One of the big challenges facing racing organizations is how to convert grassroots racers in the local bracket ranks into full fields for their heads-up classes, but it’s no stretch at all to put the better part of $75,000 into your first year of heads-up racing. That’s a lot of discretionary income to pour into one hobby, for sure, and it’s hard to come up with a way to drop the cost below that and still win races.
Paul Huizenga: Bucks-Down Heads-Up – Is it even possible?
by
Paul Huizenga
on
September 7, 2010
Comments (1)
Our Shop Dawg talks about his relationship with parts stores and the people that work there. If you’ve ever gotten the “what year, make and model” routine, or the wrong part from a parts store, you’re going to sympathize with our head mechanic.
The U.S. Nationals, most commonly known as “The Big Go” or simply “Indy” is the most prestigious and illustrious drag race in the world. It’s the one everyone wants to win and the one everyone wants to witness at least once. But sadly, and much to the denial of many, the race just isn’t what it used to be.
Great moments at the dragstrip are being captured on video every day, and we’ve got ten of our favorites (plus a few bonus clips) for your viewing pleasure, so kiss the rest of your work day goodbye!
New Super Stock ‘68 HEMI Barracuda a Dream Come True For Lloyd Wofford
by
Andrew Wolf
on
August 24, 2010
Lloyd Wofford, who raced back in the 1960’s and 70’s in the heyday of Stock and Super stock racing, at one time campaigning a SS/BA ‘65 Plymouth built by the legendary Herb McCandless, recently returned to the sport he loved, and is on the verge of debuting his dream ride, a spectacular new SS/AH ‘68 Barracuda.
“Some segments of the market are in huge, just unbelievable trouble. I’ve been in business since the early 70’s, and this is my fifth recession. It’s probably going to be the worst one, and I think that if you’re under 30 and you’ve never lived in a down economy, or worked in one, you need to understand that it will get better. Some parts will come back, and some won’t. That’s just the way it is.” – Chris Alston, Sr.
It’s good to be Rick Riccardi. When he’s not up to his ears in high performance parts earning his keep as Manager of the Motorsports Division at Downs Ford in Toms River, NJ – a career any Ford buff would be jealous of – he’s having the time of his life rowing the gears on his high-winding Hot Street 1981 Capri.
NMRA Real Street standout Bruce Hemminger walks us through his weekend at the recent NMRA/NMCA All Star Nationals at zMAX Dragway in Concord, NC as he chases a season championship in the category.
Like many car fanatics, Marc Shankweiler got hooked on drag racing from early on, although his parents didn’t quite like it. His first car was a ’66 Nova that he had in high school. It was a garage project with a 327 – enough to put a smile on any kids face.
There’s no easier way to get out of the stands and onto the track than drag racing. Nobody’s born knowing how to drag race though, and everybody was a newbie once. Going to the track for the first time can be intimidating – nobody wants to look like they don’t know what they’re doing.
The NHRA’s newest racing venture, NHRA Unleashed, has been a hot topic amongst the organizations’ critics since the announcement of the series’ inception early this year, and with its inaugural event in Atlanta in the books, public opinion doesn’t appear to have changed.
COMP Cams, one of the leading camshaft manufacturers in the automotive aftermarket, recently took us for a tour of their production facility. There, we were given an in-depth look at every step of the process that goes into the finished product that resides in your high performance engine.
Very few of us still own the car we went to high school in and more often than not it was some beater we have fond memories of and are glad to be rid of when it’s all over. For Jon Bitler it’s a different story entirely, as his high school car was his dream car, a 1969 Nova.
The 2009 PRI show is well over with and people are already getting ready for this year’s trade show, but we have one more thing from the show we want to let out before it is too late. We had model Katie Brown outside of the powerTV booth and when she wasn’t too busy we asked her a few questions.
Picking the right Carburetor size for your car & engine combination is paramount in being successful – whether you’re a professional racer or just want the right carburetor for you’re Saturday night special. There are 3 main parameters that correctly determine your baseline selection. John Dickey of AED Carburetors shares with us some of his secrets.
Ron Pellegrini, a young firebrand from Illinois, wanted to make a name for himself in the drag racing world. But to do so often requires a factory-backed sponsorship, as building a drag car can get very expensive very quickly. Enter the Super Mustang. Ron went all out, even founding a fiberglass company called Fiberglass LTD., and its first task was building a fiberglass shell for a 1965 Mustang. So, how does a rare, historical car like this end up rotting away in a Florida junkyard?
Before you start thinking that I’m going to sneak a shop safety spill on you, let me assure you that’s not the case. This month’s article deals with how much skin we’ve left in engine bays and how much blood has been spilled on the garage floor. This is a universal fact in doing maintenance: THERE WILL BE BLOOD.
The ADRL’s wildly popular Extreme 10.5 category is suffering from the same parity issue that made Pro Modified a tumultuous arena for years, raising questions of whether any semblance of a level playing field can be achieved and what the future holds for the class.
Nitrous oxide can be a lot like playing with fire (okay, actually it’s a lot like playing with fire). To showcase that point, we present five spectacular nitrous explosions and subsequent fires for your viewing pleasure. Get your marshmallows!
Few companies know oiling systems as well as Moroso. Founded in 1968 by a successful drag racer by the name of Dick Moroso, the company started as many do, by accident. Noticing Dick’s dominance on the track, other racers came to Dick wanting to buy his custom built parts.
