Kawasakis back in NHRA Pro Stock?

It would be nice to see something besides a Buell or Harley win every NHRA prostock race. That's for darn sure. It's been a long time since a Kawasaki did anything in NHRA. I looked back a few years and it looks like the last Kawasaki to qualify was Connie Cohen back in 2010 at a race where only 16 bikes showed up qualified #16. Before that was Neil Jacobs in 2009 and Also Ryan Schnitz in 2009, both in place #16 also at races where only 16 bikes showed up. So in other words we need to do something pretty drastic to get Kawasaki back in the game.

One of the best quotes I've heard on here:

wireman wrote: Im thinking it will probably happen about the same time ford brings back a production run of flat heads with overhead cam hemi head conversion on them to make it nhra legal! :sick: :woohoo:

And I'd definitely buy a limited production KZ based streetbike with an air cooled 16v motor. Hot damn!

Just drop a ZRX head on a 1197. Problem solved. :woohoo:

It's a crying shame that someone as talented as Byron has to be on the receiving end of the complaints

There's really no way you can have a class running to very different engines that is pure in form and function.

If the engines cannot all be the same size, then IMO what is being proved? It's not exciting racing. It leaves both groups of fans without bragging rights. It's just about money...like everything else in the USA these days

Time to totally revise that class. Out with the old bikes and in with the new bikes. No more mixing engine types in the same class. That would bring back the excitement and fun.

JMO

Level playing field is the key. It's not fair when one manufacturer gets a massive cc boost to make up for inefficient design. But the NHRA is not about fairness, it's all about money. Having worked on a Nitro Funnycar team in the mid 90's, I got to experience some the the NHRA money driven things first hand.

I preferred the old naked prostock bikes of the 70's and 80's - the likes of Bob Carpenter & Terry Vance. You could see the engine back then...

Jeff.Saunders wrote: Level playing field is the key. It's not fair when one manufacturer gets a massive cc boost to make up for inefficient design. But the NHRA is not about fairness, it's all about money. Having worked on a Nitro Funnycar team in the mid 90's, I got to experience some the the NHRA money driven things first hand.

I preferred the old naked prostock bikes of the 70's and 80's - the likes of Bob Carpenter & Terry Vance. You could see the engine back then...

your stock is rising Jeff!

Yea, those were the days. I went to quite a few NMRA races if anyone remembers that. It was NHRA, but an entire national event series run with motorcycles only. This is where you had your professional Top Fuel, Funny Bike and Prostock class, then the sportsman classes, Procomp, modified, Super Stock ect, just like NHRA does with cars but with motorcycles. Everything sportsman was run on the index system, so you don't do your own dial ins. It was really great racing. They even had the smaller CC version of Prostrock, which I forget what the class was called, but was mainly GS750s and KZ650s running in prostock fashion. The Prostock motorcycles didn't run any events with the cars, we had our own series. All good looking bikes back then if I may offer my opinion and was a great time to enjoy motorcycle drag racing.
My friend Rick Horn Running D/MT in Fremont, CA


Good Looking B/Modified at Englishtown, NJ


Parking area at E Haddam, Connecticut

RonKZ650 wrote: Good Looking B/Modified at Englishtown, NJ

Do I spy an airbox???

RonKZ650 wrote: Yea, those were the days. I went to quite a few NMRA races if anyone remembers that. They even had the smaller CC version of Prostrock, which I forget what the class was called, but was mainly GS750s and KZ650s running in prostock fashion.

Hey Ron an old buddy of mine had the National #2 plate on his tricked out KZ650 for a couple years back in those days. I can't remember his last name but his first was Joe and went by "loco Joe". We had lots of fun racing each other but our bikes were so close the race was over once we went into second gear.
Mark

the nhra needs to wake up
as well as nascar
when was the last time you saw any one race in or on a stock anything?
i think the "s" in nascar stands for stock
i think the "stock" in prostock means modified stock
WTF ever happenend to the good old days?
bunch of babies running round these days

les holt wrote: Ray Bellucci, the man was fast! And not at just prostock. I seen one of his motors make 217 hp at the rear wheel, all MOTOR! Button start with a 900 head, not no J model or GPZ head. This motor is still on the street in, well, lets just say it's around. :evil:

Les

I've seen Ray run out at Byron. The above is probably true. Last I heard he was working at a Home Depot for the insurance. He was fast!

Joe Koenig or something to that effect is the Joe I remember. This guy started on KZ650 in the mini prostock class and I think he was the guy that then ran the Yamaha 750 Seca that blew everyone off the track. Yes a shaft drive Yamaha dominated at one time and I think it was kind of the same thing as we see now on the Harleys, the Yamaha got extra weight breaks, could run the bigger CCs ect. All in all though it was still great. For some reason about 1983 or 84 they disolved the NMRA then ran alternating prostock and top fuel at a few regular NHRA national events, probably to do with money. The racers were out in force at the motorcycle national events, but they didn't get 20,000 spectators at $50 a day, so not worth the effort. About the same time back in 82 or so they got the bright idea that they could run many, many cars on a 9.90 index and call it Super Gas, with no rules to enforce, then super street and super comp. They got like 300 entries in these classes. Gone was modified eliminator, where the cool factory muscle cars ran like Mike Edwards if anyone recalls the name who runs Prostock cars now, used to run an old Ford Maverick in modified when he was like 22 years old. Now we have a bunch of cars running the same index.