Time to pick National Champs...

[GarysZ24]

Originally Posted by Brian VP

First off I would like to start off and say that Brad is an outstanding driver and has a great chance at winning the championship, but to make a statement that it is highly unlikely for anyone to lose in the first round is a little ridiculous. It isnt like this is the NBA and the number 1 guy has the best record and the guy you play in the first round of the playoff has the worst record. You never know who he is going to get. He could get Edmund, Fletcher, Cummings, anybody in the first round. Again Brad is a great driver but against any of these it is a coin toss. You also forgot about slate who is right now just 10 points out and only needs to win 2 rounds to pick up any points. That is what makes sportsman racing so great. No easy rounds, no gimme's. We just have to wait and see.

Although I respect your thoughts on Brads possible 1st rnd demise (and digress my overlooking of "Slate Cummings" prior to todays updated points posting...my apologies to you Slate), I will also respectfully disagree with you for these reasons:

1. To Colorado Stock/Super Stock racers, 'Vegas is a common track to race at because it's much closer to them then half of Div. 5, so the Burton's have been there alot!

2. 'Vegas is a High altitude track, and thus again a track that Colorado (and Div. 5) racers are very familiar with...Kearney, Ne. is about the same altitude as 'Vegas, and Brad has raced there as well. Therefore...

3. Brad is more familiar with what he's going to encounter there than Slate will be...furthermore his father Scott has been racing for several years, and their cars are so similar, that shared info is plentyful.

4. How can you not feel good about Brad's likeliness of at least winning his first round at a familiar track like 'Vegas, when just this year at the most prestigious race of the year (his first time racing there to boot), that he makes it to the final round, at "THE BIG GO"??
I would feel the same about Brad Plourd, Justin Lamb, and Ryan McClannahan (three other young lions who've tasted the success of many 1st rnd wins), thus I'd feel good about all of them winning the first round at every race they'd attend (especially at a track they've frequently raced at)!!!

Now all of that said, since I digress to have now realized you can claim your best 3 of 6 national events, that adds several others to the mix besides Brad, Edmund, and Slate. Lurking behind (and within striking distance of them), are both Jody & Toby Lang, Leo Glasbrenner, Trista Henderson, and Rusty Hall. Therefore as you said, "that is what makes sportsman racing so great", & "we just have to wait and see"!

[burton5809]

No matter who you have a first round win is never a guarantee. Vegas will definitely be fun and interesting!

[Brian VP]

Originally Posted by GarysZ24

Although I respect your thoughts on Brads possible 1st rnd demise (and digress my overlooking of "Slate Cummings" prior to todays updated points posting...my apologies to you Slate), I will also respectfully disagree with you for these reasons:

1. To Colorado Stock/Super Stock racers, 'Vegas is a common track to race at because it's much closer to them then half of Div. 5, so the Burton's have been there alot!

2. 'Vegas is a High altitude track, and thus again a track that Colorado (and Div. 5) racers are very familiar with...Kearney, Ne. is about the same altitude as 'Vegas, and Brad has raced there as well. Therefore...

3. Brad is more familiar with what he's going to encounter there than Slate will be...furthermore his father Scott has been racing for several years, and their cars are so similar, that shared info is plentyful.

4. How can you not feel good about Brad's likeliness of at least winning his first round at a familiar track like 'Vegas, when just this year at the most prestigious race of the year (his first time racing there to boot), that he makes it to the final round, at "THE BIG GO"??
I would feel the same about Brad Plourd, Justin Lamb, and Ryan McClannahan (three other young lions who've tasted the success of many 1st rnd wins), thus I'd feel good about all of them winning the first round at every race they'd attend (especially at a track they've frequently raced at)!!!

Now all of that said, since I digress to have now realized you can claim your best 3 of 6 national events, that adds several others to the mix besides Brad, Edmund, and Slate. Lurking behind (and within striking distance of them), are both Jody & Toby Lang, Leo Glasbrenner, Trista Henderson, and Rusty Hall. Therefore as you said, "that is what makes sportsman racing so great", & "we just have to wait and see"!

Anyone can be beaten anytime by anyone. That is why we do this, the point that I am trying to make is it is a ridiculous statement to say that he is guarenteed a first round win. I hope he does, I like Brad and he is a great young racer but come on. I don't care how familiar one is with a track or altitude or whatever. For what it is worth I have raced at Vegas and to be perfectly honest it was one of the easiest places that I have ever had to dial a car. Due to the lack of humidity, there is a lot less movement in your dial. The biggest problem with dialing in Vegas is the wind and you know what, we all deal with the wind. High altitude, low altitude, east coast, west coast, whatever. And to your last point, what if any of these guys who you feel an extremely likely to win first round actually run Brad in the first. Now what?

[Floyd Staggs]

As was said "Vegas is going to be fun". I won't make the nat'l but now I gotta go to the divisional. Ryan and Leo are both good friends. Leo does my trans work and I've known Ryan since before he was in Jrs. So I guess I'll put the old hay hauler in sst so I'll have a front row seat to really be part of the action. Damn, now I'm getting excited.

[Larry Hill]

I'm picking Edmond! He only has to get to the 3rd round at the national or divisional at Vegas to improve and he is only 13 points behind!

Patsy

[GarysZ24]

To Burton 5809, I'll say...you're right as I know from experience since I've won some races that oddsmakers would've been certain I'd lose, however Brad wouldn't be 1st in national points going into the last three meaningful races of the season if he was a pushover for anyone (case in point his 3rd & 4th rnd opponents at Indy are very successful racers), so I'm giving him some credit that he definitely earned, and if he focuses on the task at hand, then he'd give me reason for my thoughts regardless of who his first rnd opponent is.

Brian, if Brad had to race any of those others that I mentioned, then I'd say may the best racer win, because truly the best racer of that heat would be the winner (or the luckiest, but you make your luck I feel). It's not so much that I'm rooting for him, because I'm also rooting for Jody, Toby, of course my bud Fletch, and Trista, plus Rusty as well in Stock.

Floyd, good luck to you and I'll be rooting for you as well!!!

MAY ALL OF THE BEST (MOST DESERVING) RACERS WIN THEIR FIRST ROUND!!!

[LittleBubba]

how can you count out the baddest duster in the country... dusty lowell is goin all the way.. he's my hero... good luck out there buddy..

[Brian VP]

Go Dusty!!!

[GarysZ24]

Originally Posted by LittleBubba

how can you count out the baddest duster in the country... dusty lowell is goin all the way.. he's my hero... good luck out there buddy..

I'm not counting anybody out who has a good shot of winning the championship, and besides, I was hoping that Dusty could make it out west last year when he had a shot at the title as well. Dusty and especially John Shaul (I haven't forgotten that awesome final between John and Jimmy DeFrank in the Stock Final...I hope it's still on You Tube, because that was as great of a race as was this years Indy A/S Final!). Furthermore, they both drive Mopars, and outside of my car, and Malibu's (such as the one Jody Lang races in S/S), I'm more of a wishful mopar racer than anything else...when my budget improves for me to buy one, look out 'cause I love them Belvedere's, Savoy's, Darts, and Coronet's...Road Runners are very cool too, and I know my bud Steve Wann will make sure it's a running son of a gun too!!!

If Dusty was on the entry list for either of the last two nationals I'd be talking about him as well (he has two more races he can improve on, so I wish he was there!)...heck I just wish for the day that I could have a chance to be in the topic of discussion for the championship....with a fwd car, that would be historic!!!

Larry Hill, I said at the beginning that I felt that Edmond was in a great position, because he can improve on two more races just like Brad can, and he's handled the pressure for years.

I don't think I'm ridiculous for thinking that all of the members of the top 10 are likely to win their first rounds...if you all race the way you did to allow yourselves to be in this position that's hardly ridiculous...moreover if you don't approach your first round with the mindset that you can win, then why would you go to so many races...especially several hundred or more miles away...I don't know about you guys, but I race to win everytime I show up, and I know my car can win but bonehead decisions I've made as the driver, and maintenance guy, have allowed me to lose some winnable races these last 4yrs. Before some of you say that I'm being "ridiculous" again, I'll say that reality does keep anyone from winning all of the races that they participate in, but I bet Mark Faul, Dan Fletcher, Edmond & Scotty Richardson, and any others who race for a living, expect to win not only their first round, but all six/seven of them...if you don't go out there with that mindset, then you've defeated yourself before you even got to the line!!!

[danny waters sr]

I'm going with my ole buddy Slate . I seen him under pressure and it just motivates him even more. In IHRA he has been in this position before and did what he needed to do. Good Luck to all especially You "SlateRock"(nothing personal ,he's just family)