Newbie Qs: Do I understand this correctly?

[LXguy]

Hey All:

Just trying to do a reality check on what I think I understand:

So if I read the rules correctly, the "natural" class for a 71 Dodge Dart Swinger auto with a 318 would be O/SA at 2893 + 170 lbs?

Some other questions:
There is one cylinder head option highlighted in yellow on NHRA's page. Does that have some significance, or is it just a new addition perhaps?

There is an additional carb for the combination in the footnotes. Is there a penalty associated with running the footnoted carb rather than the one listed on the line with the rest of the stuff?

How does qualifying for Stock work? It doesn't say in the rulebook. Is it based on reaction time? ET? Or whoever goes furthest under the index?

Thanks for any help

Steve

[Mike Schwartz]

The Classification Guide has this information on your car:

DODGE 1971 - DART (111" WB) - Sedan 2 Dr Swinger - 318 / 230hp - 15.64 Factor - 185 NHRA adjusted HP

Your 'natural' class might then be 15.00 - 15.99. Once you know this you can then change the weight of the car to be more competitive. You start by multiplying the factor by the adjusted HP: 15.64 X 185 = 2893 lbs.

Typically, you can then either reduce the weight to better fit your natural class: (2775 / 185 = 15.00), or add weight to reach the next heavier class: (2960 / 185 = 16.00). The rule book will spell out any limitations on class or weight changes.

Add 170lbs to the calculated weight to come up with your scale weight. This is the minimum weight the car and driver must be at the end of a run. You might infer that a skinny driver needs to have a slightly heavy car to be legal, while a husky driver can run a slightly light car and still be legal. Just no adding fuel or chomping burgers after a run. Also be aware that scales vary from track to track and even day to day, and it's better to be slightly heavy than right on the bleeding edge.

Yellow highlights are changes added this year. There's no penalty on an alternate carb; just be sure to have one of the approved units. The same goes for heads and manifolds.

Class cars qualify based on their relationship to the index. The further under you are, the higher your position. Your position is used to create the eliminations ladder. There can be some gamesmanship here. You want to avoid running cars in your same class that are faster than you, because it will be a heads up race without dial-ins.

[Mike Carr]

The '71 Dodge Dart 2 door Swinger, 318 cid, 230 factory rated car has been de-rated, by NHRA, to 185. The natural weight break of the car is 15.64, making it a natural O/SA (15.00-15.99 pounds per HP). It can also run N (14.50-14.99) and P (16.00-16.99). A car can use the "top" weight break to determine the mnimum weight in each Class. Class weight break, multiplied by the NHRA rating of the engine, plus 170 pounds for driver, equals minimum weight, with driver, across the scales.

N/SA is 14.50 x 185 +170 = 2,852.5 pounds
O/SA is 15 x 185 + 170 = 2,945
P/SA is 16 x 185 + 170 = 3,130

Even if you weigh less than 170, you will have to add ballast to meet the Min Wt for each Class. Same if you are heavier than 170, you can remove ballast. But the car, with driver at the conclusion of the run, must be the weights listed above for it's respective class.

You qualify against your Class Index. The further under the Index you are, the higher up on the qualifying sheet you are. Once qualifying is over, cars are laddered on a Sportsman Ladder, where the top half is matched against the bottom half. Meaning, 1 vs 33, 2 vs 34, down to 32 vs 64, in a 64 car field. In Eliminations, all cars will dial-in, and the race is run with bracket racing rules, if the cars are in different classes (N/SA vs A/SA, for example). All cars MUST dial in at their Class Index or quicker, even they can not go that fast. So performance is important. If two cars of the same class race (N/SA vs N/SA, A/SA vs A/SA, etc), the race is run heads-up, no breakout, first to the finish line wins. So performance is doubly important.

As far as highlighted material, I haven't looked at the new, online NHRA Rulebook, so I will defer that question(s) to someone else. Any NHRA-accepted carb, intake, block, heads, etc may be used.

[Mike Carr]

Oops, apparently, Mr Schwartz is much better/quicker at typing than I am.

[LXguy]

Thanks very much for the help:

Very illuminating!

Steve

[Mike Schwartz]

Originally Posted by Mike Carr

Oops, apparently, Mr Schwartz is much better/quicker at typing than I am.

That's OK Mike. At least you know what the classes are!