Excessive Breaking?

[Michael Beard]

Originally Posted by Bullet1320

Its a judgment call to the starter as to what is excessive braking.

No, it's not. Not according to the very rulebook passage you quoted.

Section 2, Page 8
Disqualifications:
Anytime it has been judged that excessive braking has resulted in loss of control that results in contact with the guardwall and/or light fixtures or crossing the center boundary lines, INCLUDING PAST THE FINISH LINE, the contestant will be disqualified.

Per the letter of NHRA's own rule, there was no contact, there should be no DQ. If NHRA's intent is to make a DQ call based on the starter, race director, or other official, then this rule needs to be rewritten. That's not what it says.

In my personal opinion, NHRA's rule doesn't go far enough, and NHRA's ruling went too far! There is a LOT of space inbetween the two. They either need to rewrite the rule and start DQ'ing a LOT of drivers this year, or apologize and make amends with Mr. Emmons (which of course they will never do).