, MAYBE 3 teams will be affected by going to a smaller huffer- and there is no guarentee that blower size will be changed... probably just the speed they spin

And don't even go with that belief that "slower is safer"... Safety is a combination of planning, engineering and fate, with a bit of luck sprinkled in as good measure. If all of those things aren't in alignment, safety due to speed, or the lack of it, becomes a moot point. Would there be less highway deaths at 55 than 75? Possibly. Would there be less highway deaths at 75 if all street cars were built like Pro Stockers? Probably. Would there be NO deaths? Not likely. Let's not fool ourselves into thinking that we are going to prevent ALL deaths and injuries in this VERY DANGEROUS SPORT by making the cars go slower.

:cool:

Would there be NO deaths? Not likely. Let's not fool ourselves into thinking that we are going to prevent ALL deaths and injuries in this VERY DANGEROUS SPORT by making the cars go slower.:cool:[/QUOTE]

You are right Mr. T there will always be risk involved in racing. All I'm saying is, there will be more cost in changing to a ALL NEW set-up, then staying with what we have.

And lets not forget about the ALKY racer. IF nhra brings the nitro speeds down to the 280-300 range, don't think for a minute that nhra won't slow the alky cars respectively.

Nhra would either (A) come up with a spec alky engine, or (B) run alky cars to 1,000ft.

You are right Mr. T there will always be risk involved in racing. All I'm saying is, there will be more cost in changing to a ALL NEW set-up, then staying with what we have.

And lets not forget about the ALKY racer. IF nhra brings the nitro speeds down to the 280-300 range, don't think for a minute that nhra won't slow the alky cars respectively.

Nhra would either (A) come up with a spec alky engine, or (B) run alky cars to 1,000ft.

One of the nitro guys here gave a rundown of what it would take to put the basics of a spec engine in place... Ultimately it would save the race teams money, and the initial outlay would be the same or less than what it currently costs teams now anyway. One less disc and floater, one less mag, thicker sleeves to bring the c.i. down, new crank (probably), new pistons and rods that they have to buy anyway- no more ordering part # XXXX; now we order the same quantity of part # YYYY- all the same to Venolia and BME...

And looking at the alky guys- what's the difference between having to order all the parts they do anyway to stay competitive year in and year out and ordering parts that, in the long run, are the same bits that the nitro teams are changing over to as well? Alky goes to 354ci max (via sleeves), one mag, smaller/ slower pump, and, tah dah, the parrity between the "Big Show" and the "little guys" is equal again...