The 50% SOLUTION (1 Viewer)

Rexfiles

Nitro Member
No need to go apoplectic (although some of you still will :) ).

NOT at all in regards to Nitro percentage.

Actually I'd LIKE to get back towards 100%

I am talking/suggesting 50%=1/2 the distance=1/8 mile :eek: racing.

NOT as a replacement for the quarter mile. That would still be MY distance of choice.

I am suggesting a existing or new sanctioning body (HELL......even NASCAR :eek: ........Bruton Smith anyone???) running a separate series for the Pros and sportsman alike.

I see some positives here for a separate series.

1.) Less acreage needed for the facility. Could build a facility where neighbors might not mind but a 1/4 mile facility won't fit.

2.) Could bring Pro cars to places (existing tracks.......1/4 mile) where shutdown areas are too short to safely handle stopping 330 mph race cars.

3.) Could bring Pro cars to some decent existing 1/8 mile tracks.

4.) Less breakage, I'm sure parts will still get hurt but not like now being under power for 1.5 additional seconds.

5.) Safer. Less load, stress and distortion on those Goodyears and chassis.
Less injured drivers (or worse)

6.) Less expensive. This one is a no brainer. I'm sure teams with money to burn will still show up to kick sand around in the sandbox, but for lesser funded teams to lean on it would not be as catastrophic to their wallets.

7.) Less downtime for oildowns (see #4.)

8.) Could bring unlimited nitro percentages back. All the Music, Thunder, Smoke and Glory before the Kneejerk days..............

9.) Guy and Gals that could simply not afford to run 1/4 mile stuff with their small budgets all of a sudden just might dust off that chassis sitting in the rafters collecting cobwebs. New teams and new Stars. Heck, could even possibly see 32 car fields again.

and 10.) It's still Drag Racing. Like I said, given the choice I'd still rather attend a 1/4 mile race. But since there have been T/F cars that have been over 280 to the 660 how long (on near pure Nitro) before a 300 mph speed would flash on the scoreboards at one of those events.

I have been around here quite a while now and know that some of you despise the very notion. That is perfectly alright by me. We are all entitled to our own opinions ( like I still don't understand how Rap gets classified under the music catagory:p )

Again this would be a separate deal. Not to compete but as a alternative.

And I know we have Nostalga Racing to supposedly be a less expensive alternative. And it is. And those cars are terrific and I love 'em to death.
But they run low to mid 200 mph speeds. I've been to hundreds of races and the fans still love those big numbers.........something about 300......

I am talking in the relatively near future 300mph speeds at the stripe. With modern technology why not?

What say you?

REX
 
Rex, everything you mentioned has been tossed around here several times over the years. To answer your main question, would most fans support 1/8 mile Professional racing. I have NO idea but I doubt I'd spend the money I do at these races to see an 1/8 race!
 
Rex, everything you mentioned has been tossed around here several times over the years. To answer your main question, would most fans support 1/8 mile Professional racing. I have NO idea but I doubt I'd spend the money I do at these races to see an 1/8 race!

I realize that Joe.

Sometime there are events that cause us to reconsider options.

I do not want to belabor issues, and we are constantly getting new members.

Heck, I'd love to hear from a Pro Fuel Driver/Crewchief on the subject.

And one main thing I am suggesting is not a downsize to an existing series.

But a separate series unto itself.

I agree that the 1/4 is preferabe to me too

But the restrictions being placed on the cars themselves is frustrating and confusing.

Throw out the rulebook, shorten the distance IMO and let 'em RIP!!!!!:D

REX
 
I love 1/4 mile racing and I hate 1/8 mile. We're going to the Divison 4 Bracket Finals next weekend and guess what it's 1/8th mile. I had a suprising fact bought up to me though by several track owners. Everybody I talked to says that there are more NHRA 1/8 mile tracks than 1/4 mile. Intresting!???
 
Rex

It would work, but like Joe said, ticket cost would have to come down... to 2/3's maybe...

Some tracks, like Richmond/VMP don't have stands pass 660 anyway... would I go see it? If that's all we can get, yeah... I would

but I still believe, life happens 1320 feet at a time

d'kid
 
Rex

It would work, but like Joe said, ticket cost would have to come down... to 2/3's maybe...

Some tracks, like Richmond/VMP don't have stands pass 660 anyway... would I go see it? If that's all we can get, yeah... I would

but I still believe, life happens 1320 feet at a time

d'kid

I'm actually with ya'.

I'm a fan of the 1/4.

But I think you could reduce the ticket price. And the track would cost less to maintain overall including less property taxes.

Once it got off the ground I really do not think it would be impossible to match NHRA's paltry purses.

And the racers themselves spending less $$$$$$$$ on fuel and attrition?

In Ct..........like I said, we got nuttin', in addition to land costing like heck.

So for me in particular........yeah, that would be all there was.

So even though there is a snowballs chance in hell of a new facility being built around here, at least a 1/8 mile would have more like a snowballs chance in hell with a small window air conditioner running:).

I always get the impression during this discussion that people think this is a replacement for the 1/4. It's not.

I've run both the 1/4 and the 1/8........and I almost enjoyed the 1/8 more.

If you wanted to be nearer to the "Grass Roots" of our beloved sport you could not get any closer than 1/8 mile racing.

Seriously now........people would not go to see Pro Nitro cars running a full load of pop nearby if it was on an eigth mile track:cool:

OOOOOOOKAY......................:rolleyes:

REX
 
I'm wondering why the NHRA simply doesn't take the 100 gal pumps away and give them a 60 gal pump and check it and go back to 90%. Every large racing assoc. has come to the point where they were going too fast, IRL, NASCAR, etc.(Remember when Bill Elliot went 220 !) They didn't change the track, they took horsepower away. I doubt that people will remember what the difference between 300 and 330 was. What they might like is more racing side by side, the conditions have to be more and more towards perfect to have a good qualifying session with these 85% monsters, the show suffers with the tire smoking issues and one lane Sundays, I think, Mark
 
I love 1/4 mile racing and I hate 1/8 mile. We're going to the Division 4 Bracket Finals next weekend and guess what it's 1/8th mile. I had a surprising fact bought up to me though by several track owners. Everybody I talked to says that there are more NHRA 1/8 mile tracks than 1/4 mile. Interesting!???
Out of the dragstrips listed by NHRA, 99 are 1/4, 40 are 1/8th mile.:)
 
I could run the 9.90 index class with my daily driver PT Cruizer. It's a stock GT Turbo and ran 9.71 at Irwindale's 1/8 mile about 8 months ago. Watching street cars race the 1/4 mile is about as exciting as watching paint dry, but 1/8th mile wasn't too bad. I dialed in a 9.79 and was spotted almost 2 seconds. By the time I looked over my shoulder to see where the guy I was racing was I crossed the stripe and broke out. Very short race.

I told one of the guys, who happened to ask, that my race car has run as quick as 3.64 at 208 miles per hour in the 1/8th. He told me I was dreaming. Then when I told him TF cars run just over 3 seconds at almost 280 in the 1/8th on a good run he couldn't believe it.

I'm not so sure it wouldn't be a bad move. With unlimted rules regarding nitro and gearing I bet a TF car would hit 300 before too long. Couldn't do it at Irwindale though. You'd end up in Sierra Madre before you got it stopped.

RG
 
I drove Ron Dunlaps big block bracket dragster at 411 Dragway near Knoxville, Tenn. last May '06.

I had not been in anything race car wise since 1987, at the time nearly 20 years before.

And that was a small block alky dragster running 6.80's around 195.

I had never used a transbrake and was fairly nervous.

Most of all I was afraid of lifting before the 60' mark:eek: due to sheer instinct for self preservation.

I actually legged it out and ran in the 5.60's at 126 the first shot.

Stopping there was interesting to say the least, lets just say braking right at the stripe is fully recommended.

I ran several times that day before I broke the car:(

I had a blast, could have made dozens of runs, and everyone there was terrific. (thanks Donny:))

To me it was Drag Racing.

I had no complaints about the distance at all.

REX
 
I'm wondering why the NHRA simply doesn't take the 100 gal pumps away and give them a 60 gal pump and check it and go back to 90%. Every large racing assoc. has come to the point where they were going too fast, IRL, NASCAR, etc.(Remember when Bill Elliot went 220 !) They didn't change the track, they took horsepower away. I doubt that people will remember what the difference between 300 and 330 was. What they might like is more racing side by side, the conditions have to be more and more towards perfect to have a good qualifying session with these 85% monsters, the show suffers with the tire smoking issues and one lane Sundays, I think, Mark

The simple solution would be 22" wheels. It would cut down on tire growth. Make the tires safer. Eliminate distortion(D-shape) and increase stabilty.
 
I would much rather them slow the cars down than watch them on the 1/8th mile.

Sean D

NHRA can do whatever they want on the 1320.

I am fully in favor of 1/4 mile racing.

I am talking about a totaly separate entity.

A separate Association.

and for Luke, nobody is killin' nuthin'

A 1/8 mile unlimited series would be there for teams that ELECT (re: choose) to run there.

It would bring actually a remedy to the high cost and attrition that are keeping many people from running the "juice".

How can something be "Killed" if you are actually getting more teams into the sport?

W/98% in the tank to boot?:confused:

Again annnnnnnnd again people read into this that 1/4 mile racing would be eliminated................NO!!.

Quite the contrary. There would be a alternate venue, that is all.

That was the point of my post, argue (if you wish) the pros and cons of an alternative, NOT a replacement.

REX
 
I've been to 2 ADRL races and plan on making it 3 as of next weekend. It's some of the best racing I've ever seen. I hope those that are poopoo-ing the idea have at least taken the time to go see a top-notch 1/8 mile event so as to be able to make an informed remark. I can't comment from a racer's point of view since I've only ever put my turtle-like Stang on 1/4 mile tracks but from the grandstands, it's hard to beat the ADRL for good racing.
 
At a number of races I've been to, I've tried imagining the Fuel cars running just an 1/8 and shutting off. And it's NOT the same! Since I don't wear Earplugs, I cover up to around 330 than uncover my ears. And the race is over, NO Thanks!:rolleyes:
 
Of course the ticket price would be half of what they charge you at a real drag strip, right?
 
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