THE FUTURE

After last week’s Blog (https://drc1254.wixsite.com/website/blog/), I am so overwhelmed with the support I received from so many. I can’t thank everyone enough.

One note however I did receive brought this to light. Jerry Duke, who saw his first drag race in 1963 has been involved in many facets of the sport since then. He asked, “I am interested in your opinion as to the future of .90 racing.”

Having been involved since the very early days of that class, I can say that a lot of things have changed since then. A throttle stop in those early days amounted to not much more than a bolt under the gas pedal to limit throttle opening and slow the car down to the class index. The problem with that is it somewhat limited horsepower which made it tougher to get a good reaction time.

In those early days, reaction time was measured from the time the last amber lit until your car broke the stage beam, as opposed to today where the reaction timer starts when the green light shines. Today a perfect .000 reaction time indicates the car broke the stage beam at the same exact time as the green light. Back then, a perfect reaction time was .400, based off a four-tenths pro tree. With the type of equipment then, a .420 reaction time was considered great. We were having to do all sorts of things in order to arrive at that number. With the Powerglide transmissions used back then, I clearly remember having cut apart numerous valve bodies to search for ways to get the trans brake to release quicker.

With Deep Staging not allowed, we’d also attempt to “bump in” a little after being staged. This meant it was sometimes a race just to get into the stage beam first to give you a little extra time to “bump in.” Eventually faster fluid-release valve bodies and better transmission torque converters came to pass, but it still was a different time.

The throttle controls we have today where it appears the car shuts off and then picks up speed hadn’t yet come into existence. This meant that for the most part, races from the starting line to the finish line were side-by-side affairs. I became pretty adept at the use of weight to not only slow the car down but also adjust the suspension. At one time, I also played with an ignition retard after the car shifted into high gear. The amount of retard used allowed me to get closer to the index and then I used minimal amounts of weight to fine tune it. In addition, I used an override in high gear to maybe make up for a late light or force an opponent to break out. Today, it’s as simple as rolling in or out various numbers on the throttle control timer.

It’s apparent today that almost everyone can cut a good reaction time along with their car repeating an elapsed time over and over again. Is it easy? No. There are still dozens of variables which can throw a monkey wrench into the fray. But it’s easier today than it was in the beginning of the class to build a winner, much like in any class of drag racing. The one thing that is harder is the ability to win on a consistent basis and that’s based on the fact that almost everyone has the capability to turn on a win light.

In those earlier days, if there were 100 cars in the staging lanes for a class, you could probably pick out 25 or so who probably had the best chance to win. Now with 100 cars, that number has to be increased to at least 99 of them with the chance of winning. The competition level has gotten that great.

So what’s the future of the .90 classes? I honestly don’t know other several years ago hearing an NHRA official explain to me that any of the .90 classes were the most populated of any of the NHRA sportsman classes. They may not be popular with the fans, but what sportsman class is? The sportsman classes are participant-driven, not spectator-driven. Will it continue? Nobody has that Crystal Ball and who’s to say what happens in the future. A little over one year ago, no one could have predicted the type year we had in 2020. So who can predict the future of the .90 classes? My thought is that as long as they continue to be populated, they’ll remain. And maybe the truth is that the NHRA has bigger things to concern themselves with than the future of a class which is still popular. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. What’s your thoughts?

What's your take on Stock and Super Stock? The prices for those cars are outrageously over priced and the two classes have few under the age of 55 running in them.

My suspicion is it will be near extinction in 8-10 years, but what will happen to those cars?

Some will become bracket cars and Nhra class racing will take a huge participation hit over the next 10-15 years.

I don't know how the future of drag racing will unfold but I do hope that it survives. At the moment I'm not real confident that, in it's present form that will happen. Land values continue to increase and a drag strip yields very little ROI (Return on Investment). Operating a track is a thankless job with long hours and hard work. It is appreciated by a small few and maligned by nearly every Politician and tree hugger breathing air.

Racers seem to have the attitude that no matter what their local track will always be there, then they are totally surprised when it closes, which unfortunately is fairly common these days. This is a wonderful sport that awards hard work, commitment and dedication. It teaches valuable life lessons and instills a sense of community. You can encounter a racer living on the other side of the Country and in the process find a friend.

I've been a Racer nearly my entire adult life, 16 to 80 and I wouldn't change anything other than I wish I had done more to help it survive and thrive.

Bob

Bob...KNOWS, dead on with a zero!

quote:

This is a wonderful sport that awards hard work, commitment and dedication.

Had a friend send me a video on YouTube just a couple of days ago. She knows I like drag racing and she had owned a Pinto back in the day. Unbeknownst to her, it was about Bob Glidden's early days. Your statement above set off a big light bulb when I read it.

quote:

Originally posted by 1320racer:
Bob...KNOWS, dead on with a zero!

The only thing you've ever brought onto drag racing, is curse. With your hateful, sinful, vile nature.

RPPROGAS (maligned by nearly evry Politician and tree hugger breathing air) thats a good statement right there.

Yes, the day is approaching when the people who get it say, remember back when this was God's country.

Mike God still owns this country,

quote:

Originally posted by Footloose:
Mike God still owns this country,

The Lefty abomination freaks need to move on.

This is God's country. We can't afford their disfavor / curse.

Yes, the day is approaching when the people who get it say, remember back when this was God's country.



That day is coming.

It's the abomination freaks who need to move on. We can't afford their disfavor/curse.

This is God's country.

We can't afford the curse/disfavor of these Lefty abomination freaks.

Yes, the day is approaching when the people who get it, say, remember back when this was God's country.

If you love God's country ya better brush up on.

Ephesians 6 11 12

Grow some balls too, before it's too late. Lefty abominations are running wild.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mike Rietow,

John starts a thread about the future of this sport and Mikey Retread blows it up!!!!!! Shocker!!!!!!!!!


Drag racing, as with anything, must change and adapt as times change or die...

quote:

Originally posted by TOP38:
John starts a thread about the future of this sport and Mike blows it up with facts I can't rationally dispute!!!!!! Shocker!!!!!!!!!

Fixed


Yes, the day is approaching when the people who get it, say, remember back when this was God's country.

quote:

Originally posted by TOP38:


Drag racing, as with anything, must change and adapt as times change or die...

You're idea of adapting, is advocating doing business with communist china.

God's country doesn't do business with satanists/communists.

God's country understands it can't afford the curse/disfavor.

God's country knows fortitude.


Yes, the day is approaching when the people who get it, say, remember back when this was God's country.

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Rietow:

quote:

Originally posted by TOP38:


Drag racing, as with anything, must change and adapt as times change or die...

You're idea of adapting, is advocating doing business with communist china.

God's country doesn't do business with satanists/communists.

God's country understands it can't afford the curse/disfavor.


Yes, the day is approaching when the people who get it, say, remember back when this was God's country.

I said nothing about your home country!

Mike Retread = ultra maroon = An extreme moron = Cone crusher =

quote:

Originally posted by TOP38:

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Rietow:

quote:

Originally posted by TOP38:


Drag racing, as with anything, must change and adapt as times change or die...

You're idea of adapting, is advocating doing business with communist china.

God's country doesn't do business with satanists/communists.

God's country understands it can't afford the curse/disfavor.


Yes, the day is approaching when the people who get it, say, remember back when this was God's country.

I said nothing about your home country!

Mike Retread = ultra maroon = An extreme moron = Cone crusher =

God's country can't afford the curse / disfavor in adapting to your abominations, Lefty.

Yes, the day is approaching when the people who get it, say, remember back when this was God's country.

It's not me you hate, it's God's country you hate.

God's country can't afford the curse / disfavor in adapting to your abominations, it's you who needs to move on Lefty Freak.