NHRA Rule changes to TF and FC (1 Viewer)

[Riley7]

There are sooooo many attempts to re-invent the wheel here. Dale Armstrong came up with an easy, and relatively inexpensive way to slow the fuel cars down to around 300 MPH in the quarter mile. He did it years ago, and most of us that read that interview back in the day understood that DA was on the right track.

So what happened? Why didn't any of his ideas or processes get the testing they deserved? If that would have happened, we wouldn't be having these same worn-out conversations over and over again.

I read some of these ideas posted here, and a handful have merit. The rest? Obviously a lot of people have no idea of the costs or difficulty involved with changing ANYTHING to do with a nitromethane fueled motor.

I suggest all of you that want to see fuel cars return to running the 1/4 mile, to go google and read (several times) the ideas put forth by Dale Armstrong on how to cost-effectively slow down the nitro cars.

 

[dr flames]

Thats great advice, for us as well NHRA

 

[vegasnitro]

So what happened? Why didn't any of his ideas or processes get the testing they deserved? If that would have happened, we wouldn't be having these same worn-out conversations over and over again.

Tim Wilkerson did test some of these ideas on a couple of Mondays after National Events at NHRA's expense several years ago. I guess they weren't impressed because we have not heard about it since.

 

[I was NITRO BREATH]

I think some of these ideas will come to pass. But mostly the ones that increase interest in the show like throttle wacks and longer burn outs. What i think is going to happen in the very near future is nhra drag races are going to be repositioned as THE GREATEST EXTEME SPORT ON THE PLANET!!! In other words our races are going to become more like monster truck events. The new president already said we are the original extreme sport. And he is going to follow that mind set with the goal of getting more young fans interested in drag racing. So, expect flashier national events. More circus atmosphere. More internet (Facebook Twitter etc). Greater emphasis on flashy drivers and less on the quiet lone wolf campaigners. More nude courtney and less tim wilkerson if you will. I think the powers that be of nhra believe that this will be the salvation for the sport. Alot of you have begged for a bigger audience as the only hope for the future. Well i think you're gonna get it and you will complain bitterly about it.

 

[parrotwhisperer]

I hate to see performance limits of any kind because I have always been in favor of the challenge of figuring out how to go quicker and faster. I remember when iron motored cars weighed 1250 pounds! Now nitro cars have evolved into spec cars mostly to make them safer and slow them down. To slow them down a bit more, to make them a bit cheaper to run and to possibly help improve TV turn around time due to less carnage and less essential maintenance to get them fresh fresh fresh, reduce manifold pressure. Indy car used to do this with pop off valves they provided so teams could not fool with them. You can accomplish the same thing with drive ratios and burst panels, just make sure the teams cannot find a way around the max manifold pressure. Then teams can make fans happy with throttle slaps, burnouts, hops etc because the thing is going to make the same power +- anyway. No parts would be made obsolete. The fancy blowers may not be needed but they would not be obsolete. Tuners will always be looking for a way to get a little more, but limiting manifold pressure makes engine gains harder to find. Clutches would change but that would not be as expensive engine changes.

 

[CrewMan]

Good points Steve. I think it is pretty evident that no matter what limits are put on some of these crew chiefs, they are going to "find a way" to go faster....it is what they do. But I do think with some imposed limits it would allow more teams to be competitive which is what we all want and it could go back to 1/4...which whether you are ok with 1000ft or not....it is what drag racing is most identifiable by. It wouldn't happen overnight, but it would happen.

Another area I am in staunch support of is increasing the turn around time. I would say go back to 90mins. Look....this whole turn around thing was created for TV exposure...so when the NHRA was "live" they wouldn't have a lot of down time they didn't know what to do with...an god forbid they actually put some filler time in there with maybe some comp, alky, etc. But anyway....that concept was also created to keep the fan interested....a non stop or as close to getting non stop as you could...flow of cars. Give the fan back the opportunity to go to the pits between rounds...that is really where the interest or the hook gets set when you get down to it....instead of making them make a choice between watching racing or watching the crews and touring the pits because that is what it has come down to.

And to the post above...I feel the crew members pain about watching the car from the big end or on the way down the return road...you're damn right...you shouldn't be made to make a choice either.

 

[StockersRock]

NO, NO!! A thousands times no!

I was hoping I could "Like" my own post if I quoted this.

 

[Just Paul]

Tim Wilkerson did test some of these ideas on a couple of Mondays after National Events at NHRA's expense several years ago. I guess they weren't impressed because we have not heard about it since.

Jimmy Prock also built a car with a smaller CID engine, and different rear gear ratio when he was with Robert Hight a few years back for some Monday testing. I think it ran within a tenth of what they had run with the traditional set up during the actual race.

 

[santed66]

3 Burnout under power til the 60' clock or wherever. See reason #1

I was at Bandimere on Sunday. Best burn-out of the day BY FAR was a prostock car in the first round. Pretty sure it was Deric Kramer. Not sure why it was so much longer than the others, but it was awesome!

 

[Huge]

After about two long burnouts and dry hops it becomes boring as an oil down to me. When i'm sitting in the stands in 100 + degree heat the last thing i want to see is a long burnout and a bunch of dry hops. Stage the cars and race and i will be a happy fan.

 

[Draw 3D]

Here's mine.

1)Mandate burst panels set to pop at 20 pounds of boost.

Burst panels work on sudden rate of boost change.

 

[Big Daddy]

I think a big part of the disconnect is a direct connection to the drivers and fans having "their driver" for years and years to follow, root for, and merchandise to buy

If your driver was Cory Mac you had his diecast, t shirts, etc etc and rooted for him every race

Look at the list of entries and look at the names that are new or you never heard of

The days of Garlits,Muldowney,Kalitta, Bernstien, Cory Mac, Prudhomme, Hill,Glidden. etc etc

There is always a natural turnover I understand that. But when you have new no experience drivers coming in when Cory Mac or Larry Dixon are sitting home, SOMETHING WRONG!

NHRA needs drivers with built in fan bases like this to be there racing every race

You had your guy and the sponsors who the same for years back in the day

And the fans were dedicated to the driver and sponsor


Lose the electronics - Make the Fuel guys actually have to drive the cars
The fans are smarter than NHRA gives them credit for. They know the drivers dont come into play as much as the past when they had to grab the brake and peddle it which was exciting to see who could do it without blowing the blower off the engine.

Now you see kids thrown into cars because all they do is stab it and steer, it takes no "skill" or experience and the fans know this

The Mega teams I think hurt the classes as well. The privateer doesnt have a chance anymore I have no beef with Force or Schumacher they are a huge part of our community and help fill the class with 5-7 cars each. But is it good

Funny car bodies that look like the manufacturer not just a vinyle wrap lookalike grill

Anything for safety I am 100% for

Figure out the issues with the TF cars folding up like Dixons, that HAS TO BE FOUND OUT WHATS WRONG! Otherwise we might lose another driver


Prices to take your family to the races is crazy expensive also somehow fix this

My two cents, wont buy a cup of coffee but there it is

 

[none]

After about two long burnouts and dry hops it becomes boring as an oil down to me. When i'm sitting in the stands in 100 + degree heat the last thing i want to see is a long burnout and a bunch of dry hops. Stage the cars and race and i will be a happy fan.

You're not the average fan Eugene. Heck I don't even like watching races. If I'm not doing it I'd rather not go. Nitromater's favorite son Skuza got much of his fan base by his on track antics...burnouts, crazy interviews...It's two fold. Racing while putting on a show. They need to ramp this deal up and give the fans what they want. IMHO

 

[handsome]

how about limit overdrive, pump size, single mag AND a spec length rod and piston .. that would limit the compression.. rods and pistons are "throw aways" so leave the cubic inch combo alone so blocks and cranks and bore size would stay the same.. you could go back 1320 feet then .

 

[Usual password less 1]

In 1996 I ran a 5.07 at 307mph in Paul Smith's Funny Car car. 48 gallon pump, no cannon, just a cross shaft for clutch management, no lever stops, cirrello points mags, no ignition management, small heads and manifold and a blower that was probably at best 50-60% of what we have now. If you gave Paul just one of the updated things, we probably could have run in the high 4's which is supposedly the magic number for dreamers looking for a return to 1320 racing. Would be really hard to get back to that with the parts they have now. and remember again this is with a 48 GALLON FUEL PUMP, not the 100 plus gallon pumps they have now. A lot and I mean a LOT of us have talked about it. Want to slow them down? Put a smaller tire on them and limit the rear wing. You will have to pedal and tune the car a lot better but I guarantee there will be more oil downs which is NOT where we want to go.

 

[TooTall999]

Less sticky stuff on the track. Limit the glue and dragging of the track. Make the tuners slow the cars down. It would be a level playing field and the lower powered guys might actually have an advantage.

 

[FC138fan]

I kinda think the "unlimited" classes of the current TF & NFC still have their place. You can't stop technology, nor should you. The void comes from the nostalgic feel that we all long for. In my perfect NHRA, they'd have an 8 car "unlimited" field consisting of the current fuel cars with the current setups and current limitations. Then perhaps an 8 car 90's field, with the rules rolled back to 1995, body styles and everything. And so on, 80's... 70's... whatever. Phase out the sportsman classes cause honestly, the big show should be about the big show and should be a big SHOW.

Wouldn't that be cool to sit down for a race day and watch the evolution of nitro drag racing throughout the day? Start off in the 50's, into the 60's... and so on up to today's cars. Wow, that would be cool...

Sportsman is legit drag racing, but the vast majority of today's generation doesn't want to see that stuff. IMO Sportsman drag racers are interested in sportsman drag racing. Let them have their own event. I would think if you ask the sportsman racers in the pits, they wish they didn't have to deal with the "horizontal oil derricks" and the circus that is the current big show anyhow. And they would love it just as much if the stands were empty or not.

 

[Rajunz]

Jim O interview in Hot Rod, in his opinion the easiest way to slow the cars down is to just limit the size of the intake valves. Pretty simple and cost effective.

 

[Frank]

I was at Bandimere on Sunday. Best burn-out of the day BY FAR was a prostock car in the first round. Pretty sure it was Deric Kramer. Not sure why it was so much longer than the others, but it was awesome!

Joel, that was Matt Hartford in the Total Seal car. He did bad ass burnouts all through qualifying as well. It was great to see.

 

[santed66]

Thanks Frank. His burn outs were great...went another 50-100 feet longer than the others! Did you see how fast he backed that thing up?