Do you try to find a heads up race or try to prevent one

[Darrel Goheen]

In another thread I brought up the subject of heads up racing only when you draw another car in your same class in regular eliminations. I'd like to see what your thoughts are. When you race stock and/or super stock do you try and/or hope for a heads up round or to you try/hope to prevent one? Thanks.

[Ron Ortiz]

Lets say there are 7 G/SA cars in the field. The fastest one has the others covered by .25 seconds, except for only one, who is 0.03 behind. I am pretty sure that 5 of them will not want a heads up run against the fastest one. Only the #2 guy wants the chance to run #1.

It all comes down to where you fit among the others. If you are the fastest I'll bet you will want nothing but heads up runs.

It is only aggravating when you work on your stuff and seem to progress and then NHRA arbitrarily does some factoring in question.

Ron Ortiz
U/SA chicken one day, feathers the next day.

[Joe DeMarzo]

Darrel, yes I love heads up racing, especially when it means something. I look forward to heads up runs 90% of the time cause it will be a good race, the other 10% are guys who might be faster than me. BUT I do love the idea of trying. It is fun tuning it up and giving it all you have just as the other racer is doing the same. AND yes I got beat heads up (B.Parker, that SOB) once in the finals of a National event. If not for that chance to have heads up racing I would put my hot rod on the street before I bracket race it every weekend.

[HR9121]

I'm not going to lie, I don't go looking for them. On the other hand I don't necessarily go out of my way to avoid them either. I can say though one of the funniest races I've ever been involved in was a heads up that I lost by a few thousandth. I was .011 and she was .013 and we were side by side all the way down the track, it was a blast.

[Todd Hoven]

I qualify normally, with a little weight in it. If I come up with a HU race fine, if not that's fine too.

[countrypuppy4865]

If you have a fast car it makes sense to try to run a class that has the largest amount of cars in it for a higher chance of getting a heads up. When I started racing, I would say I was around the middle of the pack in my class. I obviously didn't look for heads up runs, but heads up runs keep Stock exciting. There's nothing like seeing two cars prep for a heads up run, and they both leave on the back bumper. It's always a shocker when somebody thinks they have somebody covered and lays back on the tree then the opponent picks up .30 and wins on a hole shot. I have received and had a scenario like that happen to me. It seems there are fewer and fewer people who build their own cars , but I think the ones that do (myself included) take great pride in doing so and enjoy competing and sometimes outrunning some of the cars that were professionally built.

[HR9121]

To add to what Cooter said, last year at the Charlotte fall race there were 2 heads up runs in the same round. The 2 guys that won those rounds didn't have a chance in hell if you would've asked anyone there including them! That's what makes these races exciting and fun to watch.

[Jason McGinley 3383]

I had a K/SA that was a 5 tenths under car and had a heads-up run with a guy that out qualified me by 3 tenths. Like Jimmy said he laid down on the tree and I was.031. I ran 12.40 and he ran 12.25.....I won! That was a great feeling!

[Darrel Goheen]

To a moderator. Could you please remove this thread that I started? I had no intentions of making anyone upset by my questions and am sorry I started the thread. I don't see how I can delete it myself. Thanks.

[Ed Wright]

I don't see anybody upset. Some of us like them, some do not. Depends on if your the faster or slower car. I've been on both sides of it.