Most commonly asked questions by fans

[MotorPsycho]

looking to compile a list of the most commonly asked questions by fans in the pits/at shows etc

sensible ones however, not 'az it got nozz mate'

[Furyous]

What'll it do mister ?

[cliff gould]

wots the mpg like.
thats a big timing belt.
how much do the tyres cost.
does the driver wear a dress for drag racing.
kill me!please!

[Eurodragster Tog]

This isn't a question but Roger Goring told me that the comment he gets the most from people in the pits is "You must be mad to drive that thing". Hint: he really hates that so if you're chatting to him in the pits then you know what not to say

I would bet a few quid that the question Fuel drivers get asked the most is "What's it like to go three hundred miles per hour?". Followed by "How much does one of these things cost?".

[martyn b]

you dont have to run top fuel for the question "how much is it worth, mate" or similar to be asked of you. From when first involved with running a car in 1969 that has got to be the most common (and irritating and irrelevant) question, but questions of real relevance that might increase knowledge of the onlooker about running a racecar were (are?) much rarer.

[Bowler]

martyn b said:

you dont have to run top fuel for the question "how much is it worth, mate" or similar to be asked of you.

I think that this question reflects modern society, where we are all seemingly judged by what we've got and [i]more importantly[i] how much it costs...

I'm lucky enough to have a "nice" car, that isn't mainstream. Kids and Yoof especially (ie, those in the street) don't seem bothered about what it is or what it does, but more how much it cost!

Does my flippin head in!

[Jon C]

I would love a fiver for every time I have heard 'so how come that car did it quicker (lower et on the scoreboard) but still lost. Some explanation of how the timing clocks are started by the vehicle and not the green leads to the slower time winning would be a useful faq.

[Slinky]

Jon C said:

I would love a fiver for every time I have heard 'so how come that car did it quicker (lower et on the scoreboard) but still lost. Some explanation of how the timing clocks are started by the vehicle and not the green leads to the slower time winning would be a useful faq.

Ahh the "holeshot win"... Explain bracket racing at the same time (and maybe complicated eliminator) and you're onto a winner..

The questions I get most of the time (with the Victor) are around horsepower and performance ( 0-60 times etc), and of course the continuous "Is it really street legal????"

We put a FAQ's page on the website to answer some of the questions..

Edited by Slinky on Sunday 22 March 19:51

[hellfish]

Is it 16 cyl? (spark plugs points em to that)
Do you all drive it?
How many gears does it have?
had some people ask if the fire bottles on an f/c is nos? Also alot of people have got this wierd word of nitro and nitrous now and ask if it has "nitro's"

[fester426]

Apart from ,how much are the back tyres,?other common questions are,,,,why are your crew stark bk naked,and why is that crewman doing that to that goat?............bill

[Bigmouse]

"why has it got a tax disc?" followed a few seconds later by "you don't really drive it on the road do you?" and then "do you need insurance to drive it on the road" Doh!!
"why do you have a parachute?"
"how fast will it go?" (mostly asked by younger kids for some reason)
"what is it?"

[redvictor]

fester426 said:

Apart from ,how much are the back tyres,?other common questions are,,,,why are your crew stark bk naked,and why is that crewman doing that to that goat?............bill

you're a funny lot down there eh?.

[redvictor]

Slinky said:

Jon C said:

I would love a fiver for every time I have heard 'so how come that car did it quicker (lower et on the scoreboard) but still lost. Some explanation of how the timing clocks are started by the vehicle and not the green leads to the slower time winning would be a useful faq.

Ahh the "holeshot win"... Explain bracket racing at the same time (and maybe complicated eliminator) and you're onto a winner..

The questions I get most of the time (with the Victor) are around horsepower and performance ( 0-60 times etc), and of course the continuous "Is it really street legal????"

We put a FAQ's page on the website to answer some of the questions..

Edited by Slinky on Sunday 22 March 19:51

You forgot:
"How much are those tyres?"
"Bet those tyres don't last long"
"how many mpg does that do?"
"Look at the size of those turbos"
"how much is it to insure?"
"can i have a ride?"
"is it fast?"

[Benni]

Slinky said:

Jon C said:

I would love a fiver for every time I have heard
'so how come that car did it quicker (lower et on the scoreboard) but still lost.
Some explanation of how the timing clocks are started by the vehicle and not the green leads to the slower time winning would be a useful faq.

Ahh the "holeshot win"... Explain bracket racing at the same time
(and maybe complicated eliminator) and you're onto a winner..

Hi Slinky, Jon & @ll, and welcome to the world of track announcing !
Explaining all this is part of the "job" I love so much..
btt:
Why is the fuel tank (on dragsters) located right in the front,
that must be really bad if it crashes ?
Why are (dragsters) not streamlined more, they got all those bits sticking out,
if they were "smooth" they sure could run faster ?

And loads more....for answers on fuelers, there are these "Facts about a TF Dragster"
located on several websites.
Regards,
Benni

[kestral]

The punter asked the Rocket car driver "do you think that using pure silver screens rather than screens that have been treated with samarium nitrate in the cat pack would give a better slam start".The Rocket car driver replied "er the tiers cost $200 each". Be careful what you wish for.

[Eurodragster Tog]

Benni said:

for answers on fuelers, there are these "Facts about a TF Dragster" located on several websites.

Some of those facts are bks so have a care.

[Eurodragster Tog]

Jon C said:

I would love a fiver for every time I have heard 'so how come that car did it quicker (lower et on the scoreboard) but still lost. Some explanation of how the timing clocks are started by the vehicle and not the green leads to the slower time winning would be a useful faq.

At the storied Bahrain event in 2005 (sod off Chester) there was almost a riot because one of the locals lost a race on a huge holeshot. And I mean huge, there was a big difference between the ETs. The crowd just couldn't get it. There were shouts of "No", booing, hissing, the lot. I couldn't tell what the track announcer was saying but he wasn't helping. I was sat in an office below the grandstand and I was waiting for seats to appear flying through the air.

On a similar subject, Comp Eliminator is only confusing when commentators try to explain CIC, because then they get completely lost and take the spectators with them. Only purists are interested in CIC, your average spectator doesn't need to worry their head with it.

In my personal experience all you need to say to explain Comp Eliminator to spectators is "The book says that if you build this car with this engine combination and it weighs this much then it should run this ET, so if you go quicker than that then you are at an advantage". Then the next pair obligingly run under index thus illustrating your point


(Edit for typo)

Edited by Eurodragster Tog on Monday 23 March 13:05

[veryoldfart]

Bigmouse said:

"how fast will it go?" (mostly asked by younger kids for some reason)

catch em young, keep em for life.....

plus dads will then get nagged week in/week out to go again..

[Slinky]

redvictor said:

Slinky said:

Jon C said:

I would love a fiver for every time I have heard 'so how come that car did it quicker (lower et on the scoreboard) but still lost. Some explanation of how the timing clocks are started by the vehicle and not the green leads to the slower time winning would be a useful faq.

Ahh the "holeshot win"... Explain bracket racing at the same time (and maybe complicated eliminator) and you're onto a winner..

The questions I get most of the time (with the Victor) are around horsepower and performance ( 0-60 times etc), and of course the continuous "Is it really street legal????"

We put a FAQ's page on the website to answer some of the questions..

Edited by Slinky on Sunday 22 March 19:51

You forgot:
"How much are those tyres?"
"Bet those tyres don't last long"
"how many mpg does that do?"
"Look at the size of those turbos"
"how much is it to insure?"
"can i have a ride?"
"is it fast?"

Not forgetting, "how much is the tax, that must put out loads of CO2s!!!"

[Stevie Mojo]

It wouldn't be as much fun without fans though eh!