A solution to the grade point issue

[treessavoy]

Why not just open the field to anyone who wants to race and do away completely with grade points?

Way back when I raced AHRA all you had to do was show up at the gate and pay your money. It seemed to work fine and that's the way the nhra started.

JimR

[Ron Ortiz]

JimR, cut it out. That is so far fetched. Showing up at a race and paying at the gate. That must be something else. Paying at the gate ha ha ha. ...................wait a minute. I did that at Belle Rose, and it was great. I change my mind, JimR has got the answer. Thank you JimR, can you please persuade the HRA's to do that.

Ron Ortiz
U/SA at the gate, thats funny

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by treessavoy

Why not just open the field to anyone who wants to race and do away completely with grade points?

Way back when I raced AHRA all you had to do was show up at the gate and pay your money. It seemed to work fine and that's the way the nhra started.

JimR

IHRA still does it this way also. It would be the smart thing to do especially in this economy but there would be a major drop in people attending the points races and opens and that would hurt the smaller tracks. The last NHRA race I raced in was the 1978 Sports Nationals at Bowling Green Kentucky and all I had to do was send in my entry. I had no grade points. By the way it was $40 to enter....lol.

[Jack McCarthy]

and techman... the payout was exactly the same as it is today...

captain

[Mark Yacavone]

"Why not just open the field to anyone who wants to race and do away completely with grade points?"

That would just about be the death knell for points meets, wouldn't it,Jim?
Who would go to them at that point, unless they were just down the street.
The Divisionals entry / payout ratio would then have to be adjusted to be at least the same as a mediocre bracket race.
Never gonna happen....

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by Jack McCarthy

and techman... the payout was exactly the same as it is today...

captain

I think the payout was BETTER in 1978 than today. I was runner up for class so I didnt win any money. You also had to win class to run the eliminator.

[art leong]

Originally Posted by X-TECH MAN

I think the payout was BETTER in 1978 than today. I was runner up for class so I didnt win any money. You also had to win class to run the eliminator.

In 78 you could make about $1200 or so for a points meet win. And about $7500 for a National. And we were pretty decal'd up.
You do make more now but the expences way exceed the returns.

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by art leong

In 78 you could make about $1200 or so for a points meet win. And about $7500 for a National. And we were pretty decal'd up.
You do make more now but the expences way exceed the returns.

Dont forget that the $1200 and the $7500 would be a lot more in todays money if all else was the same.

[Alan Roehrich]

Yeah, back then, $7500 would just about buy you a really nice new truck to tow with. A similar truck today would cost you $40K or more.

[art leong]

Originally Posted by X-TECH MAN

Dont forget that the $1200 and the $7500 would be a lot more in todays money if all else was the same.

I agree, but the $40 would be worth more also.
It is much more expensive to race now and the level of competition is way up.
There aren't many first round turkeys anymore.