Imitation: The Most Sincerest Form Of Flattery

[Jeff Teuton]

In the old Top Stock days, the class got cured real fast. If the whole class wasn't in the lanes when the time came, we were sent back to the pits and lost a qualifying round. It only happened once.

[C and W Racing]

At Charlotte 2 years ago, they kept calling stock to the lanes and only a few showed up, after multiple calls to the lanes, Red man came up to me and told me Super Gas to the lanes, I asked him, what about stock, he told me that since no one was coming to the lanes, they sent the few that did come back to the pits and canceled their qualifying run. So, it can happen. The issue impacts the schedule for the day and why so many drag around affects more than the guy they may be running. It affects the whole program
Chuck

[Ron Ortiz]

Here are the solutions to curtail these late comers.

#1 after a predetermined time, the lanes are closed.

#2 strict warning once then exclusion for repeated offense.

#3 random drawings for the first pairs out.

#4 a thorough beating at the back of the lanes where the infraction occurs by racers who want to participate in the beating.

#5 recommended therapy at the Betty Ford Clinic.

#6 A large decal representing a watch on the drivers side window.

#7 a CIC penalty of a hundredth for every minute over due.

#8 a hand written apology to the entire field due within a 24 hour period.

#9 tar & feathered

#10 no penalty, but the offender must wait for their competitor to pre-stage and stage and then have 10 seconds to complete their burnout and fully stage or the red light comes on.

#11 a thorough beating at the front of staging by technical officials, late to be posted on You Tube.

#12 must attend three opera performances of Death & Tragedy.

#13 forfeiture of first born.

#14 death

#15 death and reincarnation of a racer who disproves of late comers.

Of course, I'm pretty sure that you all can come up with some more remedies, but these seem fair and just. So all you late comers beware of the fate that could come to you.

Ron Ortiz
U/SA now, who wants to be first

[Sam Capizzi Jr]

Don't forgot a trophy room and a bank routing
Number...,

[Jeff Teuton]

Ron, those spicy meat products you serve have something else in them. You put more time in that than you ever did waiting in the staging lanes.

[SS Engine Guy]

Should just do it the easy way. The way it was done for years. When the first pair leaves the head of stage heading into the water, the signs at the rear of lanes are turned around and say closed. Unless you have notified the head of staging that you are working on a broken car and are trying to make the round, you are done for the race. I have had to send someone to notify staging control that I was finishing swapping converters, gears, because of breakage in the past and had a tech official come to my pit to verify that the car was apart several times in the past. Perfectly reasonable way to do it. Probably speed up pairings also.

[Ian Hill]

its funny, but it doesn't seem to matter if its an NHRA meet or a series race. At a series race, I remember a couple of years ago getting called to lanes for our first qualifier and 4 of us showed. We only get two time shots per race....anyway, the 4 of us made our runs and 30 minutes later they called us to the lanes again (all showed, so did the 4 of us) and then again for the masses 2nd time shot. Of course the 4 of us showed for the that time shot as well. We were hounded for getting three time shots, but in all reality those that didn't show for the first call should not have been given another chance! Like was said earlier, we all want the track to have a scheduled race day and when there schedule falls apart we bitch, so we should be doing our best to ensure it is not the fault of the racer. the announcers usually are dicating the run order prior to the track being run on, there's no reason for lateness that is not due to breakage. I also believe that the guys that are at the end of the staging lanes should take the initative to make the call and send a car to the staging lanes even if their competitor has not shown, in an effort to keep the show moving along.