An observation about drag racing

[kb426]

I watched portions of a video from Flying H strip in Odessa Mo. today. I think this was built by the promoter that folded up Heartland Park Topeka. They mentioned that the grandstands came from Atlanta. They had some et classes such as 10 and 9 sec. They had the small tire class that was limited to 1/8th mile. I saw runs at low 4 secs at 180 mph. One of the classes is from a running start at 20 mph. They did have spectators in the stands. Lots of younger people. Is the old standard of drag racing about to die off? We all know that it costs an unholy amount of money to drag race. But, for many it's not fun anymore. Are the newer forms more fun and then more appealing to people?

[enjenjo]

It's not just drag racing. I have been involved in drag racing, dirt track racing, sand racing, mud bogging, and the results were all the same. Over a fairly short period of time MONEY became the deciding force. Right now Shelby and her husband are dirt racing in the compact class. In the three years they have been racing it has gone from modifying a cheap stock car for safety to needing a built engine that has been $1000 tuned to be competitive. It's hard to race against money.

[idrivejunk]

Theres a track doing the 20 punch thing?  Sorry, had to chuckle at that due to experiences with coworkers half my age. Your guess is as good as mine about the origin of that or why anybody would want it.

I'm kinda surprised that NASCAR still exists, and question whether any sort of truly normal-individual-friendly entry level automotive engine and chassis performance competition does.

Lawn mower races and tractor pulls then. Oh... yeah tractor pulls have run amok long ago with the inconcievably wasteful wealth-trashing displays.

Watch some low grade car flicks from the early 50s, they'll help set your mind right about things. We hanker for remote antiquity and thats natural. Risks have been replaced by riches, blah blah.

I had a "dream" while cruisin the 69 a moment ago under a firey sunset. What if all these guys with all these cool hidden cars could enter them into a library or stable of sorts. Where anybody who has their car in the stable to be checked out can check out any of the other cars. Not sure what you'd call it. Club? If it were just stock, non-pristine but roadworthy semi interesting older cars of similar values, imagine being able to drop off your Malibu wagon and go drive a Fairlane sedan or a Valiant. Or an elDorado for an 88, etc. Trucks too. Oh it'd just never work but if from time to time the rides changed and there was like half a dozen...

I think something like that might help the plain old car experience live on, for more people. Brain fart. 

[Crosley.In.AZ]

I am not sure what happened to old style drag racing out here..  For years , if not for the racer family in the pits and stands.  They would be empty.

When the turbo EFI  cars started to run low 7s to 8s.. I thiught that would spark up interest. Near stock looking cars on small tires run that fast. I thought it was great.

When I started to build my 1948 Simca car into a drag car... Rumors surrounded Speed World strip about closing from Guvernmint forces.  I slowed down on the build.  The strip closed.  I stopped the Simca build.  It has sat in a friends back yard for over 3 years now.  I do not have a back yard.

Now I realize that we down sized too far.  I am not happy. I have zero space to work on any project larger that card table.

Out here a dirt track that has been in place for many decades has closed.  Of course development of houses did that.

Firebird Raceway has returned with Radford Racing school Corp taking over the track from the tribe.  For years the tribe had the rumor out that our AZ DOT was changing the freeway alignment and the track would go away.  That was a lie too. The freeway changes had nothing to do with land near the race track.

Drifting:  I have never understood the interest in car drifting as an event.

Land Speed racing:  Venues on hard road surfaces are drying up.  Salt flats still have issues with salt surface and the guvernment issues.

NASCAR: I stopped watching that many yrs ago.  When a traffic light was installed on pit road, I stopped watching.  Now all the cars look like Toyotas with different stickers on them.

Up here in Show Low AZ area: There was an airstrip that allowed drag races with spectators. Spectators were no charge to view the racers..  They ran 4 - 5 races. The cars remained at the end of the strip.  Races stopped.  Cars drove back to the start line. THen repeat. Not perfect, but it was fun to be there.  The airstrip sold to a Canadian business guy.  He said NO spectator races allowed. Now only racers are allowed on the strip.

Oh yeah cost$....Geeez, it has gone crazy. So many companys use the pandemic as an excuse for costs. The pandemic sure did not help, but i read about high profits for many Corps that are claiming "It is out of our hands"..  We are priced out of most of the car hobby for the time being.  I do not see it changing.

 

[chimp koose]

The amount of money spent on drag racing is a put off . Our local track is more like an exclusive country club . I can remember going to the track flat towing the race car with a tow bar . Only the fastest cars came in on an open trailer . Booked in shows would haul in enclosed trailers . Most of the local racers are wealthy business owners or spending an inheritance . I know its not 1981 anymore but the atmosphere at the track has changed . Not many people race what they built , most seem to just have a car built for them . That is where the atmosphere has changed . I stopped drag racing my home built , fully sponsored front engine dragster in 1997 . I built the chassis ,body , engine ,transmission ,diff,and wired it myself . I had a buddy do the paint as part of a sponsorship . It was my creation . Most of the stuff at the track now is someones acquisition .I have crewed for many racers since hanging up the gloves . All stuff I could never afford to build or run .This year I bowed out of crewing on a truck that I have worked on for the last 3 years due to a lack of available time . I really enjoyed going to bonneville as a crew member on an A fuel roadster in 2017. Bonneville reminded me of the old days at the drag strip , mostly owner created rigs with a lot of inventive engineering .

[WZ JUNK]

Bracket racing is the only thing that is affordable these days.  You do not have to be the fastest to compete and you can choose how much you want to spend and how fast you want to go.  If you starting taking it to serious though, it will take the fun out of it.

[jaybee]

Money has basically taken over everything, so I guess that's why racing is no different. The car hobby desperately needs ways to build a grassroots base again, because that's where the future is built.