NHRA Abandons Cradle of Drag Racing, Shifts From Southern California Base

I think, the southeast has become the hottest area for drag racing. I’m not into the 1/8mi stuff, but, it seems like there are 1/8mi events every night of the week, somewhere in GA or FL.

 

A lot of tracks here went to that model because of cost. They can get more runs in one evening from the street guys. Gotta pay the bills.

 

It won't be for much longer. A bunch of the dummies that moved here are trying to vote in all of the stuff that turned California in to what you see today.

 

That is the part that always amazes me. They bust their butts to get out of a place like California for the reasons we all know and yet want to vote back in all the reasons they left for. Texas gets the Californians and here in North Carolina we get the Yankees. Different place of origin but the same results.

 

Buncha people here seem especially brave (or foolish) with their comments.

I'm moving to south Texas (from CA) in January. I have my own concerns about that move but those concerns also venture into the political realm so they will go unsaid here.

 

FWIW when I was running the country coast to coast last year during the great reset, the ONLY states that had NAZI checkpoints at their borders were....Texas and Florida.

The two states touted as you know...free and stuff.

This is facts, shit I saw with my own eyes. Not news that might or might not be fake. So don't believe everything you think.

So in other words. Fuck Texas.

 

The waiting list for Penske or Uhaul moving trucks in Calif is 9 months minimum. Get in line to leave.

 

Texas will be the new California.

 

Fly down to Florida and rent one ( or 10 ) there ... their lots are spilling out into the streets down that way

 

Tennessee is in the same boat...

 

I dont like 1/8 mile either. I couldnt even tell what is considered good or fast for it.

Our local track, it seems the faster the car is the longer it takes them just to line up and do their run. And either they would shut off/aboard right after the launch or there will be no time displayed. Made for very boring runs to spectators. (I do understand the reason for it btw, its just a comment).
When there were street cars or motorcycles the runs seem to go fairly quick, and usually no catastrophic failures that would cause huge delays

 

Haven't many switched to 1000' as well due to the speeds reached in the 1/4? I thought that was a thing.

 

You are at least partially correct. IIRC, the top fuel and funny cars were hitting speeds at the end of the run that were so high they couldn't get them slowed down or stopped without serious increases in runoff. There were serious injuries/fatalities that prompted the shorter track length.

 

I've never understood the attraction to 1/8 mile racing. I always enjoyed the launch, but really appreciated the top end rush even more after getting into high gear and showing off the real horsepower. Eons ago, I chose drag racing over motorcycle racing.... one of a number of my less than stellar life decisions.

 

I did a little bit of motorcycle dragracing at the same time as road racing. But once they started enforcing some rules that didnt make any sense I stopped going.

Talking about rules that dont make sense, NHRA needs to review and update their rule book. Many cars now cant even run, because stock ETs would require them to have cages.

 

I quit following NHRA, when H-D was allowed to run a prototype engine design (currently ~2622cc) in Pro Stock.

IMO, they seriously need to get T/F bikes back into the mix. Pay those guys a guaranteed appearance, just like Monster Jam does, and there will be a bunch of bikes show for every event. I’d venture to guess, Larry would do all he could to help the others up their game, since he has nothing left to prove and longevity of the class is probably more important to him, at this point. Watching a rider crawl all over a flame-spitting, 700lb motorcycle is far more exciting than watching a sterile run by a car that’s completely reliant on clutch setup.

 

NHRA went to 1000' for the Fuel cars after Scott Kalitta's fatal crash. Thing is an engine explosion knocked him unconscious and he never attempted to slow the car. My feeling is the result would have been the same if it had happened on a 1000' pass. There's the argument that the majority of engine damage comes in the last 320'. That's legit, but I quit watching immediately when they went to 1000'.

 

Drag racing looks to be the worst investment of time vs actual racing on the planet.