The NHRA Rules-Making Process Explained
 

http://www.nhra.com/content/sportsma...rticleid=29547

The NHRA rules-making process explained
6/4/2008

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With literally thousands of competitors racing in hundreds of different classes, the National Hot Rod Association can rightfully claim the title as the most diversified motorsport in the world. Along with that diversity comes the responsibility of making, maintaining, and enforcing a set of rules that ensures equitable competition for all contestants, and that lofty responsibility falls squarely on the shoulders of the NHRA Technical Services Department.

However, the NHRA Technical Services Department does not act alone when making and revising rules. Rather, the rules-making process consists of several specialized committees that are in many cases composed of NHRA tech officials, division directors, division tech directors, and other industry experts. There is also the newly formed Sportsman Racer Advisory Council, which was created to give Sportsman racers a unified voice with regard to rules, regulations, and other important issues.

“To some individuals, there is the perception that rules are created in a vacuum, but that is not and has never been the case with NHRA,” said Graham Light, NHRA senior vice president-racing operations. “Before a new rule or a revision to an existing rule is even considered, it is given its due diligence. As a general rule, we actively solicit input from racers, team owners, manufacturers, and other outside sources. We try to consider as many variables as we can before reaching any conclusions.”

By using a multitiered approach, the rules-making process is able to include a system of checks and balances to ensure that each potential rule revision receives the proper amount of debate and consideration before being implemented. For example, a rules revision that affects racers in Super Stock and Stock eliminators would first be analyzed by the Stock/Super Stock Rules Committee, which is composed of Division 1 Director Bob Lang, who is the committee chairman, Division 1 Coordinator Dave Mohn, Bruce Bachelder and Pat Cvengros of the NHRA Tech Department, and Division 2 Director Bill Holt. If the Stock/Super Stock Committee determines that the proposed rule change should be implemented, it will forward its findings and suggestions to the Sportsman Racing Committee, which is made up of the seven division directors as well as NHRA National Technical Director Danny Gracia and industry expert Bob DeVour. The Sportsman Racing Committee will then approve or reject the rules recommendation. If the rule is approved, it will be forwarded to the Competition Committee for final approval.

Recently, the process for making and revising rules was further streamlined by the introduction of an official NHRA Rules Recommendation Form, which is used to track, monitor, and ultimately approve rules changes from start to finish. The Rules Recommendation Form features proposed wording for the new rule that, if enacted, will appear in the official NHRA Rulebook, notations regarding the purpose of the rule, a checklist that is used to track the potential impact of the proposed rule, and a section where committee members can cast their votes for or against the proposed change. Once the Rules Recommendation Form is written, it is passed up the chain of command and through the proper committees. Ultimately, if the Competition Committee rules in favor of the revision by a two-thirds margin, it will become officially accepted and included in the next rules revision.

“Ultimately, we want people who are potentially influenced by rules revisions to understand that they have a definite say in how those rules are implemented,” Light explained. “The process is very transparent, and we do regularly solicit outside opinions from qualified individuals before making decisions.

"Racers should understand that their comments and suggestions can always be passed on to the appropriate committee member, whose names and contact information are listed below."

General Regulations
Bob Blackwell*
Jim Collins
Dave Schaffel
Pat Cvengros
Bob Lang

Top Alcohol Dragster/Top Alcohol Funny Car
Jim Collins*
Craig Hutchinson
Jonathan Adams
Jay Hullinger
Mike Rice
Bob Lang
Rob Park
Bill Holt

Competition Eliminator
Dave Mohn*
Jim Collins
Bob DeVour
Rob Park
Dave Schaffel

Super Stock/Stock
Bob Lang*
Bruce Bachelder
Pat Cvengros
Dave Mohn
Bill Holt

Super Categories
Mike Rice*
Ritch Bowers
Rob Park

Chassis Committee
Jim Collins*
Bob Blackwell
Mike Rice
Dave Schaffel
Jim Anderson

Nostalgia Categories
Don Taylor*
Steve Gibbs
Byron Edwards
Mike Rice
Danny Gracia

E.T. Categories (including Top Dragster and Top Sportsman)
Jay Hullinger*
Pat Cvengros
Bill Holt
Mike Rice

Exhibition Vehicles
Bob Lang*
Bob Blackwell
Jim Collins
Jim Anderson

Jr. Drag Racing League
George Phillips*
Jonathan Adams
Ritch Bowers
Jay Hullinger
Jim Collins

*Denotes committee chairman

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