Santa Pod Main Event

Santa Pod Main Event

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Discussion

dragstarfan

7 posts

111 months

Sunday 3rd May 2015
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I think this will be the first Main Event Marc Meihuizen is not attending in a long time? Anyone know what's going on there?

Tet

1,196 posts

203 months

Sunday 3rd May 2015
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firewalker said:
Wasn't the 1000 fa*t farce ruling meant to make the sport more sustainable?
Nope. As far as I can tell, it seems to have been done solely to appease the NHRA insurers. Has it made it safer? Hard to tell. It's unlikely to have made it any worse, but the difference is probably minimal. Has it made it any cheaper? No.

firewalker

366 posts

180 months

Sunday 3rd May 2015
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Tet said:
firewalker said:
Wasn't the 1000 fa*t farce ruling meant to make the sport more sustainable?
Nope. As far as I can tell, it seems to have been done solely to appease the NHRA insurers. Has it made it safer? Hard to tell. It's unlikely to have made it any worse, but the difference is probably minimal. Has it made it any cheaper? No.
Interesting as I seem to remember an argument for parts surviving longer by 'adopting' 1000ft therefore helping the teams financially with the knock on effect of TFD being more sustainable and competitive.
Safer? Approaching the same speeds in less time/shorter distance...???
To be honest I thought every argument put forward was trying to pull the wool over peoples eyes from the word go - it all comes out in the wash!
Another theory I've heard is that it's some kind of trade off as the FIA try to achieve more F1 prominence in the states with their eye on a bigger cashpot. That's why I queried background politics possibly being behind the dwindling numbers.



Tet

1,196 posts

203 months

Monday 4th May 2015
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firewalker said:
Safer? Approaching the same speeds in less time/shorter distance...???
Not quite the same speeds, and when you get there, you have longer to stop. It may not be much, but every little helps.

firewalker said:
Another theory I've heard is that it's some kind of trade off as the FIA try to achieve more F1 prominence in the states with their eye on a bigger cashpot. That's why I queried background politics possibly being behind the dwindling numbers.
F1 couldn't care less about drag racing. It literally has zero impact on anything they do. Even in the US, drag racing is so small that it's below their radar. NASCAR is their only real competition.

firewalker

366 posts

180 months

Monday 4th May 2015
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Tet said:
firewalker said:
Safer? Approaching the same speeds in less time/shorter distance...???
Not quite the same speeds, and when you get there, you have longer to stop. It may not be much, but every little helps.

Good point.

firewalker said:
Another theory I've heard is that it's some kind of trade off as the FIA try to achieve more F1 prominence in the states with their eye on a bigger cashpot. That's why I queried background politics possibly being behind the dwindling numbers.
F1 couldn't care less about drag racing. It literally has zero impact on anything they do. Even in the US, drag racing is so small that it's below their radar. NASCAR is their only real competition.
What I heard was the FIA agreed to adopt NHRA rulings carte blanche as a pally gesture to gain more influence for F1 in the US. Just a man at the tracks opinion, not gospel merely an opinion and I've no idea how well informed that is but the guy does more than just spectate let's put it that way.

tom405

38 posts

109 months

Monday 4th May 2015
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firewalker said:
2 or 3 TF cars was surely pre FIA involvement and a serious amount of successful work has gone on to build the sport up since then.
Oh yeah not sure when FIA got involved but i'm talking about early and mid nineties, I was a kid so memory a bit hazy but I certainly remember days sat on the bank waiting for a decent top fuel pass that would never materialise... it seemed all quite amateur back then, and Santa Pod was a bit of a state. Coming back to it after a very long break I was blown away by how much better the racing is now... If I had been going during the peak five years ago maybe I'd view this entry list differently though, but still... it's come along way!

firewalker

366 posts

180 months

Monday 4th May 2015
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tom405 said:
firewalker said:
2 or 3 TF cars was surely pre FIA involvement and a serious amount of successful work has gone on to build the sport up since then.
Oh yeah not sure when FIA got involved but i'm talking about early and mid nineties, I was a kid so memory a bit hazy but I certainly remember days sat on the bank waiting for a decent top fuel pass that would never materialise... it seemed all quite amateur back then, and Santa Pod was a bit of a state. Coming back to it after a very long break I was blown away by how much better the racing is now... If I had been going during the peak five years ago maybe I'd view this entry list differently though, but still... it's come along way!
Sounds about right, not forgetting the pre FIA peak of the late 70s-early 80s as well.
Things really aren't so bad but it's a shame that things have declined instead of moving further ahead from the last heyday.
It wasn't so long ago Fuel Funny Cars were rumored to be saving the day. then 1000ft was sneaked in for them also and its only ever a steady (but still welcome) 3 car field.

tom405

38 posts

109 months

Monday 4th May 2015
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Yeah it's a real shame Jason Phelps doesn't seem to be about, a 4 car field in funny car would have been a positive sign! I'd expect things could get competitive between the 3 entrants though, especially the old boys Spuffard and Gordon Smith... so hopefully some good runs will be seen.

Most importantly though I hope it doesn't piss it down all weekend...





sim1

107 posts

146 months

Monday 4th May 2015
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One reason only and that's there are 2 series now fia and edrs as said above they have tierp and other well preped tracks so no need for the pod and again as above we don't go there so why would they come here . both trakbite and speed group simply don't get along fact .it will end up santapod and hock against Scandinavia . the edrs has a healthy entry's and we have healthy entry but most the big players are Scandinavian hence we lose !!!!

Benni

3,510 posts

210 months

Monday 4th May 2015
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firewalker said:
What I heard was the FIA agreed to adopt NHRA rulings carte blanche as a pally gesture to gain more influence for F1 in the US. Just a man at the tracks opinion, not gospel merely an opinion and I've no idea how well informed that is but the guy does more than just spectate let's put it that way.
I don´t really know much about -possible- FIA/NHRA deals but why are european Nitro Injectors running in TMD still having

more percentage allowed than in US ? AFAIK not every NHRA rule is adopted by FIA within a year´s time.


sim1 said:
One reason only and that's there are 2 series now fia and edrs as said above they have tierp and other well preped tracks so no need for the pod and again as above we don't go there so why would they come here . both trakbite and speed group simply don't get along fact .it will end up santapod and hock against Scandinavia . the edrs has a healthy entry's and we have healthy entry but most the big players are Scandinavian hence we lose !!!!
I think you mean Track Group and Speedgroup but these are my thoughts, too,

a bit sad but then again I don´t have to pay the expenses and do/pay the logistics (vacations for team members, transport etc)

so I guess this is the current status,

although I hope for better economical times with more racers being able to do full european rounds, both ways.

More Kudos & Thumbs-Up for the teams that manage to do this even now.

I slightly cheated and got my first whiff of Nitro when Urs was doing a burnout show (and an attempted/aborted wisely run)

at a marginal and damp track in France last Weekend. He told me who his driver will be at ME, fingers crossed......





Edited by Benni on Monday 4th May 23:27

quarterpounder

166 posts

205 months

Tuesday 5th May 2015
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One question which has been at the back of my mind is, what does the FIA bring to European drag racing? I'm not, and never have been, involved with the racing side and have spent all my time as a spectator so I'm just curious as to what the racers/promoters get out of the affiliation.

Benni

3,510 posts

210 months

Tuesday 5th May 2015
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FIA is the only organisation allowed of running a "european Championship",

where the winners are crowned "european Champion".

This status adds cost for both racers and race organizers,

but otherwise we might end up with three different "european Champions", like in current world boxing.

Also the same rules and vehicle specs are valid at all FIA races in FIA classes

which saves hassle and discussions at signing in or in the tech check.

Tet

1,196 posts

203 months

Tuesday 5th May 2015
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tom405 said:
Yeah it's a real shame Jason Phelps doesn't seem to be about
Jason will be out later in the year. IIRC, he'll be running at Bug Jam.

quarterpounder

166 posts

205 months

Tuesday 5th May 2015
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[quote=Benni]<snip> quote]

Thanks Benni, so why's there so much of a difference of opinion between various parties?

Tindle

31 posts

201 months

Tuesday 5th May 2015
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Hi all, I was on a bike trip in France at the weekend and payed a visit to The 'Drag Power Show' at Chambley. Along with a lot of jet cars and bikes who should be there with a top fuel car but Ers Erbacher ! I saw a pit lane fire up and one demo run on the Saturday with lots of smoke as there was zero grip, the event being held on an airfield, I spoke to him in the pits and he said he would be at Santa Pod.
Gary.

sim1

107 posts

146 months

Tuesday 5th May 2015
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He will be at the main event but tet will be driving his car .. As for the future I think it will be Santa pod and hock as a championship and alastro tierp gardamoun etc as a Scandinavian championship .. I'm afraid there is to much politics going on behind the seens .. And I'm afraid we all loose out as we have some real real talent in Europe .. Just my opinion guys

tom405

38 posts

109 months

Wednesday 6th May 2015
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Tet said:
Jason will be out later in the year. IIRC, he'll be running at Bug Jam.
Ah that’s good news. I have feeling although this entry list is a little down the finals could see a really good turn out, especially if a couple of newly licensed drivers get a ride…

tom405

38 posts

109 months

Wednesday 6th May 2015
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we have 8 top fuel... Birgitte Bremnes just added

firewalker

366 posts

180 months

Thursday 7th May 2015
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sim1 said:
As for the future I think it will be Santa pod and hock as a championship and alastro tierp gardamoun etc as a Scandinavian championship .. I'm afraid there is to much politics going on behind the seens .. And I'm afraid we all loose out as we have some real real talent in Europe ..
I understand SPR dropped to 1000ft as a compromise to Tierp as Europes' first purpose built 21st Century drag strip forgot to factor in quite enough room to stop!
Without the argument to keep the championship consistent between tracks they could arguably give us back the time honoured distance for the remaining teams heading to SPR.




Tet

1,196 posts

203 months

Thursday 7th May 2015
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I'm not sure you could claim they forgot to leave enough distance to stop. AIUI, the land beyond the track is owned by another party, so they couldn't have made it any longer.