[rh2469]

I was picking up my sons Hot-Wheels (again :thud and grabbed a Tom "Mongoose" McEwen C-3 funny car. It made me think, the last Corvette I remember in the pro ranks was Jim Epler (not sure about spelling, or the years). If I remember correctly he did not win much in the time he raced the Corvette, it could have been 2 seasons. I was excited to see the Corvette banging it out with the Mustangs on the 1/4 mile. Is there a specific reason Corvette doesn't have more of a presence in the pro ranks. There are a ton of Corvettes in the sportsman's ranks but no pro, why not?

After looking I found this about Jim Epler, the year was 1998 and the sponsor was Ecklers & Easy Care...but nothing more on Corvette and NHRA Pro Ranks

http://www.nhraonline.com/wklynews/1998news/news7-12-98.html

 

[rh2469]

Bump :huh:

 

[BlackDog82]

after having my computer on the fritz for a few days, I just noticed this topic ~ maybe I have some answers... and they might be correct, too!
:smack

I have heard that teams estimate about $60,000 in a state-of-the-art carbon-fiber body (painted & tinned), so they ask-for/expect help (sponsorship) from the Auto Manufacturer:
Chevrolet / GM doesn't believe they have anything to gain by shoving money into a Corvette at the drag-strip, as most Corvette-guys go-around corners, so they fund teams that agree to use other bodies (Monte Carlo, Impala, etc.)

I remember hearing that Chevrolt / GM gave Epler a hard-time when he ran a Corvette-body on his car, but that may've been 10-15 years ago:
I seem to think it was a C5-body, so it may've been after 1997

???

I also recall in 1990, when John Force ran Cutlass-bodies, but had lost several to fires near the end of the season ~ when Oldsmobile called Force, asking what they could do to help his chances at winning the Championship, he asked to have a new body waiting for him at each of the last 3-4 races:
I was later told that Oldsmobile did just-that, and although Force didn't use them, they were available to him in-case he did need them, courtesy of Oldsmobile.

I believe that Ford assisted Force in constructing recent NHRA-approved Mustang bodies (possibly giving his team time in their wind-tunnel, and allowing them to see Ford's-own aero-data):
if someone knows different, please correct my comments

 

[BonneRisque]

"Ford and Chrysler realize this"

Drag racing is making a come back

http://www.mopar.com/performance/dragpak.html

http://www.stangtv.com/forum/2010-super-cobra-jet-factory-8-a-6026.html

8sec quarter mile

I could give a Crap about watching "too many cars" drive around in circles

But I love Drag racing *

It's pure "Americana" :nuts:

 

[rh2469]

I could give a Crap about watching "too many cars" drive around in circles

But I love Drag racing *

It's pure "Americana" :nuts:

:agree: I grew up in a city next to Pomona Ca. and we could hear the nitro classes run from our back porch, and it kicked ass.
I also agree with what BlackDog82 wrote. I think Ford threw out all stops to put the Castrol Ford team on top, and they did it in a BIG way. But we are still left with the question, why doesn't GM/Chevrolet sponsor at least one Corvette Pro team? Come on GM, someone has the answer :smack

 

[BonneRisque]

I think BlackDog is on his Mark

But, Most of us New Gen vette & Camaro guys are building light weight quick off the line street/strip Combo's

A car that can Carve canyons as well as Drag race on the weekends,

Alot of the Smart aftermarket guys like ECS, LG Motorsports, Phadt Cater the New Gen Crew

They realize we want light fast cars that handle

Ford Made over a Billion $$$ Profit last year

And Drag racing is part of their Marketing Scheme

GM had better get on board or their going to get left behind

This Guy ***General Motors***

Tim Lynch

 

[BlackDog82]

... why doesn't GM/Chevrolet sponsor at least one Corvette Pro team?

like I say, Chevrolet / GM just doesn't feel they'd gain market-share with the Corvette-crowd by sponsoring a Corvette-bodied flopper, as they feel the drag-racing fan who wears a Bow-Tie on his cap has always been a Camaro / Nove / Chevelle kind-of-guy, and I believe that they are correct:
I'll give an example

when I moved to Florida almost 5 years ago, we had a Corvette-only class at a pair of strips that ran once-a-month, almost year-round ~ despite Interweb hype, and tuner-shops on every street-corner eager for bragging-rights as-to 'who builds the quickest & fastest Corvettes in-town', we would be lucky to get more-than a dozen racers at any event, and both Series eventually died on the vine:
it seems that most Corvette-owners will gladly fork-over big-bucks to a builder / tuner-shop to get a 500 HP (or-more)dyno-sheet, but they wouldn't dream of going to the strip, using that power as-intended, and having an ET-slip in their pockets

I never got a stiff pee-pee over a dyno-sheet