Re: index lowering
It is my understanding that AHFS was created and used for getting particularly advantageous combinations back in line with other combinations in the same class. So that A/SA was not littered exclusively by 1st generation Camaros, but so that all combos that were eligible to run A/SA overtime would fall in to line with one-another and those that put in the time and effort to excel would be able to do so, while others with less funds or without the same work ethic would fall behind. I'm good with that, it seems fair. Cars that can more easily take advantage of, or benefit more from rules changes or technology improvements should be penalized as different combos in the same class cannot keep up as the improvements given to some combinations are not viable for others. As I said, that seems to be the purpose of the AHFS.
It was not designed to punish those of you who work extremely hard and spend 10s of thousands of $$ on your program to make it quicker, qualify better, win class, and win heads up races should you have one. That is why the AHFS uses an aggregate average of every car in the country running that combination. If one person is excelling in that combination while others toil and struggle, that person should be rewarded for their hard work and dedication by being left alone, while the others are not punished for working hard to get under the index at all, like myself. To my understanding, that is the AHFS system in essence.
The artificial lowering of indexes makes no sense to me. Not only does it substantially raise the cost of entering the sport, but it rewards combinations that, if left alone, would be given HP and fall back into line with other combinations in their class.
If indexes had been lowered before this past season, I would never have built my stocker to begin with as a 24 year-old (25 now) on a shoe string budget. I believe the fastest I went all year this past year was MAYBE -.35 under and I had a ball. I hope they don't remove me from competition.
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Dawson Pauley
#2827 N/SA 1980 Malibu SW 2S 305/180
#2827 S/ST 1978 Mazda RX7 w/ 383 sbc/glide
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