The Death of Drag Racing

Old 08-15-2013, 12:55 PM
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curtisreed
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Default The Death of Drag Racing

I think Asher is really on his game with this article. I see it when I race the nostalgia races.

http://www.competitionplus.com/drag-...g-drag-racing1

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Old 08-15-2013, 03:27 PM
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Let's put the SHOW back in the GO !
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Old 08-15-2013, 07:08 PM
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Nice post Curt. My good friend Scotty Cannon didn't blend in..he was Scotty and they couldn't handle it...
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Old 08-16-2013, 04:57 AM
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The last tirade I saw was Cruze accusing Force of laying down to get Hight back in the points race. That was some interesting dialogue. I don't really like the Cruzer, but he was dead on.
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Old 08-16-2013, 06:34 AM
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Racing didn't kill racing....it was the concept of racing for big pay days that killed racing. The purse got bigger, the sponsors added up, multi-car teams, big budget R&D bugdest and next thing you know cars are falling off. Some guys could still compete with it but the last few years has gone to show that once again, the mighty dollar has killed yet another sport.

The little track I have been helping with is an 1/8 mile outlaw track. Nothing special for a facility. Nice grass pits, decent paved staging lanes, decent track but not a million dollar facility like those around us. Every Sunday afternoon from opening day to close we fill the spectator side with people. I would guess on average about 200 spectators come in from town. Now this isn't those riding in with the racers, these are folks that purely come out to enjoy watching the cars. They sit there from 1st time run to the final rounds. We always as the racers that run the final, we don't care what you do with splitting up money but the spectators have watched every round from the start, please give them a good race to finish with.
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Old 08-16-2013, 10:12 AM
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I rarely watch the Pro's anymore except the finals. When any of the bracket cars, nostalgia cars and ProMods are up I am there against the fence still staring in awe.
They killed the 1/4 mile after Scott Kalitta died and even though there has been vast improvements in safety technology there is no sign that the 1320 is ever gonna make a come back in the Fuel categories.
Pro Stocks are cookie cutters now and if you are not a millionaire or sponsored by one you have no chance. Look at Warren and Kurt Johnson, they have fallen off the face of the sport. Warren was a gruff old bastrard and loved to stir the pot but I think he bit the hand that was feeding him to many times saying some bad thing about the NHRA and how it was run, true or not it cost him.
I really want to attend a Nostalgia race later this year or early next year. The old cars still amaze me and those guys are not there for the money, they are there for the thrill! Isnt that how it all started??
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Old 08-16-2013, 02:00 PM
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Originally Posted by shawnp
Racing didn't kill racing....it was the concept of racing for big pay days that killed racing. The purse got bigger, the sponsors added up, multi-car teams, big budget R&D bugdest and next thing you know cars are falling off. Some guys could still compete with it but the last few years has gone to show that once again, the mighty dollar has killed yet another sport.

The little track I have been helping with is an 1/8 mile outlaw track. Nothing special for a facility. Nice grass pits, decent paved staging lanes, decent track but not a million dollar facility like those around us. Every Sunday afternoon from opening day to close we fill the spectator side with people. I would guess on average about 200 spectators come in from town. Now this isn't those riding in with the racers, these are folks that purely come out to enjoy watching the cars. They sit there from 1st time run to the final rounds. We always as the racers that run the final, we don't care what you do with splitting up money but the spectators have watched every round from the start, please give them a good race to finish with.

Thats why I am a Big fan of GRUDGE racing..just You tube House of Hook, Piedmont Dragway...."Killin Time" Steve Jackson etc..any of these names will get you there.. ALWAYS 100'S in attendance plenty of trash talk and gambling..Everything I was about brought up in RACING ..

Even go to the website Grudgeracer.com and there is so much trash talk it will make YB look like romper room..and I do mean trash talk about racing not just calling someone a Phucker and disrespecting them as a person because your a a keyboard A$$hole..

I am happy to say I was raised in the 70's and 80''s Street racing...No... not on side walk steets but public roads way far out normally in the early AM hours after weeks of smack talk..might have been a fist fight or two..settled right then and there...the guy with the Fast car got the good looking girl that would sit next to him and cruise the main drag after the race..then go parking at the public park lined up beside 6 or 7 other hot rods......DAMN good racing and good times for sure..

I have posted this before but it fell down somewhere...this is one of my street cars back from early 80's.....it was a true mid 7 second 1/8th mile street car..foot brake,thru mufflers and DOT'S and would get your a$$ on the street..with Slicks, straight headers right converter it would be a 6.90 car for sure.....dead hook and stroll...

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Old 08-20-2013, 08:36 AM
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when big money got involved it went to poop.ive never liked to qwatch any pro racer. I always like street racing.back in the 70s we did good at earning a few bucks and in the 80s we really did good.but it was the betting not the paycheck.no sponcers.just a bunch of cars built in shops and garages by young guns.wanting to be the envy of the crowd.street racing has always been more exciting than runin on any track. I know ive done both.and when we raced it was a road with no way to get on except a few miles away. no driveways or any cross roads.just a long straight away...loved every minute of it. and I still want to go back to those days. I even quit going to a track to watch no fun.no excitement. hell no stock body cars.and engines that cost more than all my cars and bikes and even my house all rolled together!!!no, I like street a lot better.you cant change my mind.i know,cause ive tried to change and just couldn't.
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Old 08-20-2013, 09:29 AM
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Originally Posted by outlaw256
when big money got involved it went to poop.ive never liked to qwatch any pro racer. I always like street racing.back in the 70s we did good at earning a few bucks and in the 80s we really did good.but it was the betting not the paycheck.no sponcers.just a bunch of cars built in shops and garages by young guns.wanting to be the envy of the crowd.street racing has always been more exciting than runin on any track. I know ive done both.and when we raced it was a road with no way to get on except a few miles away. no driveways or any cross roads.just a long straight away...loved every minute of it. and I still want to go back to those days. I even quit going to a track to watch no fun.no excitement. hell no stock body cars.and engines that cost more than all my cars and bikes and even my house all rolled together!!!no, I like street a lot better.you cant change my mind.i know,cause ive tried to change and just couldn't.
I appreciate your post Outlaw cause I identify 100%. ..my camaro above was assembled by me at 16 yrs old in my family barn with dirt floor and a single 100watt light bulb with a open Chiltons manual laying on front fender. I know this pic doesn't mean much to most looking at this thread but let me ask the question of how many mid 40 and up guys have pictures of their 1st built hot Rod @ 16yrs old...???.

I can still remember my 1st test runon a side street after bolting on my tunnel ram...ohhh man did I luck up on right combo..I say luck cause I had NO CLUE ....

Fast forward ----10.5 Outlaw use to be street cars in the very begining. It has evolved into the animal it is...SUCKS....I tried but cannot get into bracket racing so where does this leave me other than professional test and tuner. :roll: g
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Old 08-20-2013, 09:58 AM
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Brian,
I built my first engine in a dirt floor garage also. 327 that my uncle traded an old riding lawn mower for and I built it into what I thought was a heck of an engine. :roll: :roll: I bought a '76 Monza fast back body for $25 dollars that I put it in (factory V-8 car). Learned the lesson that lightweight is the way to go. I can't make real horsepower so I have to make it light. :lol: :lol: That's why I have a roadster now.

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