question for the 90 guys and gals

[david ring]

I'm listening to SC in Pomona and Bob Frey said something about how that number was chosen. We all know how that casual fan hates throttle stop racing, so maybe it would be good to lower the indexes to say 8.?0, 9.?0, and 10.?0. What do you think would be good answers that would allow reduce the time on the stop but not drive too many drivers out of competition?

And please, don't throw stuff. It's just a question.

[Tom Goldman]

Dave, I'd be there in a minuit if they made S/G a 8.90 door car class.....Most .90 racers will tell you that the cars are much more consistiant when they are'nt on the timer for 3 seconds or more. ..... The current class ET brakes made sense 20 years ago when HP cost big bucks,and most guys were slowing their cars a couple of tenths. .... Now that you can have a 632" motor for only a couple of bucks more than a 427, lowering the index would make sense. ......My new car will probably be able to go 2 seconds under the 9.90 index, but I like running against other door cars, so I'll stay in SG. The idea of S/ST being an entry class is obsolete, nearly everyone in that class can run -1.0 sec under. .......Let them go to 9.90 on a .5 tree and create a 7.90 class for the faster cars. .... I'm sure some wont agree, but the lack of change in the index's is partially responsible for the proliferation of the TOP classes .....Tom

[Nitro Joe Jackson]

The only way to make the Super classes fan watchable is to go back to old school

1. Allow Throttle stops, but it can not be operated by air or electric. Where ever the plates are set to run a 90, thats it. This would also take care of these damn timers and guys trying to run faster then a Pro Stock.

2. Do away with delay boxes, hey back in the day even when i started the delay box was no such thing (1978)
(well it was in Ohio, but thats another story)

3. Staging, when both drivers pre-stage, you have 10 seconds to go on in, none of this 3 bulb then auto start stuff, this would eliminate people that i watch that have a real big problem staging.

Now lets go racing, wait a minute, the Nostalgia Gas Association in California run under thses rules and I had them at one of my events at Fontana.
They ran on 8.60, 9.60 & 10.60 Index's.

But lets face it, it will never happen, to many big companys have a hand in things anymore.

[sst1226]

Originally Posted by Nitro Joe Jackson

The only way to make the Super classes fan watchable is to go back to old school

1. Allow Throttle stops, but it can not be operated by air or electric. Where ever the plates are set to run a 90, thats it. This would also take care of these damn timers and guys trying to run faster then a Pro Stock.

2. Do away with delay boxes, hey back in the day even when i started the delay box was no such thing (1978)
(well it was in Ohio, but thats another story)

3. Staging, when both drivers pre-stage, you have 10 seconds to go on in, none of this 3 bulb then auto start stuff, this would eliminate people that i watch that have a real big problem staging, even past and present divisional winners

Now lets go racing, wait a minute, the Nostalgia Gas Association in California run under thses rules and I had them at one of my events at Fontana.
They ran on 8.60, 9.60 & 10.60 Index's.

But lets face it, it will never happen, to many big companys have a hand in things anymore.

I agree, seeing the cars lay over on the stop wether its 7.90 or 10.90 is what I see the casual fans confused about the most. The first thing they ask when I explain to them what .90 racing is about is, "Why do they want to slow down?"

While moving each index down a second would make the cars less noticeable to be on the stop by the average fan and maybe make it more appealing, now your losing all the SST cars that can't run 9.90 and all the dragsters that can't run 7.90(If you make 8.90 a door car category) reducing car counts. While that number might not be as great as it was 10 years ago,now those guys have to either upgrade or go to bracket racing.

Love to see them go no electronics and really make it an car/engine tuners game but like Joe stated I think we're too far into the electronics at this point and too many companies have a stake in them.

[T Hall]

Who cares about fans? It is fun to drive a race car. If you realy want an audience to show off to, do cruise ins. Everyone is always trying to make changes, just enjoy it!

[CBS]

I really don't think we should increase the cost any more than we have to....lowering the indexes would cause some of the low buck guys to have to drop down a class...I think we should just leave it alone....

and worry about how to make nationals 3 day events....so we all can go to them...without unlimited vacation....

CBS...

[Mackie Family Racing]

now that I finally know how to operate the delay box, weather station and throttle stop, let's not go throw them all away...! I'd be happy if there was a consistent approach to the Pro tree (.400 vs .370 at all the Div I races...), and even happier if they went back to .400...

all joking aside -- I do agree on the 3-day national events. The 4-day schedule absolutely sucks anyway; how crazy is it to have three rounds of Sportsman eliminations completed on Friday morning before the Pros have taken their first time shot?? Then you call your wife and she asks you why you're not coming home for the weekend... after taking three days of vacation to get a good parking spot...

srm

[Mark Schmidt]

Gotta go with CBS on this one. Change would be pretty expensive for many. We would love to go to more national events but taking a month of vacation for racing doesn't leave much left for anything else. Since when are we racing for the fans? Does anyone remember PS Truck? Fast gear jammers and everyone went for the hot dog stand. Leave all's well and shorten the national events.

[chebby2]

I knew CBS was smarter than he looks. (kidding rock)His thoughts are right. I'm actually thinking of by passing Indy after BGreen next year. Just too much dead time although it is everyones dream to win, it's just a wasted week anymore.

[Joe Pinkston]

I don't believe changing the indexes for the .90 classes will create any more interest or understanding for the "casual" race fan. The movie will still be the same, just the speed that the film is rolled through will have increased. Fact is, about the only people that watch .90 classes, stock, super stock and most cases even Comp with an educated interest in how these races are won or lost are probably friends and family of a racer in these classes and other racers. Next, try to explain to the "casual" John Force, etc. etc. fan how you tapped the brakes and let your opponemt take the finish line and had the win light come on in your lane. That's an idea they just can't comprehend.

Sportsman classes as a whole have a limited audience and it will always be that way.