Wheelies?
 

Wingless cars often pull wheelstands coming out of turns, sometimes wingers do too
I never watched sprint cars until 2010, but was a drag racing fan back in the 1960s, when "wheelies" were common...
My question is, have sprint cars been doing this all along, back in the "good ole days"?
I know it doesn't help, but its cool to see....:8:

Real old days they didn’t have enough tire to wheelie. But they’ve been flying the front as long as I’ve been alive, I’m early 40’s

Re: Wheelies?
 

Thanks... anyone else?:23:

There you go Rev...I removed my post, sorry for agreeing with you and just chiming in on how I think their kool and what I see at tracks. I'm fully aware of what a wheel stand is...I did it all the time as a kid on a bicycle and I do it to this day on ATVs, Pit Bikes, and Sleds. Sorry I wasn't born yet in the time frame your talking about, have a good one.

Re: Wheelies?
 

Cars used not to be so stiff. Used to have the Left wheel three feet in the air all the way around the turns. About the only place you see this now a lot is Terre Haute early. Wheelies really weren't often until Gaerte and other pure engine builders got involved. Also the tires doubled, then tripled in width.

Can remember Dick Gaines on the top of Burg, Running straight and thru the holes, And Butch Wilkerson down low with that left front all jacked up in the air beating himself to death. Dick usually came out on top, But Butch occasionally beat him off. Grant King cars were works of art.

Re: Wheelies?
 

Thanks for the replies
Left front coming up on a turn isn't what i consider a "wheelie", tho
A wheelie is straight up acceleration, light car, short wheelbase.... not a turn
Pretty common on "traditional" sprint cars nowadays. Danny Dietrich seems to do it a lot coming out of turn 4 at Lincoln, Pa. for the wingers

My .02 cent. The engines are lighter now and make a lot more power. To combat the tracks getting slick later in the night the engines are further back in the chassis than the old days. Frames are lighter, bolt on parts are lighter, shocks are better and tires are wider. So to answer your question, yes they do fly the front end more often than the old days. They may look cool but wheelies hurt lap times. Can’t keep the hammer down when the front end is climbing the sky!

Re: Wheelies?
 

Dug up this photo that I purchased years ago, since at the time it looked pretty spectacular. Mark Kinser in the Allan Nott car. Photo credit to Frank Kerker of On The Fence Racing Photography.

Saw Mark win an outlaw show at Pevely in the 90’s. He covered the entire field. He was carrying the front end down the length of both straights and setting it down ever so slightly through the turns. He was so hooked up, he spun, 360, stayed on the power and didn’t lose the lead.

Wheelies are about set up, gearing, and horsepower. If you can’t break the rear tires loose because you’re getting too much forward bite out of your set up, you’ll wheel stand. If you’re gearing is off (and can’t break the rear tires loose), you’ll wheel stand. And it’s not the fastest way around the track.

Re: Wheelies?
 

Pulling the L/F was almost constant in the '60's midgets with narrow tires. It was simply a matter of having weight in the R/F and L/R. And many got carried away with it and picked up an ugly push. In the 70/s; I belie ve the Smokey Snellbaker made a habit of pulling the R/F tire from the flag stand in. And A lot of guys copied it to be fast. I think that a great argument could come up explaining why no wing cars seem to do it more frequently than wing cars that run such severe wing angles that the load is behind the rear wheels and that means that they need the nose wing or the car will be undriveable tight (if they lose the nose wing unexpectedly). But Supermodifieds have the wings almost level?s. Midgets were pulling both front tires at the Chili Bowl 20 years ago without a wing and down at least 50HP compared to today. I vaguely remember a dog fight between Tony Stewart and JJ Yeley both pulling wheelies lap after lap on on the inside down the back, the other on the inside down the front. And neither won or finished second. How is any of this possible?

Re: Wheelies?
 

I don't even remember what you said... no reason to delete anything for my sake, not too easily offended, & I love when people agree with me! :6:

Re: Wheelies?
 

Tire thing makes lots of sense....

Re: Wheelies?
 

You can do one with a sled? wow :8:
But wouldn't that be more of a "runnerie"???? :14:

Re: Wheelies?
 

Sprint Cars are beasts!

The engine would run with any NHRA Pro Stock car.

back before they had speed limits in the pits at Indianapolis is was really cool to watch guys practice pit exit's. Gordon Johncock comes to mind. In 1982 I'm pretty sure he would have waxed Lee Shepherd's Camaro.

Re: Wheelies?
 

Late 70's/80s common engine setback was 39" from rear of motor plate to center of rear axle. 40" became pretty standard in late 80s and early 90s. Now days we see 41" even some 42" motor setback which means the engines are further forward in the chassis.

Justin Grant wouldn't tell anyone but his new Haubstadt chassis that his father-in-law Bubby Jones preached at him to build most likely has the engine setback at 39-40" and lower front torsion tubes to loosen the car and give more forward drive at Haubstadt.

Yeah I can't ride it very long or very high off the ground but 1200cc with my near 3 foot arms and my 270lbs on the very a** end of the sled, I can pull it off the ground for little bit lol

Re: Wheelies?
 

Late eighties, Early 90s I went down to edgewater drag strip (Cleves OH) and somebody had one of Greg Staabs motors in a rail dragster. Id say at the time a top sprint motor was around 700hp and Staab had good stuff. Not the best, far from the worst. Sprint motor at that time in that rail buggy 8.90 quarter mile

Wheelie’s are a great byproduct of big tires and light engines with grip and power. I love it! Another reason I miss old Sante Fe speedway