"The only "computer" allowed on the strip is a pneumatically controlled difference engine that governs how much fuel is routed to the cylinders and how much horsepower is applied to the rear tires. A timer starts when the driver stomps on the throttle, and blasts of compressed air course through a configurable series of mechanical logic gates that vary the fuel/air ratio, spark plug timing, and clutch grip according to a fixed sequence tailored to race conditions. It's binary logic worthy of the Big Bad Wolf: A puff of air is 1, no air is 0."

Is that a carburator he's describing there... ...

"1973 is the year drag racing stopped evolving, technologically if not aesthetically. The sport staggers on, zombie-like, but henceforth on a Galápagos of automotive innovation, the island that OPEC forgot."

This is just totally fucking rediculous. Restrictive rules encourage engineering innovation to get that extra percent volumetric efficiency that will give you victory over the next guy. The fact is, most restrictions in NHRA classes are aimed at limiting costs.

I just find that the whole article is poorly researched and written. The fact is, nitrous is not high tech, or cheating. It is employed by proponents of domestic V8's and imported inline 4's. And on the street, your average hopped up honda is not any higher tech than your average hopped up late model ford or chevy. Computers in cars are nothing new. The fact is, your average "ricer" just rolls back the ignition timing when he hits the red button... something that V8's have been doing for years.

And as far as modifying or replacing ECU/ECM's in cars... domestics have also been doing that since ECU/ECM's were put in cars.

They miss the whole point. There is a tradition in the NHRA, of big bad mean machines. People love V8's. They're mean as hell. Young people like them too... but they find themselves settling for an imported econobox because they can afford one and they are reliable. Once they decide to go fast, they stick with what they've got. An obsession with Japan has come along with that, and there are cultural differences between the old and new schools, but thats the driving force behind the import "racing" culture.

The bottom line is that the new school isn't any more hi tech than the old school. In fact, the opposite is usually true. The guy with the Hemi understands his engine and builds and tunes it himself. The guy with the "go fast chip" and the bolt on nitrous kit just hits the button and prays. Thats hardly hi-tech.

I agree. There's just something special about those old pure engines. The legacy of MOPAR and muscle cars don't need to be messed with. Maybe they just form a new drag racing organization and keep NHRA pure.

crankymessiah wrote:
] I agree. There's just something special about those old pure
] engines. The legacy of MOPAR and muscle cars don't need to be
] messed with. Maybe they just form a new drag racing
] organization and keep NHRA pure.

They have.

Jello wrote:

] "1973 is the year drag racing stopped evolving,
] technologically if not aesthetically. The sport staggers on,
] zombie-like, but henceforth on a Galápagos of automotive
] innovation, the island that OPEC forgot."
]
] This is just totally fucking rediculous. Restrictive rules
] encourage engineering innovation to get that extra percent
] volumetric efficiency that will give you victory over the next
] guy. The fact is, most restrictions in NHRA classes are aimed
] at limiting costs.

actually, it was due to safety. The cars were getting progressively faster, but safety engineering was not even an afterthought. I would agree that the environment promoted better engineering, but pretty much all racing got 'restrictive' around this same time period due to the number of people getting killed.

] I just find that the whole article is poorly researched and
] written. The fact is, nitrous is not high tech, or cheating.
] It is employed by proponents of domestic V8's and imported
] inline 4's. And on the street, your average hopped up honda
] is not any higher tech than your average hopped up late model
] ford or chevy. Computers in cars are nothing new. The fact
] is, your average "ricer" just rolls back the ignition timing
] when he hits the red button... something that V8's have been
] doing for years.

I agree that the article is not well researched. It smacks of a reporter trying to cover the world of the racer, rather than a racer reporting on the world of the racer.

] And as far as modifying or replacing ECU/ECM's in cars...
] domestics have also been doing that since ECU/ECM's were put
] in cars.
]
] They miss the whole point. There is a tradition in the NHRA,
] of big bad mean machines. People love V8's. They're mean as
] hell. Young people like them too... but they find themselves
] settling for an imported econobox because they can afford one
] and they are reliable. Once they decide to go fast, they
] stick with what they've got. An obsession with Japan has come
] along with that, and there are cultural differences between
] the old and new schools, but thats the driving force behind
] the import "racing" culture.

some of it is cost. some of it is cultural. You gotta remember that most drag racing is California born, and a lot of California is populated by Asians (at least much more than Detroit). I think it's also typical youth rebellion. If the old establishment is based off of Detroit Muscle, then let's do the opposite and base ours off of Japanese front wheelers! Name a better way to piss off the old establishment? Each generation has to stake it's unique claim.

] The bottom line is that the new school isn't any more hi tech
] than the old school. In fact, the opposite is usually true.
] The guy with ... [ Read More (0.2k in body) ]