Is Drag Racing a "Real Motorsport"?

[GRNKPR]

Originally Posted by Laminge

Social event, aka the forums day, no, its a social event, it is meant to be a family day where your partner can jump in your car and have the same thrill as yourself, take it away from a social scene then yes, it is a motor sport.

Only the anally challenged will play for sheep stations on social events, and refuse to get into the spirit of the event the same people fail to offer encouragement and turn to snide remarks because a person runs a slow time or cannot stage properly.

anally challenged ? no one even mentioned beads !! Brenx have you still got yours in ?????????????????



Drag or circuit both take skill and balls but i get more out of circuit
same money spent but cicuit i get more track time =bang for buck

[jabba]

Originally Posted by GasOLane

Tell that to the Pommy at Calder who's supercharger blew up and knocked him unconcious 60m from the start

Or keeping this in a straight line

In the cars that we are all driving it does not take big ball to do a 1/4 flat out as it would to go through turn one flat out at the Island.... However the real racers in the seriously quick cars (IE. funny cars and top fuelers) those boys have balls the size of water-mellons to the 1/4 in the machine there piloting.. Then you got those phsyco's on the Drag bikes. They have balls the size of Aire's Rock.

[Casper]

Originally Posted by DJR MAN

To answer the question as its written, then yes it is motorsport.
BUT, unless you do sub 9 seconds, I dont believe its all that challenging.

To get it together for a 10-14 sec race in a straight line is not nearly as demanding as 10 laps or so accelerating, up and down shifts, selecting the right gear for road speed/RPM/track conditions, braking and cornering etc......I believe takes a higher level of skill. :

But yes, drags is motorsport.

You had better be in a V8SC for it to be demanding.. otherwise its just a sunday scoot through the hills isnt it? (This is applying your same logic from dragracing being unchallenging in cars slower than 9 seconds.... that is as clueless a statement as mine)
I've tried both and have found both to be of the same thrill and (although different) skill level. Even a 15 second I6 auto with a few mods can be difficult to get off the line and, unlike the "big brother" V8's, you have no where near the power to "recover" any mistakes.... much like circuit racing too I guess.

[Aeron]

I've done track days and drag racing in a stock XR6T manual and skill is needed for both. If drags were so easy, then I (and many others) would have run close to identical times on every run. Trying to get the car off the line without too much wheel spin, without bogging it down and then getting through the gears shifting at the right RPM etc... isn't easy. There was 1sec difference between my best run and my worst run. So it took more skill to run the 14.0 (that I did late in the night after learning a few things) than it did for me to run the 15.0, and that’s a stock car.
The skill needed for a track day is a little more obvious. You think you drive hard on the street sometimes. Huh, its nothing compared to being on the track. But yes, it does take more skill to drive a Porsche GT3 round Wakefield Park than it does to drive an XR6T round the same track.

[Des]

Different disciplines, different skill sets....Pretty simple really. Launching a vehicle hard all the time every time is easy right? Circuit racing is harder (requires more skill) right? Then there would be no such thing as a bad start in circuit racing, would there? Circuit racers (having more skill) would always get it right then?
Ask bracket racers how easy it is hit your dial in everytime.
Ask Pro-Stock racers how easy it is to hit every launch and every gear change perfect (and how it feels to loose by 1/10,000th of a sec).

Besides, going by this criteria, speedway and super-speedway racing would be a doddle! Once your moving, you almost never have to touch the gear stick again! Only need to turn in one direction! Simple really....

[xr8man83]

I think it is mate. y wouldnt it b?????

[SPK-250]

It's the only "real" motorsport. It's the only motorsport that encourages beginners to come and have a shot at it even if it is in your parents VN commodore. Most other motorsports other than maybe drifting and the kingswood series require minimum $10,000 to start including car and licence ie. saloon cars(correct me if i'm wrong, i'm just guessing). Drags is simple, rock up with your car, pay your 50 clams and away you go.

[normxb]

When I bought my Race Car in 1974 , what I bought it for "was to race" ... so I joined a car club & the first event to come up was a Hill Climb . WHO wants to drive up a hill ?, but wanted to see if the car would run , so entered for the event , man what a blast , got hooked straight away.

Next event was a Lap-Dash , WHO wants to drive around a track by themselves ? , once again , hooked straight away...

YES , this WAS Motorsport , so why isn't Dragging a Motorsport ....

Pitting your car against a Stopwatch is just the same as putting up against other cars on the same lap.

"Only Drag Racing thats not a Motorsport is guys driving their cars around the street really fast dressed in "Ladies Clothes & heaps of Make-up" :

[4.9 EF Futura]

Seems to me that drag racing is possibly the purest form of motorsport out there.

You meet the definition for the class and you pass scrutineering then get out there. No "driver's standards observors", no 3rd umpire etc etc

Drifting must also be motorsport.

It's based around cars
There's winners and there's losers

I think its harsh to class drift or drag racing simply as hobbies.

[Rev28K]

[QUOTE=4.9 EF Futura]
Drifting must also be motorsport.
It's based around cars
There's winners and there's losers [QUOTE]

Drifting is like rhythmic gymnastics. Looks pretty, ultimately pointless and it is judged subjectively. You are in a car on a racetrack, why not try to go as fast as you and the car are capable of going? Sideways equals slow. It’s as pointless as having a final “battle” in an Autosalon display. Judge it by lap times or who comes first and you get sprints, supersprints and races.

Drag racing I’ve been down the strip a few times in my road cars and it’s weird compared to circuit stuff, still a sport. At the top level certainly it’s a sport.

Circuit racing – tell me a stock affordable production car that can make it through turn 1 at PI “flat”, I can’t on RE55s and I am only pulling around 210ish there. Certainly circuit racing equals the most fun for me. At Winton my Honda is quicker than a twin turbo V12 Mercedes.

[nugget378]

I get more butterflies in the stomach waiting for the lights in a DYO race than I do chopping up porsche Gt's and ferraris down the main straight at the creek.
Yes it is motorsport,one of the most difficult and frustrating where in 1000th of a second you go from hero to zero.

[Kev_BLNXR8_Ute]

It is all Motor Sport.

End of story....

[Chris]

Originally Posted by jabba

Yes.......But it take more balls to go flat out through turn 1 then it does to go flat out down the 1/4....

big call.

Ive gone 1.40's around the island in my ESP, and ive run 9's in a full weight XD.

your comparing a Macca's playground to a boxing ring dude, dont start this or you'll end up :

[Falcon Coupe]

Originally Posted by Chris

big call.

Ive gone 1.40's around the island in my ESP, and ive run 9's in a full weight XD.

your comparing a Macca's playground to a boxing ring dude, dont start this or you'll end up :

1.40's is scary fast around the Island, please don't tell me it was on street tyres.

[Quadcams]

Drag racing is easy you say, no skill, car does all the work, look if you cant do something dont bag it.
My father use to race open wheelers, even after I explained to him whats involved to get a good ET in drag racing he commented that it not that easy a SPORT.

Ok run my car around a circuit (prividing you have the skill level and cars set up) would take around 10 odd laps to get up to a OK pace, yes of course alot more to be quick. Now I do 10 passes at the strip (with car set up properly) in a manual you will be doing very average passes your times all over the place and In a auto maybe not as much trouble but never the less still doing average passes.
What Im trying to say is getting a good ET takes alot of skill/practice the same as doing a quick time on the circuit, hell you say us slower drag racers dont have ball's how can you comment on what some people do you dont know when there not drag racing maybe riding 15' northy bommy or jumping canyons on trail bikes or jumping out of planes etc etc.
If you like circuit racing Im stoked for ya, if you like drag racing Im stoked for ya varity is the spice of life but baging other SPORTS is like baging someone because you dont like the way his hairs parted.

This thread has come about because a few guys said run the car down the strip, regardless what ET you run your mph will show the cars real power no happy strips, no conservitive strips, no bull s*#@t maybe the best dyno in town lol.

[GRNKPR]

[QUOTE=Chris]big call.

Ive gone 1.40's around the island in my ESP, and ive run 9's in a full weight XD.



Not only are you my favorite Drag racer you also can mix it up around the Island 1 40s is so close to knocking off the lap record

http://www.piarc.com.au/files//PHILL...%20RECORDS.pdf

Maybe you should send your resume to FPR as Jason Bright is leaving and they are battling to get there BA s around in this time ,maybe they could by your ESP

[Chris]

Originally Posted by Falcon Coupe

1.40's is scary fast around the Island, please don't tell me it was on street tyres.

1.48's ESP race rubber - before I actually purchased the car lol.

The previous owner was much faster, maybe he knew more!!!

[GRNKPR]

Originally Posted by Chris

1.48's ESP race rubber - before I actually purchased the car lol.

The previous owner was much faster, maybe he knew more!!!

did you by it of Neil Armstrong or Buzz Aldren ,Because the only way it would have gone quicker as Brockys a9x is so close to you




: Look at all lap records for the track !!!!!!!! Are typing the right figures :

[Blue Oval Mopar Man]

And who let the ricers in to ask this question anyhow ?????

[ratter]

who's the ricer??

[jd dad]

Where is the fourth option in the poll?
Its the best Motorsport-family friendly as well
Go into the pits at any Drag meet and wander around look in around under any car and talk to the drivers/crew. Try doing that at V8 SC, no chance even there "Grid Walks" the cars are roped off so you cant get within 6 ft of them. The only motorsport that gets close is Speedway though you either have to wait till after the meeting or pay for the privillidge.

[UNRULY]

Now this is SPORT!!!

[protd]

Originally Posted by UNRULY

Now this is SPORT!!!

mate u got the idea show the turkey what its about.. by the way how many motorsports can u get a 6 year old into.. get ur kid a jr dragster and he's off..

[Juiceman]

I believe anything to do with cars or bikes racing is motorsport, no matter how they go about it (ie. straight line, around a track or drifting etc).

So yes, I believe it is a real motorsport.

[jd dad]

Originally Posted by protd

mate u got the idea show the turkey what its about.. by the way how many motorsports can u get a 6 year old into.. get ur kid a jr dragster and he's off..

Need to be 8 mate, but yeah its great fun. Kids grin like a split watermelon

[hot460]

Originally Posted by jabba

Yes.......But it take more balls to go flat out through turn 1 then it does to go flat out down the 1/4....

Are you for real!!!!!!! :

How about next time you go to a DRAG Meet, Try to watch how many drivers have too work the steering wheel alot to keep the cars going straight and keep them off the concrete wall (not grass) lol.

Funny cars are probably the best example of SKILLFULL DRIVING. :eclipsee_
Stand at the back of these things and watch how wild they go down the track. I am sure you will change your opinion.

Ask a V8supercar driver if they'd like to have a drive in a funny car or top fueler and I would bet they LIFT THEIR FOOT way before the 660'. :

[jabba]

QUOTE=hot460]Are you for real!!!!!!! :

How about next time you go to a DRAG Meet, Try to watch how many drivers have too work the steering wheel alot to keep the cars going straight and keep them off the concrete wall (not grass) lol.

Funny cars are probably the best example of SKILLFULL DRIVING. :eclipsee_
Stand at the back of these things and watch how wild they go down the track. I am sure you will change your opinion.

Ask a V8supercar driver if they'd like to have a drive in a funny car or top fueler and I would bet they LIFT THEIR FOOT way before the 660'. :[/QUOTE]
Is that the only bloody post of mine you have read. If so go back and read the rest...

Yes I am serious when I say it take more balls to run through turn one flat out then it take to go flat out down a 1/4 mile....

I have also stated that the boy driving the funny cars, top fuelers have ball the size watermelons.. I would for the anally challenged that I never said once that drag racing is not a sport. I for one say it is.... However I do not believe that it take a great deal of skill to run a 1/4 mile in the cars that 99% of use on here on the forum, particular if there automatic. Craig@ACE is the only one that I now of that owns a funny car, the rest have slightly modded falcons.....

So in say that, Take you 15 to 12sec Falcon and try and put that through turn one at Phillip Island at 200kph+. I bet you can't, in fact I would say most you could not... But I asure you, you could all run down the 1/4 with no problems at all

[AUIIIXR8]

Definetly a real motor sport. It's not like WWF is it

Would be nice to see more cars actually making the full lenth of the track on a more regular basis in the top catagories though.

[4Vman]

Its definately a motorsport.

As a side comparrison of the relative skills of Drag v Curcuit Id be really interested to see how David Grubnic would go trying to complete 1 lap around monarco in an F1 car? (let alone get anywhere near the lapping pace of the F1 guys).
In the same way i wonder how long it would take Mark Webber to go 4 seconds in a T/F rail?
My money would be on Webber to come to terms with a T/F rail MUCH MUCH quicker than Grubnic would in an F1...
Im not saying Elite level Drag races don't posses exceptional skills but to be successful in curcuit racing you need ALL the skills of a drag racer plus the ability to "balance" and control a car through corners on the edge of adhession, co-ordinate gear changes, negotiate traffic and "gaps" and concentrate on applying all those skills for at least 45 mins at a time.

[troppo]

Originally Posted by jabba

QUOTE=hot460]Craig@ACE is the only one that I now of that owns a funny car...

I have a clown car, complete with square wheels. I'll admit it's not that funny but it does give the humurous bone a tickle. :