[Alan Roehrich]

Let's really stir this up, and solve several issues at once.

1. Non production street cars (AKA new factory race cars) into their own classes, Factory Stock, designated FS, (or Factory Experimental, AKA FX). This gives the factories a place they can really show their prowess. Classes starting with 5.0 pounds per factored HP, in one pound increments, going up to 10.0 pounds per factored HP, stick and automatic. FS/A thru FS/F, and FS/AA thru FS/FA. Start with the AAA/S index for FS/A, and add 2 tenths to the index for every one pound weight break. AHFS applies.

2. Factory Stock Shootout at every national event, on Saturday, the factories could put up a reasonable purse. Maybe a $5K purse, that's $115K total for a 23 race season, split 3 ways, it costs them less than $40K each for a year of having their cars go head to head in front of the fans 23 Saturdays a year.

3. Production street cars (AKA the old cars) get one pound weight breaks up to 12.0 pounds per factored HP, starting at 7.0 pounds per factored HP, with the 7.0 class being A, and an index of 10.70, for stick and automatic. The 8.0 class, formerly A, becomes B, with an 11 second index, and so on. The first 1/2 pound weight break is 12.5 pounds per factored HP. AHFS applies.

4. Class contested at all national events, and national opens, starting with the second round of qualifying on Friday. Possible sponsorship by some current supporters of class racing, such as Comp Cams and ATI Performance Products, among others.

5. Class pays 10 points per contested round win (includes byes). For national events and LODRS races.

6. Qualifying pays 10 points per position, for positions 1 thru 10. For national events and LODRS races.

7. Qualifying pays $100 per position, for positions 1 thru 5. For national events and LODRS races.

8. Class, and the Factory Shootout, contested at all LODRS races, starting with the first round of qualifying on Saturday for the benefit of the fans and the factories.

9. Heads up races pay double points for a round win, at national events or LODRS races.

10. New production street cars, built after 2005, take 300 pounds off of their factory curb weight, to allow for the removal of emissions and safety equipment not found on early model cars, and have their base (original listed) HP rating (those not already in the guide and adjusted) adjusted to 5% below their factory rating. This is to encourage the factories to also put their new production street cars in the guide to compete in the regular Stock Eliminator classes.

11. Setting a record pays 100 points, once per year/season. Another racer can set the same record, and be awarded points. Some caveats to prevent abuse are necessary. No points awarded for resetting your own record in the same season. Once you have set a record in a year/season, no points will be awarded for setting another record with a different combination.

12. Any run that results in instant HP being added to a combination will result in a full teardown procedure at that event. Any racer refusing to teardown is subject to an immediate suspension of 1 year minimum, and a fine.

This separates the factory race cars from the production street cars, and just as important, showcases the factory race cars, giving the factories the exposure they're looking for. It gives the factories a reason to put their new production street cars in the regular classes, to give "young/new" fans a reason to get involved.

With 5.0 and 6.0 weight breaks, the factory race cars are still considerably faster than the older cars, which will have a 7.0 weight break for their lightest class. In truth, the fast cars in the 7.0 and 8.0 factory race car classes will probably be faster than the traditional production street cars, the indexes will almost certainly be lower, giving them room to let them run. Once again, allowing the factory race cars to be showcased, for the benefit of the fans and the factories.

It also brings performance to the fore front of the class, giving the fans something to see and cheer, and contingency sponsors a reason to come back and pay contingency money.

It makes the AHFS work as intended.

It requires no adjustment of anyone's HP factor by NHRA, and only some adjustments of some indexes.

It has little, if any cost to NHRA, and they get a lot more reasons for paying fans to be in the stands. In fact, with potential sponsorship of the shootout and class eliminations, they stand to make money from the sponsors as well. With a reasonable amount of organization, it should have little effect on the time it takes to run an event.

These same suggestions, with some modifications, could be applied to Super Stock.

Two administrative positions should be created at NHRA, for the specific purpose of maintaining the health of Stock Eliminator and Super Stock as performance based categories. They should be responsible for forming and overseeing a committee that shall include 5 positions held by racers who shall be elected by their peers for one year terms, 3 positions, each held by a representative from each manufacturer, and 3 positions, each held by representative from a contingency sponsor, selected for a one year term. The committee should meet quarterly, the current SRAC should provide input from the racers directly to the entire committee, the contingency sponsor representatives should provide input from the contingency sponsors as a whole, directly to the entire committee, obviously, the factories have their input via their representatives. My suggestions for those two NHRA positions to start with would be Wesley Roberson, and Len Imbrogno. The complete minutes, as well as any and all votes, (which shall be non binding) of these quarterly meetings shall be published, in their entirety, in the next edition of the National Dragster, and immediately in the Competition section of the NHRA website.