NHRA, no more alanabi racing

[sammyg2]

Shocking news from the world of drag racing, The shiek from Quatar has pulled out his sponsorship completely without any warning, leaving his racing teams in the lurch including the 2013 top fuel champion Shawn Langdon.

Evidently the drastic drop in crude oil prices put too much of a dent in the country's coffers so the shiek could not play ddrag race anymore.

Last year quaker state and ford pulled out,
Lucas (snake) oil is the only big sponsor holding the NHRA together.
If they pulled out the sport would just about die.

[Rot 911]

Drag racing was a sport of the 50's, 60's, 70's, and to a small extent the 80's. Interests have moved on. Sad, but that's just the way it is. Drag racing has become prohibitively expensive without sponsors. Sponsor's advertise to increase customer base. Obviously that is not happening in drag racing.

[asphaltgambler]

SammyG2, inside scoop (back then) was when 'rumors' of a rich shiek who had developed a sudden interest in drag racing, specifically NHRA most guys attitudes were very racist........................................unti l he showed up with the kind of bottomless wallet that, until then, no one had witnessed before. He wanted to play in all the pro categories and win. Money really was no object. Suddenly a lot of the haters came running to him with a different attitude. Funny how money changes peoples views!!

[Jeff Higgins]

Oh, they just need to make Top Fuel more relevent (like they did with F1), and I'm sure the fans, sponsors, and manufacturers will come flocking back. Just like F1...

[sammyg2]

There is another rumor I heard but I can't completely substantiate it yet:

The pro classes are gonna get shook up especially pro stock.
it will basically fade away and be replaced with a new version of factory stock.

With the new camaros, the challengers, all the versions of the moostang, it makes sense to bring back a class of factory hot-rods and all the factories are willing to play, selling stripped down non-street legal versions of their cars with a limited amount of tweeking allowed.

They sell $100k versions of their cars.
The cost of racing goes waaay down, so more people get into it.
Brand loyalty is reinforced so track wins translate to sales. Just like the olden days.
That happens in 2016.

Then in 2018 or so, they come out with a hotter, wilder version of the same cars but with bigger back tires, spoilers and wings, and supercharged or turbocharged engines.
The new funny cars.

But they are still built off the factory cars.


It will get to the point where they will be lucky to have 8 top fuel dragsters show up and they will be paid to show up, like the old grudge matches and the jet dragsters and wheel-standers.

[strupgolf]

Boy that IS big news. They were a big force in all NHRA and will be missed. Money does drive this series, like all others, and just look at John Force, who also lost a big time player.

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

There is another rumor I heard but I can't completely substantiate it yet:

The pro classes are gonna get shook up especially pro stock.
it will basically fade away and be replaced with a new version of factory stock.

With the new camaros, the challengers, all the versions of the moostang, it makes sense to bring back a class of factory hot-rods and all the factories are willing to play, selling stripped down non-street legal versions of their cars with a limited amount of tweeking allowed.

They sell $100k versions of their cars.
The cost of racing goes waaay down, so more people get into it.
Brand loyalty is reinforced so track wins translate to sales. Just like the olden days.
That happens in 2016.

Then in 2018 or so, they come out with a hotter, wilder version of the same cars but with bigger back tires, spoilers and wings, and supercharged or turbocharged engines.
The new funny cars.

But they are still built off the factory cars.


It will get to the point where they will be lucky to have 8 top fuel dragsters show up and they will be paid to show up, like the old grudge matches and the jet dragsters and wheel-standers.

If the current Top Fuel and Funny Car classes go away, or get significantly watered down, drag racing as a spectator sport is over. Just like when the hydros dropped the Rolls Royce Merlin and Griffen, and the Allison turbos. All us Seattleites quit watching when they quite making noise.

[Flieger]

I think a big problem is that they don't translate well to TV. I have only been to 2 drag racing events but the thing that really interested me was the top fuel cars from the shear violence of the things. Still the short, straight format isn't my cup of tea but they are spectacular. Once was enough for me, though (boss took the engineers both times so it was free for me). The formaldehyde fumes don't taste very good and it tends to linger.

I think they need to have the top fuel cars still there. The factory cars would at least be better than the stupid bracket racing (launch hard, idle down the track, then nail the gas again) but they wouldn't be the spectacle that is the top fuel cars.

[Flieger]

I did get an Al Anabi clutch at Pomona this past year. That was a pretty cool souvenier. Boy was it hot!

[Jeff Higgins]

Yeah, the index classes all just plain suck. If anything has been killing drag "racing", it's the non-racing so painfully apparent in those classes. Even the most casual of fans, the guys choosing between drag racing and, say, baseball can see that for what it is and are very quickly bored with it. Even more so than if they had gone to a ballgame.

[strupgolf]

Drag racing without the big boys is like F1 without the screaming engins.

[intakexhaust]

Lets hope it all doesn't go up in smoke. Who isn't spoiled after at Top Fuel show?!

[Rikao4]

Originally Posted by Flieger

I think a big problem is that they don't translate well to TV. I have only been to 2 drag racing events but the thing that really interested me was the top fuel cars from the shear violence of the things. Still the short, straight format isn't my cup of tea but they are spectacular. Once was enough for me, though (boss took the engineers both times so it was free for me). The formaldehyde fumes don't taste very good and it tends to linger.
.

this,
those here who've gone understand...
it may not be your cup of fuel..
but standing at the line during a Top fuel launch..
is incredible..

Rika

[KNS]

Incredible - yes it is. I was fortunate enough to be guest to the Al Anabi pit a year or two ago, it was a company related thing that I just stepped into that day. The money involved with that team was staggering. The Top Fuel cars at the start line will cause your fillings to drop out of your teeth.

[LakeCleElum]

Shiek from Quatar - Same story for Unlimited Hydroplanes:

Unlimited Hydros float thanks to Middle East sheik - Print View - MyNorthwest.com

[J P Stein]

When the thunder boats started to whislte I lost interest.

[Rusty Heap]

Everything these days has "A sponsor"


The privateer is the wee little guy now.



top fuel - Lucas Oil and GTX John Force, couple of big tooth sexy ladies daughters help his cause.

Hydros. Berny Little and Budweiser dominated "unlimited hydro's" with 4-5 spare engines in the trailer(s). Trivia. Miss Pay-n-Pak had the first turbine. Allison V12's were the thunderboats. All open cockpit.

Now today, how much does the smart phone steering wheel pod of a F1 cost, carbon fiber is the norm. To sponsor a car, whether nascar, top fuel, off road monster energy drink, airplane pylon racing Redbull..............you need some serious bucks.

Even GraveDigger Monster Trucks. Think about the disposable drive hard go-wad-it-up-tonight parts money and T-shirt sales to keep the operation running.

[Mark Henry]

Originally Posted by Rusty Heap

Everything these days has "A sponsor"


The privateer is the wee little guy now.



top fuel - Lucas Oil and GTX John Force, couple of big tooth sexy ladies daughters help his cause.

Hydros. Berny Little and Budweiser dominated "unlimited hydro's" with 4-5 spare engines in the trailer(s). Trivia. Miss Pay-n-Pak had the first turbine. Allison V12's were the thunderboats. All open cockpit.

Now today, how much does the smart phone steering wheel pod of a F1 cost, carbon fiber is the norm. To sponsor a car, whether nascar, top fuel, off road monster energy drink, airplane pylon racing Redbull..............you need some serious bucks.

Even GraveDigger Monster Trucks. Think about the disposable drive hard go-wad-it-up-tonight parts money and T-shirt sales to keep the operation running.

This^

When I was a wee lad many classes were within reach of the privateer, even INDY still had some private cars entered. Many famous drivers cut their teeth on these types of entries.
To me the cost has killed the sport.

[sammyg2]

Cost is the problem, but no one likes the solutions.

Index drag cars, the ones that have throttle timers and go half way down the track before gassing it, suck as far as spectators go. but those are the most popular classes for drivers because the cost is still reasonable. They can have 50 or 60 cars enter each class on a good weekend.

The only other way to keep costs down is to do spec car where everyone runs the same watered down version.
We all know that sux in indy, but would it work in drag racing?

Imagine if everyone ran the same spec funny car.
They're basically spec cars now but with little control.
If they came out with a spec car that was de-tuned to the point where they could make two passes on an engine, or go an entire weekend without destroying a block, it would go a long way to reducing the cost.

But would we watch top fuel funny cars that only ran 275 mph at 4.5 seconds?
I say yes, if it was competitive.

That would be better than watching the sport die.

BTW a guy I work with has a few wallys and a championship, and so does his son.
It's cool talking about this stuff with an insider.

[GH85Carrera]

A top fuelie is a sight to see. I saw it, but I did not get hooked. Once was enough for me. It is beyond a simple explanation in power and noise. Just awesome.

They long ago reached the point the they were so fast in the 1/4 mile they had to shorten the track to keep the speeds just somewhat sane.

When it get to the level that a single run can cost 30 grand they have passed the point of logical.

I guess my love of sports cars and making a turn and using brakes makes me less interested in drag racing. I have never owned a big HP stoplight racer and I never lusted after one.

Paul Newman was quoted saying something like "Taking a 40 MPH corner at 39.95 MPH is more satisfying than going 200 MPH down a highway"