Lets Root Cause the Detriment of Class Racing

[james schaechter]

Originally Posted by bubski

One of the most detrimental trends Bubski is concerned with !! Is the lack of racers goin for the National Record when you just made the quickest and fastest passes in the history of your class yet refuse to put it to the tech test and get the certification for it !! Isn’t this a Performance based Class ?? What happened to the pride in having National Record holder spelled out on your car ?? There used to be 20 plus cars at the Dutch and similar fast Opens and Divisionals 20 years ago to break and set records !!

It is pretty clear that the head bean counter-CEO only wants to collect money, but will not support any effort to incentivize racers to push the performance of the cars. Heck, they say they are in a great financial position on one hand, but won’t spend a few clams to publish records as they once did.

They lament the lack of employees to provide tech services. That is a real issue and the current generation of tech officials are retiring. Knowing that, NHRA has not done anything to recruit, train and retain the next generation of tech officials.

I think NHRA leadership misses the motivation factors that keep racers spending money and striving to improve performance of their cars. Motivation that also drives parts sales and contingent opportunities. They only look at the cost and inconvenience from their point of view.

Maybe, as racers, we should collectively consider crowd sourcing money and or prizes to be awarded to record setters?

If NHRA won’t do it, they can’t stop racers and fans from doing it.

I know one could also say that the new gen of racer has not the technical expertise to tear down and rebuild their car at the track, and that is a fair statement.. That being said, they are racers and I am sure more would learn what to do if it was worth it to them.

Bubski. You make some good points, your grammar is improving as well. Isn’t it time to come out of the closet?

[Mike Pearson]

Most of us stock and super stock racers are not young any more. I am 64 years old and cant be up all night putting my engine back together after a tear down to set the record. Typically qualifying ends late afternoon or early evening. There is no time to tear down and put the car back together and be ready for first round early the next morning and be fresh enough to race 6-7 rounds. So most choose to not worry about setting records that have no value in points or cash and choose to be ready for the race in the morning. That is my choice. My class has been at a minimum for a several years as most have.

[GTS340]

Setting records have been left to opens. It seems even if you wanted to set a record at a divisional. Now a days your first run is to qualify backed off a little in case you need to move. I remember two things years ago that have change things. First the cars that set records got the early Sunday morning freebe run. Also years ago in division one. First round was random paring. You weren't paying attention to the qualifying sheet. It use to be who could build the fastest car with their own two hand ability. Most cars now are built with a wallet.

Paul Haszlauer

[Glenn Briglio]

Originally Posted by Mike Pearson

Most of us stock and super stock racers are not young any more. I am 64 years old and cant be up all night putting my engine back together after a tear down to set the record. Typically qualifying ends late afternoon or early evening. There is no time to tear down and put the car back together and be ready for first round early the next morning and be fresh enough to race 6-7 rounds. So most choose to not worry about setting records that have no value in points or cash and choose to be ready for the race in the morning. That is my choice. My class has been at a minimum for a several years as most have.

The open races in division one have a test and tune on Thursday's. You can set a record on Thursday and tear apart on Thursday. I did this twice this year at Atco in April and at Maplegrove this past weekend at Dutch Classic. I'm no spring chicken at 63. It was alot to do and I don't know how many more times I can do it. But we race a performance based eliminator and I'm driven by that.

[Mike Pearson]

Originally Posted by Glenn Briglio

The open races in division one have a test and tune on Thursday's. You can set a record on Thursday and tear apart on Thursday. I did this twice this year at Atco in April and at Maplegrove this past weekend at Dutch Classic. I'm no spring chicken at 63. It was alot to do and I don't know how many more times I can do it. But we race a performance based eliminator and I'm driven by that.

Thats Awesome Glenn. Congrats.
Here in D2 our national open series is run on Sunday after the divisional race is done so no chance at a record there. Plus they are 1/8th mile. Its a nice series and you get a grade point plus 2 races for one tow.
I can run under the minimum to set the record but not fast enough to make it worth while. My stuff is a little like me. Old and tired. On a good day I can run 60+ under.

[Rory McNeil]

Originally Posted by Mike Pearson

Thats Awesome Glenn. Congrats.
Here in D2 our national open series is run on Sunday after the divisional race is done so no chance at a record there. Plus they are 1/8th mile. Its a nice series and you get a grade point plus 2 races for one tow.
I can run under the minimum to set the record but not fast enough to make it worth while. My stuff is a little like me. Old and tired. On a good day I can run 60+ under.

Mike, I was in kinda the same boat, best I ever went was .83 under, but I put the "R" on the window anyhow, after seeing that so many records had be at a minimum, often for years. The first attempt was a bit of a kick to the nads, I was 4/10s of a CC under the minimum, so not only did I forfeit my entry fee, I had to leave the track, and show up at the nest race with the heads off for a re test. But, even still, I did the record attempts a few more times over the years, and got the certificates, and got to see my name in the ND for a while. Unfortunately, the ND never seems to post the records anymore, which in my opinion, is a slap in the face of the racers that go to the effort to be a record holder, which I believe is totally wrong. When I started racing, I was always impressed when I would see a car with "NHRA National Record Holder" proudly lettered on the race cars, and watching cars getting torn down for the records, was just too cool. To me, the challenge of being able to set a record in a tightly regulated class is one of the draws of Class Racing, compared to just running brackets.

[Frank Castros]

I think Bubski should apply for one of the open Division Director positions.

[Buick6]

Originally Posted by james schaechter

Bubski. You make some good points, your grammar is improving as well. Isn’t it time to come out of the closet?

Just a guess, but "Bub" is probably the first part of his real name. He chose "ski" because he is of Eastern European descent, such as Poland or Ukraine where it is common for the last name to end in "ski" but his doesn't. So it would probably be something like Bub___. JR Weis

[bubski]

Bubski’s name isn’t a bunch of cobbled up parts of any words familiar to Bubski !! It’s a state of being !! Clarity in perception and total honesty!! Bubski is preparing his “ Class Racer “ code of arms !! A manifesto of sorts !! Beware of Bubski !! Carry on !! Cheers !!

[Jim Caughlin]

So NHRA does not have enough staffing to certify records but feel that any records that are set should be retired after two years? I gave up on the record setting deal for that reason. Tell me the name of any other sport where records get retired?