PINKS...Here's Our Chance.....

[Floyd Gomez]

Ed that is correct. The biggest problem is they pick the 32 car field. Then they choose which cars should be paired. After watching and attending it seems that the pairings are not so much time but what two cars they want to see run. Chevy vs Ford, Ford vs Mopar etc. They claim because of the arm drop this will equal the field. Now lets say the pick 10.20 to 10.40 to run. The 10.20 car already has the advantage. Now you are allowed .200 breakout. So now that fast 10.20 car becomes a 10.0 car and the slower car remains at 10.40. If they both leave at the same time the 10.0 car wins everytime. Now they claim the arm drop makes the difference. However, S/SS racers have an average reaction time of .030. with arm drop I would still say they average .060. That is still a difference of .340 which you know as well as I this means a world of difference at the stripe. This is why I think this format is a bad Idea for S/SS racers. I think it is great for bracket guys or grudge guys. I just dont think it will bring anything good to the classes.

[B Aceves]

Originally Posted by Floyd Gomez

Ed that is correct. The biggest problem is they pick the 32 car field. Then they choose which cars should be paired. After watching and attending it seems that the pairings are not so much time but what two cars they want to see run. Chevy vs Ford, Ford vs Mopar etc. They claim because of the arm drop this will equal the field. Now lets say the pick 10.20 to 10.40 to run. The 10.20 car already has the advantage. Now you are allowed .200 breakout. So now that fast 10.20 car becomes a 10.0 car and the slower car remains at 10.40. If they both leave at the same time the 10.0 car wins everytime. Now they claim the arm drop makes the difference. However, S/SS racers have an average reaction time of .030. with arm drop I would still say they average .060. That is still a difference of .340 which you know as well as I this means a world of difference at the stripe. This is why I think this format is a bad Idea for S/SS racers. I think it is great for bracket guys or grudge guys. I just dont think it will bring anything good to the classes.

Floyd, Im not sure if they give .2 tenths on the breakout Gary stated it was .1
Also were did you get the average reaction time figures lol.... throw that out
the window when it comes to a arm drop, the racers that used to street race or
were around when the flag was used do have a slight advantage but no way
can you put a number on that..lol

[Travis Miller]

I am usually one who does not like change. When a system is working good, I believe in leaving it alone.

That being said, if PINKS decides to run a Stock/SS program in front of an audience that would never consider going to a points meet or a National event, there may be some younger spectators that would be amazed at how a car with a Q-Jet on a cast iron intake could leave the starting line with it front wheels in the air. Or how a car with a stock interior could run as fast as one that is gutted out with only a racing seat and no dash. Or how a late model fuel injected stocker that looks like the one sitting in the parking lot could use 9" tires and run side by side with a '69 427 Camaro.

Since the average "never-seen-a-Stock/SS-racecar" spectator will not come to watch us race in our normal venues, we could spread our horizons by taking our racecars to them. But if you're going to someone else's playground, you have play the game their way. Then if any of the spectators decide to come watch our cars on our playground, we show them our way of racing.

Travis

(Disclaimer: Opinions and spreading the word to the other masses expressed by me on this forum are exactly that, my opinions and spreading the word to the other masses.)

[Floyd Gomez]

Travis, They are definately amazed at how a stocker and superstocker leaves. They also drop their jaw to the ground when you tell them what it cost to run in the low tens with those same cars. The focus is to get more people RACING in our classes. The people attracted to a PINKS race are the same people attracted to grudge racing. They have no interest in class racing because of cost and rules. Is it fun to go? Sure. Will it improve the quality of S/SS racing. Nope! If you take away all the rules of S/SS racing and put it into a PINKS format it is simply a glorified arm drop grudge race.

[Travis Miller]

Floyd, Sounds like you'll be staying home the same weekend that James does if a PINKS Stock/SS event becomes a reality. I'm sure someone at the event will keep everyone informed on Class Racer like they do for the other events. That way it will be just like you are there......almost.

Travis

(Disclaimer: Opinions and sorry but we'll miss you expressed by me on this forum are exactly that, my opinions and sorry but we'll miss you.)

[Jeff Stout]

Originally Posted by Floyd Gomez

Ed that is correct. The biggest problem is they pick the 32 car field. Then they choose which cars should be paired. After watching and attending it seems that the pairings are not so much time but what two cars they want to see run. Chevy vs Ford, Ford vs Mopar etc. They claim because of the arm drop this will equal the field. Now lets say the pick 10.20 to 10.40 to run. The 10.20 car already has the advantage. Now you are allowed .200 breakout. So now that fast 10.20 car becomes a 10.0 car and the slower car remains at 10.40. If they both leave at the same time the 10.0 car wins everytime. Now they claim the arm drop makes the difference. However, S/SS racers have an average reaction time of .030. with arm drop I would still say they average .060. That is still a difference of .340 which you know as well as I this means a world of difference at the stripe. This is why I think this format is a bad Idea for S/SS racers. I think it is great for bracket guys or grudge guys. I just dont think it will bring anything good to the classes.

What if the 10.2 /10.0 spins its wheels because it is a night and the the track is cool and now runs 10.2and the 10.40/10.2 doesnt spin because it has less HP and takes advantage of the better air and runs 10.2. Any scenario you give I can give another. But if 2 cars running GT/AA run heads up and one runs 9.2 and the other runs 9.7 what now? I for one can see the world of difference because Im on the slow side of these 2 cars. Either event Pinks or Div/Nat can have the same problems of making cars equal, but Pinks looked for equal cars by ETand matched them how they see fit and made the race closer. Close racing is more exciting,right? A SS/DA BBC against a GT/BA SBC chevy running heads up would be pretty slick with the announcer playing the David and Goliath battle in front of say 15000 spectators at a Pinks event. You can only get a announcer to talk about dial-ins and winner of the round at a Div event. Not to exciting to me. I know we will never convince you that this is worth a try and has a far better chance of succeeding in bringing our class to the show then doing nothing at all. Because right now we are doing nothing at Div and Nat. How is doing nothing working for you in bringing the crowds and educating them?

[Floyd Gomez]

Jeff and all others,
You still can't explain to me how this will educate any spectator the formula for running S/SS. Everyone has said that Rich and PINKS have no desire to run any type of bracket style race. We don't run class at every event and as far as national events that number is getting even smaller. Like it or not the system set by the HRA's is a handicap start dial in race. It gives any competitor a chance at winning because it evens the playing field. The excitement is watching another car try to run you down or vice versa at the stripe without going too fast. If you want to educate the average person on what we do' you have to show them how we do it. You can't tell them that "oh come to a divisional or national event but expect everything to be totally different". As I said before PINKS is fun if you don't mind going out and spending 60 bucks to make a few time trials. But don't expect to get picked and race for the money because there is less than a 10% chance you do.

[Jeff Stout]

"We don't run class at every event and as far as national events that number is getting even smaller."
Thats my point, they way its going is not looking good for class racing.

"Like it or not the system set by the HRA's is a handicap start dial in race. "
How is this showing the public what we are all about. Watching class cars now is just a bracket race according to your statement.

"It gives any competitor a chance at winning because it evens the playing field"
So does Pinks when you have to run all out and then get grouped with like ET's

"The excitement is watching another car try to run you down or vice versa at the stripe without going too fast."
You are correct except for the part about not going to fast

"If you want to educate the average person on what we do' you have to show them how we do it."
At Div and Nats all your showing them is a bracket race.
At Pinks you will be with thousands of people showing off your car and the amount of stock parts to go fast. With out a doubt they would play out the rivalry of all 3 brands and how we as drivers can make these cars go fast. That would be very interesting to anyone watching im sure.

"But don't expect to get picked and race for the money because there is less than a 10% chance you do. "
I dont expect to win at Pinks or at an races. All I can do is try my best and win. Besides this is not all about one person winning I thought this was about showing the public what we are as a whole and also try and get some cash and prizes.

Show me and anyone else reading this thread a better way to educate and promote class cars and Im sure people would jump in to support you.
Have you checked your pole lately. I do see interest in this venue dont you?

[Jason Oldfield]

Maybe its just me, but I totally don't understand all of the resistance to this race. We're talking about a special race here, not changing the existing rules used by NHRA or IHRA. It's like an instant green race, or a backwards race, or a drive blindfolded race. If you don't like the format, don't go.

POA isn't my cup of tea, and I certainly would never see myself attending nothing but POA events, but I'd probably attend one or two just to have some fun. If I don't get picked, so what...it ends up being a testing session for me, and certainly no worse than if I had gone to a National Event and lost first round.

I have no idea what Rich's motivation is, but here's what I think. In MOST cases, the POA "finals" end up being somewhere in the 9.5 - 11.0 second range. But, have you seen the quality of most of the cars that compete? They're pretty bad. That said, I would bet that the majority of the Stock and S/S cars run in this same range (I had to check...99 out of 179 S/Sers at Indy last year were in this range, and I bet the vast majority of those were between 9.75 - 10.5). So, here's an opportunity for Rich to not only put on a race with CLOSE racing, but also with EXTREMELY HIGH QUALITY cars! That sounds like a big win to me.

Maybe more so for Rich and Pullin' TV than the racers (I believe they only pay out to the winner), but I know I can say that I don't get a lot of opportunities to race for $10,000 in cash for a $60 entry fee, regardless of whether I needed to get hand picked or not. In addition, any "real" race of this sort would most likely be just a standard bracket race, and I would expect that every hitter in the country would be there (like the Atco $25K races last year, which if I remember correctly was somewhere around $250/day to enter).

Just my $0.02 - I won't be going regardless because I don't have a Stock or S/S car, but if they told me my Corvette was welcome I just might give it a try...

[Everett Vassar]

Myself,Mrs Parrothead and the Magic Bus made the journey down to Crandall. I was sicker than hell,but I paid back in Dec so by god I was going! I went last year and knew what to expect.Remember they ARE taping a T.V. show. The entire DALLAS RACEWAY/SPEED/PULLIN staff were very courteous to Mrs.Parrothead and I. The standing water in the non concrete areas made it tough on the Dallas Raceway staff.They were tasked with getting everybody in and parked.It took a while, and patience is mandatory at one of these things.The pit side was full from Thurs so we got parked in the spectator parking area.I dont know where they were parking spectators but they were busing them in.It was a ways from our pit to the lanes and at least 10 miles from the turnout coming off the track back to my pit.But they kept the path open and staff out there to show you the way.I was a bit frustrated with all the knuckleheads towing their 11 sec cars back with 4-wheelers I got behind one Fri and was at 200 deg by the time I got back.I would encourage them to make a rule saying if you run slower the 7,s (1/4) you DRIVE your ***** back! Other than that it was fine we had fun and met some really nice people and the Cotton Gin restraunt in Crandall is great!.Here is what im impressed with.The friggin place was packed with spectators! both sides! P.O.A. is giving people the show they want at a fraction of the NHRA price.Quick 8, wheelstanders,jet cars,etc. I really dont know anything about the cheating or the winner being picked.We left about halfway thru the first rnd cause we was tired! I cant comment on what I didnt see.