Class win

[art leong]

Originally Posted by Rich Biebel

Ok Art you got me there. I did my math and come up with 44 classes in 1969
and it looks like 51 today. I forgot that EFI as well as some other classes must have been combined.

My brain was thinking there was more......

I am not a Stock racer anymore and never have been a devout member of that fraternity. I like Stock....I like Super Stock.....always have always will but I also like racing in general and have participated in most all the categories.

My opinion is just that, my opinion. Nothing more and nothing less. I would like to see better racing and not bye runs. When I am at a Lucas type race I always watch Stock and Super Stock some even though I don't race either class. They run Class at a few races and it is still very cool to see when there is a real good race. I even have a class winner plaque from the Dutch in 2006 or 2007. It was awarded to the car who went the fastest. I did not feel I earned it as I did not race anyone and probably would not have won it if we raced for it and others set up their car on kill........I built that car to try and rekindle my desire to run the class....it didn't work for me so I sold it.......

Rich In the seventies when stock as we know it was broght back they were 50 classes A though Z (no S stock) both stick and automatics. At the time you had to win class to get to race on race day no qualifiers. If you lost class you went home.
What you are proposing would kill car counts, so I doubt if NHRA would entertain the idea.
It would also raise the cost of racing in general. Plus, how long do you think it would be till someone entered 2 cars in the same class. To get this supposed increase in class win money?
Right now those that want to can build a fast car and enjoy it, or build a slower car and enjoy it. Singles have nothing at all to do with spectator appeal.
Back in the 90's I ran a low class stocker. Someone bought a car that could run my class. The driver thought it would be more fun to run someone than to to have a single. I had to turn the wick up. Went 1.37 under to assure the win. To me I would rather have us both run a single. (they run you with other cars). And still had bragging rights. There was no feeling of achievment to me (I was getting horsepower anyway so the run didn't matter)

[treessavoy]

Originally Posted by Rich Biebel

To many classes Jim and to many cars making bye runs for a class trophy.
Why can't you get the message? I am pushing for more headsup runs not less......More cars in a class means more heads up runs, fewer winners and those that win deserve the awards.....LIKE it was 40 years ago!

NHRA decided to seperate FI cars from carbureted cars for a few years. Now they are combined again. They could do the same thing with other classes. Some people would be hurt, some people would be helped.......Thats the nature of the category!

My view is real simple......All of the classes are based on arbitrary HP to weight figures and just look at today as an example. New cars with rediculously low HP ratings and NHRA accepts this......What Stocker from the muscle car era could ever hope to run with cars that are going 140 mph....None is the answer and some just got more HP........

Stock Class racing is a far cry from 40 years ago...not even close!

Either make it reasonably fair or make it a purely bracket format and drop the sham of Class racing.....

Rich,

If the problem is too many classes then what changes would you make to lessen the number of classes? How could you do it without making so many cars useless forcing people to quit because their car doesn't fit anywhere?

How about this: do away with required factory weights and keep the posted Hp but allow the cars to be whatever weight the owner wants, then have the NHRA cut the classes to 1lb weight per class.

That way I could take my Max wedge, add 500lbs and race in J/SA or take out 300lbs and race AA/SA; as long as your car met the weight and Hp requirements for the class you declare you would be legal. This would cut the number of classes in half and racers could run the car they like, not one dictated by factory weight/Hp breaks.

JimR

[Jack McCarthy]

how about one simple rule changed back fixes it all...

class winners are the ONLY cars to make the eliminator (or maybe fill to JUST 48 or 64 with qualifiers to eliminate byes in eliminator)...then you would see NO singles and you'd see new cars built for every class... and class should be run when people are there to see the heads up win or go home runs... like the old days > oh yeah tear down all class winners and let the tech guys do thier job.

with the demise of the class winner then the qualifiers make the fields rule NO ONE will ever build a slow car again.

i run U/SA and have often been a solo (albiet can always qualify) why should i get screwed because the other 12 cars (according to nitro joe) chose not to come race me ?

captain jack