I like the age of technology we live in today; computers, internet, phones, watches, etc. Although sometimes I believe we’d all be better off living when times were simpler, times when maybe we all walked around with six-shooters on our belts.

Yeah, I’m not really that old, but when computers first came out they were supposed to make our lives easier. I seriously doubt that’s happened. Sure, they make things easier in some respects, but haven’t they also cluttered our lives and caused us to be so hooked to electronics that we often miss out on the beauty of life itself?

I know, I’ve complained about that fact that we measure of racing lives in thousandths of a second. How things were so much simpler when you received a hand-written time slip giving you just your elapsed time and mph. You never even knew what your opponent ran or could compare yourself to him or her. Does having a time slip today with multiple pieces of information measured out to four digits after the decimal point make things any better? How unique would it be to someday run a race; I’m not even sure it’s possible anymore; to turn off all the incrementals and just provide elapsed time and mph? Maybe that’s what makes all of these No Prep, arm drop and outlaw-type events so popular? People just wanting to get back to the simpler ways of life. Do we really want to get back there though?

Many of those No Prep, arm drop and outlaw-type race cars utilize computer systems which do much more than just gather data; data which enables those to transverse whatever length of race course they desire quicker than ever before. And in some cases, those computer-aided systems are able to make adjustments as the car goes down the track. Did technology bring about what we call “cheating?” Maybe so, but that’s just the cost of technology.

Of course, I use the term “computer” rather generally as in some cases they’re merely a machine which can process and store information at amazing speeds. It’s been said that our brains are in actually; if you will; a computer but that we only tend to use about ten-percent of our brain’s capacity. Today’s stand-alone computers can use probably 99-percent of their capacity and when connected to the ten-percent of our brains, amazing things can happen.

We have 300-mph Top Fuel cars, six-second bracket cars, and everything in between. Why? In most cases because the technology gleamed from computers has enabled people using their ten-percent brain capacity to learn just what is needed to; borrowing a phrase from the late-‘60s Star Trek television show; “go boldly where no man has gone before.”

So while we may sometimes loath computers, and in some cases blame them for certain things in our lives; they have made life easier in some respects.

My theory of simpler times when we all carried those six-shooters was really questioned with a recent hospital stay. It became apparent to me that now here was a time when the information age we live in really did make things better. It was now easier for anyone; doctors, nurses, even ourselves, etc.; to readily pull up a person’s medical records rather than wait what may have taken days or weeks in those aforementioned “six-shooter days.” Everyone is now connected regardless of an affiliation to records that can quickly help a person.

Having a two-year old grandson, I can only imagine what technology will bring to him in his lifetime. While there are certain aspects of technology today which I may be able to live without; maybe even time slips with numbers out four decimals; in most cases, I’m glad we have them. How about you?

John I remember standing behind the starting line at Atco with Bob Maxey, remember him?, about 1970 and he remarked that "they have no scoreboards". You were probably there that day. My friend Tick Provenson got killed in a finish line crash and another of our bunch, Don Richardson, hit a deer in the semis yet won the round. NO COMPUTERS!

Not sure I was there that day. 1970; if that was the year; I was still in high school probably dreaming of being a drag racer.

Sorry John I guess I always think you are older since you won the bracket finals in 1976. Hope your health deal is going well
I am 80 now and started racing in 1957. Have seen lots of changes. How about a flag starter LOL.

We still had a flag starter at Pomona when I first started. Then we had that single light hanging over the starting line as things progressed.

quote:

Originally posted by Floyd Staggs:
We still had a flag starter at Pomona when I first started. Then we had that single light hanging over the starting line as things progressed.

Dang, you're old! LOL

At my first drag race, I fell off my Dinosaur and broke my arm.......

quote:

Originally posted by "The Bender":

quote:

Originally posted by Floyd Staggs:
We still had a flag starter at Pomona when I first started. Then we had that single light hanging over the starting line as things progressed.

Dang, you're old! LOL

At my first drag race, I fell off my Dinosaur and broke my arm.......

Was that your first -1.00 60 foot and you slid off?

Fern, didn’t I see you at Fremont in the 70’s? Or bracket finals Bakersfield?

Has technology surpassed tech? Can they police it?

quote:

Has technology surpassed tech? Can they police it?

There is the problem.

The Tech folks can't police all the technological devices that are available AND inspect the wiring harnesses in every car.

Not their fault, the process of policing all the electronic devices would take far too long, be to involved and still they couldn't insure that each car is totally "Legal". There are some ingenious folks out there, they could hid a fire truck in a piggy bank. Tech Inspections are pretty much limited to checking safety items, beyond that if you suspect someone is cheating you can pony up the required fee and protest that car. Even IF the car is illegal a portion of the fee stays with the Tech Department/Inspector for the effort he/she has to put into the inspection time.

I can't remember the last time I heard about someone getting caught cheating, and when that did happen nothing came of it, they got a get out of jail card.

The best answer is one that won't happen, that's to eliminate all the electronic devices and rely on driver ability. Allowing everything would drive the cost of competing through the roof, and it's not like this isn't already expensive to race.

Bob

quote:

Even IF the car is illegal a portion of the fee stays with the Tech Department/Inspector for the effort he/she has to put into the inspection time.

Not that my opinion matters but, it is incumbent upon the sanctioning body to insure the rule book they publish is adhered to. One's entry fee covers the cost of their time, if a violation is found. If they can't enforce it then there should be no rule. Long live Smokey Yunick.

First of all if there isn't a a specific written rule against it it isn't illegal, its innovation. And if it is illegal enforce it, don't leave it up to a racer to protest and charge him to do it. A good example is buttons on the steering wheel in foot brake. I have seen as many as 4 on cars participating in this class. Several years ago I brought it to the attention of a track operator in NC and he just shrugged his shoulders.

Last time I saw anyone caught doing anything was at Cecil County MD where a foot brake driver was leaving off the transbrake with it wired to the horn button. I forget how long he was banned from THAT track. Those dirty dozen guys were banned from IHRA but continued to race in NHRA. So much for enforcement

quote:

Originally posted by ferndaleflyer:
First of all if there isn't a a specific written rule against it it isn't illegal, its innovation. And if it is illegal enforce it, don't leave it up to a racer to protest and charge him to do it. A good example is buttons on the steering wheel in foot brake. I have seen as many as 4 on cars participating in this class. Several years ago I brought it to the attention of a track operator in NC and he just shrugged his shoulders.

Last time I saw anyone caught doing anything was at Cecil County MD where a foot brake driver was leaving off the transbrake with it wired to the horn button. I forget how long he was banned from THAT track. Those dirty dozen guys were banned from IHRA but continued to race in NHRA. So much for enforcement

How is the rule written in Foot Brake Fern? No two steps? No intermittent/switches? Locations?

It wouldn't take much coding to have a device that could send 12V to one wire to advance or 12V to another wire to retard based input from a sensor on the driveshaft. A couple of If Statements and it's set.

It's setting and hiding the tree reader that's a challenge.

STK 2steps are allowed on stick shift cars. It used to be no buttons on the steering wheel I don't know that it ever changed for foot brake. The advent of no box opened up a whole bag of worms as who knows what all that goes to that button. But even no box has no reason to have more than 1 button on the wheel. Ok 2, 1 for the line lock. but when you have 4 buttons and tune with a laptop you need to move out of foot brake, no box, no E, or whatever its called in your area BUT with no rules how can you say its wrong??? I just go race, no time to worry about whats in the other lane.

IHRA started the Sportsman class. It's not as much for beginning racers as it is for people that just want to simplify their racing and have fun. Tracks that have promoted it have good car counts.
Enforcing rules costs money, easier and cheaper to look the other way, unless it's going to effect car counts/profits.

Wonder what the local pizza shop would do if the only place you could find them was on face book and the other guys have advertisements on TV, Bill boards, free handouts at the gas station, and their own web site? Kind of like the tracks that think they only need face book. They miss a lot of racers that just might show up at their events. It pays to advertise.

If you can keep your box in the car for no box, do you think these tracks are looking for anything else?

Yeah, I'm old.

isn't that you on the right?