RE-TIRED
I read (Burk's) article on the Outlaw 10.5 cars. I am myself
a member of the ORSCA. I am currently building one of the
true 10.5" tire cars. This class requires the tires
to measure 10.5" and no more or you go home. We are
also not allowed to use wheelie bars of any kind. The engine,
however, is not restricted in any way.
I have raced both classes, and agree on the cost standpoint.
We were unable to keep up financially, so we decided to
step down a class, but not to abandon the fastest growing
drag racing family in the sport. The Outlaw guys have always
been allowed to use a 10.5"W" even since the first
race as far as I know. We have owned two Limited Street
Cars, One Outlaw 10.5 car, as well as an EZ Street car so
we know the ins and outs of each class. I will admit that
it is fairly hard to find any type of real sponsor help
for any of these classes. Luckily there are a number of
title sponsors that don't feel the same way, but we currently
have no sponsor.
I just wanted to email you and tell you that I enjoyed
your article, but the class was designed to be run on the
"W" tire, so why add insult to injury by saying
that it should be called Outlaw 12-inch? The tire manufacturers
have worked very hard to produce a good tire that will remain
stable at speeds approaching 200mph. We have run into the
same problem with the new M/T tire in the Drag Radial classes,
as I am sure you have heard that they were outlawed because
they work that much better than the BFG's. Is this fair
to M/T? Not really, but it is because of politics, and in
most cases BFG donates a lot to the organizations as well
as sponsoring most radial tire classes. I really think that
this is the type of thing you should hit on next as this
just seems unfair to me and I don't even race in this class,
or Outlaw 10.5 either for that matter.
We are one of the crazy ones that still does it with true
10.5's and no bars. The ORSCA is the only organization that
will even back this type of racing. FFW, and NMRA both require
wheelie bars on any of their fast 10.5" cars whether
they are using "W's" or not. Just some info to
think about.
Keep up the writing, we enjoy the articles.
Thanks,
Marshall Hancock
Hancock Racing
ORSCA L/S #49
NO MORE DUBYA
Your article entitled "GOODYEAR'S NOT GOING ANYWHERE"
hit the nail right on the head. Great Job! Call it like
you see it, I love it, 12" Outlaw. LOL. I wish the
sanctioning bodies would mandate a real 10.5 tire no W.
Regards,
Bill Gardiner
STILL TIRED
Sorry Jeff, I disagree with you about renaming Outlaw 10.5.
I don't see nobody racing to rename "Funny Car"
when "Fuel Coupe" is more accurate to a first
time spectator. I agree that sooner or later it will probably
get out of hand due to rising costs, but show me one exciting
class that hasn't had this problem. Not even Pro Mod can
boast of the parity that exists in Outlaw 10.5 racing.
As for Limited Street, that's easy, those guys are probably
the most outrageous class in all of drag racing right now.
Think of them as the old Modified class on steroids when
they launch. As long as this type of racing stays on the
1/8th mile, I think it will be around for a long time!
John Fore III
Lithonia, GA
UTTERLY SELF CENTERED?
Mr. Burk;
I don't write to people like you much. I believe that you
are going to do what you want no matter what someone like
me says. However I have to get this off my chest. I have
been reading Drag Racing Online for a long time. I like
most of the articles. I like your editorials they are right
on. But I have had it with Mr. Utterback's Nostalgia editorial
-- It is all about me-me and not about what I consider Nostalgia
racing. I believe only once has he ever written anything
about what is happing outside his world. I believe he should
find out what happening all over the country in the nostalgia
movement. I think more people would be interested, in what
is going on somewhere else besides Jeff's world.
Again, you are going to do what best for your magazine
and that I understand, but enough is enough of Jeff's world.
John Dearmore
Texas
