The Standoff At The Starting Line
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 31 ก.ค. 2022
- In the NHRA, there are many classes that make up a given national event weekend. From pro mod and super street to comp and top alcohol, there is plenty to see on any given weekend. But at the end of the day, the main show consists of what is known as the pro category, consisting of Pro Stock Motorcycle, Pro Stock, Funny Car, and Top Fuel. Of those four, only two truly reign king over the land: Funny car and Top Fuel. Look anywhere, and you can see it clear as day, from posters, to billboards, to even the merchandise sold at the track. Funny Car and Top Fuel are the face of the series. Because of that, it has left the other two categories feeling left in the shadows, despite being the top class that most closely resembles the cars or bikes you could see on the road, and after the safety controversy the nitro category caused in the 2000s. It brought a headache to the rest of the field that was seen most visibly in the Pro Stock class.
And in the span of 5 months in 2010, it would culminate in a spectacle between the teams and the sanctioning body.
Articles Used:
2010 NHRA Northwest Nationals Event Notebook: www.competitionplus.com/drag-r...
2010 NHRA Arizona Nationals Event Notebook: www.competitionplus.com/drag-r...
NHRA’s Latest Pro Stock Problem: www.racingjunk.com/news/nhras...
NHRA Mum on Demand for Complete Do-Over of St. Louis Pro Stock Eliminations: www.autoweek.com/racing/nhra/...
2009 NHRA Toyo Tires Nationals Event Notebook: www.competitionplus.com/drag-r...
Firebird International Raceway Begins $200,000-plus Track Repair and Improvement Project: www.dragracecentral.com/DRCSt...
Pro Stock Teams Adjust To New Rules Before Gators: competitionplus.com/drag-racin...
2010 NHRA Fram Nationals Event Notebook: www.competitionplus.com/drag-r...
Angry Pro Stock Drivers React To Seattle Incident: www.competitionplus.com/drag-r...
Updated: Pro Stock Drivers and NHRA stage "Mexican Standoff": competitionplus.com/drag-racin...
Seattle PS Questions May Never Be Answered: competitionplus.com/drag-racin...
Pro Stock Racers Had Plannes To Withdraw Before Event Was Suspended: www.competitionplus.com/drag-r...
Videos:
NHRA, World Wide Technology Raceway,
Jared Gant, LitbyNoonProductions,
Dave W, Nhrafanomina28,
& Buggy1Boy
Images:
CompetitionPlus, Drag Illustrated,
Dodge Garage, Drag Racing Action Online,
NHRA, Cycle News,
Motorsport, K&N Filters,
DragZine, Racing Junk,
DragStory, & Performance Racing Industry,
Music:
(Licenses through Epidemic Sound)
Night Shuffle - Max Anson
Down to Seconds - Trevor Kowalski
Mars Adventure - Brendon Moeller - กีฬา
Warren Johnson I really miss this guy. Always said what was on his mind.
He was called the "Professor " for a reason
Liked him alot too. Got him autograph an AC Delco hat at maple grove, and a pic with him.
Warren and Bob Glidden were two of the very best racers ever,and so was Don the Snake.Too bad there aren't guys like that in the sport anymore.I quit going to events in the late '90's and quit watching on TV after the fuel cars stopped racing the 1/4 mile.Racing in the US isn't what it used to be,but still like F1.
He would be FOR SURE is who I would be listening to if I were NHRA ... ( Remember when he was talking about the use of nitrous in Pro stock,and then it FINALLY got exposed??? ;) )
@@boruff68 I don't remember when nitrous got exposed,but I do remember a couple of teams all of a sudden running very well.Was Wayne County Speed Shop one of the teams using it?I remember after running so well one year,their shop was broken into and the engine blocks getting ruined and them never returning to their winning ways.Also Line and Anderson were running better than I think they should have for quite some time.Can you shed more light on who maybe was using it? Thanks!
@@jettechdonatkins Yes, But it would take a few hours of typing to get through all the details . It was eventually caught,but not talked about as NHRA was not finding it at the tech of the cars.Point is that Warren was pointing it out and the Glidden family helped as well to expose it. After that,all went through the tear down barn and it was over with at the end. (I got a first hand story about how it was done from a previous Glidden crew member. It was a REAL thing for a bit :( ) Warren was interviewed during these in more drtailed inspections... it was a real "black eye" for the NHRA in my book... I couild message you.
I used to love attending NHRA national events.and love all of the classes.I quit going to watch years ago when the NHRA quit caring about the fans.What they need to remember is without fans there will be no more NHRA! Thanks for this video!
good concept but dead wrong. Its advertising and television that pays the bills not fan attendance. Look at NASCAR. Still going strong even after shutting down the stands in 70 percent of the tracks and running off the hardcore fans. They don't need fans in the stands people will still watch the the tv, the tube, stream or whatever.
Try racing in the sportsman classes. We have been getting screwed long before the fans were.
@@cerealkillerjigs Drag racing started on the streets and it has now headed back to the streets!!!
@@bradleycrenshaw6778 TRUTH!! 💪
I'm with you 100%! I quit going to event's, event's like The Winter nationals, World Finals at Pomona that I had been attending since age 4 in 1965 ( all hail the birth of a SuperStar, Don "The Snake" Prudhomme! ) but, when the NHRA announced Fuel car's would only run 1000ft 🤮 that was all for this ol' boy 🤷🏻♂️ The NHRA was absolutely booming throughout the 80's-90's & they should have been addressing the looming safety issue's they either already had, or should have EASILY SEEN looming on the horizon, but they stuck their cowardly head's in the sand!
Hell, BIG was telling anyone who would listen, way back in the 80's, that the fuel car's were going too fast for many of the existing Strip's raced upon, but alas, they simply ignored the greatest drag racer of them all, real intelligent dumbasses! 👎😡
Warren Johnson always spoke what he had on his mind, and for that, I will forever respect him both as a person and a wheelman.
What a bad ass.
The history of drag racing is a very interesting topic to explore. You've done a great job presenting the story and the facts and you didn't waste our time with useless crap. Thanks!
"Johnson was already yelling at the officials over the track conditions".
Sorry, but Warren Johnson doesn't yell!!! I've never heard that man yell in the 35+ years I've been watching him race!! He is one of the most calm, cool, and collected racers I have ever seen!!
Bull F-ing Shit!!! I took my daughter to a race at Rockingham back in the 90's...'The Rock'......it was a no points race deal Winston came up with...they called it the Winston Invitational
My daughter and I were walking through the pits (she was 13 at the time...) and I said hey, that's Warren Johnson's trailer. A few people had gathered there, so we stood to see if we could catch a glimpse....
A couple of minutes passed, and he came out to the door of the hauler and glared at us, ranting and raving about I guess him not being happy about having to be there?
He's a freaking lunatic!!!!
I meet WJ in the late 70’s he was and always will be known as yelling mean focused man.
I have much respect for him as I was jacking around on my mini-bike over by his trailer.
He came rushing out screaming at me. He recognized me and then firmly explained to me “mark your dad has a successful business and if he doesn’t qualify you guys will still eat next week if we don’t qualify we don’t eat. Plus no one can see you and you could hurt one of my kids” I begged him to not tell my dad.
When I was a young kid, I lived about 1/3rd of a mile away from Pacific Raceways (less than a 1/2 mile total to the drag strip), known as Seattle International Raceway or SIR at the time. On weekends, when going to sleep, I would hear the track announcer in bed. It seemed normal to me. Because of all the trees, I never saw the track and didn't realize how close it was.
I’m guessing that the announcer you heard was Steve (Stevie) Wong.
Basically at Firebird, they knew that there was a problem with the track during pro stock and ignored it until something happened with the nitro cars
Seriously, keep up the good work. This is really great content and from watching your other videos you're improving. This is a great video! Thanks for giving us a new channel to indulge on this content.
The spectacle of nitro brought me to this sport and the NHRA and subsequently this channel. This channel has really helped me catch up on the entirety of the sport (all classes) and various issues throughout the years. Thank you.
Good video, even thought it is old cars. At the end he recommends going to a national meet, DON'T. Go to a weekend when the local racers are competing. Those people aren't paid big money to put on a show. They work for a living and race as a passion. You will appreciate drag racing more when you know local people that you see all the time out there. Then when you see the big show you understand why it takes unlimited funds can do. Plus on a regular weekend is way cheaper than the nationals.
I've been an NHRA fan for years! These videos you've been making are fantastic! Keep up the good work!
Very interesting stuff. I had no idea any of this was going on within the NHRA. Certainly casts the Pro Stock division in a new light. Your narration has also improved, too.
I greatly appreciate it, thank you.
WARREN JOHNSON IS JUST HATING ON THE FUEL CARS LOL WHY BECAUSE THEY WOULD DOMINATE A PRO STOCK PERIOD 😅
@@anthonylaudano9435 Or the fact that race cars in general are fucking sketchy, especially at speeds higher than 200mph. Warren Johnson would probably be a Top Fuel champion if he ever decided he wanted to run Top Fuel.
Pro stock is the most competitive racing period. I remember at one event, all the cars qualified in the event, when they stacked the photo ending frames by times, the field were within 16 inches from 1st to last qualifier. Was like hundreds of a second.
My friends and I used to attend Friday qualifying at HPT (Topeka) every year, until they tripled their admission price. It was the best bang for the buck, as we got to see every car run for time.
Great video, thank you!
Thank you for helping me learn more about this hard to research Motorsport. You are doing gods work son
I enjoy your format please continue to create content
This is great stuff !!
I love these videos I just found them and although my dad and I have been racing for years and years and I already know about most of this stuff your videos are very interesting and entertaining.
Solid work on the video. Can’t wait to see what other NHRA topics you cover
Its sad to see the drivers not being taken seriously on safety issues. Literally last week I was at an event where we lost a great bloke and doorslammer racer in aus. These crashes are eerily similar to what occurred and can't help but wonder, since it was a nitro event too.
Good job bud! A really thought provoking and informative video.
Nice job young man!!!!!!! Big improvements!!!!!!! Looking forward to viewing more of your content!!!!!!!
Great job we need more people like you telling the story of the drag racing history
Hey man great video. Love that you slowed down and audio was a lot better
Just found your channel! VERY good!!
Hi mighty mack I love your videos
keep up the good work God Bless
Bad thing was if a driver complained about track conditions nhra officials got mad at the drivers for telling the truth about how bad the track was at that time
Great work again, this video proved one very important point....Warren Johnson is bad ass and the sport isnt the same without him and KJ
Great Video... Thanks
This is a great video and great editing excellent job! Very informative I love it and I would love to see more on this because I am very interested in this. Not only is this a safety issue but this is a event issue as in the track has to be safe to bring a good show to the people if the truck isn’t safe and people are crashing and dying people are gonna have a good time because yeah that’s cool to see but you don’t want anybody hurt and eventually somebody’s going to die. Please continue the story if there’s more information I would love to hear more about this
I LIKE WARREN JOHNSON, he wasn't whining & crying about loosing. HE CARED ABOUT SAFETY ONLY, and said what he meant. 2 different caliber of cars and only catered to one on those tracks. IT WAS AND IS ABOUT SAFETY.
This video is awsome man
Great job 👍
You should definitely do a video on comp, one of the coolest classes in the sportsman series
The coolest then TAD in the 90s
Warren Johnson was always a hot head ! Never cared for him or his team. If he didn’t have his way …. He complained! He always thought he could stage last against his opponents and when his competitors made him stage first he got pissed 😡
Nice work man.
Great Show.
This was awesome
I want 1/4 mile racing again! That is the problem. 1000ft is bullcrap when everyone else runs the 1/4! Scott would have never wanted the sport changed because of him. He knew the risk... they all know the risk. They made changes to the cars. Let's run the 1/4 mile in ALL CLASSES!
100% agree. If they want to slow the cars down, get rid of all of this computerized bullshit and go back to the basics. Carburetors and manual fuel injection. Drive with mechanical parts and not computers. Driver skills by the seat of your pants.
Ok, go ahead and try to convince the drivers, because NHRA isn’t going to change the rule if the drivers aren’t willing to go back.
I definitely think that, with the new team owners, with the popularity of other sanctioning bodies bringing people into the sport and I know it's cliche but having Tony Stewart come on board, not get into a car but get a team together, is definitely going to be someone that the NHRA listens to because I was in the camp for a while but NHRA was not going to change and it seems like when camping world came on board and then with all the announcements with the new teams, the last times and speeds being what they are, which I really hope they don't screw with the rev limiters.. but with Tony Stewart on board the answer he definitely has some open ears now and yeah it's incredible how much it's changed this year! I keep hoping it gets better!
Man, these controversial NHRA stories are so interesting!
I saw a pro mod in 2009 when warren johnson was running Las Vages
Those Pro-Stock cars are light. As soon as you feel the car drifting on the big end.... dump the chutes. Quick.
I remember watching that day when WJ was so pissed! When the sanctioning body doesn’t listen to its participants there is going to be issues!
What really sucks about Seattle is that it's an amazing track when regular Bracket Racing is going on. When me and my brother went to Seattle back in July, it was probably the stickiest track we have ever been on. I don't have a car built yet, so I've been driving street vehicles. This particular weekend, I was driving my mom's 2005 Durango. No joke, when I barely moved to pull up to the line, the track felt like it was pulling the tires off the car. And with my brother, who drives my Dad's 69 Camaro, it did wheelies higher than the wall. That car never does wheelies. Mix that with the great air in the area, and you have one of the best tracks to bracket race at. NHRA, let the Pacific Raceways crew prep the track at the national events.
I was at the 2020 Midwest nationals and I think it needs to be started how cold it was and that nhra made the right decision even if they had to and ther was a strong headwind that was also working against them I just can't even imagine what would have happened had they sent pro mods on the track
Gotta love this sport!
Never stop doing these historical controversy videos!
Pro Stock has always been my favorite class because it closed competition and how the cars look like something we can build at home but as of lately has been a Chevy heavy class NHRA really needs to do something about bringing more diversity to the class because really still fun to watch but not the same you don't have the manufacturer rivalry and even the team rivalries is starting to die off
Fuuck the forced diversity. Anyone is ok to choose what they can run with. I dont like all one brand but maybe other brands should try harder
Pretty much every one of them is a Chevy now, It all started when they switched to Mandatory Fuel Injection and Mopar never really got a handle on it and eventually dropped sponsorship, IMO. Bring back the Glory Days of Mopar vs Ford vs Chevy. And Big Carburetors too!
The sweet sound of a 500 cudic inch pro stock engine blasting down the racetrack .
Fascinating
You should make a video about the whole dim light saga
@@SeattleMartin Graham Light being a dipshit during his time in control.
I believe NHRA has ruin the sport all together not just one class. It's sad when they don't listen to the racers, the guys actually going down the track.
"Hell, Ray Charles could drive one of them damn things in his current state."
If that didn't resonate with officials, I don't know what will.
Well, if this still persists, the racers can just make a gentleman's agreement with each other behind NHRA's back and run the cars very slowly.
Sad to say wrecks in car racing is like fights in hockey and promoters love them.
I heard the crash happen at Phoenix and I saw Antron brown crash at Phoenix that same weekend. It was heated in Phoenix
NHRA created a made for TV show which ended most all other classes
Go to a nostalgia event instead of the big show a heck of a lot better
Pro Stock is the only class I pay attention to. They've never gotten the respect they've deserved.
detail each class. Maybe stand alone vids for each. Vehicles, drivers.and so on.
Charlotte got repaved after that debacle in 2014. Chucks of the concrete were coming off the surface if I remember correctly.
I don't think V Gaines ever raced anymore after he crashed in Charlotte.He was one of my favorites
I love when a person speaks his mind.....especialy.....when he can back it up...!...if pro stock drivers say its slick past 1000 ft...just spray from a 1000 ft.to the real finish...whats the big deal...is the glue "THAT" expensive...?...realy...!..I love the nhra & drag raceing in general...I dont see why they just dont "try" what the drivers are asking...if it dont work....THAN the officals can say I told u so....but no one will no if they dont just try...!
Sports stadiums have high-dollar consultants who design their fields, not just in terms of surface quality but also drainage and other factors. That's the case even for better college stadiums, let alone the pros. Are there not similar people for drag strips? If there are, maybe they need some training. If there aren't, considering the money that the NHRA pulls in, maybe they ought to consider hiring them.
It’s a shame. I love Pro Stock. Only class that’s all motor. I wish they’d let the Dodges and Fords be competitive again.
yeah used to always want to go to one that and nascar but just got out of control so don't care about seeing one or the other shame miss the old days of racing
👍👍👍
Great job somebody's got a stick up for pro stock and it's already doesn't care I'm a stock eliminator Racer they hate us too say we take too long to run our race
I miss IHRA mountain motor pro mod
Great job bud! Maybe just slow your cadence a tad, your narration is just a little too fast & sometimes it make's it hard to understand what you are saying 🤔....or, maybe I'm just getting old 😂 With that said, really enjoyed your video, keep it up!
💪🤠
#Itis1320!!!
Without the nitro classes NHRA would be history. You can find great door slammer action at just about any local track for pennies of what tickets to an NHRA cost. The nitro cars are the show. Warren has always been a crybaby , can't stand the guy.
He's is a baby and always bitter and talking BS about things about fuel cars He's never sir in one he doesn't even know its just his passed off opinion which he's known nothing about w a ŕ
gas is for your tow vehicle, alcohol is for drinking ,nitro is for real race cars ! top fuel and funny cars are the main show
It always makes wonder why a sanctioning body always chooses to have a battle of wills with the people that basically butter their bread? Instead of just placating the Pro Stock Drivers and spraying VHT the whole quarter mile they act like petulant children and refusing to do what the drivers ask out of sheer spite. It has happened in NASCAR, Formula One and NHRA. It's like the powers that be find it incredulous that a lowly driver would dare question their decisions, even if said decisions make the original problem worse.
They don't pay us enough to run their events anymore. We make more $ bracket racing! And wj was 100% right! A real racer right there
Fueled maybe be kings of the sport but it all started in grass roots gas and cars.
I have been watchin nhra for 20 years .i was going to take my new 2021 challenger super stock and race it .i have trouble with traction on the street at 100 mph the tires brack loose. Think i will just stay at home with it .its a scarry car to drive .if it did that at the track st 160 or so .it would be destroyed. I commend those drivers who do that.
Don't assume all tracks have conditions like this. Many do a good job with track prep where it isn't an issue.
Cause at the end of the day, in the 12 years between Reading 09 and now. It's still only happened 5 times.
spraying GLUE on the track?!?!
11:22 😆
I haven’t quit watching /attending as I love this sport. But, NHRA has got to get off their “elitist” butts by meeting with the the guys on the front lines. It seems in life the important things ( ie. HUMAN LIFE … HELLO ???? ) never are addressed until people start dying.
It’s all about egos and the MONEY !!!
Threaten their MONEY … and life saving changes will be made in a
hurry ! It’s really sad but some people experience wealth and they become little Adolf Hitlers.
So NHRA was so freakin greedy(believe me,they are. Tally ur bill for 3 day race,food,etc)that they were save'n a few barrels of VHT. Basicly what it boils down to...
There were lots of other 200mph cars in other classes that had no issues.
Well then it was obviously an issue with Pro Stock wasnt it...bein weight,needn more wing,scale the cars diff,etc...
The other 200 MPH cars and different classes have a lot more downforce Pro stock cars have been sketchy for a while like Greg Anderson said glue glue glue
@@dakotaautosales9673 That’s kinda my point the drivers didn’t want to make any changes to their cars,and neither did the NHRA for the most part. They should have looked into more downforce,different weight distribution,ect. The drivers didn’t want to hear it. If I recall correctly there were several pro stock crashes during that era on “good” tracks. If they got just a tiny bit out of the groove they were screwed.
@@stevennewman8276 Yes, you explained my point for me. Thanks.
So, if the trouble can be at mid-track as easily as the top end, why do they need to slow it down? The quarter mile is exactly 1320 ft - always has been always will be ( unless the US does something even more stupid by going metric and making it a 402.336m track ). When they changed from 1320 to 1000 ft is when they ruined the sport, for every class.
Because nhra a joke and should be held accountable for way they treat racers
Why wouldnt they just make it 100 feet for all classes?
Seems incredibly easy to just run the sprayer down the track with some glue, why is this so hard for NHRA to do?!
Not that simple. They spray traction compound on the top, but the water comes up from underneath. Better drainage design under the track surface is the answer. Ain't no changing the weather!
I like bikes.
I like turtles
@@stevennewman8276 I like banjos, but not while I'm on a river rafting trip!!!!!!!
@@redlinemando i know rite!
More vintage nhra studf
Dim light did more harm than good to the NHRA
When I raced NHRA back in then 70’-90’s back then they only prepped the first 60ft of the track not the whole 1320 and we never had traction issues and we ran right after the fuel cars, NHRA is going to hell in a hand basket, and I’m so tired of people calling VHT F’ing glue it’s not glue it’s a traction compound
Please. It's sticky............like glue. Get over it.
@@johnjones5977 Glue sets up, traction compound does not!
@@Anarchy-Is-Liberty I understand that the chemical make-up is not the same and neither is the purpose or reaction. Just seems pointless to get angry about it. I'd hate to be around him when someone calls a Stihl weed trimmer a "Weedeater".
It would appear that the NHRA is only interested in the bottom line. I think that racing with fuel, Nitro,to Alcohol,to Racing Fuel in all aspects is a dieing sport. The cost and everything else involved plus regulations, and coming Political affects is going to KILL IT ALL. How can the middle to lower class fans going to afford tbe able to go to any races with this current economy??????
NHRA has destroyed the pro stock class with their rule changes. It’s just a Chevy show now, no diversity. I stopped going to the races and seldom watch anymore and I was a diehard fan since the 60’s.
And there are really only 2 engine suppliers for Pro Stock Camaro
Factory Showdown is "the new ProStock".....where Ford , Chevy and Dodge cars most resembling stock bodies compete .....but the NHRA religates them to third string status!?
I think that factory stock is kind of, in spirit, what Pro Stock started out as originally in 1970. Pro Stock is still my favorite, but if it were an evolution of Factory Stock (lighter, tubbed, more mods allowed to powertrain), but still stock bodies, with participation from all the big 3, just like we see in Factory Stock, that would be amazing!
Since the 80's prostock has been crying. When Wally Parks died and Graham Light took over the NHRA the classes been sanctioned and ruled to death by people that their expertise is sanctioning races.
The NHRA has a limitless supply of money. They need to stop hiring engineers and listen to the racers.
Top fuel and Funny car's goal is to reach the 350 mph goal but the day the need more racing surface to do it safely. By all means give them what they want under the condition that they pay for the improvements to each facility. Prostock racers want more glue let them pay to have it put on.
Top fuel and Funny car want the moisture out of the track after a rain let the safety safari to what they've done for 50 years, if it's still a problem how about racing the conditions and not the track. It would sure make for very interesting racing. Crew chiefs turning screws the other way for a change.
Prostock done as much as they can with their cars, it's time to let the next generation of PS drivers come in and start the progression all over again. The current PS drivers graduate to the next class Pro mod etc.
After NHRA rule changed MOPAR out of Pro Stock AGAIN! I've stopped watching/following them at all. I only clicked on this because Allan Johnson was in the picture.
The NHRA was gone the day that let Force and others influence the NHRA into taking away the REAL Quarter Miles Race using the excuse that it was dangerous and they were using too many parts and too much money to make the Real Distance. That as we now can see was all "BS". The NHRA should have told Force and the others that if they could not handle racing the REAL QUARTER MILE they should pull out of Drag Racing or make their teams smaller in order to compete... May of my fellow racers dropped out of drag racing because of this idiotic decision and went to short track stock cars or the SCCA... We could not see belonging to an organization with no back bone.
I think you mis spoke when you said, "Pro Stock" I think it's spelled "Pro Camaro"
Are u a mighty...mac?
"Got a brand new pin stripe suit of clothes
Big wide polka-dot tie
Cuff links as big as j-bird eggs
And look at that shoes made out of alligator hide."
the NHRA make drag racing look so damn stupid.
NHRA cares nothing about the Racers or the Fans. Money Money Money
That’s why I quit.