Funny Car Fans?

Mike Finley

Any Phil Burkart funny car fans out there? Just got back from the Mile High Nationals where Phil invited us out for the day. Never been a big fan of drag, but getting to see it all behind the scenes and so close my teeth about got rattled out of my head was quite an experience. Pretty cool glimpse into a different world than I am used to.

ron schenker

It's been many years for me since my drag racing days, but I can honestly say that those were some of my most cherished memories. Used to race my "daily driver" 68 Dodge Charger R/T with a warmed over 440, best ET of 11.91 with open headers and slicks. What a rush, and when it was time for the funny cars and the jet cars, man the power, smell, sounds and shivers up and down my spine. Thanks for reminding me Mike, I gotta go back to Dragway Park, Cayuga soon. Hopefully they haven't converted the land to condos!

Big Dave

Oh Mike, you've got the fever now. There ain't nothin like seeing it for real. I like Burkhart. I hate Bazemore. I went for my first time about 3 years ago and have tried to go ever since but missed this year. I go up to St Louis. I watched it all on tv. That is probably the best race of the year. The little guy has a better chance there than anywhere else.

Dave.

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snapper21

I'm jealous.
Used to meet up with a bunch of friends down at Commerce GA for the nationals yearly. Spent a week at the KOA for the event. Great fun.
Do you still smell the fuel?

AAPaint

Sub 5 second quarter miles are insane!! Who doesn't love that? I think this is the one racing sport that everyone will agree on, cuz if you love racing, you've gotta love speed, and these cars are the epitomy of speed.

Two thumbs up!

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snapper21

I'm playing lotto on this post number

IHI

Being at the track with the big boyz is THE BEST!!! Aint no feeling in the world like having the tears a roll'n from the nitro, slobber coming out of your mouth, being horse from inhaling all the fumes/exhaust!! and then getting up in the staging area and getting the physical beating these things literally shake into you from the insane amount of hp these guys have to hook up and shake the ground and anything within 100'. The intense flames on the hit and all the way down the 1/4mi, sound of the tires slapping the pavement and the whine of the blower belt being pushed to the max!!!!!

There is NO WAY ANYBODY can understand what this kind of horse power literally sounds and feels like, I remember the first time I heard a top fuel car I was in the staging lanes getting ready for a run and I heard this sound like nothing I've ever heard before...literally startled me until I unstrapped and stuck my head out the door looking back to see the Garlis guys setting the clutch and at that point in time I almost creamed myself waiting for the first run....almost brought tears to my eyes watching these things make passes since they are just so intense and on the verge of disaster from the time they light it up....as one CC put it when asked if he'd ever like to make a pass, he shook his head and asked the reporter would you strap yourself to a stick of dyamite?? Defiantely takes a special breed to run these thing....leave the common sense at the door and open up the "just not right" side of your brain!!!! LOL!!

Anybody catch the new John Force TV show tonight?? I mainly watched for the eye candy but also wanted to catch a glimpse of the behind the scenes that goes on in a professional team....let's just say thanks to editing I lost much respect for JF seeing how he acts as a "family man"....no wonder he has'nt lived with his family for years...dudes a jerk on the home front, he might mean well, but comes across like the biggest azzhole you've ever worked with

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Mike Finley

Josh, you describe it to a T! I'm not a huge race fan but I found myself getting goose bumps from the roars and the unbelievable power being unleashed just a few feet away from us. Phil ended up coming over and having dinner with us Sunday night and we watched the replays on ESPN, it was pretty cool to have him there describing the action from the eyes of somebody doing it and knowing every nuance. The stuff he was point out and describing as they showed the races was pretty interesting. What I found really wild was how he explained how he sometimes wins the race before it ever begins just in the strategy these use during staging.

Might have to go again, but pick a day when it isn't freak'n 103 degree out!

IHI

Since I drag race in a BIG time mud packing area I/we get alot of chit since "anybody can drive in a straight line" LOL!!! Her's the thing though, ANY redneck can be half tanked and screw up multiple times with 20-30 laps to make up for their mistake, in drage racing you get anywhere from 4-10 seconds to do your job right. One thing in the drag racing community-mainly at the bracket racing level-is that the race is not won by who does the best, but by who screws up the least. The level on consentration needed to do everything that needs done in such a short amount of time is something most dont understand, and the ones that never do very well also do not understand.

I used to pit with a bunch of my buddies that got me into the sport and it was always a family affair with them since they did it for fun, that was fine and dandy when at that level, but when I stepped up to push myself and was spending $2-4K per month I started pitting far away and got next to and hung out with the best guys our track and other tracks had to offer. My wife never liked coming out much either since I'd ignore her and our daughter for the most part too, I'd talk to them once in awhile, but was'nt really talking to them. You start getting up there where your racing the best guys in your area, you need to get your **** together mentally with no distractions, otherwise your done....drag racing esspecially is 80% mental and 20% car if your running good parts and have your chit together the cars will run what they run, so it all comes back to the driver...racers are literally won/lost by .0001 of a second, it only takes one lapse of concentration and your on the trailer.

Other than that, watching typical bracket races sucks-BORING!!! I've never and will never go to our track to watch a race, if I'm not in it I'm not goin LOL!! But the big races, I'll go all day just for the physical sensation these big fockers punch into your chest!!!!

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