What is considered "Affordable" when talking Professional Drag racing? How many think $300-$400,000 per year to compete in the Alky classes to expensive? I don't know how much the Comp. Eliminator or Superstock players lay down every year, but I bet it's probably over $100,000 per year just in travel expenses. I bet the DeFrank family, Al Corda or Dan Fletcher probably spend at least that much running as many races as they do. Like Dave McClelland said in Jon Asher's article "You race what your pocketbook can afford" If anyone has any idea how to make 4 sec. Fuel racing or 6 sec. PS racing affordable, I'd love to hear how that's possible!

I'm "borrowing" a couple posts from another board just because they nail it when you're talking about what they used to be able to do compared to now.

"I learned to respect johnny west,i'm sure you all remember his crash,i was there that weekend.he had a very old cab over truck,a very old trailer,you know wood siding nothing inside it except one funny a little tool box and a drum of nitro....and he was kicking ass up till he wrecked.was very scary. "


"I have known John West since around 73 but in 1983? I helped crew for him at Portland. My car wasn't running at the time so I helped him. He had the sparce Trailer with a small living quarters in front and a Vega? tow car in back behind the FC. He was running an alky setup to do the burnouots on and then switched to nitro just before he staged. Bark it once and stage. He qualified well and won first round. We pulled the pistons and they had bad black death. I said "We gotta change these" He asked if the rings were loose. I said yes. He said puttum back in! He won second round and had low ET. We pulled them again. Now they are black deathed top to bottom. He said "Puttum back in"! He won the final round running 6.0's all day. I learned a good lesson about what was important on a fuel motor that day."

Ron that's a cool story. Now I'm no fuel tuner, but I think what was important to a fuel motor back then is probably worlds away from what is important today. I believe the way nitro motors are run changed quite a bit when the top alky guys got involved---Veney, Armstrong, Richards...

Yeah, just don't anyone even start to think that those were my words. Like I said, just "borrowing" them. I thought the part about doing the burnout on alcohol and switching over was pretty impressive, along with "Puttum back in!" LOL.

Frank Oglesby has told about how he found out a long time ago that pistons were often backsided on a burnout, then the engine just finishes blowing up on the run, that the barrel valves are made for idle or WOT, not doing burnouts at part throttle. Forget what the reason was, but he did a burnout once, had to shut off and go home. Said he almost didn't take the engine apart, but was then glad he did when he found warped valve reliefs smiling up at him. Don't suppose there could be anything to doing burnouts on alcohol?

It's just not for the poor gearhead anymore.. As much as you scrimp and save to run a mile or two on the weekend, it will never come back to the day of working up some piece in you garage and coming out to kick butt and take names. Hell, I was just checking the classified for a SINGLE CYL. GO-KART engine on steroids (Jr. motor) for the kids, and the AVERAGE price is well over $3500.. .. Without clutch.

I have an old sales brochure from Ken Cox from about 73- you could get a COMPLETE roller with body for about $500 LESS than that.. Before you start flaming on me about the value of a dollar, inflation, yada, yada.. realize that even keeping up with inflation, the cost of this sport because of its technology has gone unchecked for so long, not only have the horses left through the open barn door, they have gone and built themselves spaceships and left our galaxy.

Rules to prevent costs from skyrocketing missed their opportunity more than a decade ago- at this point all it is doing is preventing new technology from being introduced to make racing for the elite few that can afford it closer and more entertaining for the television audience (and isn't it close to that now anyway??). Let those that can afford it go off on this magical mystery tour of technology and performance unhindered by the "rules of the week"- personally, I'd love to see what they come up with within the rules they start the year with.
And I'd also like to see a day when safety certified garage projects can fill a field- whatever class it may be.
(GO JIM HEAD!!! )

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a.k.a. 98percentnitro

http://www.myspace.com/relentlesslightingdesign

Martin you're right. The horse has left the barn on that one. The thing that really hurts me is that the fans in the stands have gone from racers to watchers and that just sucks! I know it can't EVER be the way it was and the problem is my memory is still works way to well. It just pains me that most will never get to experience working on a nitro car.

As far as the cost of Pro Stock racing just six or seven years ago.

Warren Johnson and Richie Steven came up to Mission back in 2000 to test prior to the NW Nationals (back when there was two weeks between Denver and Seattle)
Richie had Valspar as primary and he said the cost was 400,000 per year for major sponsorship.

So it has almost quadruplied in less than a decade if infact thate 1.5 is true.
I more that likely think the cost is 1 mil.
The top five or six teams are probably spending 1.5 though.

Dean

And that too!!!!!!

I would have responded to Mr. Reinhart’s comment earlier, but was out of town without a computer.

I will say without hesitation that I have written a number of extremely positive stories about NHRA drag racing in the past year, including feature stories on the U.S. Nationals, the AC Delco Nationals in Las Vegas, and this year’s Winternationals.

In addition I’ve also written very positive stories about the excellent strides the NHRA Media Department has taken towards getting the sport more and better publicity as well as anther story outlining all of the very positive changes that were/are scheduled for this year’s NHRA POWERade Series events.

At the conclusion of this short letter I’ll provide a list of links to those online stories, although a second story I did on the U.S. Nationals you’ll have to find in the February issue of Hot Rod Magazine.

If, as Mr. Reinhart charges, I haven’t “liked anything about NHRA drag racing for a long time,” I wouldn’t have written the pro-NHRA drag racing stories I’ve mentioned.

Clearly, Mr. Reinhart failed to understand the content of the editorial written for Competitionplus.com, which at no point made even the slightest negative reference to NHRA drag race per se. The editorial was about the increasing costs of racing in Pro Stock in NHRA, and why some of the exotic hardware now finding its way into use is not benefiting the class or the fans who buy tickets to see those cars in action.

Mr. Reinhart is a talented announcer who’s generally well versed on most aspects of NHRA drag racing. He does a very good job of asking competitors questions at the finish line after they climb out of their cars, which provides the fans with additional entertainment.

But for the record, Mr. Reinhart gets the same kind of access and privileges that I, as well as every other member of the accredited media receives, so what that has to do with anything escapes me.

Here’s that list of links:

U.S. Nationals: “Remembering Indy”
http://competitionplus.com/index.php...=325&Itemid=24

AC Delco Nationals Las Vegas: “Racing In Glitter Gulch”
http://competitionplus.com/index.php...d=908&Itemid=6

NHRA Winternationals: It’s The Grand Start To The Season”
http://competitionplus.com/index.php...1930&Itemid=24

NHRA Media Department: “Awash In A Sea Of Ink”
http://competitionplus.com/index.php...1043&Itemid=24

NHRA Track Improvements: “Changes Are A-Comin’”
http://competitionplus.com/index.php...1150&Itemid=24

Jon Asher

Has NHRA officially made any rules regarding Prostock in this manner? I've heard of driver/owner meetings, but no Official rulechanges.

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Shift for Brains!!!!

'cuz NHRA doesn't necessarily listen to drivers/owners.

That's something that hasn't changed in the last 25 years unfortunately.

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Jackee Allen-ProStockJunkie
"The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress." -- Joseph Joubert (1754-1824) French Philosopher

The NHRA issued a rule change directed specifically to the shocks issue. Pro Stock teams are required to run the "traditional" Koni Shock set ups.

NHRA News: Tech Department expands suspension rules in Pro Stock (2/27/2007)

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Tom Sweeny
Cunningham Motorsports

Thank you Jon Asher..

I've always enjoyed your perspective.

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--Medicated for your safety!!--