Yeah, real drag racing!!!!
Quarter mile from start to finish, two vehicles with the first one to the finish line is the winner.
Simple, but effective for over 50 years, and before the fiddlers got involved and started to mess things up.
A little history lesson for the young 'uns.
Drag racing evolved from egotistical young men putting their money where the mouths were and racing for bragging rites.
One young American buck bragging about their hot rod being able beat the other guys rod.
To put the argument to rest, they arrange to race each other from one red light to the next.
Since no race tracks were available, the race occurred on a popular straight road (known in the US as "the local drag") somewhere in town and over the distance of a block.
Remember, apart from a few really old cities (like Boston) most American towns and cities street plans (known as plats) are laid out in a grid pattern. Avenues run North-South and Streets run East-West.
The grid is precise in its measurements with the distance between intersections being 1320 feet or quarter of a mile.
The square that is the area between four adjoining intersections is known as a block.
With red lights at each intersection , it is not difficult to see the origins of REAL drag racing.
Two hot rods sitting at the red light and racing to the next intersection, one block or 1320 feet away with the first one there the winner.
So why the heck do we now have to endure 1000 foot Nitro racing and today's Four Wide Fiasco?
As a fan given the choice of spending 50 pounds to watch one of the two alternatives, which would you choose?
EITHER
7 races for each of the four professional classes that is all done with in about 2 hours (25 pounds for each hour of racing)
OR
15 races for each of the same four classes and taking 4 -5 hours to complete (10 - 12 pounds for each hour of racing)
And NHRA is scratching it's head trying to work out why their fan base is shrinking at an enormous race.
Here's a hint, NHRA.
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it"
If 1320 foot drag racing was good for your dad, then it's good enough for you young 'uns too!!!!!
If the tracks need upgrading, then upgrade to accommodate todays super powerful race cars.
Don't restrict evolution, because that's the quickest way to fail.
Every time the NHRA restricts a class (like gear ratios, boost pressures, fuel pump capacity, etc.) it exponentially reduces the fan base. Fans want to see the next fastest speed ever from a dragster, not dragsters that all run within a micro-second and 5 mph of each other like Pro Stock cars.
Bring back good old quarter mile, two racer, traditional drag racing.
Quarter mile from start to finish, two vehicles with the first one to the finish line is the winner.
Simple, but effective for over 50 years, and before the fiddlers got involved and started to mess things up.
A little history lesson for the young 'uns.
Drag racing evolved from egotistical young men putting their money where the mouths were and racing for bragging rites.
One young American buck bragging about their hot rod being able beat the other guys rod.
To put the argument to rest, they arrange to race each other from one red light to the next.
Since no race tracks were available, the race occurred on a popular straight road (known in the US as "the local drag") somewhere in town and over the distance of a block.
Remember, apart from a few really old cities (like Boston) most American towns and cities street plans (known as plats) are laid out in a grid pattern. Avenues run North-South and Streets run East-West.
The grid is precise in its measurements with the distance between intersections being 1320 feet or quarter of a mile.
The square that is the area between four adjoining intersections is known as a block.
With red lights at each intersection , it is not difficult to see the origins of REAL drag racing.
Two hot rods sitting at the red light and racing to the next intersection, one block or 1320 feet away with the first one there the winner.
So why the heck do we now have to endure 1000 foot Nitro racing and today's Four Wide Fiasco?
As a fan given the choice of spending 50 pounds to watch one of the two alternatives, which would you choose?
EITHER
7 races for each of the four professional classes that is all done with in about 2 hours (25 pounds for each hour of racing)
OR
15 races for each of the same four classes and taking 4 -5 hours to complete (10 - 12 pounds for each hour of racing)
And NHRA is scratching it's head trying to work out why their fan base is shrinking at an enormous race.
Here's a hint, NHRA.
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it"
If 1320 foot drag racing was good for your dad, then it's good enough for you young 'uns too!!!!!
If the tracks need upgrading, then upgrade to accommodate todays super powerful race cars.
Don't restrict evolution, because that's the quickest way to fail.
Every time the NHRA restricts a class (like gear ratios, boost pressures, fuel pump capacity, etc.) it exponentially reduces the fan base. Fans want to see the next fastest speed ever from a dragster, not dragsters that all run within a micro-second and 5 mph of each other like Pro Stock cars.
Bring back good old quarter mile, two racer, traditional drag racing.