I know alot of tracks going from quarter to eighth mile track.I know it mostly for insurance reason;but drag racing in my option is going a quarter mile.Especially when most of our musclecars run from 12 second to 14 second quarter mile times.I just cant see taking my 13;30 second factory stocker nova to an eighth mile track and running 80 mph;just my opinion;what the opinion of the other stockers out there .chris Teed
I agree with you Chris.It wouldn't be the same,better than nothing but 1/4 mile is real drag racing.:3gears:
I've NEVER raced 1/8 th mile and I cant imagine just gettin started and its over that quick. not even enough time to get excited. :boring:
I agree that drag racing by definition is 1/4mi. Although I think that 1/8mi tracks are cheaper to maintain and run and are becoming much more common. Also in some "amatuer" classes like Outlaw the cars are getting so fast that it is just safer to run 1/8mi. Without all the support that the top classes get at pro events, 150mph is too fast.
I think 1/8 mile with these tires would almost be a joke. Most people have to take it easy off the line, then come on strong at the top end. Some of our cars are even set up that way with retarded cams, etc. Stick shift cars would be a joke if everything depends upon the launch. Would take a lot more gear than most cars are using. This would increase even further, the number of matches that are lost due to red lights with the sportsman tree we use in Pure Stock. The launch will be the whole race. Might as well have it end at the 300 foot mark (approx 1/16 mile), as its all over by there. Got any idea how many of these match races are decided by red lights? I haven't checked recently, but a few years back, it was around 40%. That's no fun, and fun is what this is all about. Not to resurrect an old dead horse, but: With a .500 pro tree like we use in F.A.S.T. and Factory Stock this wouldn't be quite as bad. It works much better to let the races be decided by who gets there first. After all, that's what heads up racing is all about, isn't it? The sportsman tree was invented to allow handicap and bracket racing. Heads up racing can be done just as well with a flashlight or better yet, a flagman like at the Nostalgia Nats in Pa. this past July. Now you're talking real nostalgia type conditions. BTW, notice what they use on "Pinks" in their heads up racing? I'd be willing to give 1/8 mile a try with a pro tree, but I'll leave it home with a sportsman tree. :beers2:
Yeah, and that's why almost every episode there is nearly a fist fight over someone accusing someone else of leaving early! And they always check the video tape anyway to make sure, so what's the whole point of leaving on a flagman? Sportsman or Pro, makes me no difference, but keep the beams/tree...in fact, Pinks would eliminate a lot of headaches if Rich would just watch the race like everyone else...
Amen to that. It does get a little over dramatic at times. You're absolutely right, back when we ran with a flagman, there always was that belief that if you knew the flagman, you could maybe grt away with a little nudging of the leave time. So I guess there's no reason not to use the tree for staging and fouls. I just strongly prefer the pro tree as it takes the red light out of the equation for everybody, and levels the playing field a little for the stick shift cars. We have enough going on in stick shift cars to launch without blowing the tires away or taking it easy then hitting it harder. Much harder to control your launch RPM than an automatic where you can footbrake and let the convertor do its job. Hard to get a rythm to time the tree with all that going on in a stick. No question some people are better than others. JJ doesn't seem to have any problem with the stick, but must have some magical feet to run all three pedals to preload his suspension with the heel of his right foot and the throttle with the toe and still keeping the RPM where he wants it. He tried to show me how he did it at the parking lot of the Comfort Inn last Fall, but might have been too far down in the bottle. It was hilarious to watch. :laugh: I tried it on my car with manual brakes, but the brake pedal is so high up as compared to the accelerator, I couldn't get there. Maybe a shorter rod on the M.C. to pedal linkage and get the brake down closer to the floor like a Power brake car car. A line lok would help that, but of course no one has one, right? :laugh:
The 1/4 is where it is at. The good old days were 1/4 mile passes. If everything needs to be so safe, I'll watch from the stands!!!!!!!!!!ou: Jim
HA HA!!!! I just was talking with Dave and he was mentioning the broom stick thing. I told him to swallow a bottle of Viagra and he was golden!!!!:bla:
Now we know how JJ does it!!!!!!!! Guess you'd have to make sure you go under the steering wheel and not through it. Hmmmmmm......that may apply to a broomstick handle, too. Line Lok. Only way to go. Rough on clutches, though.
If I owned a Road Runner than it would be more of a "meep-meep"! p Back to the original question, I would have no problem running the 1/8th mile. Of course having a small block w/ a automatic helps dictate that response. Getting matched up against mostly big blocks, I usually pull out in front at the 60' mark and by the end of the 1/4 the big block has driven around me. When traveling thru the Carolinas a couple years ago, all I saw were 1/8 mile tracks. It is easier on the drivetrain and it moves the program along at a faster clip as well. Plus with real estate values being what they are, the less room needed, the less money spent. :dollar: I guess all you 4 gear bangers will have to switch over to oily viscous couplings and quit yer whinin'. :blast: :blast:
