{"id":90070,"date":"2023-10-20T16:19:14","date_gmt":"2023-10-20T16:19:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/drag-racing\/uncategorized\/pro-alcohol-drag-racing-series-seeks-to-take-alcohol-racing-to-the-next-level\/"},"modified":"2023-10-20T16:19:14","modified_gmt":"2023-10-20T16:19:14","slug":"pro-alcohol-drag-racing-series-seeks-to-take-alcohol-racing-to-the-next-level","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/drag-racing\/uncategorized\/pro-alcohol-drag-racing-series-seeks-to-take-alcohol-racing-to-the-next-level\/","title":{"rendered":"Pro Alcohol Drag Racing Series Seeks to Take Alcohol Racing to the Next Level"},"content":{"rendered":"

Since the early 2000s, the NHRA Lucas Oil Series\u2019 Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car classes have been seen by many as feeder classes for Top Fuel and Funny Car. After all, numerous current Top Fuel and Funny Car drivers spent time in the alcohol ranks before moving up to the \u201cbig show.\u201d But Kevin and Kris Hool, two brothers who have competed in Top Alcohol Funny Car for more than 30 years, are trying to change the narrative with their new Pro Alcohol Drag Racing (PADR) series. Their vision is for the alcohol classes to be <\/span>the destination<\/span>, not a stop along the way.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

[Editor\u2019s Note: This story originally appeared in DI #184, the State of Drag Special Issue, in September\/October of 2023.]<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cOur main emphasis is geared toward team ownership in the alcohol ranks,\u201d says Kevin, who tunes the brothers\u2019 K&K Motorsports Top Alcohol Funny Car driven by Kris. \u201cWe do not believe that the primary purpose of alcohol racing is to populate the nitro ranks. We\u2019ve been racing in alcohol for over 30 years, and in that time 95 percent of the teams we have encountered have shown little to no interest in racing in Top Fuel or Funny Car. Alcohol racing isn\u2019t the minor leagues of fuel racing. Instead, we want Pro Alcohol Drag Racing to be the major leagues of alcohol racing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

PADR is still in the planning phases, with the goal of launching a schedule of six events in 2024. The touring quarter-mile series will feature screw-blown, clutch-equipped, methanol-burning Funny Cars competing in a unique format. The series plans to have eight-car qualified fields, with winners advancing and losers dropping to another bracket to continue racing. A full eight-car field will provide all drivers with three runs on race day. Payouts and bonus points will be distributed based on how drivers finish in positions 1 through 8.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOn Sunday, you\u2019re going to see many more pairs of racing,\u201d Hool says. \u201cYou\u2019ve got people in the seats, you\u2019re going to have cars on the racetrack. Rather than the standard eight-car format, which is seven runs total, we\u2019re going to offer a track 12 runs on race day itself.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The series will also use a modified Pro tree, where the green light and all three amber bulbs will be triggered simultaneously to signal the start of the race. There will not be a .400 delay between the green and ambers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe drivers and teams that have worked hard at making themselves and their cars quicker and more efficient are being penalized by the current .400 Pro tree system,\u201d Hool says. \u201cThe modern Alcohol Funny Car has simply outpaced the current starting structure, and the PADR believes it\u2019s time for a change to make Alcohol Funny Car racing better. Everyone wants to see and appreciate which drivers and cars are the best at reacting to the light, not who\u2019s the best at \u2018delaying\u2019 their reaction to the light. Let\u2019s find out who really is the best at the starting line, in both car and driver.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt will also eliminate at least 99 percent of the red lights,\u201d Hool adds. \u201cThat\u2019s another thing tracks are really open to. During red lights, a guy will normally just idle it down track knowing he\u2019s red lit, so it takes the excitement of the run out of race day. This will eliminate most of the red lights, so you\u2019ll have much more side-by-side racing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In an effort to keep costs and performance levels in check, PADR will limit the number of parts each team can bring to each race. Each team will be allowed two engine blocks, two crankshafts, and two sets of cylinder heads for use during each event. Additionally, a point penalty will be assessed for any engine block or crankshaft replacement during qualifying or eliminations. If a team goes through its allocation of those limited parts, they\u2019re considered out of competition. There\u2019s no penalty or limit on parts like valves, valve springs, pistons, connecting rods, and other consumables.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you think about it, drag racing is the only major motorsport in the world that doesn\u2019t have a limit on how many parts you can use during an event, or even during race day,\u201d Hool says. \u201cThe whole destroying engines and \u2018Hey, I\u2019ve got more in the trailer\u2019 thing, that\u2019s got to stop or this sport as a whole is really in trouble. Even Formula One, the richest racing series in the world by far, still limits their teams to three engines, three complete power units, per year. Drag racing in general, not just alcohol racing, is going to have to start taking a look at that. You can\u2019t limit costs or performance by telling racers <\/span>what<\/span> they can bring. You can only limit costs and performance by telling them <\/span>how many<\/span> they can bring. We\u2019re going to institute that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hool believes limiting the number of parts used will be more effective than limiting the development of those parts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you want to bring a better set of cylinder heads than what I have, if you\u2019re talented enough and if you know enough to put a better set of heads together, bring them,\u201d Hool asserts. \u201cWe\u2019re opening up that kind of technology. We\u2019re not going to have any cylinder head rules. But you can only bring two sets.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

PADR\u2019s mission is not just to reduce the costs associated with alcohol racing, but also to increase the opportunities for publicity and revenue.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe are working hard to provide the highest-paying prize package and the best promotional programs available in alcohol racing,\u201d says Hool, who also notes there won\u2019t be entry fees for PADR teams. \u201cWe are working with tracks that love Alcohol Funny Car racing to make sure that alcohol teams are \u2018the show\u2019 and not the program filler cars that are stuck in the staging lanes as spectators leave the facility. The best drivers in drag racing, driving the toughest cars to drive in drag racing, deserve better, and that\u2019s why we are here.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The series has already attracted the attention of sponsors. DMP Awnings came on board as the official awning supplier, and NGK Spark Plugs recently signed on as the official spark plug and ignition technology company. They\u2019ve also labeled it the American Energy Pro Alcohol Drag Racing series to promote U.S. oil and gas initiatives.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re in contact with almost 20 different energy companies across the nation right now to see if they want to get involved with their advertising dollars and help the series out a little bit,\u201d Hool says. \u201cWe\u2019re going to hopefully spread the word about American energy, including the average guy out there putting a hole in the ground to get oil out. We\u2019re going to highlight those small companies.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Several current touring Top Alcohol Funny Car drivers, including Kevin\u2019s brother Kris, have already committed to competing in PADR\u2019s inaugural season. The ultimate goal, though, is to entice entirely new teams to make the jump up to the class. Hool believes PADR\u2019s unique format will level the playing field while also giving younger teams with smaller budgets the opportunity to make more passes and gain the experience necessary to compete with established teams.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have raced full-time, for a living, competing in 15 to 19 races per season, for almost 15 years now,\u201d Hool says. \u201cWe have done all that on a very modest budget. You can race competitively on a budget and you can make money. We want to bring that experience to Pro Alcohol Drag Racing and build alcohol racing back to healthy levels.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hool realizes his goals are bold, and the series\u2019 approach is a unique one, but he\u2019s prepared to step out and take on the challenge. He sees the need for change in the alcohol racing community, and he feels PADR might offer the solutions to some of the problems plaguing the class.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMany have asked how we are going to do all this,\u201d he says. \u201cI answer, \u2018I don\u2019t know, but if we wait until we know everything, we are going to be too late.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

The post Pro Alcohol Drag Racing Series Seeks to Take Alcohol Racing to the Next Level<\/a> first appeared on Drag Illustrated | Drag Racing News, Opinion, Interviews, Photos, Videos and More<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Since the early 2000s, the NHRA Lucas Oil Series\u2019 Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car classes have been seen by many as feeder classes for Top Fuel and Funny Car. After all, numerous current Top Fuel and Funny Car drivers spent time in the alcohol ranks before moving up to the \u201cbig show.\u201d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-90070","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90070","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=90070"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90070\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90070"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=90070"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=90070"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}