Heads-Up Runs

[Mike Carr]

Jeff, check some of my previous posts about the -1.15. The rules may have been changed from what I wrote. It used to be you had to run -1.15 at two different events, or you plus another with your combination had to each go -1.15 at that, or any event, in either the first or second half of the season, to trigger a review. Data (from Final Qualifying sheets at National Events only) was only accumulated for each half. So if you went -1.20 at the Winter Nat'ls and -1.20 at the World Finals, you were safe. If you were to go -1.20 at the Winters, and someone else with your combo also ran -1.20 at the Winters (or if you at the Winters and another racer with your combo at the Gators), the combo was "flagged". Then all runs by that combo were evaluated, and if that combo averaged one second under, it received HP on a sliding scale. However, this year, a V/SA combo qualified #1, and ran more than -1.15 twice at Topeka. It was the only Nat'l he, or anyone else with that combo, competed, and he got HP. There was quite an uproar on here over a few combinations that received HP. Any run, at any time, at any NHRA event of more than -1.40 causes that combo to receive a 3.25% HP penalty effective the Monday following said event (or an Index adjustment for SS/AM, SS/AS, etc). The whole Horsepower System is explained online, but I believe the rules were changed since it was written, and apparently, there was not a publicly mentioned notice of any change(s). http://www.nhra.com/competition/automatichp.aspx