I don't get the NHRA

[jaybird2001wi]

Ever since "Driving Force" came out on A&E, I have been intrigued by the NHRA. But I just don't get it. What is so exciting about a 3-second race? Sponsors pour money into allowing their logos on these Hot Rods that will only be seen for a mere 3-seconds?

Plus, as a couple of you know I am intrigued by the younger Force which one of you thought was a "space cadet" but is Courtney Force in the so-called "minor leagues" of NHRA? I am still trying to figure out the classes of this racing circuit.

And is John Force supposed to be the "biggest legend" in this racing juncture? Is he like the "Hank Aaron" of the NHRA? I don't get it.

With some people viewing NASCAR fans as "hicks," does it make NHRA fans look stereotypically worse? What are your opinions on this league?

[trwi7]

I'd much rather watch a three second race than a three hour race. I could leave 2 hours, 59 minutes and 57 seconds quicker.

[jwill535]

I could be off a bit here, but sponsorships on the car arent nearly as important as it is on the clothing etc. Take Matt Kenseth for example, every piece of clothing and memorabilia of him that is sold has Dewalt plastered all over it which is free advertising for them.

[JJHardy7]

I could be off a bit here, but sponsorships on the car arent nearly as important as it is on the clothing etc. Take Matt Kenseth for example, every piece of clothing and memorabilia of him that is sold has Dewalt plastered all over it which is free advertising for them.

 

I don't know if I'd call it 'free'. I really don't have a lot of knowledge of the NHRA, but for sponsors my guess is that it's much cheaper than NASCAR.

[brucrustu]

I believe that a large number of nhra fans are drag racers themselves. There are so many local drag strips and god forbid street racers.

To them that is the pinnacle of their chosen sport. Cool thing about drag racing is you can compete with almost nothing. Bracket racing handicaps the starts, so a street car can beat a faster race-only car. It gives the underdog hope. These guys then build a better car and a better car....

May-be it's too obvious but Pinks, All Out gives a inside look at these local weekend warriors. It's easy to see how they get hooked. I myself grew up at and later raced at Hales Corners Speedway, and I am still a big circle track fan.

 

Besides the grass roots appeal, there is the raw awesome power. Going from 0 to over 300 mph in a quarter mile is really wild.

[UndraftedFA]

Yeah, I think it is something you really have to appreciated the power to enjoy. Circle track racing takes a good car, but is heavily relying on a good driver and other guys not being idiots. I used to be on a pit crew for a guy that ran late models. He was darn good, but the frustrating thing was you could spend hours each week getting a car ready and another driver still can wipe you out by the first turn.

 

Drag racing is primarily about setting up the car. It is something you enjoy if building engines is your thing. It is a lot easier to see your work without having to worry about other guys wrecking you.

 

I enjoy watching both on occasion yet. I used to work with a guy that worked for John Force and some other top guys in the NHRA. I forgot the amount he said it cost for to run a championship worthy car, but it was minute compared to NASCAR.

 

I think it takes a good deal of brains to be successful at any level of racing. You can't just read the Internet for a day and know how to set up a car or engine. It takes a lot of reading and picking other people's brains to get good.

 

I am glad I got the hick background, because I use it for my job; developing Fuel Injection systems for military hovercrafts. I am also grateful for the hicks that work on my car when I don't have the time or tools. Having a hands on background sure helps towards an engineering degree. There are enough coworkers that I don't think can even change their oil despite their degree. It takes all kinds to make the world go round.

[brucrustu]

As undrafted and my Dad says:

 

"If it was easy everybody would be doing it"

 

It takes an incredible amount of work to make anything go that fast in that short of a distance.

[Nottso]

I'm a fan of all motorsports, and have done my share of drag racing and almost all kinds of motorcycle racing. To the guys that think there's not as much skill involved in drag racing as there is in circle track racing, I submit the following: If John Force got into a Sprint Cup car, I bet he could turn a respectable lap. Maybe not a great lap, but respectable. Conversely, if you were to strap any of the Cup guys into Force's Funny Car, odds are they'd end up dead before completing the quarter mile.