Ever look at a SS/AH car?

Yep!
More tubing, braces and gussets than one could ever imagine.

I know it's not 1968, but these too have gotten out of hand.


Larry

__________________
www.HotRodCarbs.com

One thing some of us have learned is, how to learn from the mistakes of others.

But thanks for sharing that bit of info. If you have kept track of the times run by this years top SC Hot Rod cars now that Eggum Racing has left the show. You get the feeling there learning how to play...

I think we all can agree racing has gotten expensive, but I also see it as a great education and focus for my son.

Comp is suffering the same problem that too many once exciting classes are today...too many rules, classifications, combinations, accepted parts, and the scourge of unlimited budgets to exploit the weak areas. Throw in the general increase in operation and you'll continue to see diminished participation. NMRA/NMCA have dropped classes recently because of this very disease. Outlaw 10.5 racing is starting to loose it's sheen for the same reasons. Classes that require intensive tech and verificiation cost the sanctioning body more to present and in the end economics will win over tradition.

My family and I have tasted Comp in a few different flavors. My dad had a killer combination in 1972 that was reclassified into obsolesence in 1973 when NHRA re-organized the whole deal. Seems you can't have a Ford motor in a dragster outrunning the same size/type Chevy by .300 and 20 mph. I helped field a D/ED in the early-mid 90's that won some races then some idiot in another part of the country decided to kill the index one weekend at a divisional race. We threw in the towel rather than build a completely brand new car for the little V-6. Then again in 1997 we had an A/ED that could qualify and if I was lucky enough win some rounds...but some knuckle head bombed the index after taking a nap on the starting line and it was all over. You spend spend spend and build a car that will qualify and be semi-competitive then by no fault of your own you are either forced to spend MORE to keep up or find another class or, as we did, said screw it all and find a sensible class.

Comp has devolved into nothing more than a .60 under bracket race so what the hell would be the difference if it were replaced by a much more profiable class like T/D and T/S? And if some of those Comp teams took their magical budgets and applied them to those classes imagine the quality of operation they could have.

Oh yeah....don't try to tell the Stock and Super Stock racers that they are bracket racing. It might offend them.

__________________
Wes Tarkington
www.galaxywest.com

Obviously the Butners and other big $$$ comp club member would be pissed after being taken out by a new-age crate motor car, but they might be more pissed when NHRA writes them out of national event racing entirely due to low car counts. It is in their best interest, financially and competitively, to have large numbers of cars show up national events. What are you going to go with a Junior Pro Stocker when there is no place to run it? I guess you can park it next to your PST(and maybe soon your TAFC) in the shop.

As for the index, maybe when you bomb the index, maybe one could lose competition privileges at the next divisional or national event or maybe a weight gain for your car and the index stays the same.

Mark

Performance based bracket race.

You are right about comp. There have been some index bashing this year already. It seems everyone is not smart like David Rampy. Also there are a couple of cars in stock/superstock that have been hitting the trigger just to be #1 qualifier and that don't pay anything(except giving everyone with that combination weight).

__________________
Stock4405
Superstock4342

A ton of choices in Comp. Some are less expensive than others. Comp is for the hard core performance person that likes mechanical challenges.

Also, sitting in a car running a push rod V-8 that goes through the traps at over 10,500 rpm will mess you up for life.

I can only think of one other thing that is as addicting as Comp.

I should have stayed away from that too.........


A/EA 6992

Bingo. If you don't want to work on your stuff, even after a hit, then change classes. Simple stuff. Will It ever get to the point where I may not be able to afford it? Probably, but I will never regret the enjoyment and challenges from it.

Uh, what? While there may be some cars out there that resemble "Jr Pro Stock", you obviously have never truly taken a look at the variety of cars in Comp. PST was nixed because they were run as a pro class and the NHRA was banking on them bringing some sponsors in. And I have NO idea where the TAFC comment came from.

[Don Eckel:"Bingo. If you don't want to work on your stuff, even after a hit, then change classes. Simple stuff. "]

If you have one of the "alphabet" door cars, that's relatively easy, though still expensive. Most dragsters are built specifically for an engine/weight-break combination [F/ED to A/D? I don't think so...]

For most competitors throwing most everything away and starting over is just not an option.

Of course, that's just my opinion. I could be wrong!

__________________
David Gerard

I had ordered a Econo Dragster from curt damron if I remember right he told me he had orders for 15 cars. He called me back and told me that NHRA had dumped the class. He wasn't happy and I wasn't either. Thats when I decided that was it for the NHRA for me.

Cliff;
No offense taken. Thanks for not trying to explain it to me.

Jay