Live from Phoenix - NHRA Arizona Nationals

[Jack Matyas]

We're done for the day --best as I can tell so far we are to resume tomorrow morning .......more as it becomes available .

[AC]

Originally Posted by Jack Matyas

We're done for the day --best as I can tell so far we are to resume tomorrow morning .......more as it becomes available .

no sportman racing tomorrow, just the pros

[Toby Lang]

Sportsman is supposed to run next Friday.


-Toby

[W J]

Holding everyone competing in Sportsman almost another full week is going to be a very expensive proposition for MANY involved....Is NHRA being run by the same people running Washington??? Surely seems that way..... WJ

[Jack Matyas]

Sitting here at the Phoenix Sky Harbor airport I'm reflecting back on the last week -- talk about wasting time - I've done almost nothing but sit around and bench race most days with the exception of making a few passes on Friday and Saturday .Great R&R but by now I'm bigtime bored and ready to get back to work - that will happen only if and when I get on a plane home - yep , because of leaving late I'm flyin' standby again and crossing my fingers as I'm not feeling lucky . Luck is what I'll need when I get home and try to explain to the Mrs. that I'm thinking of coming back Thursday night -- it makes perfect sense to me -- pick-up a divisional and a national in the same weekend for the same money -- plenty of hits on the same track - same lights etc. And I'm told 1st round of the national will be random pairings .All good news -- and if I can stay away from "Bad Brad" maybe I can go a few rounds .

Yesterday at the track was an experience - talk about drama - rain - crashes - cold track and plenty of unhappy racers - both Pro and Sportsman alike - many left last night swearing they'll never be back -- we'll see . Later ..............

PS - Pictured below are the heros of this race - the Safety Safari members - they worked hard all week -- in these pictures they are cleaning up an oildown in the pits - like I said - plenty of drama .......................

[W J]

Safe trip, Jack.....you're probably going to be flying into some weather. New England is supposed to have rain and (where I am) snow from Tues.-Thurs... Unfortunate wknd. for sure at Phoenix...Maybe you give a couple of the native Americans who own that land out there a ride or 2 down the track in the "CHIEFTAN" and they in return will do a sun dance or 2 for you guys who go back there next Thursday. WJ

[Toby Lang]

Originally Posted by Jack Matyas

And I'm told 1st round of the national will be random pairings .All good news -- and if I can stay away from "Bad Brad" maybe I can go a few rounds .

Unless they have changed it, there are no heads-up races during random pairings. If you are lined up with somebody in your class, just tell the staging director and they will pull out the person behind you to run in your place.


-Toby

[GarysZ24]

What's crummy about all of this waiting until Friday stuff, is the track has been perfectly dry since about 3pm (my works delivery route has me passing by the track up to 6x's per day, so I could see the mostly clear skies over F.I.R.). I got home from work quick enough to see Cory McClenahan run a 3.81 @ nearly 317mph, so the track had some teeth to it, and the sun was out so good that they surely could've begun running all of the sportsman classes this afternoon (granted a bit cool, but no worse than running 'Vegas in Nov.!), and thus those who had to leave due to work requirements could've stayed an extra day and possibly got the race in this evening?

Now, Fridays qualifying is going to be messed up due to the race being run that day, instead of Thursday (who decided Friday over Thursday anyway, and why)??? I know of at least three Stock racers (I being one), plus Comp., and Super Street, who couldn't be at the national event but will be at the divisional, that are possibly going to suffer fewer qualifying hits than normal because of this...thus I'm anxious to see the schedule for the run order Friday....I just hope they put some good thinking into it, and look at the big picture (not just at completing last weeks race)!!!

[Toby Lang]

Originally Posted by GarysZ24

Now, Fridays qualifying is going to be messed up due to the race being run that day, instead of Thursday (who decided Friday over Thursday anyway, and why)???

Thursday is test-n-tune which is run by the track. Which means all proceeds go to the track. You should know by now that they never mess with the test-n-tune day.

The schedule is posted on the division 7 site now. Everybody gets one qualifier on Friday and two on Saturday, which is the same number as we usually get. All eliminations will be run on Sunday.

http://www.nhradiv7.com/apcm/templat...9946&zoneid=16


-Toby

[Andys dad]

Weatherman says rain on Saturday. Anyone really believe we will get two on Saturday? May not get any runs on Saturday.

In my younger days I would have gone just to be put on the bottom of the ladder.

Calling off work was normal. "Who needs a job" and "why worry about paying my bills", was my attitude. Unfortunately, a lot has changed - I have gotten to sensible in my old age.

I may have to sit this one out.

Damn me, I hate getting old, youth and irresponsibility are a lot more fun.