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Post by jkr on Dec 7, 2011 12:15:38 GMT -4
best smiley - emoction i've seen here in a while. way to go travis.
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Post by ShoeBoxRacer on Dec 7, 2011 12:52:53 GMT -4
I've raced a fair amount in both venues over the years. It's no surprise that quarter mile tracks are more the norm in the sport, but especially down south there are a great number of eighth mile facilities as well, & a lot of big name racers compete at both. Racing is racing folks, & to make such an issue over the length of the track at which the event is being contested on is really foolish. I too prefer the quarter mile events, because like most competitors in the sport,.... I'm nuts, & everyone knows that the faster you go, the better life is!, but if conditions do not safely allow for the longer events, half a loaf is certainly better than no loaf at all. Back in the early years of racing, a very fast car would reach a terminal speed of maybe a buck thirty at the end of the quarter.....Wow! I can easily count three to four dozen rigs in this area alone which will eclipse that number at the 660' mark these days, some by a substantial margin.....and they're all running on the same tracks!!! Most of these facilities have not had any major upgrades over the years, so obviously the threat of something bad happening increases proportionately with the increase in speed. On the plus side, we're not all running muffler tubing rollcages (?) any more, or suspending our vehicles with Econoline I beams, & attempting to stop them with archaic & inadequate braking systems, BUT, a measure of danger is still there even considering the vast improvements in the area of vehicle safety. It will only take one bad accident (and we've come perilously close this last season) to create a whole new sh*t-storm of problems for our sport, & how we conduct it. Anyone who's looking outside the box in an effort to be pro-active about finding solutions to lessen the possibility of this happening should not be beaten down for their efforts. Another thing to consider is the effect of the shorter track length on spectator enjoyment. If you are a spectator at one of these events, you can see the entire race play out from start to finish over the shorter course, & it is a better show, which just might draw in some additional paying bums in the bleachers. It also makes the show run quicker in general, and is a bit better suited to street cars, who's numbers have been steadily falling over the years. Just some additional food for thought. Before the rocks & bricks start heading my way, I'm not proposing a wholesale change over to eighth mile racing, As I mentioned earlier, I really like going fast, but if the conditions require it, don't foolishly hold on to the 'old' way of doing things at the expense of competitor safety & the future of the sport.
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Post by Don @ Maritime Drag Racing on Dec 7, 2011 12:58:42 GMT -4
best smiley - emoction i've seen here in a while. way to go travis. That would be from www.freesmileys.org/ Lots of funny stuff in there for almost every occasion and I've used a lot of them over the years. Another good source is bestsmileys.com/pageindex.htm
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Post by mario428 on Dec 7, 2011 13:11:34 GMT -4
I've raced a fair amount in both venues over the years. It's no surprise that quarter mile tracks are more the norm in the sport, but especially down south there are a great number of eighth mile facilities as well, & a lot of big name racers compete at both. Racing is racing folks, & to make such an issue over the length of the track at which the event is being contested on is really foolish. I too prefer the quarter mile events, because like most competitors in the sport,.... I'm nuts, & everyone knows that the faster you go, the better life is!, but if conditions do not safely allow for the longer events, half a loaf is certainly better than no loaf at all. Back in the early years of racing, a very fast car would reach a terminal speed of maybe a buck thirty at the end of the quarter.....Wow! I can easily count three to four dozen rigs in this area alone which will eclipse that number at the 660' mark these days, some by a substantial margin.....and they're all running on the same tracks!!! Most of these facilities have not had any major upgrades over the years, so obviously the threat of something bad happening increases proportionately with the increase in speed. On the plus side, we're not all running muffler tubing rollcages (?) any more, or suspending our vehicles with Econoline I beams, & attempting to stop them with archaic & inadequate braking systems, BUT, a measure of danger is still there even considering the vast improvements in the area of vehicle safety. It will only take one bad accident (and we've come perilously close this last season) to create a whole new sh*t-storm of problems for our sport, & how we conduct it. Anyone who's looking outside the box in an effort to be pro-active about finding solutions to lessen the possibility of this happening should not be beaten down for their efforts. Another thing to consider is the effect of the shorter track length on spectator enjoyment. If you are a spectator at one of these events, you can see the entire race play out from start to finish over the shorter course, & it is a better show, which just might draw in some additional paying bums in the bleachers. It also makes the show run quicker in general, and is a bit better suited to street cars, who's numbers have been steadily falling over the years. Just some additional food for thought. Before the rocks & bricks start heading my way, I'm not proposing a wholesale change over to eighth mile racing, As I mentioned earlier, I really like going fast, but if the conditions require it, don't foolishly hold on to the 'old' way of doing things at the expense of competitor safety & the future of the sport. Very well written Bernie, in complete agreement. Hummm I feel cold, did something just freeze over??? ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Post by 78SS on Dec 7, 2011 16:48:40 GMT -4
Is the 1/8th mile talk in regards to safety of the tracks?
The way I see it, running 1/8 mile allows for alot more runs and alot less parts breakage. After the win/loss and my 60', the 1/8 is the next thing I look at. My car was always within 2 hundredths at the 1/8 unless something was not working correctly.
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Post by ss396dave on Dec 7, 2011 16:59:23 GMT -4
1/8 mile? lets just go back to racing the oneways on Kent Street.
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Post by SS10 on Dec 7, 2011 17:21:15 GMT -4
No matter 1/8 mile or not you still need to leave and 60 foot that vehicle so breakage will still be a factor because gearing will increase to obtain rpm as well, all factors still stay the same just that the distance is shorter and would allow more shut down, but also this goes back to the same old thing, IS YOUR RACE VEHICLE CAPABLE OF RUNNING THE ET AND MPH THAT IT GOES. If I had my way any competition vehicle running 9.49 and quicker in the 1/4 mile or any vehicle exceeding 120mph would have to have dual master cylinder braking and steel braided lines from front to back and still there is always a chance of failure, it is a motor sport, all motor sports have accidents, no one likes to see this happen but it does.
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Post by MercuryMan on Dec 7, 2011 17:21:54 GMT -4
What's the next hot topic? Legal and correct use of brand decals. ;D ;D ;D
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Post by tom2011 on Dec 7, 2011 17:42:43 GMT -4
you wanna race 1/8 mile,,,,,buy a jr dragster...
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Post by Bad Influence on Dec 7, 2011 17:57:51 GMT -4
you wanna race 1/8 mile,,,,,buy a jr dragster... NOW THATS FUNNY; AND EXACTLY HOW I FEEL AS WELL. SOME OF US ADRENALINE JUNKIES LIKE THE BIG TOP END CHARGE !!!
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