Bill D

It seems that some people on this board are irked and baffled by both modifications and drag racing.

I just returned from the NOPI import drags down in Houston, and I have been rally racing since I was 19...of course I'm not really all THAT much older today. I enjoy every form of racing and every aspect of vehicle dynamics. Next year I will be doing a little bit of both drag racing and rally racing.

The focus of drag racing is not the skill of the driver, it is the ability of the machine. Many drivers can achieve the same time from the same car, but it does take a lot of experience to achieve the best times and reaction times consistently. At the race this weekend a front wheel drive Honda Civic with the full unibody and stock transmission ran a 9.98@145. I couldn't tell you what the driver's name was, but as an enthusiast I don't understand how anyone can not appreciate the significance of that simple number. That particular car puts over 500 hp to the wheels from a 1.8 Liter Engine. Drag racing is about numbers. I get excited about drag racing, and I get excited reading the spec sheets of new cars. When money and personalites are thrown in we also get drama added to such a pure mechanical pursuit.

The other benifit of drag racing...it is damn cheap to get into....and it's simplicity is also a benifit.

Rally Racing is on a different level. It is much more exciting, but it is also a lot more expensive, and I don't think that it is ultimately any more fulfilling. The trophies and payouts are much smaller. Rally racing is much more of an egotistical pursuit than drag racing. There is a good reason that there are less than 400 licensed rally drivers in the U.S. and easily more than a million drag racers.

S4 nut

I think his name is Stephen Pappadakis?

mpm

It's like saying, "I just got this duel suspension mountain bike, and I can't wait to see what it'll do on the street".

Plus, from what I gather there are some of us here, that grew up in the 60's and 70's, and dragging was owned by 2 door Detroit muscle. It just feels out of place, to be taking this sports sedan and seeing how fast it'll do in the 1/4. Same with a Honda etc. Seems like a big left coast thing, and I guess it's better then just hanging out...and I like that it sounds well organized.

We just "cruised", and did a lot of "things" that I'm glad to have survived. Back then, street racing was done where ever we knew cops weren't - that probably hasn't changed much. In lead sleds with major hp and torque, that handled like bricks (all they did was go fast in a straight line) with drum brakes...no seat belts (let alone 5 point harnesses)...no helmets...and no brains...Hey, we were young and invincable too!

I guess it comes down to purpose. I bought this car as my primary driver. I have no interest in beating it...same goes with rallying. I'll leave the full machinery testing at Skip Barber, and I now prefer to find out the best way through a corner, without scrubbing too much speed in the process. Someday, I'll race, but it will be with a car set up exclusively for the track, and the difference is in the corners 8^J

My $0.02 on the issue which I guess belongs Off-Topic

Mike Zamarocy

YIKES! Would you drag race a Ferrari??? That is like going to a dive bar and drinking a bottle of $1000 champagne. A euro car is for twisting roads, not a straight line.

As for the comments about the old Detroit iron, . . . there used to be a guy who AutoX'ed with us back in Chicago with an old OLDS 442 with the W98 setup. And he went a welded TWO swaybars together in the front, and did all sorts of other crazy stuff to it. And you know what? He could drive that car thru a pylon gate some of us with Spitfires had trouble going thru! I think his name was Tom Boyer. And Rick Ruth was National Champ for a few years in a 70 BOSS 302. And Claire Ball had a old Vette that had so much HP, that his sidepipes once blew they pylons on both sides of the car over at the same time when he floored it. Can't remember if we counted that against him or not, but man was that CRAZY!

Mike Zamarocy

Remember, drag racing only lasts a few seconds. But Rally or Road Racing lasts quite awhile. I'd rather have as much seat time as possible

Also, in Europe and South America, who are considered the heroes? Emmerson Fittapaldi, for example, was proclaimed exempt from all taxes in Brazil cause of his F1 exploits. And what do you think Ireland feels about Irvine, or Germany of Schumachter, or the respective countries of the many past & present F1, Rally, and GT racers? Not to mention the F1 Motorcycle racers. It seems that only here in the USA that drag racing and nascar are tops (at the moment).

But hey, I might try it for the hell of it anyway - but at a SANCTIONED event only.

But PLEASE, don't take this the wrong way. Motorsports is motorsports - and I'll take it any way I can, even nascrap, oops, I meant NASCAR

M

I drag-raced in Houston once (Houston Raceway Park in Baytown actually). I have an M3, but everybody else had NOS (Camaros, Mustangs, trucks). Everyone had at least 13-sec 1/4miles except for me (in the 14's). You mentioned rally-racing. if you have time, could you give me details on rally-racing? I've tried autox (sorta like it) and driving school at the TX World Speedway (love it). I'd like to check out rally-racing.
-tom
the-ngoc.d.nguyen@uth.tmc.edu

Daphne

Rally racing is an egotistical pursuit? I don't know about that, Bill. Perhaps so with regards to the write a check to Lance Smith or John Buffum crowd, but the majority of rally racers really are pretty selfless and do it for fun.

mpm

I'm with you...seat time rules! 8^J

mpm

them. They can be like buck boards. Ferarri's like smooth, flat, and long roads to wind out on. So I'm told by a owner who knows 8^)