[Bernie Cunningham]

Thanks Kenny, I was thinking the same thing when I came up to your post. Art, you planned, built, race and own a machine for one specific reason and it worked for years, I completely understand your intentions and I'm sorry that a change has you upset. YOU Sir, actually have a combo that could WIN the National Class Championship !!! (no need to respond)

People, this is 2011, change in Class racing must occur for it to survive whether it be with or without payments. I had a long and fantastic conversation with Charlie N at NHRA today, I haven't heard him so excited about a contingency and award program for a long time. He is now aware of this post as I told him of the great, constructive ideas coming out. You all must believe that he, and the committee really do care to keep it going as Manufacturers were jumping of the cliff like lemmings, i.e. follow the leader. There was not to be any postings for the 2011 season the way it was. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The committee is comprised of major Manufactures Representitives, NHRA personnel from Technical, Marketing, Competition and others, in other words, a pretty well rounded group of savvy and smart business people.

Since the changes have been made, only a couple of days ago, one new payer has signed up along with most of last years contributors. Yea, it's kinda late but they have been conferencing and shooting a lot of ideas around, there were many ideas that didn't make it.

This message board has a say, don't be fooled otherwise, racer input is important to them and they really appreciate constructive criticism.

This year is gonna be a little painful for some, ya just can't please everyone, at least we have something in place. While I brought up a few issues to Charlie, it seems as though they had already discussed most of them, ie, bonus 5 points for a winner, rain outs would be high qualifier as it is now and each winner gaining 10 points, if no cars go down the track for whatever reason the program serves as a zero for all. Some of the ideas that he passed onto me that are still in the works would be more ND exposure for winners (pix etc.) per race, Championship jackets, ND coverage of points battles, BIGGER BONUS payouts, etc. There are more but it does seem to me that a momentum has returned to Class racing, once the manufactures see that NHRA are rolling so will they with payments that we all love so much. Keep following the money !!!! (that's my new saying cause I reckon that's how shyt gets done)

The down side is that this new format collides with an 'already in place' class schedule, the timing cause it had to happen quickly, it seems to piss a few racers off and it's not complete. I feel that this year is an improvement on an old and antiquated system that really needed fixing for some time now. It will get better but we'll all need to 'suck it up' for this year as the energy grows with the manufacturers and, most importantly, the economy. Please try to stay positive because it has been saved so far and it will need some tweaking. I'll admit that NHRA has a few problems but it seems to me that this one could, potentially, solve a few of 'em. Get ready for the HP hand outs @#$%^&*()

I believe that we and them are on a path for a better Stock and Super Stock Class program, please be patient, Rome wasn't built in a day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!