Any other drag race fans on here?

[IAmtnbikr]

It is a happy day today....NHRA just announced that they will be broadcasting some events beginning in June on ESPN-HD! Cannot wait to hear it, and hopefully the sound quality will be there as well. If any of you did not know....I raced for quite some time, and parked my own car early in 96, then drove for another person until mid 98. I still build race trannies, and if interested you can see my site at http://www.oldanimotorsports.20megsfree.com for some photos of what I raced. They are on the 'photos' page, as well as the one on the home page. Kinda keeps me busy since I work days as the service manager of a busy RV dealership too!

[DrWho]

oh man, huge fan here. I got to see a world record set at joliet route 66; I still can't believe how loud and fast those cars are...TV totally gives the sport a bad name (is it just me or does it look slow on tv?). I don't think even the best recording formats would capture the true effect of being there either. Your heart practically stops when that green light hits. I don't know of too many sound systems that can do the 140dB you feel front row at the track

(for the record, yes I was wearing ear protection and it still hurt, lol)

[michael hurd]

Yep, there are a few fans on here, I have only attended one National event in Brainerd, MN, in '98 to watch. Television definately does not do it justice. Got my first taste of nitromethane and alcohol fumes in the pits when they were firing a fuel funny car.

As everyone in the crowd was backing off, I was putting in my earplugs and getting closer. After getting a good sample, the choking, burning, and eye watering started. I had to almost blindly run through the crowd to get a gasp of air. Note to self: when you see the pit crew don respirators, get back some.

All in all, I had a great time, except for those 5 minutes or so, trying to get back my breath. I have a copper head gasket from Kenny Bernstein's engine that is signed by Bernstein, Eddy Hill, John Force, and Scott Kallitta. Also, between the girlfriend and me, we have two Venolia pistons and a Champion race spark plug out of a fuel motor.

[eq_shadimar]

Oh yeah I go to the famous Texas Motorplex all the time. I have a '83 Mustang with a built 347 that I race. Although this will not be around much longer as I am going to put that motor in my '67 Ranchero. Don't know what will happen to the 'stang at that point. I have some pics and specs here on my web page:

http://www.madtomstudios.com/Cars/page3.htm

It says sold but the guy backed out. I need to update that.

Laters,

Jeff

[ricktate]

Im a NHRA fan to,,,just got through watching qualifyng on tv...been to Heartland park alot and you cant get that sound on a tv.Everyone should go to one event just to say you been to one but dont blink,,,lol...Rick

[IAmtnbikr]

Yep, until you are there in person to hear a nitro car leave the line, there is NO way to explain it accurately! The funny car I drove was on alky, and that was probably the most fun car I ever raced. It was like driving a dumptruck with manual steering compared to the Caddy-like ride of my dragster. Kind of cool to see "Hot" Rod Fuller doing so well after getting a Top Fuel ride again. He hung on to the #4 qualifying spot in Vegas, which is where he lives now too. Years ago a pal was the crew chief on a nitro funny car and I went with them to Bristol to an IHRA event. I quickly found out that there is far too much work to do on those cars than I wanted to do, lol. I barely saw another car go down the track except for when we were in the lanes waiting to run. The cost is unreal too to keep those things going. Hot Rod told me last December that they had spend over $2M and were not close to being ready at that point! But, they got a brand new tractor-trailer, two new Hadman dragsters, enough parts for about 10 motors, plus built a new shop new Houston, where his team owner is from. Yikes....

[JJkizak]

I have never heard a recording that would match the "ambiance" of the actual event. Even the Nascar broadcasts are compressed to crap. They seem to be reduced in volume about 30 db. I really don't think they ever will capture the humongous experience that you get at the strip. Even the "inside the car" recordings suck. I remember my 1967 L88 Vette with the windows closed with the sound pulsating and the windows vibrating in a glorious conflagration of noise, vibration, burning rubber, gasoline vapors, and heat---it was beautiful.

JJK

[Smokem]

"NOTRO...I Smell NITRO!!!"

I went to Englishtown in 1984 and 1985. I was the best sights and sounds I have ever seen and heard. I was a mechanic on a NASCAR modified here in New England for 4 years. The sound is NOTHING at all close to those "NITRO cars". NO surround sound system and TV could even come close to being there.

[ricktate]

When TNN use to show the races i use to put the sound through my Scalas they got close but the ESPN sound sucks big time i dont know why.ESPN needs to get thier sound better i think...i know you cant get it like being there but what they got now is bad.Anyone hear it when TNN had the race on thier channel>>???Rick

[Thumpelstiltskin]

I'll never forget seeing John Force riding around on a little bicycle at the 1994 (+ or - 1) Spring Nationals in Columbus, Ohio. I saw him on tv today and it looks like he's traded the pedal-power in for a moped....good move John.

Rick.

[dodger]

Bill "Maverick" Golden's Little Red Truck going down the quarter backwards doing a wheelie.

My own Challenger, to be young again....

dodger

[endover]

Yessireee! I got to see Kenny Bernstein break the 300mph barrier at the Gatornationals in March of '92!!!! What a weekend that was!!!!

Don't get to keep up with it too much now but sure do miss the noise and the smells!!!! Ha!

[DrWho]

Part of the reason that recorded races and all that never sound good is because there is no mic capable of really capturing those sounds. There is a ton of low end involved (as low as 10Hz), but you also have to maintain precision accuracy in the upper frequencies as well, otherwise it sounds muddied or congested. On top of all that, you somehow have to get this special mic in the right location so as to capture the sound...I don't think I'd be too comfortable hanging a $10,000 mic off the back end of every car (especially considering that at least one of them is going to crash). The mic would probably be too big anyway. And on top of it all, this mic would have to handle extreme SPL's...we're talking like 140dB plus.

Not to say that it's impossible to get a good recording, but the requirements for the equipment are rather extreme to get an "ideal" recording. Then we have to assume our playback systems can handle the ideal.

Just a while ago colterphoto visited picky's HT and they watched Super Speedway? I'm not sure if that's the title, but it was the Indy car movie that came out in the IMAX theatres. I saw it at the IMAX at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago and it came fricken close to the real thing. Both picky and colter felt that the dvd was amazingly real too (colter is from indy and gets to hear them cars all the time). Nevertheless, that's the only decent recording I've heard of car sounds...and it was only of Indy cars. Drag races would be 100x more extreme.

[dodger]

Dr. Who:

No offense meant here. What you posted shows a very completely different side to you. Beyond the textbooks.

Enjoy the way you worded it - shows what the enjoyment is.

I hope that you don't mind me saying it's nice to see a side enjoying the fun besides your dedication to sound.

Enjoy,

dodger

[Spkrdctr]

I just stopped racing a snowmobile on the 1/8th mile over a year ago. The sound of that motor was friggen awesome! It was a major crowd pleaser. It laid a black strip about 100 feet dwon the track. Expensive, almost out of control, but a lot of fun.

[ob1clodi]

I have a friend that lived about a mile south of the rt. 66 drag strip. He said you could stand in his front yard and the ground would shake when the top fuels went off. I would think that the best way to show off one's system is a recording of auto racing, or a thunderstorm. To replicate reality realistically would be the best way to impress others.

I was once told the the quickest way to go from a multi-millionaire to a millionaire was to get into big league drag racing.

[capo72]

I'm a big fan. My dad drag raced years ago, I practically grew up at Byron Dragway in the late 70's, early 80's. My mom worked in PR for NHRA when she lived in Indy. I used to sit in the tower with her at the U.S. Nationals, when I was a kid.

We used to hang out with Shirley Muldowney, and other drivers wifes and girlfriends. Like Austin Coil's wife (girlfriend at the time), Kenny Bernstein's wife and I played in their trailer with their son. What was his name......, oh yeah, Brandon Bernstein I used to go to Indy for the Big Go every year up until a few years ago when we started having kids. Oh well, such is life. At least Joliet isn't that far away. Looking forward to watching the races in HD.

Jeremy

[Champagne taste beer budget]

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On 4/17/2005 1:21:22 AM michael hurd wrote:

Yep, there are a few fans on here, I have only attended one National event in Brainerd, MN, in '98 to watch.

----------------

I may be off by a year, but I believe '98 was the year we had a 2-day tournament on Gull Lake the same weekend as the Nats in Brainerd. We were out on the water roughly 5-8 miles away and every few minutes you'd hear a thundurous roar from off in the distance, but still loud where we were.

I've never been to the drags, although I only live 45 miles from BIR. There's talk of them closing it down, nothing firm yet. Hopefully I'll get out there for a race before they do.

[billyjoe72]

I believe I was at that very race in Columbus, OH. ( licking county) John Force likes the public eye. I've only been to one race but it's very clear to this day how loud it was. Top fueler's making car alarms go off in the fields half a mile away. WOW. You don't really notice the loudness as much as the rumble in your chest. Both being extreme.

[Tom Adams]

Drag racing..

Started building models at 8 years old and one of my first cars was Tommy TV Ivos dragster. Many dragsters, Funny Cars, and Pro Stocks (remember Sox & Martin?) followed.

First magazine subscription was to Hot Rod and started it in 1968. I still have an original issue of Hot Rod magazines 25th anniversary edition.

In 1970 my parents bought a 1968 Camaro RS with 327, 4 barrel, and powerglide. I spent the next 4 years paying them back. In 1972 my keys to the Camaro are taken away when Dad found this piece of paper in the glove box after a light dew on the windshield revealed what looked to be numbers (I was sure the Windex wouldve removed all traces of the shoe polish) . The paper read: Canal Road Raceway 14.2 E.T. 104 MPH.

In 1978 I meet this guy (Dan) in college and discover that his Dad is Paul VanDerley of Pauls Machine Shop THE place for folks who wanna go fast. Id watched Paul drag race his various cars for several years and had been to his shop to drool many times. Dan invites me to come home with him one weekend to see the car hes driving - a B/Gas Altered that can be converted to a flopper body. I hated Dan. Then Dan invites me to hook up with his family at the Cajun Nationals (free tickets yeah baby). I start hating Dan even more as we walk through the hot pits and various guys say hi and ask Dan how hes doing or his Dad or his Mom. Guys like Don (Garlits), Don (Prudhomme), Ed (McCollugh)you get the picture. Folks I had only read about are coming up to Dan and talking to him like he lives next door. It was at that race that I too got an alky nose spray. Dan says, Hey listen, ever been around a fueler when they start? Cmon lets go to the bleach box. I know Buster (Couch) the starter real well. He wont mind. Dan holds his nose and walks away when Im not looking. Engine fires. I choke to death.

My crowning hate moment for Dan comes one weekend when he asks me to do a road trip to Detroit. He says his Dads friend is doing a motor for his Dad and he needs to pick it up. I tell him no Ive gotta study. He says its Jack Roush. I say f*ck studying and ask when we leave.

Many here have commented about the sound of a top fuel car, but one sound in particular has not been mentioned and I hope I can describe it. One of the sounds thats burned into my memory is the engines ability to create a sound vacuum. I mean, the engine is cracklin & poppin and then the throttle is blipped. What happens next goes something like: ruppita-ruppita-ruppita-wwrrrRRUPPP ruppita-ruppita-ruppita. Those of you who have heard this know what I mean. Its like theres no sound/noise for a split second after the throttle is blipped. Wild.

(sigh)memories.

Tom