Is the racing dead?

[charlief1]

Don't get me wrong. If it wasn't for the distance, I'd be jumping on it in a heart beat (offer not even considered). I agree with you. It would be great to do a run off with you, or anyone else for that matter. I'm not known for being squeamish when it comes to a challenge, win or lose. That's for sure. If it's a close contest, even the more fun. Until later, Jimmy. Thanks again for the challenge. Got the blood pumping there again for a moment.

Please come to Noble in October. Watching you an Jimmy square off would be more than fun. Seeing the both of you run would be worth it to see some ferds blown away in the end Donnie.:biggrin:

 

[RatFink]

I'm going to run my old 89TTA this fall at Beachbend in Ky. I hope to run faster than 11.99 @114mph. If it don't run that number then I guess I'll eat another Beach Bend Grilled Burger and go back home. But I will try to attend that Nationals in October, if for nothing else but to see some cool cars and a few TTA's as well, Bowling Green has some good restaurants and ILLEGAL STREET RACING!!! YEAH!! Top end run past the Corvette Plant!! yes, that was me....

 

[Alky V6]

Please come to Noble in October. Watching you an Jimmy square off would be more than fun. Seeing the both of you run would be worth it to see some ferds blown away in the end Donnie.:biggrin:

I'll see what I can do, Charlie. I'd love to just make the rounds to all the nice tracks over that side of the country just once. That would be a lifetime dream fulfilled. Let's hope the rest of this year is bountiful for everyone.

 

[charlief1]

I'll see what I can do, Charlie. I'd love to just make the rounds to all the nice tracks over that side of the country just once. That would be a lifetime dream fulfilled. Let's hope the rest of this year is bountiful for everyone.

I'd love to go this year myself but it depends on the shop in the end. Just like you, if there's work I can't just stop and close the shop to go play. I do hope that you can make it along with Jimmy and have some fun. It's been a long time since I raced and I really hope to have the car back together so I can join in.:smile:

 

[Tiretoter]

I thought about it, Jimmy, and I'm going to have to pass on the generous offer. I've just got too many irons in the fire at the moment. I'll probably kick myself in the arse later on in the year, but I don't want to hold up your timeline of where to direct your budget. Thank you very much for the offer.

I predicted this from the beginning.

At least we can add your excuse to the other reasons we have uncovered for the events to be in decline, lack of promotion "mojo" aside.

An aging enthusiast group
An aging automobile ie the GS and T-Type, GN etc
The increasing value of the cars themselves
The economy
The cost of fuel, lodging, food etc
Cars lost, wrecked, stolen or otherwise out of commission
Struggling vendors
Too many local events pulling from the National events
Work / Lack of time off
Other interests
"I've just got too many irons in the fire"

Edit: I see you added to your excuse for not attending:

"If it wasn't for the distance, I'd be jumping on it in a heart beat (offer not even considered)."

Things must really be getting bad when a very nice CASH offer cant get someone like you to pull it into the bleach box. Again, promotion "mojo" aside.

 

[charlief1]

Things must really be getting bad when a very nice CASH offer cant get someone like you to pull it into the bleach box. Again, promotion "mojo" aside.

Like I said, split the difference and come to Noble in October. Both of you can run then and I'm sure the OK Buick club would be more than happy to watch you both run against each other and then put down a few ferds at the same time.:biggrin:

 

[Alky V6]

I predicted this from the beginning.

At least we can add your excuse to the other reasons we have uncovered for the events to be in decline, lack of promotion "mojo" aside.

An aging enthusiast group
An aging automobile ie the GS and T-Type, GN etc
The increasing value of the cars themselves
The economy
The cost of fuel, lodging, food etc
Cars lost, wrecked, stolen or otherwise out of commission
Struggling vendors
Too many local events pulling from the National events
Work / Lack of time off
Other interests
"I've just got too many irons in the fire"

Edit: I see you added to your excuse for not attending:

"If it wasn't for the distance, I'd be jumping on it in a heart beat (offer not even considered)."

Things must really be getting bad when a very nice CASH offer cant get someone like you to pull it into the bleach box. Again, promotion "mojo" aside.

Sorry to disappoint. Just that it seemed Jimmy was on a tight schedule in deciding where he wants to use his dough. Since I can't predict what's going to happen in the next few months, I didn't want to make a quick promise I might not be able to keep. If the stars align by the date, who knows what I'll do. Besides, I like Charlie's offer, too. It's much more tempting to spend your time and effort to go to an event where you can feel somewhat welcome.

 

[mrstage1]

Sorry to disappoint. Just that it seemed Jimmy was on a tight schedule in deciding where he wants to use his dough. Since I can't predict what's going to happen in the next few months, I didn't want to make a quick promise I might not be able to keep. If the stars align by the date, who knows what I'll do. Besides, I like Charlie's offer, too. It's much more tempting to spend your time and effort to go to an event where you can feel somewhat welcome.

Don, trust me you'd be welcome. Noble is the ONLY event I pencil in as a MUST every year. Been to a lot with different brands too because of my shop and Noble is far and away the most fun, laid back and yet still competitive you'll find. I know of nowhere else I can run a 455/nitrous based combo in a 69 Nova body then sell it and bring my slower Turbo T down(this years hot rod) and still mean as much to the event when I pull into the beams. It really is a great time.

As far as turnout waning at other events. My perspective is simple, Buick racers are a small percentage of the population in cars that are a small percentage of the population. When budget wanes if we lose 20% of our racers it's noticeable. When the other guys lose that much they just look at it as an opportunity to actually park at the track instead of 3 miles away.

To have the V8 and V6 camps divided at this juncture is retarded also. I own both and love both as I'm sure many others do to. We've had 20 years plus to see the performance that each can roughly attain with what parts. Find what combos from both camps roughly equal each other in on track ET's and make classes to suit. I bet you'll find lots of takers and lots of people showing up as we as a BUICK community come together and celebrate this brands unique niche as fast cars with a little more class than your average Brand X'er. Far as I'm concerned at this juncture we should be as inclusive as possible if we want Buick racing to be more than just a randon dude luckily running into another random dude with a Buick at the track here and there.

 

[Turbo6Smackdown]

Over the last few years I've noticed a dwindling of turbo regals at events. The car count has been low. To add there are way too many classes and few cars per class.

Is it just me or are a lot of owners just not interested in racing the cars anymore. Bet if we did a car show we'd get 500 cars.

Or do the classes just feel out of reach to the average owner?

What would it take to get you as an owner of a turbo regal to actually bring the car to an event and participate racing it?[/FONT]

Thoughts?

Oxygen and a heartbeat. Unlike all the rest of you, and everyone else out there on our local cruise strip I race each and every single time I get a chance.

 

[Razor]

Oxygen and a heartbeat. Unlike all the rest of you, and everyone else out on Woodward (our local cruise strip) I race each and every single time I get a chance.

Are you bringing the car to BG to run it? We can put it in TAI (turbo alcohol injection)

 

[quickt]

Over the last few years I've noticed a dwindling of turbo regals at events. The car count has been low. To add there are way too many classes and few cars per class.

Is it just me or are a lot of owners just not interested in racing the cars anymore. Bet if we did a car show we'd get 500 cars.

Or do the classes just feel out of reach to the average owner?

What would it take to get you as an owner of a turbo regal to actually bring the car to an event and participate racing it?

Thoughts?

If you were at BG this past week we seen Buick Racing is not dead. The heads up classes were full with cars and good heads up racing.

 

[Slow91z]

If you were at BG this past week we seen Buick Racing is not dead. The heads up classes were full with cars and good heads up racing.

You got that right, had a BLAST...Good racing, large fields of car, and close class racing!! Good times!

 

[KevinB]

20 ths cars
14 tso cars
10? Tsm cars
6? Tai cars

And no one except for a couple in ths/tia ran 2 classes.

This years bg racing participation seemed the biggest in years.

 

[imjoesnuffy]

20 ths cars
14 tso cars
10? Tsm cars
6? Tai cars

And no one except for a couple in ths/tia ran 2 classes.

This years bg racing participation seemed the biggest in years.

If you counted the cars that broke earlier in the week or during qualifying, that's 50 cars running in heads up racing. Question answered I think.

 

[Razor]

If you were at BG this past week we seen Buick Racing is not dead. The heads up classes were full with cars and good heads up racing.

Matter of fact I was there vending are running the TAI class.

There where 7 TAI cars. One broke due to bad fuel pump.

 

[Dave_Harris]

I think that's getting into conspiracy theory stuff there lol.

My wish list for classes and basic rules:

Tsa: bone stock appearing tr's
Tsr: anything goes, as long as its on street tires
Ths: 67 turbo, stock block, drag radials, a/c, 200, etc.
Tsm: stage 2 or stock block, 71 or smaller turbo, any trans, etc.
Tso: 88 turbo, stock style suspension, etc.

Basically this would break cars down to 11 sec (tsr), 10 sec (ths), 9 sec (tsm), 8 sec (tso). .

Forgive me, I'm new here, but just trying to figure out where I would fall in if I wanted to go class racing.

My 86 has a 109 block, but bored and stroked with stock heads. I'm running a GT6162e turbo with a SLIC and alky. I'm running a 200 tranny, a Moser M9 rear. The car has a full cage and semi-gutted interior with alum interior door panels. I currently run a 7.50 1/8 mile index class. I dont have AC and I run 28x10 hoosier QTPs. If I read this right I would have to run TSM because of no AC and the tires. Unfortunatly, my best in the quarter is a 11.2 which doesn't hold a candle to the TSM cars because of among other things my small turbo and stock heads.

Thanks

-Dave

 

[Razor]

Forgive me, I'm new here, but just trying to figure out where I would fall in if I wanted to go class racing.

My 86 has a 109 block, but bored and stroked with stock heads. I'm running a GT6162e turbo with a SLIC and alky. I'm running a 200 tranny, a Moser M9 rear. The car has a full cage and semi-gutted interior with alum interior door panels. I currently run a 7.50 1/8 mile index class. I dont have AC and I run 28x10 hoosier QTPs. If I read this right I would have to run TSM because of no AC and the tires. Unfortunatly, my best in the quarter is a 11.2 which doesn't hold a candle to the TSM cars because of among other things my small turbo and stock heads.

Thanks

-Dave

Actually we ran a class called TAI in BG. Turbo Alcohol Injected. Your car would be a direct fit in. Granted most of the cars where in the 10.50-11.00 range. Fastest was 10.0 and slowest was 12.2. Ac is a non issue, as tires are a non issue.

I've been trying to get TSB of the ground and thats an index class based on 3 runs back to back after a cruise.

Good luck.. Look in the alcohol section of this site

 

[Dave_Harris]

Actually we ran a class called TAI in BG. Turbo Alcohol Injected. Your car would be a direct fit in. Granted most of the cars where in the 10.50-11.00 range. Fastest was 10.0 and slowest was 12.2. Ac is a non issue, as tires are a non issue.

I've been trying to get TSB of the ground and thats an index class based on 3 runs back to back after a cruise.

Good luck.. Look in the alcohol section of this site

Sounds good, I'll check it out. There is actually a lot more in the car if I push it. I've been baby-ing it off the line trying to stay consistant. I'm not building any boost on the line, and only cutting 1.8 60's. I'm sure if I get on the tranny brake and build some boost, I should be in the mid 10's.

Thanks!

 

[Alky V6]

I would have hoped that it would have been a better turnout than that, considering that BG is probably one of the largest nationally recongnized Buick TR events of the year. Does anyone have a demographic of the attendants?

 

[Slow91z]

I would have hoped that it would have been a better turnout than that, considering that BG is probably one of the largest nationally recongnized Buick TR events of the year. Does anyone have a demographic of the attendants?

Guess you should have come.