The Future Of The .90 Classes

[63corvette]

Originally Posted by Tom Goldman

The "problem " with Super class racing is that when conceived Horse Power to run 9.90 or 8.90 was not easy to build or cheap.
It was a challenge that many of us embraced and rose to.
With the advent of modern cylinder heads ,cranks and blocks anyone can build a big or small block engine capable of HorsePower that Pro Stockers have !
NHRA failed to adapt the classes to the increased power at racers disposal. ....While other Sportsman classes, Comp ,Super Stock, and Stock experienced similar explosions in Horse Power ,their Class Indexes dropped accordingly while the Super Classes were left alone .
The time to lower the .90 indexes is LONG over due . ....There is no reason that all indexes could not be lowered at least one full second if not more . personally I would love to see them at 7.90 ,8.50 and 9.90 respectively

Tom, I agree with most of your thoughts except the lowering of the indexes.
I think that might hurt the participation of especially SST as there are several in that class that could not make the 9.90 et without spending more money to reach that et.
They might choose to just go bracket racing instead.
The lowering of the indexes was voted on at least 2 times in the Divisions I participate in over the past years and the vote was to keep it as is. My vote was I did not have a preference and I would go with whatever the majority decided.
I have competed in all 3 of the 90 categories over the years and I observed some in each class with not enough skill to run the class they were in to do so safely. That is one of my concerns when lowering the indexes also. I fear drastically lowering the indexes would cause more high speed accidents.
The last few years I helped with a TS car and I can tell you from my observations from the starting line in that class there are many in over their head in skills to be running that class.
Money can make you fast however, that does not make you capable of controlling that kind of horsepower. That is my concern with lowering the indexes drastically.
Maybe I am just getting old and my concerns may not be real.

My top concern with the 90 classes is the use of electronic controls repeating a programmed run. I have suspicions that is happening and is not being policed by anyone. There was another thread on Class Racer regarding that subject and how it could be done and available it was on the market. If it is available it will be used by some. That is just human nature.
With all that is going on with motor sports I just hope Drag Racing can survive.
Drag Racing has been my addiction since I attended my first NHRA race at Amarillo Dragway in the spring of 1963 or maybe 1964 which was the Winternationals with all the legends of that era. Top fuel cars on open trailers or ramp trucks. The good ole days.
Just My 2 Cents
Rick Cates
Canyon, TX. I now compete in SG and am licensed in both SG and SC