Stock Suggestion # 1

[Alan Roehrich]

Let's really stir this up, and solve several issues at once.

1. Non production street cars (AKA new factory race cars) into their own classes, Factory Stock, designated FS, (or Factory Experimental, AKA FX). This gives the factories a place they can really show their prowess. Classes starting with 5.0 pounds per factored HP, in one pound increments, going up to 10.0 pounds per factored HP, stick and automatic. FS/A thru FS/F, and FS/AA thru FS/FA. Start with the AAA/S index for FS/A, and add 2 tenths to the index for every one pound weight break. AHFS applies.

2. Factory Stock Shootout at every national event, on Saturday, the factories could put up a reasonable purse. Maybe a $5K purse, that's $115K total for a 23 race season, split 3 ways, it costs them less than $40K each for a year of having their cars go head to head in front of the fans 23 Saturdays a year.

3. Production street cars (AKA the old cars) get one pound weight breaks up to 12.0 pounds per factored HP, starting at 7.0 pounds per factored HP, with the 7.0 class being A, and an index of 10.70, for stick and automatic. The 8.0 class, formerly A, becomes B, with an 11 second index, and so on. The first 1/2 pound weight break is 12.5 pounds per factored HP. AHFS applies.

4. Class contested at all national events, and national opens, starting with the second round of qualifying on Friday. Possible sponsorship by some current supporters of class racing, such as Comp Cams and ATI Performance Products, among others.

5. Class pays 10 points per contested round win (includes byes). For national events and LODRS races.

6. Qualifying pays 10 points per position, for positions 1 thru 10. For national events and LODRS races.

7. Qualifying pays $100 per position, for positions 1 thru 5. For national events and LODRS races.

8. Class, and the Factory Shootout, contested at all LODRS races, starting with the first round of qualifying on Saturday for the benefit of the fans and the factories.

9. Heads up races pay double points for a round win, at national events or LODRS races.

10. New production street cars, built after 2005, take 300 pounds off of their factory curb weight, to allow for the removal of emissions and safety equipment not found on early model cars, and have their base (original listed) HP rating (those not already in the guide and adjusted) adjusted to 5% below their factory rating. This is to encourage the factories to also put their new production street cars in the guide to compete in the regular Stock Eliminator classes.

11. Setting a record pays 100 points, once per year/season. Another racer can set the same record, and be awarded points. Some caveats to prevent abuse are necessary. No points awarded for resetting your own record in the same season. Once you have set a record in a year/season, no points will be awarded for setting another record with a different combination.

12. Any run that results in instant HP being added to a combination will result in a full teardown procedure at that event. Any racer refusing to teardown is subject to an immediate suspension of 1 year minimum, and a fine.

This separates the factory race cars from the production street cars, and just as important, showcases the factory race cars, giving the factories the exposure they're looking for. It gives the factories a reason to put their new production street cars in the regular classes, to give "young/new" fans a reason to get involved.

With 5.0 and 6.0 weight breaks, the factory race cars are still considerably faster than the older cars, which will have a 7.0 weight break for their lightest class. In truth, the fast cars in the 7.0 and 8.0 factory race car classes will probably be faster than the traditional production street cars, the indexes will almost certainly be lower, giving them room to let them run. Once again, allowing the factory race cars to be showcased, for the benefit of the fans and the factories.

It also brings performance to the fore front of the class, giving the fans something to see and cheer, and contingency sponsors a reason to come back and pay contingency money.

It makes the AHFS work as intended.

It requires no adjustment of anyone's HP factor by NHRA, and only some adjustments of some indexes.

It has little, if any cost to NHRA, and they get a lot more reasons for paying fans to be in the stands. In fact, with potential sponsorship of the shootout and class eliminations, they stand to make money from the sponsors as well. With a reasonable amount of organization, it should have little effect on the time it takes to run an event.

These same suggestions, with some modifications, could be applied to Super Stock.

Two administrative positions should be created at NHRA, for the specific purpose of maintaining the health of Stock Eliminator and Super Stock as performance based categories. They should be responsible for forming and overseeing a committee that shall include 5 positions held by racers who shall be elected by their peers for one year terms, 3 positions, each held by a representative from each manufacturer, and 3 positions, each held by representative from a contingency sponsor, selected for a one year term. The committee should meet quarterly, the current SRAC should provide input from the racers directly to the entire committee, the contingency sponsor representatives should provide input from the contingency sponsors as a whole, directly to the entire committee, obviously, the factories have their input via their representatives. My suggestions for those two NHRA positions to start with would be Wesley Roberson, and Len Imbrogno. The complete minutes, as well as any and all votes, (which shall be non binding) of these quarterly meetings shall be published, in their entirety, in the next edition of the National Dragster, and immediately in the Competition section of the NHRA website.

[Ed Carpenter]

If Alan only worked at Nhra we might get somewhere.

[Steve Stickel]

While we are at it....

reinstate awarding points when records are set

[FS Fan]

Why not rate every combo on what it actually makes? For every new factory car combo people are angry about there are the same number of equally under rated old combos in the guide, you just can't write a check and pick one up at a dealer. Factor everyone to real horsepower based on mph and weight and move the indexes and weight breaks to fit. This allows new street legal cars to come and play from the dealership. Equality for all.

[SS Engine Guy]

And while we're at it. When you run under the record you bought it along with teardown. At least makes the national record pages up to date with current performance. And I agree. Award points for ET, MPH, 1/4 and 1/8th.

[Pistol Pete]

Originally Posted by deuces wild

if alan only worked at nhra we might get somewhere.

i"ll second that......

Great ideas alan.

[Dwight Southerland]

Lot's of good stuff in Alan's list. There are other issues to consider, especially when you begin to look 10 years down the road and what is possible for the factories to do. Some sustainable structure needs to be established for them to stay involved.

I would add to his list that NHRA separate administration of Stock/Super Stock from other categories with its own staff. Redirect some of the budget from the cobweb positions into actually managing the categories rather than letting them atrophy into bracket race only mode. They will miss capitalizing on the "glory" aspect of performance-based racing unless they make some adjustments and take control. The factories are quickly leveraging their position in the game to take control away from NHRA.

[Alan Roehrich]

I edited the original post, to include suggestions from others.

Most of my original post is taken from my previous posts on the subject matter covered. I simply added more of the information by editing, covering the national records, and the AHFS caveat as well.

Now, I took Dwight's suggestion and ran with it, creating two new positions and a new committee. I think those positions at NHRA should be held by people who have a strong feeling for Stock Eliminator and Super Stock, and are truly interested in what is best for the classes and the racers in it. Now, the committee would obviously require refinements.

[Ed Wright]

How about somebody on that committee that has a clue about engines, that can look at submitted specs and have a slight clue as to what they mean?

[Alan Roehrich]

Originally Posted by Ed Wright

How about somebody on that committee that has a clue about engines, that can look at submitted specs and have a slight clue as to what they mean?

Ed, my suggestion was that the committee be non binding. But I'm sure that you would agree that making Wesley Roberson one of the administrators that actually took care of Stock Eliminator and Super Stock would take care of your desire to have someone who knows engines taking care of business. You will find that I did just that when I edited the original post. Being an engine builder myself, I know exactly what you mean.

Oh, and as long as they're not competing heads up against anyone else, I'm all for letting the factories beat on each other as much as they like, it's actually a good thing, it will be something for the fans to see and enjoy, and it will encourage the factories to compete. The only caveat there is to make sure that in limited fields they can't shove the rest of the cars out of the field. Never allowing them to be immune from the AHFS should keep that under reasonable control.