NHRA new Pro Stock format....

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427dart
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NHRA new Pro Stock format....

Post by 427dart »

Just plain crazy now that racers can use ANY engine in ANY brand body. Why don't they just kill it and get it over with!
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Re: NHRA new Pro Stock format....

Post by lefty o »

Ken0069 wrote: Sat Jan 27, 2018 11:50 am Did some reading online on this last night and from what I gather, none of the other manufacturers can or will produce an engine that can compete with the Big Block Chevy in Pro Stock. The past 6 championships have been won with Chevy power.

Seems also that Phord wants to get a Mustang in the field but it seems they don't want to do the necessary R&D to produce a competitive engine??

Ennywho, next thing you know they'll stop giving out time slips or win lights and be giving out "Participation Trophies" to all the teams!!

Just another step in the wussification of America IMHO!! :roll:
pretty much. lost me with fuel injection and no hood scoops. after so many years you dont just change it.
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Re: NHRA new Pro Stock format....

Post by Walter R. Malik »

In my opinion .... they trashed the wrong Pro Stock when they got rid of Pro Stock truck.

The NHRA should have then made the cars run using those rules.
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Re: NHRA new Pro Stock format....

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Ken0069 wrote: Sat Jan 27, 2018 11:50 am Did some reading online on this last night and from what I gather, none of the other manufacturers can or will produce an engine that can compete with the Big Block Chevy in Pro Stock. The past 6 championships have been won with Chevy power.

Seems also that Phord wants to get a Mustang in the field but it seems they don't want to do the necessary R&D to produce a competitive engine??

Ennywho, next thing you know they'll stop giving out time slips or win lights and be giving out "Participation Trophies" to all the teams!!

Just another step in the wussification of America IMHO!! :roll:
No surprise there as Chevy has been riding in the NHRA back pocket for years! Remember those days when the Chrysler Hemi cars had to run more weight than the Chevys!!!
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Re: NHRA new Pro Stock format....

Post by SupStk »

427dart wrote: Sat Jan 27, 2018 4:34 pm
Ken0069 wrote: Sat Jan 27, 2018 11:50 am Did some reading online on this last night and from what I gather, none of the other manufacturers can or will produce an engine that can compete with the Big Block Chevy in Pro Stock. The past 6 championships have been won with Chevy power.

Seems also that Phord wants to get a Mustang in the field but it seems they don't want to do the necessary R&D to produce a competitive engine??

Ennywho, next thing you know they'll stop giving out time slips or win lights and be giving out "Participation Trophies" to all the teams!!

Just another step in the wussification of America IMHO!! :roll:
No surprise there as Chevy has been riding in the NHRA back pocket for years! Remember those days when the Chrysler Hemi cars had to run more weight than the Chevys!!!
And the SBF had to carry more than all of them.
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Re: NHRA new Pro Stock format....

Post by Alan Roehrich »

Currently, it has nothing to do with weight breaks,or who is the current "official vehicle of NHRA".

Simple facts, neither Ford, nor Chrysler, has been willing to spend any money, or work with anyone, to build a competitive Pro Stock cylinder head. Most often, anyone who was foolish enough to race for either of them was screwed over by them. Say what you will, but those two have been screwing their racers for decades, especially in drag racing. Chevrolet has been willing to spend money on a cylinder head and a block, when the other two simply won't. And anyone who can write the check can buy the Chevrolet parts.

The problem now is that, if it doesn't have a blower, run nitromethane, or nitrous, NHRA doesn't give a damn about promoting it. They care about Top Fuel, Funny Car, the alcohol classes, and Pro Mod. The rest of us are simply time fillers, and cash cows.
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Re: NHRA new Pro Stock format....

Post by 427dart »

I'm sure Ford and Chrysler would be in the thick of Pro Stock today had NHRA kept the class relavent to what is being built today engine wise.
Such as Ford with their current 4 valve 5.2 engines and Dodge with their Hemi.
Other than a manufacture's decal the cars don't relate to anything which is why the loss of spectators!
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Re: NHRA new Pro Stock format....

Post by Alan Roehrich »

Everyone talks about Pro Stock being "relevant" to current production. Doesn't wash. In the early eighties, when NHRA went to 500 cubic inches and 2350#, half the production cars in the U.S. weren't even V8 powered. Most of those weren't even 350 cubic inches. The switch to EFI was already happening. Yet 500 cubic inches and carburetors worked well, Pro stock was healthy.

Then, two years ago, they decided EFI would make it "relevant" and revive it. Wrong again. Removing hood scoops didn't help, either.

"Relevance" is just another excuse. NASCAR isn't "relevant" either, by those standards.

Plain simple fact, relatively small aftermarket companies can and do produce new cylinder heads and blocks, some from a near clean sheet of paper. Ford and Chrysler don't want to.

Honestly, given the current state of Pro Stock, I don't blame Ford or Chrysler, Pro Stock offers little in the form of ROI. But just man up and tell the truth about it, rather than make lame excuses.

As far was "weight break Pro Stock" goes, it was dying because of the weight breaks, NHRA hated it, the manufacturers didn't really like it, and the racers struggled with it. Those are facts. Further, Pro Stock was a the off spring of Super Stock match racing where some of the cylinder head and induction systems from Modified classes are adapted to Super Stock based engines, which were not necessarily production based bore or stroke combinations. And NHRA has long separated hemi heads, canted valve heads, and true wedge heads, either into separate classes, or at least separate weight breaks. They still do, Super Stock Modified classes and in Comp. So there were always going to be weight breaks, hemi heads and canted valve heads were always going to carry more weight. NHRA didn't do too great a job policing the class, either.
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Re: NHRA new Pro Stock format....

Post by 427dart »

Well when I mentioned relevant I was talking about the 1970 period were they were like the production cars.
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Re: NHRA new Pro Stock format....

Post by BigBlocksOnTop2 »

Prostock is disgusting. It's all over except for the funeral. Was my favorite motor sport.
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Re: NHRA new Pro Stock format....

Post by Bos's5.0 »

I'm with 427Dart on every point he made.

I'm a manufacturer first, driver second kind of person. I used to watch Nascar but they are so far from anything related to the brand they represent that it's not worth it to even care about what they are doing.

I can't imagine being Ford and even contemplating building a competitive motor for a class that is/has become unpopular and gets far less attention than the Fuel cars. Like flushing money down the toilet.

That, and the older I get the more I realize how stupid brand loyalty really is.
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Re: NHRA new Pro Stock format....

Post by MichaelThompson »

Alan Roehrich wrote: Sun Jan 28, 2018 6:16 am Currently, it has nothing to do with weight breaks,or who is the current "official vehicle of NHRA".

Simple facts, neither Ford, nor Chrysler, has been willing to spend any money, or work with anyone, to build a competitive Pro Stock cylinder head. Most often, anyone who was foolish enough to race for either of them was screwed over by them. Say what you will, but those two have been screwing their racers for decades, especially in drag racing. Chevrolet has been willing to spend money on a cylinder head and a block, when the other two simply won't. And anyone who can write the check can buy the Chevrolet parts.

The problem now is that, if it doesn't have a blower, run nitromethane, or nitrous, NHRA doesn't give a damn about promoting it. They care about Top Fuel, Funny Car, the alcohol classes, and Pro Mod. The rest of us are simply time fillers, and cash cows.
Allen I respectfully disagree with this in a certain way. Ford spent a ton of money with John Force Racing and the Medlen Project.

When it came time to do their own motor the NHRA pretty much snubbed them.

That was the beginning of the end for Ford in Funny Car.

The NHRA don't want anything but spec cars and personalities they can promote for their "show".

My opinion of course.
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Re: NHRA new Pro Stock format....

Post by Walter R. Malik »

Ford manufactured virtual copies of the Chrysler Hemi Pro Stock head AND the DRCE Oldsmobile based head and yet very few racers went with them regardless.
It is all about how many and what the different racers will do to further develop the parts & equipment they are provided, where the majority of their other sponsor money comes from, where they decide to best spend that money and invest their own time.
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Re: NHRA new Pro Stock format....

Post by Zmechanic »

MichaelThompson wrote: Fri Mar 02, 2018 12:48 pm
Allen I respectfully disagree with this in a certain way. Ford spent a ton of money with John Force Racing and the Medlen Project.
That's true but I can't imagine it left people with a good impression when Larry Morgan went all in with Ford to spin up a prostock program and they bailed and he was left holding the bag.
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Re: NHRA new Pro Stock format....

Post by Kingbee »

NHRA No Hot Rods Allowed. Just another reason nostalgia racing has become so popular and the Mothership is even starting to EF that up by pushing Steve Gibbs out at the hot rod reunion at Bakersfield.

I understand that times change and I guess I don’t have an answer to save Pro Stock in the modern era but one thing hasn't changed. People want to have fun! And when you go to Bakersfield, the Meltdown drags or any other nostalgia race the stands are packed and the folks are having fun, young and old!

I read recently in Hemings Muscle Machines of a group of guys building,restoring and racing old pro stock cars, original or recreated and its not about records. They're having fun and people love it!

I bracket race because that's all that's available at my local track but if I get knocked out in eliminations I get right back into the test and tune lane and blast down the track with no worries of having to get on the brakes. Balls out! That, is FUN! That's what it's all about.
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