We need a new "instant" trigger!

[Alan Roehrich]

Ron,
People have been dumping and sandbagging for years. All they'd have to do to defeat your idea is do it for one more year. And if they knew they'd be re-evaluated in a year, they'd be fools not to sandbag and dump for one more year.

[Ron Ortiz]

I understand what you are saying Alan, but with class at every race and the recording of all runs and their incrimental times, their true performance will come out in a year. To sandbag correctly under this format one would have to do it from the starting line to the finish line or the incriments will get them.

Either that or NHRA needs to make all Stock Eliminator a CIC race.

Ron Ortiz
U/SA entertainment from the sidelines

[Alan Roehrich]

Ron, I watched several rounds of class last year. And I saw cars I know were fast and could win "take a knee" to avoid getting hit. The cars most likely to do this are the rarer cars with the capability to go 1.4 under or more.

NHRA is never going to be bothered with incrementals. If they were, they'd have used the suggested format racers offered, instead of what they've done.

I really wish there was an easy solution. Because the ONLY solution NHRA will be bothered with, if they will be bothered with a solution at all, is an easy one.

The problem with a CiC race in Stock is all combinations in a class are not equal, which is why the AHFS is necessary to begin with.

[Ron Ortiz]

Alan, if they do not use incrimental times then it can never be controlled. Incriments show where a driver is lifting, whether it be at 1,000 foot mark or the 330 mark. NHRA already has the incrimental times on the ET slip, they just would have to start looking at them closely and start evaluating what is going on.

The best part of my solution is that people are going to be running it out the back door again, like it is supposed to be. If they lift, the incriments are going to show it. NHRA then just calculates what the run would have been and presto, you have solid data for the 'Big Re-Evaluation"

I am just tired of watching so much bagging in the eliminator. It sucks, and I know that it is not fun watching or doing

Ron Ortiz
U/SA not having fun

[Alan Roehrich]

Ron,
I think everyone who has actually studied the problem agrees that the only to make it work is to use incrementals.

I just do not think that anyone is going to fall for the "free pass" to run it out the back door for a year, when they know they're going to get hit for at the end of the year. "Punishment" is punishment, whether it comes the next Tuesday morning, or the next January 1st.

[Colin Wigle]

The least popular combo in a heavy populated class will get hit first, as there are no slugs to lower the average, trust me I know. That is if you are serious about trying to win and not just save your combo for the time in the bracket race that you may draw a heads up run. If the combination is popular there is always the slow cars to help keep it in check. Then again if the same popular combo are all fast well then I guess it needs to be adjusted also.
Look at the 454 425 it has been hit with 11 already this year and has since hit the trigger three or four times, that’s another 4 before Indy.
I think the best solution would be all runs count 1000 foot increments. And count the refactored tracks at their adjusted factor. Just my opinion

Colin

[magnumv8]

Before I start, I am in the middle of a stocker build because I want to get into the next level of drag racing (I have been racing for a long time and have been a drag racing "fan" since the early '60s....) I have read and reread the rulebook til you can see through the pages and tried to keep track of the changes as they occur....with the combo I am working on I am just looking at getting into the field so I can run eliminations, I could care less about running for a "record" or impressing anyone but myself....here are my thoughts on the AHFS.....First off it only affects class eliminations and heads up runs during class eliminations.....if you have pride in what you do and love the challenge of getting the utmost out of your combo then go for it and enjoy your own rewards.....I know racers who look for expired records to "get their names in the book" and you only need to be .5 under the index to get it....I feel that should be changed to 1.00 seconds under to set a record and 1.25 would trigger a review.....since 1 run by one individual will not cause a "hit" to the combo that won't occur unless multiple runs by more than one person with the same combo happens, yes it will trigger an instant review but nothing will happen if the average doesn't warrant it....if it is an odd combination and there isn' a bunch of them then it will be at NHRA's discretion to decide what to do....and here is what will really yank the guys who work hard to bomb their class( they already won class and have a trophy) NO MORE HEADS UP RUNS DURING ELIMINATIONS !!!!!....everyone works hard to qualify and get into the show...give all of them a shot at winning the event....I wouldn't enjoy going into a round knowing I pretty much had no chance (heads up)....I am a pretty likeable person and I race because I love the sport.....winning or losing doesn't ruin my day, but all I want is chance.....

[Alan Roehrich]

They do not run class often enough to talk about. And when they do, if there is inclement weather, the first thing to get canceled is class eliminations. So the idea of removing heads up racing during final eliminations is ludicrous, unless we want to completely remove performance as a part of Stock and Super Stock. More often than not, class is NOT contested at National Events. Removing heads up races from final eliminations is a bad idea. It's the last thing that should be done.

[magnumv8]

Now you know why car counts are falling like a stone, the economy won't stop a diehard racer....knowing that there will be a couple hitters in your class at an event you want to enter will make you stay home...I have seen it a lot....heads up during eliminations HAS to go, it has no place now, NHRA wants to grow and it will if they look at the facts that speak for themselves....go run heads up at a heads up event, they are popping up everywhere, NHRA took on the dialing system years ago to "level the fields" and make policing the classes easier and the way it is now is not level....this would eliminate a lot of deep thinking about what to do with a combo....maybe I am looking at this backwards Alan, maybe they should eliminate the dialing and run everything heads up again....oh, that's right they used to do that and that is how we ended up with PROSTOCK

[Alan Roehrich]

The economy WILL stop a diehard racer. No money = no racing. I know plenty of people who have been sitting it out over money. Car counts are down due to the economy. Even people I know who are behind when it comes to HP will go race when they can afford it. Right now, they can't afford it. I do not know a soul who has stayed home fearing a heads up run. If you're smart, with a little luck you can work the ladder to avoid a heads up.

No, we do not have to eliminate heads up runs in final eliminations. It's the last thing that should be done. And it will not help car count or spectator count. Heads up no breakout racing is one of the few things all fans do understand.