CLASS RACER FORUM - Question about Sportsnationals

Here's the only info I could find and its from 2005, I think there is another updated version that I remember seeing from 2007. Use search on NHRA site to find.

NHRA's Sportsman grading system: How it works

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01/21/2005

To meet demands on pit space and scheduling at national events, NHRA developed its grading system to accommodate the growing number of Sportsman competitors who wish to participate. Online event registration in 2005 has been modified to accept entries eight weeks prior to each event for racers with a Grade 6 or greater. Grade 5 racers can register one week later, Grade 4 racers a week after that, and so on until the category is filled. The process for earning grade points follows:

Drivers receive one grade point per Lucas Oil divisional event or National Open attended (grade points are also awarded for the Top Comp category in Division 6, Super E in Division 7, and Top Sportsman in Divisions 1, 2, 3, and 4). The grade points earned in the previous year or the current year, whichever is greater at the time of event registration, will be the driver's accepted grade.

A racer who competes in multiple categories can combine grade points. For example, a racer who competes in Super Gas at two events and in Super Comp at two events will have a combined grade point of 4 and may register as a Grade 4 contestant in any single NHRA Sportsman category. When combining grade points, this total cannot be divided for two separate categories (i.e. 10 grade points in Comp and 3 grade points in Super Comp equal a combined grade point of 13, but CANNOT be allocated where 8 grade points go to Comp and 5 grade points for Super Comp, equaling 13).

Grade points earned in any grading class -- including NHRA Sport Compact competition -- can be used for national event entry in one of NHRA's seven Sportsman categories, excluding Super Street; to compete in Super Street at a national event, grade points must have been earned in Super Street. A racer who has earned grade points in Stock, for example, can use those to apply for entry in any of the other six categories as long as NHRA competition license requirements have been met. It is the contestant's responsibility to make sure that grade points for all events attended are awarded.

A racer who has specific questions about NHRA's Sportsman grading system are encouraged to speak with his or her division director.

Provisional entries
NHRA's Sportsman grading system allows for the following provisional entries:

NHRA Gold, Silver, and Bronze Card holders. These contestants are guaranteed national event entry for the specified racing season. Gold Card holders are national and divisional champions on the Lucas Oil and Jr. Drag Racing League levels and divisional champions in the Summit Racing Series. (A racer who wins championships in different categories may earn more than one Gold Card, but one who wins national and divisional titles in the same category does not receive two Gold Cards.) Silver Card holders are the numbers 2 through 10 finishers nationally who did not earn a Gold Card in the same category and the numbers 2 through 5 finishers divisionally in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car who did not earn a Gold Card. A Bronze Card is awarded to the numbers 6 through 10 finishers divisionally in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car who did not earn a Gold or Silver Card. The Silver and Bronze Card is for entry to national events only.

Defending event champions: The defending event champion will be guaranteed entry to the event that he or she won. For example, the Super Comp winner at the 2004 Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals is ensured entry into Super Comp at the 2005 Mile-Highs. Entry is not guaranteed in any other event or category.

Former national season champions: Former Professional or Sportsman national champs will be confirmed entry to any national event in any category. In addition, a Pro driver who earns a top 20 finish in the current or previous season will be given Sportsman entry to any national event.

Car owners: Owner grade credit may be awarded in cases of driver change. The owner must have grade points from the previous year for the vehicle being entered (points can be based on multiple drivers for said vehicle). Ownership will be verified using national event entry forms and divisional and National Open tech-card payee information. The owner grade points cannot be a combination of multiple vehicles and will be calculated from the previous year only. Owner and driver grade points cannot be combined, and multiple owners of same-vehicle grade points will not be combined. Owner grade points cannot be used on a second car; a driver must have sufficient grade points for a second car to compete.

Top 10 title contenders: As the racing season nears its end, a contestant within the top 20 in any Sportsman category that rewards a national championship and remains in contention for a possible top 10 year-end position is guaranteed entry to NHRA's final four nationals events: in Dallas, Chicago, Las Vegas, and Pomona.

Driver changes will not be permitted for any provisional entry that registered after the event was closed either by reaching class quota or entry cutoff date.

These provisional policies do not excuse the contestant from any late fees or insurance surcharges. For example, if a Gold Card holder gains entry at the gate for an event, the $100 late/gate fee and $40 insurance fee will apply.

Hardship entries
To accommodate certain hardship cases, as determined by NHRA, or a racer who returns to active competition, an average grade is calculated by combining the racer's grade points from the three previous years and dividing that number by three (total number of years). For example, a racer who competed in one divisional event in 2004, five in 2003, and six in 2002 has a total of 12 points, which, when divided by 3, equals a grade point of 4A ("A" for the averaging calculation). Hardship grade points cannot be combined with any category.

Foreign contestants
Grade points will be issued for participation in select foreign events: FIA European Championship, Australian Drag Racing Championship, Nordic Drag Racing Series, and Japan Drag Racing Association Championship. Each entry application must include written confirmation of participation in the series from the host country's sanctioning organization.