Gatornationals

Went to the Gatornationals last Saturday, Lived here in Fl my whole life & had never been. If anyone has the chance to go watch top fuel or any other fuel(nitro) class run and never has, you don't know what you're missing out on!
Sheldon G

It's definitely a blast to watch

It's one of those feelings that is indescribable. Sight, sound, pressure, emotion.

Besides all that it's a great motivator; my kids actually stayed late after work one afternoon to make me work on my car that's been parked for over 2 years! The only thing that I didn't care for was the throttle stop racing, sucks to see them launch then sputter for 50 feet or so then take off again. Probably been better to watch farther from the tree.
Sheldon G.

STR-LGL-70 wrote:Besides all that it's a great motivator; my kids actually stayed late after work one afternoon to make me work on my car that's been parked for over 2 years! The only thing that I didn't care for was the throttle stop racing, sucks to see them launch then sputter for 50 feet or so then take off again. Probably been better to watch farther from the tree.
Sheldon G.

Probably been better to grab a hotdog and a coke. What has caught my interest besides the nitro classes are the factory stock classes. All three manufactures heavily involved makes for great compition. Ditch pro-stock and replace it with this class. I bet you would see 30-40 car fields like in the old days.

Agreed. Also the super stock was a blast especially after watching them after the throttle stop dragsters. Super stock SSAH hemi cars kick ass!
I think I was drinking a couple 8.00 beers & missed prostock
Sheldon G

JMO, but I think NHRA is doing all they can to suck all the interest out of ProStock, too....following NASCAR's lead of course. Rules that kill any potential for innovation, cars that can only be identified by reading the decals...Brand loyalty in what's left of the fanbase is all but gone. Great competitive sports are being turned into high speed parades and driver pageants. Maybe soon we'll see a drivers swimsuit competition.

maverick wrote:JMO, but I think NHRA is doing all they can to suck all the interest out of ProStock, too....following NASCAR's lead of course.  Rules that kill any potential for innovation, cars that can only be identified by reading the decals...Brand loyalty in what's left of the fanbase is all but gone.  Great competitive sports are being turned into high speed parades and driver pageants.  Maybe soon we'll see a drivers swimsuit competition.

I could not agree more. NASCAR want's the redneck attraction gone. They think they can make their fans a white collar bunch. No one ever wanted all the cars to be the same. That was the attraction of the manufacture producing a car that worked well on the track.

Over the past 45 years or so I have probably been to at least a dozen or so Gator Nationals, and to tell the truth I spend more time in the Manufacturers Midway nosing around than watching the races. Sad thing is the last one I went to about 4 years ago, the grandstands are not full like they use to be. NHRA is slowly but surely killing drag racing. Same goes for NASCAR. When it comes to NASCAR I usually only watch the Daytona and Talledega races these days and it's very obvious the grandstands are no full like they use to be either!

Doug Rahn wrote:Over the past 45 years or so I have probably been to at least a dozen or so Gator Nationals, and to tell  the truth I spend more time in the Manufacturers Midway nosing around than watching the races. Sad thing is the last one I went to about 4 years ago, the grandstands are not full like they use to be. NHRA is slowly but surely killing drag racing. Same goes for NASCAR. When it comes to NASCAR I usually only watch the Daytona and Talledega races these days and it's very obvious the grandstands are no full like they use to be either!

Agreed,
The pit area/midway was pretty cool to walk around in, next time I go I will plan on putting a full day in so I can see more.

As far as Nascar goes, I was born & raised in Daytona, still live here & the changes have been for the worse.
Growing up I could hear Smokey Yunicks' dyno from my house in the evenings and could listen to the 24 hrs. all night when I was a kid, & it was safe to sleep with the windows open. My dad used to drag race before I came along and I have some of his trophies from Daytona 1959 when Nascar used to have drag racing there. I think that would give them the shot in the arm they need to increase attendance, but it would need to include the sportsman categories & brackets also.
Sheldon G

Yep... You're right, though, the fuel classes are a helluva show. It's hard to imagine that much power coming from 500" piston engines...Even harder to imagine sticking it to the track. If it's the fuel show that blows your skirt up, then go to Charlotte where they liine 'em up 4 wide. That'll blow your skirt OFF.

It's a shame, though...when the sportsman classes run, you can have any seat in the place. The SHOW is all that sells tickets now...not the race.

Ive been many times but wont go anymore. No Fords in the pro classes.