Heads up class clarification
 

If class is being run at a Divisional race and there are more than two cars in a particular class, how is it determined who runs whom first round ?
Thanks, Larry

Re: Heads up class clarification
 

Class isn't usually contested at Divisional races. Regardless, who runs who is usually decided in a gentlemanly way by the contestants. If two guys (out of say 5 contestants) want to race each other, they "pair-off" and the remaining 3 guys work out who races who. If there is an uneven number of contestants (like 5, instead of four, six or eight), the fastest guy is often given the bye for the first round.

Re: Heads up class clarification
 

Can't speak for other divisions but in Div 6, we had an actual qualifying sheet for class run offs for each of the individual classes.

Re: Heads up class clarification
 

Class is run off a sportsman ladder. If there is a bye, it goes to the fastest qualified car in that class.

Re: Heads up class clarification
 

It is in 2024.. The majority of Class Eliminations this year are at Divisionals. …:):)

Re: Heads up class clarification
 

Couple of things here given this is semi-related and I don't want to start yet another thread elsewhere:

If I were to run someone in the same class as me, but one is an auto and the other is a stick, is it still heads up? I don't think they run class with each other, but I didn't know how it applied during the race.

Also, where are the procedures for the actual race itself defined? As in, where does it say it's a handicapped start bracket race, must dial at least your index, heads up run if you match up with someone in your same class? I just looked through the rulebook on Stock and it really doesn't describe the actual running of the race with any detail. I understand how the class is run at this point, but I'd love to find an official NHRA resource that describes it more officially that I can point others to who have questions about the class.

Re: Heads up class clarification
 

No, not even in what is considered a class "combo" would a stick and auto car run heads up. If there is only one car in some classes, they run a class "combo," which is heads up, handicapped start based off the indexes of the respective cars. This can be very good fun to watch. As for the other questions you have, on page 1 of section 11A of the rulebook it states "Category is based on a handicap start using the NHRA index
system; breakout rules apply." I have not "mastered" my way around the rulebook, but I'm sure it is spelled out in there somewhere. Also being part of the "slow car" against the index club, take special care to notice your potential first round opponents between qualifying runs. I've noticed a pattern in D1 of where other "F/SA" cars in my case usually end up after being 2/2 for getting a heads up race first round. Personally, I'd rather bracket race a "hitter" first round than have a heads up run with someone that has me covered by half a second, but that's just me.

Re: Heads up class clarification
 

What about the FWD classes that run stick and automatic in the same class ?

Re: Heads up class clarification
 

Billy is going to be disappointed when he see's that I forgot about him. I'm not sure about factory stock, being that they don't have separate classes for stick/auto either, but FWD do run together. FWD stick cars must add 100lb to the class weight to make it "even."

Re: Heads up class clarification
 

There a lot of procedures not mentioned in the rulebook.

When I was writing for Super Stock and researching the nitrous issue, I was lucky enough to come across something I'd never seen. It was an internal NHRA book published for NHRA officials/employees and was never released to the membership. It wasn't on the production level of the rulebook, but just a bunch of typed pages on normal paper. I can't remember if it was bound or just stapled together.

It contained things like what you're wondering about along with a lot more things that covered a lot of race and tech etc, procedures that at the time were what we were all used to but weren't in the rulebook.

I can't remember the title of the thing though something on the order of General Procedures comes to mind. Sadly. it disappeared during a move a long time ago. Wish I still had it and I honestly don't know if such a thing still exists.