DI Roundtable: Van Wagnen, Buck, Hachat Discuss Doorslammers Stealing The Show, Future Schedules & More!|

We've got NHRA racing this weekend – in Indy, of course, since it is 2022 after all – and so information technology'due south time for the DI guys to discuss what they're expecting, who will steal the show and if we'll see another race outside of Indy this year.

All that and more in the latest DI Roundtable with Nate Van Wagnen, Wes Buck and Josh Hachat.

QUESTION: NHRA is dorsum at Indy for a third time in less than a month. With the Force news official and seemingly every single possible course at the track this weekend, what do y'all have your eyes on this weekend?

NATE: I'm really interested to watch the Peak Alcohol classes. I'm a lilliputian biased hither, equally I grew up around these classes, but this is a group that hasn't raced much at all this year, especially in the Midwest. There have been a couple regional races and the Winternationals had the Top Alcohol cars to start the season, so Pinnacle Alcohol Funny Machine had the adventure to race at the terminal Mid-W Drag Racing Series race a few weekends back.

But this is going to be well-nigh of these racers' first "national event" of the season, though NHRA is treating this as a regional result for Meridian Alcohol and a bounded for the other sportsman classes. That means the alcohol racers are trying to qualify for an viii-car field, and I'm sure there volition be plenty of cars heading home later what should be some tense qualifying sessions.

JOSH: This is an absolute bonanza of a weekend in Indy and if there's a strength in numbers aspect that gives the NHRA some momentum to finish out 2020, I'm all for information technology. At that place volition be cars galore at Lucas Oil Raceway this weekend, as more than 600 cars are expected to exist in attendance. These days, those are incredible numbers. We're seeing sportsman cars out in force, full fields in pro categories and a lot of classes involved this weekend as well. Kudos to NHRA and the hundreds of racers for filling the pits, as that scene alone should indicate what's possible when everyone in the sport comes together.

With fans nevertheless allowed to attend this race and the upcoming U.Due south. Nationals – as well as coverage on Fob – I think it actually has a chance to exist a galvanizing weekend. Listen, there's a lot of bleak outlooks with everything going on, merely I actually think there'southward a lot of positives to be found in a weekend like this, building on a race that drew some major eyeballs to Play a trick on a few weeks ago.

Sure, the Top Fuel and Funny Motorcar categories aren't loaded with supreme talent, and the loss of JFR and no Tony Schumacher hurts that, but there's a lot working in an encouraging direction. That'southward what I'm looking forward to seeing, and I hope the sport comes out of the weekend looking strong and feeling as though it'southward viable and relevant in the midst of some pretty hairy times.

WES: I'g looking for doorslammer drag racing to steal the show again. I think that's my primary takeaway from all this, and it'due south something that I've been preaching forever. I see Pro Stock and Pro Mod, specifically, as ii of the almost viable options in existence for growing the sport of drag racing. I hate to say it, but I expect at Elevation Fuel and Funny Auto and wonder if we're looking at a brand of drag racing that may soon exist extinct. The stiff participation in Pro Stock and Pro Mod – loftier-level, top-tier participation – among a global pandemic is hard to ignore. If I'm NHRA…I'k laying the groundwork this offseason and over the course of the next few years to plough Pro Stock and/or Pro Mod into my marquee offering, or at least a standalone plan.

I'chiliad also excited to see Mount Motor Pro Stock striking the quarter-mile. While these MMPS exhibitions at NHRA national events have certainly created some split in the category, I understand and recognize the want of and then many racers to – at least once – compete on the grand stage that is NHRA championship drag racing. To see them get to do it at Indy is even more special.

QUESTION: Pro Mod will race this weekend, besides as Pro Stock and Mountain Motor Pro Stock, which makes its 2022 debut in NHRA. Of the iii, which one is your best bet to steal the testify?

NATE: Pro Mod will probably follow upwardly its thrilling debut at Indy 2 with more great racing this weekend, but I'm also betting on Mountain Motor Pro Stock. Nearly of the drivers in this course have been racing in 8th-mile competition in PDRA Extreme Pro Stock since that series started its season in May, so they've had fourth dimension to work on their setup from the starting line to the 660-foot mark. JR Carr and his new Frank Gugliotta-tuned Camaro have been nearly flawless, and I'm certain they'll continue that this weekend. Johnny Pluchino fabricated his debut in the class last season, and with 2 PDRA wins in three races so far, he's a heavy favorite to pick up his first Wally this weekend.

JOSH: I'm genuinely excited that we'll have an affluence of doorslammer action this weekend. 3 different classes, dozens of peachy drivers and we know each of them volition be trying to outdo one another. That's probably especially true for Pro Stock and Mountain Motor Pro Stock, as MMPS will be really trying to up the ante this weekend. Truth be told, though, information technology'southward hard to bet against the Pro Modern class.

Terminal fourth dimension nosotros had all 4 different power adders in the semifinals and three of the four semifinalists going after their beginning victory. The course really carried things the terminal time in Indy – especially during qualifying – so to take three killer doorslammer classes this weekend is really a big deal and something I hope gets plenty of attention. KB Racing looked to exist dorsum in acme form after a slow start to the year, which means things will really heat upward betwixt them and Aristocracy Motorsports, while seeing the MMPS course run quarter-mile – how the class is meant to exist run, in my humble opinion – will exist stellar.

So, I'm copping out and picking all three because I think all iii will steal the show and, truthfully, I think they will have to in society to brand it a standout weekend.

WES: Shit. I got a little ahead of myself and started rambling about this a petty early. I went scarlet, I think.
Anyway, I await for Pro Mod to steal the bear witness, honestly. There'southward just so much momentum there…it'southward difficult to overlook. I am a passionate Pro Stock fan; I dearest the nuances of Pro Stock racing, the unique challenges information technology presents, the hyper-contest, the manually-shifted transmissions and the many other things, but with it's 250-plus mph trap speeds, five-second elapsed times and guardwall-to-guardwall unpredictability, Pro Modern has sizzle that few other classes exercise.

While some would argue that the readily bachelor parts and engine combinations of Pro Mod make it less attractive than say Pro Stock, where you have literal pieces of mechanical and technological artwork between the frame track, I do call up this is something that keeps Pro Mod growing while other categories have plateaued or started in the wrong management.Peradventure I'k going too deep hither. Possibly.

That said, I'll end with a vote for Johnny Pluchino to follow-upwardly his recent PDRA Extreme Pro Stock victory with a win in Indy. I dearest how excited and passionate this racing family is, and I retrieve they're on a hot streak right now that will likely continue at Lucas Oil Raceway.

QUESTION: We asked this a few weeks ago, only as the dominoes continue to fall (no fans at Indy 500, etc) and no end in sight, let'southward ask again: Will there be a NHRA race outside of Indy in 2020?

NATE: I'thou far less confident than the last time this question was asked. Looking at the next few races on the schedule, NHRA is supposed to head to Atlanta subsequently this weekend. I'm hearing that race is a big maybe. From the racer standpoint, information technology'south a hard sell to convince some of these smaller teams to drag their stuff down to Atlanta from Indy, where a lot of teams accept left their rigs since the kickoff two Indy races and where they'll demand to be again at the terminate of the calendar month for the U.S. Nationals.

Looking past the U.South. Nationals, you have the Maple Grove race. PDRA just moved their late August race from Maple Grove to Virginia considering the Pennsylvania governor's role wouldn't fifty-fifty respond to the track'south request for an exception to the state'south limit on spectator gatherings. Volition the state respond more favorably – or respond at all – to the NHRA event just a few weeks subsequently? Information technology'due south hard to tell, but my bet is no.

JOSH: I'm with Nate. I had my optimistic glasses on as recently as two weeks agone, but it seems like things have taken a sudden and rather large turn for the worse. Considering all the restrictions and bad news we've seen and read about during this mess, it's hard to believe a large turn for the worse was still possible, but here we are.

The Indy 500 shockingly appear no fans, race dates in other series and motorsports are beingness cancelled and it seems like a forgone conclusion that any upcoming non-Indy NHRA race is going to be wiped out. I was confident Atlanta was going to happen a few weeks agone, but I've totally reversed course on that, and everything in September doesn't look good, either.

It's going to be difficult for the already large list of "postponed" races to non get outright "cancellations" which is a major punch to the gut. I'm still holding out hope that races like Bristol, Houston and Dallas will take place, and perchance nosotros can all head to Gainesville in the late fall – properly distanced, of course – just with each passing week it seems more and more unlikely.

WES: No chance. I hate to be the uber-negative i in the group, but we have to be realistic at some betoken. I think we're creeping up on a signal in time where the respectful, honorable affair to practice is throw in the towel. How long do you keep everyone guessing? How long do you keep anybody dancing? At some point very shortly I believe information technology'd make the about sense to give people the opportunity to just regroup.

Right now, with all this stuff up in the air, it's difficult to do anything effectively. Plans are changing, schedules are changing, you spend a tremendous amount of time just contending with logistics – there'due south hardly an opportunity to try to improve in any way. Especially considering that I don't feel there'south any upside right at present; at that place'due south no real fashion to "win" in 2022 other than to survive and that's what we demand to exist focused on right now.

A couple months ago – hell, a couple weeks ago – I would have tried to sell you on NHRA using the residue of 2022 to do something explosive – throw a big money nitro shootout or special, spectacular dark race. With those opportunities having seemingly passed (not actually, simply it having become painfully obvious they aren't going to happen), I see no sense in fighting then hard to practice watered down NHRA national events with limited fans and limited upside in whatever realm. Particularly if the rumors are true that NHRA has fulfilled their sponsorship obligations to Mello Yello and won't exist asked to return any sponsorship dollars.

Allow'southward pack information technology in and turn our attention toward a improve life – and improve race flavor – in 2021.

QUESTION: Continuing along the lines of "what happens next" how confident are you lot that the motorsports world'southward trade prove season goes on every bit planned?

NATE: I hate to say it, because I really look forward to the SEMA Show in Vegas and the PRI Bear witness in Indy, but I really don't run across any mode these 2 major merchandise shows can happen in this environment. The Consumer Electronics Show (CES), probably the largest trade prove in Las Vegas, already appear it's going digital for its 2022 show.

Every bit for PRI, it seems like 30% of the people who attend the show go home with a serious cold or the "PRI flu." These merchandise shows are a prime environment for contagions. I don't see the city, county or state officials allowing PRI to happen at all in December. If it did happen, the precautionary measures that would need to be in place wouldn't go far worthwhile, in my stance.

JOSH: I'm nearly equally confident equally any of these races happening in August and September, which as I've stated above, is non confident at all. We saw SEMA become wiped out for 2020, and PRI can't be far backside considering information technology's in a cold climate during the middle of flu and "whatever else we accept to deal with" season. But information technology as well begs the question: how will these types of shows react and recover?

It'south admittedly impossible to stand pat in this electric current climate unless you quickly desire to become irrelevant and not needed, and then SEMA and PRI are going to have to figure something out. Pivoting during this time has immune some businesses in other industries to thrive in this time, and nosotros've seen racers wanting to race in tape numbers this year.

The market seems to be relatively stable – and even growing in some respects – and so information technology's up to these merchandise shows to change with the times and circumstances. Is it a traveling road show? Perhaps adding in some worthwhile digital experience? I'yard not certain, just if they stand pat, we may non take to worry nigh traveling to Indy in the center of winter.

WES: These two trade shows are extremely of import to our industry. They represent i of the best opportunities for businesses to get face up-to-face with customers in an environment that lends itself to conversation and sales. Considering SEMA has already thrown in the towel for 2022 and things in our world don't seem to be stabilizing or improving too rapidly, I'd say PRI will announce they're turning their focus to 2022 in the next two or three weeks also.

Josh makes an extremely potent point here. The big fear has to be allowing our industry to find out they don't need these trade shows and conventions. I'm prepared to argue that we practise, but I think SEMA and PRI had better get prepared to brand that pitch themselves here pretty quickly. I think it's going to exist fourth dimension for some level of reinvention. I could see these events condign more sectional – harder to get into, perhaps fifty-fifty more expensive.

As a business possessor that displays at PRI and has for a decade, whatsoever increase in the cost to display makes my stomach turn, but if participation falls off, I don't know that they'll be able to reduce rates. I'd say they'll exist cranking them upward. However, with those increased rates will exist every bit increased pressure on the trade shows to provide massive value to both exhibitors and attendees…and that's something I tin can become on board with.

Wild times, guys. That'south for sure.