NHRA 4 Wide Nationals - Charlotte NC - 3/26 to 3/28

[russ69]

Rain out on Sunday.

[boomer9911]

Now this would be totally awesome to see, I hope it was enjoyed....

[sunburnwilly]

Total sensory overload !!!

Heavy , overcast skies ; before it rained . Perfect conditions to watch the fuel cars . Massive concussion , header flames jacked , very surreal . I would kill for a set up that could reproduce the sound .

Yeah Russ , the final rounds of the nitro categories were rained out . You sure do know how to put a damper on things , lol . But those who attended did get to experience 12 - 4 wide nitro races .

[sunburnwilly]

Charlotte is the first and only 4 lane drag strip ; for now .

Las Vegas is next !

[sunburnwilly]

Far fewer than 100 on the planet?? Maybe not in NHRA Cup, but you are forgetting Nostalgias, and the entire continent of Austrailia! Alot more than 100 in existence, way more!

Yep , far fewer

[twistedcrankcammer]

You are entitled to your opinion, but it does not make you any less WRONG!

You are wrong, and you are wrong...

While you may be correct in your assumption that this is the first time to run 4 top fuelers abreast, it is not the first time that a 4 lane drag racing track existed, to the contrary, it was common in the late 50s.

Secondly, I am not talking actively on the circuit top fuelers, I am talking nitro methane running cars out there that are restored, nostalgia, or otherwise could be fired up on short notice. If you truely believe there are less than 100, it shows how little informed you are.

Roger

Far fewer than 100 on the planet?? Maybe not in NHRA Cup, but you are forgetting Nostalgias, and the entire continent of Austrailia! Alot more than 100 in existence, way more!

Yep , far fewer

[sunburnwilly]

If you truely believe there are less than 100, it shows how little informed you are.

Roger

Yep , me and Jeff Arrend . I mean he's only been driving funny cars since the early 90's , what does he know ? Currently there are 12 actively campaigned nitro funnies on the nostalgia circuit . You wanna throw in museum pieces that despite what you think could be fired up on short notice ? There is no nitro funny class in ANDRA or the European circuit . Jeff says ; hey he likes to be called Jeff , he knows of a few in England . But when I threw out the number 60 he shook his head .Hey , I can admit when I'm wrong , cough cough . Prove me wrong .

[twistedcrankcammer]

I don't have to prove a thing as YOU are the one who made a BS statement. The qustion isn't who is Jeff Arrend, the question is WTF are YOU??

What is your claim to anything?

Name dropping, maybe we should name drop. Do you have the personal phone number and email of Connie Kalita or "Ohio" George Montgomery, or have you spent the night at John Cornelles house multiple times? Do you personally know and call Bill Coon a freind.

Jeff who again??

You are the one who said a difinitive statement of "in existance", you did not state currently competing. You are full of it!

And... How fast have you ETd?? How many HP have you piloted or wrenched on??

And... If you can "cough cough" admit when you are wrong, then how about admitting that Dragway 42 in Salem, Ohio, and others had 4 lane drag strips many decades ago, and that this is NOT a new concept????

Roger

If you truely believe there are less than 100, it shows how little informed you are.

Roger

Yep , me and Jeff Arrend . I mean he's only been driving funny cars since the early 90's , what does he know ? Currently there are 12 actively campaigned nitro funnies on the nostalgia circuit . You wanna throw in museum pieces that despite what you think could be fired up on short notice ? There is no nitro funny class in ANDRA or the European circuit . Jeff says ; hey he likes to be called Jeff , he knows of a few in England . But when I threw out the number 60 he shook his head . Hey , I can admit when I'm wrong , cough cough . Prove me wrong .

[sunburnwilly]

Hey just a fan , been one for a long time ; of course not as long as you . Might need to point that mirror at yourself . Never heard of you either . But that bold type is most impressive . Seems like it's always a biggest stick match with you . Am I wrong ?

[sunburnwilly]

And... How fast have you ETd??

Ehhh , my best was a 14.72 at Firebird in my '87 5.0 . Had a K&N filter on it and I removed the air panel silencer . Pretty sweet .Never got to run my Charger at the track after I swapped out 383 for the 440 . I moved back soon after . Actually a cross country trip is a neat way to break in a motor . Worked out pretty well considering my new Mustang had had crazy trouble on the trip out . The old '66 Charger with a couple of oil changes had no problems . I did run the Charger at PIR a couple of times as is when I first got it , couldn't get more than a low 16 out of it . I'm sure it would have went into the mid 15's at sea level .

Dragway 42 in Salem, Ohio, and others had 4 lane drag strips many decades ago, and that this is NOT a new concept????

Roger

No its been done before , what do you think the low et of the exhibition would have been . Considering that tracks where they ran were not purpously built drag strips but converted airstrips a mid 7 sounds about right . Again the old 4 wide racing didn't mean anymore than bragging rights . This is a first ever .

Jeff who again??

He drives Scott Kalita's old car . Won a couple of events in the mid 90's driving for Paul Smith .

[twistedcrankcammer]

The 4 abreast drag racing at Drag way 42 was not a converted air strip. They ran Top Fuel there up through 1983 / Shirley Muldowney still holds the Top Fuel track record for speed from that year.

Roger

[russ69]

Guys, guys, guys, take it easy. We all love drag racing and we all have different experiences. I was in Southern California when modern drag racing was still developing and really big. I never saw 4 wide racing but I have seen film and my picture link shows 4 wide eliminations of stock cars. I agree 4 wide fuel cars is a whole other deal. I think I also answered the 100 funny car question. My brother reminded me today we wouldn't even go half the time if they didn't have at least 64 cars scheduled (yes, 64 fuel funnys, or as Steve Evans would call them the plastic fantastics). We also had the fuel altereds (My all time favorite), top fuel motorcycles, wheelstanders, jet and rocket cars! By the way, standing 10 feet from the afterburner of a jet car is quite a thrill.

I raced motorcycles and cars from about mid 1970s until recently (They closed my local drag strip). I helped my older brother with his then current muscle cars in the 60's and 70's. So we went to a lot of races at the time, and still do. I admit to being the biggest wussy here cause my bike would only go about 170 something before I wussed out. I hope that settles that, geeze.

Anyway, I'll be watching the finals tomorrow (Monday). Keep it real guys.

[twistedcrankcammer]

Hey just a fan , been one for a long time ; of course not as long as you . Might need to point that mirror at yourself . Never heard of you either . But that bold type is most impressive . Seems like it's always a biggest stick match with you . Am I wrong ?

biggest stick match eh?? Maybe,...

I love the things I love and throw myself in to them with an irreverant passion. I however am not the one who started name dropping. I love to drag race and I've wrenched on and driven a 1,400 HP blown injected big block with nitrous. I have a V-Max motorcycle with built up engine, induction, exhaust, nitrous, 3 inch over swing arm, and air shifter. I love Klipsch speaker and own TSCMS, MCMs, and KP-600s. I love to shoot, hand load, belong to two gun clubs, own a safe and a few toys and have taken a deer at 589 yards or just over 1/3 mile. I played paint ball for over 20 year, was on a nationally ranked team and had just over 5 grand in my primary gun. I love to Scuba, and I've been certified for over 20 years. I love to rapel on rope, and own all of my own gear. (My brother in law is an instructor and is on one of only two teams in the world allowed to do El Capitan in Yosemite and also has done bridge day at the new river gorge for about a decade). I have also been sky diving before. I own three pairs of snow skis and two pair of custom foamed to my foot boots and all spider, and top end gear. My Raichle boots and my buddies were two pair of only 7 foamed that year by the Raicle team racer chaser that were done for private individuals that year and have racing foam, not the comfort foam, and both they and my custom foamed technicas have custom computer designed orthotics. I watch drag racing, ultimate fighting, and an occassional hunting or fishing program. Football, Baseball, and Basketball bore me to tears, and that sums up my interests pretty well.

Roger

[sunburnwilly]

name dropping

I mentioned that I would ask the question while at the event . Jeff Arrend is who I asked , never spoke with him before . If you know Connie well there's a connection right there . Tell Connie that his driver said that . He'll probably come back with something like " stupid driver what does he know " HaHa .

I have a V-Max motorcycle

I wrecked a V-Max . My buddy had one and talked me into taking it for a spin . Guess he thought that since he taught me how to tool around the niehborhood on his wife's 500 Shadow that I could handle the V-Max . Stupid move , he wound up with a broken back and a right leg that was pointing the wrong way . I fractured a wrist but walked away , that was in '91 , haven't been on a motorcycle since .

I love Klipsch speaker

Me too , the whole point of the post was to turn some folks on to an auditory experience . Something like you like your Klipsch speakers and you like them loud well check this out . Some incredible hi fidelity was experienced at the 4 Wide Nationals . Might be a little too hi fi for some here but ya never know until you try it .

I love to shoot

I enjoyed the experience when in the army but have never owned a firearm myself .

I love to rapel on rope, and own all of my own gear.

I did it as part of urban assualt training . It's fun and a great workout .

I have also been sky diving before.

Did the AFF thing many years ago . It's an awesome experience but very expensive . I don't believe they offer AFF around here anymore but according to my log book I'm cleared for the next step .

I own three pairs of snow skis and two pair of custom foamed to my foot boots and all spider, and top end gear.

I've only seen snow a handful of times but I have been surfing since '75 and own 6 boards ; 3 of them are winged keel boards very rare .

Football, Baseball, and Basketball bore me to tears

Hey now ! I love my football !!! But yeah basketball and baseball put me to sleep .

[sunburnwilly]

This thread is useless without pics ! Anybody know how to make a Mac and a Sony HD recorder play nice ? They don't like each other .

[twistedcrankcammer]

Met Connie over a decade ago. I took one of my Cammer valve covers to the Spring Nationals, now the Pontiac Nationals, to get signatures from some old top fuel Cammer drivers. Don Prudhome shoed the Super Snake with a Top Fuel Cammer and won the Top Fuel championship one year with that settup. John Forces very first Nitromethain ride was in a Mach 1 funny Car "Side Winder". Side Winders had the engines mounted sideways in the back. Connie ran Cammers for years in Top Fuel. Connie is usually stand offish and doesn't interact much with the fans, but when he saw that valve cover, he pulled me into his trailer and talked with me for over a half hour, he was looking for Cammer pieces as he was putting one of his old Bounty Hunter Top Fuel rails back together for Garlits museum in Florida.

"Ohio" George Montgomery campained Cammers until the Brass at Ford made him switch to the Boss 429. George owns a machine shop, and he and his son put cammers together for customers to this day.

So my interest, and passion for a rare old engine has opened a few doors for me into the world of some famous people in Drag Racing history.

Roger

[russ69]

Now back to our regular programing. Did you see the final yet, I watched it live on TV. I'm not sure about the 4 wide format, what do you think?

Thanx, Russ

[sunburnwilly]

Yep , watched and recorded it . For the fans I think it's fantastic ! For the drivers and teams not so much but the NHRA did get allot of exposure from it and they need it . 10 years ago it was not uncommon for events to sell out . I would be suprised if the event yesterday was at half capacity . Cool by me , it's allot easier to move around and get out of there at the end . Ticket prices were in line with what the NHRA was charging 15 years ago . I paid $45. for my seat which was right on the starting line . Section AA , row 7 , seat 1 ; I was the only one sitting in that row . If you watch the telecast take a look at the stands I don't see how they could have made any money and this track and facility is huge I've never seen anything like it .

As far as the 4-wide format it seemed like a novelty . In my opinion it shouldn't be part of the series as far as championship points are concerned . It should be a special event like the old all-stars races in Rockingham NC and the funnies vs the dragsters at Bristol that one time . IMHO

Now back to our regular programing. Did you see the final yet, I watched it live on TV. I'm not sure about the 4 wide format, what do you think?

Thanx, Russ

[twistedcrankcammer]

NHRA has done more than anyone to try to kill drag racing off;

The 1,000 foot race instead of 1/4 mile and more shut down area saves tracks money.

As far as I am concerned, the four wide format is more dangerous than going back to the quarter mile drag race. All it takes is one car crossing up and you have three potential accidents instead of one.

Bracket racing may be fun for a wanna be drag racer, but killed the fan base as it is boring as he!l from a spectators point of view.

NHRA rule books have killed the inovation in the sport. Ohio George Montgomery turbo charged a Boss 429 30 years ahead of main stream turbos, and when it showed unbeatable, NHRA outlawed turbos.

NHRA outlawed the PSI screw charger in top fuel when Gene Snow bolted one on his top fueler and instantly picked up over 10 MPH on his top end speed.

NHRA outlawed over head cam engines in top fuel like the Cammer.

NHRA outlawed more then two valves per cylinder.

NHRA limited Top Fuel and Pro Stock to 500 cubic inches, when they have been running over 800 cubic inches in IHRA Pro Stock for years.

NHRA not only outlawed turbos and PSI screw chargers in Top Fuel, but limit the blower size to 14.7/1 when pro mods have had 16.7/1s for years.

NHRA limited the ammount of magnetos you can run in Top Fuel when it was found to help with the detonation problems associated with Nitromethaine, and make more power.

NHRA gives weight breaks to V-Rods so a bunch of Harley lovers can believe in their little red neck minds that a V-2 can compete with an inline 4.

Roger

[russ69]

NHRA gives weight breaks to V-Rods so a bunch of Harley lovers can believe in their little red neck minds that a V-2 can compete with an inline 4.

You only got it part right. The "Harley"Pro Stock bike is a full billet motor that shares nothing from the V-Rod, not even bore, stroke or V angle. It was almost twice the displacement of the fours (at the beginning) and had a substantial weight break. There is nothing on the bike that is Harley sans the V-Rod decal. FYI.