Black Tuesday?

[Mike Carr]

While I think most, if not everyone, can agree that the Indexes are soft, I don't know if an across-the-board three tenths is fair either. 9.30 SS/AM is already a fairly stiff Index. So is 9.60 for a SS/AH. Neither class, in normal air (not couting super condition races like Boise, Atco, Dutch Classic, etc) wouldn't even come close to seeing a top 10 qualifying spot. It would take time and effort (maybe and probably too much time and effort on NHRA's part) to analyze all the classes, see which classes have been qualifying near the top the most, and adjust from there. Meaning, for example, take the 10 or whatever classes that, on average, take the majority of the top 10-20 qualifying spots (just as an example, B/SA, C/SA, J/SA, etc), and adjust them three tenths. Maybe adjust some classes .25, some classes .20, etc. The only exception(s) would be one "odd" car in a class. Meaning, if it was me, in a rare, one-of-a-kind combination car that qualifies #1 several times in, say, R/SA, just hit me with HP, as I would not be an indication that R/SA, as a whole class, is soft, if no other R/SA's anywhere qualified in the top 10 at any race. Or, if one class is at the top a lot, but most or all the cars in that class run the same combination (just as an example, 396/375 Camaro in B, 305 GM in K/SA, etc). If all the cars in the top spots, in that "fast" class, are the same engine and few or no other combinations in that class are near the top, adjust that single engine, rather then penalizing the whole class that may have combinations that can not qualify near the top. Again though, it would be a lot of work to do all that. Billy, this might have been where you were going with your "selective Index change".

There are just so many what-if's with adjusting Indexes and triggers, and so many differing opinions (as have been stated already in this thread) on what NHRA will/should do. If you were to lower the Indexes and leave the -1.15 and -1.40 triggers in place, the soft combos can run even more rampant with less fear of getting hit, as what was -1.40 before would be -1.60 under the old Index (if they reduce the Indexes two tenths), and cars can run just as fast, or faster than before with no penalty. The good side is, it could encourage more all-out racing in Class and less sandbagging. If you lower the Indexes and triggers equally (Indexes down two tenths, and triggers to -.95 and -1.20), then you have the same problem as now, sandbagging and manipulating the the AHFS. I'm not one to question or complain about a problem or perceived problem unless I have an opinion or answer on how to fix it, but I don't really see any glaring, obvious fix to this problem, if it is indeed a problem at all, that would be the most fair to the majority of racers.