Hemi Challenge is a gem; Pro Stock, not
A couple comments, if you don't mind...
First, the "Hemi Challenge" ain't broke, even though it requires nearly as much to build and race one of those cars as it does to run Pro/Stock. But so what? It's a wonderfully unique show and even at its current price tag it continues to grow. For several years now I've said that this is the true "gem of The Nationals". Too bad it's kept under wraps and run on Friday, when spectator crowds are light.
I am sorry to say that Pro Stock has attained genuine snooze status when it comes to being entertaining. No wonder the spectators in the parking lots wait until they hear Pro Stock running before they make their way to the stands to watch TF and FC.
Sadly, drag racing's most technologically advanced class is now its most uninteresting. How can we forget that this same lack of entertainment became a major contributing factor in the demise of Pro Stock Truck.
Pro Stock evolved from heads-up "outlaw" Super Stock racing that had showmanship, pizzazz and personalities. That's why it grew so quickly. Those salad days of Pro Stock featured wild wheelstands and tire-cleaning short-hop burnouts. This "show factor" made it possible for tracks to book in Pro Stocks for "make versus make" match races between cars and drivers the fans knew.
Today's Pro cars stage, rev it up and squirt down the track. No wheelstands and the "formula" doesn't allow for tire-cleaning squirts behind the line. Only GM and Dodge are represented, and there's very little "color" among the stars. Instead, the plan seems to be to grab a fresh-faced, young driver who can bring in some sponsor cash, chop down the 'Tree every run, then spout the usual cliché phrases while grinning a Crest smile at the camera.
Back in the day, guys like Jenkins, Dyno, Sox, Hubert, Snake, Austin, Dandy Dick and others would jaw at the announcer BEFORE they ran, then tell the fans how they were going to "blow the doors off" their opponents! Wheels-up burnouts, often through powdered rosin followed, the cars ran and the fans ate it up.
I also can't continue without saying: God Bless Warren Johnson. He's the last pro racer who still does it all himself: develop, test, build, tune and drive. But all of Warren's hard work needs to showcase itself in a fashion that attracts the general admission ticket purchasers.
It's time that Pro Stock realized that cutting-edge science will never equal the popularity of showmanship. Come on, Pro Stock! Why not put some fun back into this racing, and in the process, rekindle interest in it? What a tragedy it would be for Pro Stock to die of its own neglect.
Jim Hill
Daytona Beach, Florida
New audience means new customers
David (Reher) was there (at the ADRL’s Dragstock V) because it probably represented an opportunity to mingle with actual customers of his, unlike Pro Stock where he is no longer a player. I guess some people wonder why many leave the grandstand during P/S now. No Gliddens, no Reher-Morrison, no WJ after the first round, etc.
Imagine taking Force, the Pedregons, and Scelzi out of F/C.
Mike Fedor
Pennsylvania
Okay, count me in
I have stood against a permanent move to the 1K foot standard, for a number of reasons... but mostly based on just a stubborn desire to maintain a 50+ year tradition of drag racing being about a 1/4 mile. But, only if the racers could work with the sanctioning bodies on a solution that would be both cost-effective and bring an improvement in safety and close competition... with the key being that the racers themselves having the major input on how to do it.
Well, sometimes FACTS ARE FACTS... and the facts are that the races that have been run with the 1,000 foot rule enforced have been a major success, the attendance has not suffered... and most importantly, the race teams love the cost effectiveness and don't feel in any way remorseful in foregoing the quarter-mile standard. As far as I am concerned, that speaks volumes to the issue. So if the NHRA truly feels that they do things for the benefit of the sport and racers, they have no choice but to give in and work with the teams to say farewell to the good ol' 1320 tradition. If they continue to fight the will of the racers on this, it would be like the crew from the Titanic coming up to the bridge proclaiming that they have pulled off a miracle repair of the massive gash that is causing them to sink and the ship can be saved. Then the captain saying "you know, ships have for centuries sunk from such damage so in keeping with tradition, I want you to undo your repairs, and let's all sink like men... as they have always done throughout maritime history."
So, although I never thought I would ever say this... let the 1,000 feet rule stand; the facts and racers have spoken. I swallow hard, and cast my vote to do away with Wally's standard 1320, and begin anew with a distance that makes the sport safer and just a little more affordable for all. Something tells me he has already come to that conclusion from his VIP suite in the sky.
So let’s work things out, maybe look at some tweaks to keep things competitive both on the track and in the check books of the teams. When the "1,000 foot facts" come to me with the solution to save the ship... I say "damn the traditions... full speed ahead!"
Mark A. Wales
Scottsdale, Arizona