Saving IHRA Alky FC

Screw Blowers

Hi Will, you just know I going to have to toss my 2 cents in on this subject. What follows is something I posted on another board. Please keep in mind, no slam intended on NHRA or screw blowers.

Having raced IHRA since 1990 and now a crew chief on an AFC in IHRA, I have to say screws are a very bad idea. Many racers and many fans go to IHRA races because they offer something different then NHRA. Pro Mods are a prime example of why fan consider IHRA a great alterative, so much so that NHRA has adapted the class and now offers a Top Sportsman and Top Dragster class to tap into that customer base, why, because they have fan appeal. If the AFC in IHRA looks, sounds and runs just like their NHRA cousins, and does not differentiate themselves the whole deal becomes homogenized, then spectators and racers can just go to NHRA races to see the same things. The same goes for Alcohol dragsters; making them part of IHRA will only make a great organization look more and more like NHRA. IHRA has always been a leader in many areas when it came to putting on great shows for fans. IHRA needs to continue to lead not follow.

Ok get out your guns, I've got my vest on, and medical team is standing by.

Jim Thurston
Crew Chief
TNT Motor Sports
Mich Fab Dodge Stratus

 

Nobody cares...so give up the roots blowers.

Wanna run a roots? Go race Pro Mod or T/D.

 

How about this
Ban the screw and only let the roots run in both IHRA and NHRA
why let only one manufacture make a product

 

Being a guy on a budget who has run both IHRA and NHRA, roots and screw....I would think that if IHRA accepted the screw blowers, eventually car counts will go up for both IHRA and NHRA and the competiton will improve in both organizations. I agree with Will...the differentiation idea won't work. I've been very impressed with the performance of the roots cars in IHRA, but they are not spending less money than NHRA racers...maybe more. I think you'll get more car cross over and better competition in both organizations this way. This may be a mute point, if IHRA cans AFC then the strong cars will be coming over to NHRA and buying a screw...no if's or butt about that.

 

a screw is not the answer or problem, the problem is the class went stale a few years ago. 5 or 6 years ago at the presidents cup 10 of the 16 cars were faster than a 5.90. so what changed since then. nothing! dale brand set the record at that race at a 5.72 four years later a 5.68 is the record. and now like mark said only 4 cars went to all the events. the idea of letting screw blower cars in would add new faces back in. you probably still wouldn't get that many more to run ALL the races, but you might get more cars at all the races with increased performances.

 

Never say Never

You have to compare apples to apples, and not Nitro to Alcohol. Nitro cars wherever they run stand on their own merit for what they are. Add in the cost of running a Top Fuel car and now the field of available cars becomes much smaller. More than enough reason to make the rules the same, and yes IHRA fans really like when a regular NHRA car shows up at an IHRA race. Why?? Has something to do with the differentiation thing we don’t agree on. Running a roots makes us different, I, we, fans, spectators, and I have to believe IHRA likes being unique, and knows how to market that to their advantage. Ask yourself why NHRA adopted Pro-Mod, because they are very popular with the spectators, good move NHRA see something successful, put in our show. Now ask why they went to a different set of rule this year, because they want their Pro-Mods to be than faster than the IHRA guys. NHRA has always promoted the fact that every class they run is faster than any other sanction body with a similar class. Why, because they want to stand out, they want to be different, they want to do more than just having IHRA Pro-Mods running at their tracks.

Agreed the class is not out of the woods, but it's getting healthier each season. Aaron went to 8 car fields because we weren’t filling the 16 car fields. Fair enough, last year every race had full fields with an average car count of 12 and that’s after losing people like Jim Sickles, Scott Weney, Jimmy Rector, Billy Gibson, and so on. My point, in the last 3 years there’s been a lot of new blood in the class and some real strong regulars.

I have great respect for the people that run alcohol in NHRA, they work very hard in a ultra completive class, it’s to bad they don’t get much respect in return from the folks in Glendora.

I do agree that screws in NHRA is not the problem, change for change sake is not the answer either. The class needs a sponsor, but switching to screws just because NHRA runs them is not the answer. Even if they go back to a 16 car field I don’t see where that would make a big difference to a potential sponsor. The reason Lucus sponsors the class in NHRA is because Morgan raced TAD, now that he’s in a T/F even better. Not to mention a lot of alcohol car are his customers. A potential sponsor needs to see the class for what it is, recognize the advantages it brings (and there are many) and then capitalize on the those assets. I think Lucus oil is missing the boat by not involving himself more in IHRA, he’s missing a whole segment of drag racing customers, by not having a strong presents in IHRA. I have to believe Ethanol will see the advantages, kind of like having Mark Thomas only multiplying him by about 10 or 20.

Will. It’s obvious you care about the class and it’s survival. Thanks for bring the subject to the table. Sure would like to hear what other people who care about this are thinking.

Jim Thurston

 

i admire you and the racers for sticking to their guns thurston, but here is my thought. the problem with ihra is they don't recognize the fact that most of the alcohol funny car teams are blue collar workers with familys and crew members are all doing this out of fun and devotion. because of this most of the teams can't make the full tour because ihra has spread there races from coat to coast, and even into canada 3 times a year. it is just imposible to run the tour unless you are independently wealthy or heavily sponsored. now you have to look at the areas that ihra is trying to get into. the west coast and down to texas has been nhra territory for too long , populated with screw cars. now ihra tries to go into these areas and the only oddball class they have is a/fc. all of your super classes to the fuel classes can crossover with ease. now ihra states because of small car counts they half to cut the fields and possibly do away with the class. you can't expect a nhra team to change their combo and purchase a roots blower for 1 race a year. (now i know this sounds like a broken record but) if ihra would have allowed screwblowers years ago nhra racers would have gladly crossed over into several ihra races and the fields would have never suffered at the new venues. i am not trying too start any arguments with anybody . hell i wish nhra had of outlawed the screws long ago, but these are the rules that we race with and these are the only classes with different rules. happy holidays!

 

I have often wondered about letting the screws into ihra . The purse is pretty good and just might tempt a few of the guys over to try it out . The new psi roots is almost as much as the screw and the screw can be run a lot longer before it needs serviced when a roots needs re-stripped quite often to keep the boost up at max . I don't know for sure but have heard you can run the screw all year without stripping it . As mentioned earlier , the class has become a little stale . If ihra was not slowing down the blown pro mods it would not be long before they would be posting times fast enough to qualify in some of the past fields , and this would not look to good for the af/c class . If Ethanol does pick up the tab , how much is the fuel going to cost per gallon ? , any guesses .

 

the strips in a psi don't get re-done except when you send it back for re-cert every 3 years. imagine that, bolt it to the manifold and leave it alone for 3 whole years.

 

How about IHRA bans the roots and the screw and mandates injected nitro, they would be the only ones to have that set up, and i'll bet within two years or less they will be running high 5.30's 270. And from what i understand they will be cheaper to run.

 

get blown

Why not go with nostalgia bodies, altered bodies, and injected nitro? The fans want to see something new. Who wouldn't want to see a blown altered run next to an injected nitro f/c? Or an old vette on nitro up against a newer blown Mustang? C'mon, lets give the people who spend their money to get in to the tracks a show. Mandatory 1/2 track burnouts, ACTUALLY interacting with the crowd getting them pumped up, having fun again. It stopped being fun and has just become a business. Just watch the interviews with some of the pro AND sportsmen guys and girls. The all are so serious and don;t seem to be having fun...that's why we sold our car years ago and now just play with our blown altered. Remember back in the 70's and 80's, before all the mandatory blowers, clutches, high paid crew chiefs? People ACTUALLY drove the car, tuned it, drove the truck/trailer to the track, worked on it all week. You didn;t just buy a tune up, you blew your stuff up to learn or just didn't make it past first round. I know about progress, but damn, when did it stop being fun?

 

It stopped being fun when the sportsman ranks got to be like the pro ranks, BIG MONEY SPONCERS, I rember running aginst you dad, we had the same setup (Donavan) only one, if we had spare sparkplus we were doing good, i had two extra pistons and two extra rods, after racing for 7 years I still had them pistons and rods, and gave them to the guy that bought the car, I also rember Joe Amato showing up with 3 spare motors, thats when I took the hint and got out, my brothers still are out there, frank shuster drives for vic and ant. tunes ickey ferro, I rember the battal cry was ARE WE HAVING FUN YET????

 

Michael what you suggest is already happening. There are many organizations today promoting that type of racing. Case in point is the Bars Leak cars. Don’t know if you seen them, but the put on just the kind of show your talking about, big long burn outs, nostalgia bodies, super charged and nitrous. I’ve them twice and from what I can tell the spectators seem to like them. But if you think IHRA is going to change a class or create a new one just so racers can have fun, not have to work hard at it, and get paid to do so, your sadly mistaken. This is a business, and believe or not business can be fun and enjoyable. Something that has always gotten races of any type in trouble is thinking of this as something other than a business. There are sportsmen classes for those who, want to race, have fun and do it on a level that they themselves can support. Once you cross that line to a professional class everything changes, and that is what a lot of Alcohol racers struggle with; am I a sportsman or am I a professional?? I believe that’s what got IHRA’s AFC in trouble a few year back, many wanted to be act like, be treated like, get paid like a professional without putting in the dollars and the effort that it take to be a professional. As much as I hate to say it since they cut back to an 8-car field, the level of professionalism, the quality of the car and teams has improved. Quantity does not necessarily equal quality. Let’s go back to Bars Leak, Clay or whoever has done a great job of putting the nostalgia group together and promoting them. They have found a niche in the market and made the most of it, and that my friend, even if it wasn’t indented was a good business decision. But Bars Leak undoubtabally understands that racing is a business just look at the other car the fly and represent the Bars Leak Company, Bill Reichert, George Etterman, just to name 2. Do you really think Bars Leak sponsors them because Bill and George want to have some fun on the weekends?

I’m a little of subject, so to get back to the real issue. What will keep IHRA’s AFC alive? I would like to think the racers have lived up to the commitment that was placed on them by IHRA when the cut back to the 8 car fields. We were told three things needed to happen. 1) There had to be full fields for every race, that has happen. 2) The quality of the cars needs to improve, that most certainly has happen. 3) The racers and teams need to be more professional, I feel that has happen also. Now it time for IHRA to step up to the plate, and live up to their side of the bargain, support the class and bring in a class sponsor, even if IHRA has to subsidize the class for another year or two, the racers certainly have invested in the future of the class.

To hear or read a comment like yours about scares me, that type of approach will kill the class quicker than anything. Believe me IHRA views racing as a business, and the decision to keep or kill the class will be a business decision. Aaron or Scooter you got what you asked for, now can you step up and make it happen, the racers did.

Racing is still fun, just that the price of the toys, ( just like everything else) has gone up!

Jim Thurston

 

Who WATCHES the 8.90 classes in either venue?------nobody. I would like to see parity between the sanctioning bodies, so alky burners could run both venues. Nothing like staying close to home and going racing. That makes car counts better. Both bodies need to make it exciting again-----we need some formats that gets the crowd excited. I had a track owner offer me an extra $100 to do a burnout and change lanes in the process. If they're that desperate, we have to do something. Small blocks in prostock truck didn't do it. What do you guys think will get the crowd back into it? Lottery for the fans if a particular car wins? ( I don't think that's legal in most states).
Personally I'd like to see 10-25% nitro for the smell, the flames and the crowd appeal. That's why NHRA kept A-fuel. Small motors, light cars, nitro, and no blowers? C'mon Thurston, help me out here.

 

Bob

Cost aside, I believe injected nitro would realy wake up the class, but I don't believe IHRA would allow that to happen. I remember watching (I think it was) Scott Wies run his at a IHRA race, easliy out pacing the entire field. IHRA tried it once and it didn't last long for whatever reason. Given all the parity problems it would be the same nightmare NHRA has with the dragsters, and just knowing how dangerous it is just to start one of these, I just don't see it happening.

 

like I said, it has become just a business, not a sport. I remember as a kid pulling into the track and our whole circuit( Fuel Funny Car Promotions), would all hang out, talk, laugh, eat and help each other with their cars if help was needed. There are still a few teams that interact, share food, drink, crew, and just enjoy the friendship and racing together. But for the majority, that is gone and it has become just a business, 9-5 go to work kinda job where nobody smiles, laughs, and just has fun. A guy wins a race, loads his car and is gone before the first round loser is gone from the track. No celebration, no laughter or hanging with fellow racers. It's sad. And i'm 35, grew up at the races with a funny car in my garage, and that was my life,so I do know a little about the subject.