Post-Run Etiquette

[Ron Ortiz]

You can wait, you can drive by and get lunch, you can try your luck at the buy back window. You can do anything that a spectator can do. OR, you can go back and listen to some music, like Loser, by Beck.

[Bill Bogues]

After what happen at the texas motorplex at the nats a couple of years back,I don't even trust the win lights to come on wether I think I lost or won.I ran 1st rd and didn't get a win light. Since they decided to not give time slips the only way you knewif you had won was by the light. Well the light in left lane as not working and they had run several of us that ran early and unless you had one of them phone with track hookup you got the shaft. They wouldn't think about having a rerun for us.I'll never drive past scales again in eliminations unless I get a piece of paper saying I lost.

[Mike Gray]

Originally Posted by Bill Bogues

After what happen at the texas motorplex at the nats a couple of years back,I don't even trust the win lights to come on wether I think I lost or won.I ran 1st rd and didn't get a win light. Since they decided to not give time slips the only way you knewif you had won was by the light. Well the light in left lane as not working and they had run several of us that ran early and unless you had one of them phone with track hookup you got the shaft. They wouldn't think about having a rerun for us.I'll never drive past scales again in eliminations unless I get a piece of paper saying I lost.

I got a piece of paper at Sonoma many years ago that said I lost. Looking at the RT and numbers it just didn’t add up but the other lane was “winner”, I loaded up and left for the long drive home. A few weeks later I get a call from division director to confirm where to send round money and asking why I was a no show for the next round!
Even paper is not always correct.

[James Perrone]

First of all let’s be real
You get fuel check 1 time in time runs and maybe 1st rd
After that there is no fuel check unless it’s a heads up
So in this day in age of stock go to your pit with your losing ticket like the winner is
Wait until we go paperless and you have now clue who won.
Free Lance Line

[dragracerray]

I know at Maplegrove you pick up your winning ticket on the scales and if you know you lost you can pick up ticket next to the scale. When there is a good race and you don't know who won I think it would be safer to just go over the scales. It only takes a minute and you don't feel like your stalking your opponent. In this case I asked at the scales and they don't mind "losing" competitors from going over the scales. Ray

[Kenny Wigington]

I was on both sides of that coin a few times. It always got corrected and we waved the other on. The first time you get in that position, it will make you start thinking, but its just another lesson.

[Cglrcng]

I love all the different ways people look at rules as if there was an accepted etiquette that people have grown to rely on, yet nobody has actually quoted the actual rule yet fully on the question. Me, I just don't have a set of scales at home yet, I actually called someone when I first got my car completed on the rebuild that had a set of scales for sale locally, and actually paid his time to come over and scale the car as a favor for me a year ago, so I could get it to min. plus car and driver before I entered my first event back. Then of course The world famous 150 yr. old Bakersfield Wooden deck Beam scale was not calibrated well, and took 3 people to even operate it. Lol.

I wanted to input on this thread back when it was started, but held off a bit .

"I just would have said do not take offense if I weighed mine after a loss, I am trying to get my weight correct and not race 50 lbs. over as my turtle is heavy enough in my class. (Most others I am racing, or not yet. in my class are 125 lbs-500 lbs lighter than my minimum wt)."

Then, here I am today researching something else in the same category (Race Procedures, Section 2, page 14), and I read the rule this question actually deals with in the current 2024 Rulebook.

WEIGHING OF VEHICLE/FUEL CHECK
It is always the responsibility of the racer to stop at the scales and fuel check to confirm with tech officials whether their car needs to be weighed or its fuel needs to be tested. Under no circumstances may a competitor reject scaling his or her vehicle or fuel check. Any competitor who runs quicker than any of his or her previous runs during the event in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, Pro Stock Motorcycle, Top Alcohol Dragster, Top Alcohol Funny Car, Pro Mod, Comp, Factory Stock Showdown, Super Stock, Stock, or JDRL and fails to report to post-run inspection (scales or fuel check) will be disqualified from the event and be subject to additional disciplinary action in the sole and absolute discretion of NHRA. The event will be charged against the competitor's points events with a zero (0) point counting toward the driver's claimed races. Any object that is not found on the vehicle during the run is required to be removed from the vehicle before scaling.
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Very interesting I would say. And, I have driven by the scales for my last time on a qualifying pass, round win, or round loss period (unless waived on), by an official of NHRA.

As the rules never mention losses or losing, personal choices (lunch, bologna sandwiches, courtesy, or junking up the 2 required check lines), or at least reporting to the officials present there (to be waved around by them if they so choose, and we know they do often choose to do so).

In fact it requires just that, it also requires that "if you run quicker than any of his or her previous runs during the entire event" (nowhere there does it mention won or lost rounds of competition), just running faster than any of your prior passes during the entire event (that could easily be a simple breakout loss in any round), that you must stop or report to the officials (both scales and fuel check), or you do not just get (you will be), disqualified from the event, but that you can also lose all points for that event and still be charged with the event. And all that is fully at their (NHRA's), discretion.

So, take it as you will, as for me, if it can happen, my luck is it will happen...to me! And at these costs to run, no way can I risk the 30 points to tech the vehicle on any pass. My lunch can wait., and sadly so can you if you find yourself behind me, so pardon me in advance , I'm just playing by the published rules as I find them. Things change, I will adapt.
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Look for my next thread question, it will be an interesting rule(s) debate for sure. A different rule for sure (1 that should have been updated long ago, as technology marches on, and as it did, a rule was not updated to reflect the latest technology used), but in the same Race Procedures Section.

Because if it can happen to us, it can happen to you also.

[Don Kennedy]

Originally Posted by Ron Ortiz

You can wait, you can drive by and get lunch, you can try your luck at the buy back window. You can do anything that a spectator can do. OR, you can go back and listen to some music, like Loser, by Beck.

If I am going to win or lose it will be on the racing surface, not at the scales, ok maybe on a heads-up run; I will delay the lunch time I may just to make sure my weight is correct, lol

[Billy Nees]

Originally Posted by Don Kennedy

If I am going to win or lose it will be on the racing surface, not at the scales

Ya know, I understand that it's the 21St Century and we're all supposed to be sympathetic to our fellow competitors situations and all sorts of other B.S. but, the rules are the rules. If my competitor is supposed to weigh this and run a fuel that checks this and it doesn't, I don't care whether we're in a heads-up run or not! The rules are the rules and they're written for every competitor, in every round of every race!

Don, maybe we should all just start running pump gas in all but heads-up runs. Maybe pull a couple of hundred pounds out too! You know, more fuel efficient, less wear-and-tear on parts and tires!
Maybe we can get together at the end of the day and sing kumbaya and polish up our participant trophys!

[RKelliher]

Billy, you are right, the rule states you must go thru scales if you win and fuel check if they have it . Now I know rules don't apply any more, the sheriff has left town and it's the wild west again.