Index Change

[buzzinhalfdozen]

Tracy, while I'll concede that there are some of those $50,000 dollar engines out there beating up some indexes, I doubt it's the norm. I don't have $50 large in my entire operation. Now I'm certainly no genious and I've been able to run under with my junk, of course that's most likely due to the "soft" indexes. So now I go from having a second under car to a .7 under car.....so what? As stated by a few on here , yes a few racers are gonna be affected in a bad way by this however they do have a choice, step up or move on.Not trying to be mean about it but that's just the hand that's been dealt. If I were in that spot I'd have to weigh my options and make a decision based on what I was willing and able to spend. Joe

[z28camaroman]

Isn't this where the indexes were about 20 years ago? I remember NHRA softened them up somewhere in that time frame. Now they are putting them back where they were before?

Jerry
#1710

[SS Engine Guy]

Senerio:

Racer A has a legal 1.00 under really nice, close to correctly factored race car.

Racer B has a grey area 1.30 under really nice, no where close to correctly factored car.

Index drops 3 tenths.

Racer A now has a legal .7 under really nice, close to correctly factored race car.

Racer B now has a grey area 1.30 under really nice, still no where close to correctly factored car. (He threw out the weight, moved the timing, quit lifting to gain his 3 tenths back).

There used to be 3 tenths seperating the two cars. Now there are 6 tenths seperating the two cars. Which car would you buy if the prices were the same? How much is a 1.30 under car vs. a .7 under car in terms of $100 dollar bills? How much money and time (which is money) would it take to pick up six tenths or even 3 tenths?
In my opinion this BS "rule of the week" just made the legal, close to correctly factored car worth less (not worthless). This rule just took money out of pockets in a number of areas. It has devalued alot of the combos out there with a pencil. It has given a racer a "need" to cheat to protect his investment when correctly factoring combos would have solved many problems. It has given a reason for "protecting" your combo, now more than before.

And while I'm at it I'll be damned if I can understand why fees go up all around and I can't even get a hard copy rulebook out of the deal. If you are that close to broke you might as well go ahead and fold. But we all know that isn't the case.............

[bsa633]

Ther's many different scenario's about this deal....but dont forget that this racing has come to look more and more stupid from year to year...almost like comp with lifting at the 1000...that had to be adressed in some way.. IMO.

[SS Engine Guy]

Originally Posted by bsa633

this racing has come to look more and more stupid from year to year...almost like comp with lifting at the 1000...that had to be adressed in some way.. IMO.

I agree 100% that the lifting needed to go a long time ago. Incrementals should have been used and HP delt out accordingly. Alot of it could have been handled by just looking at the scale sheets.

[Chad Rhodes]

let's use this for an example

Sorensen is capable of 9.60's in AA/SA, i'm assuming that's all its got. That's damn fast, and almost 1.30 under the old index. He can't go any faster than that under the new index, it's now 1.00 under.

Hajek or any of the other CJ's were pedaling the cars and still got a 1.40 under bump in A/SA making them AA/SA only cars now. The CJs can now go 9.35 in stock eliminator before getting instant HP. 9.35!!!!!!!

Sorensen had a prayer in a heads up under the old index against a CJ trying to protect his factor. now the CJ can have a coke and a smile on the starting line, and just blow by him at 1000', there is nothing ANY combo can do with the CJ's now, they have been given more room to hang it out and make everyone else look bad.

[442OLDS]

Originally Posted by Chad Rhodes

let's use this for an example

Sorensen is capable of 9.60's in AA/SA, i'm assuming that's all its got. That's damn fast, and almost 1.30 under the old index. He can't go any faster than that under the new index, it's now 1.00 under.

Hajek or any of the other CJ's were pedaling the cars and still got a 1.40 under bump in A/SA making them AA/SA only cars now. The CJs can now go 9.35 in stock eliminator before getting instant HP. 9.35!!!!!!!

Sorensen had a prayer in a heads up under the old index against a CJ trying to protect his factor. now the CJ can have a coke and a smile on the starting line, and just blow by him at 1000', there is nothing ANY combo can do with the CJ's now, they have been given more room to hang it out and make everyone else look bad.

Very good example,but this is more common in a lot of classes than you might realize.
Its not just a CJ issue.

[Chris "drooze" Wertman]

I disagree, I disagree, I disagree.

I think the Challengers will run them down, or we wouldnt have gone with one. We are mopar guys but were also horsepower whores, we would run anything that could be at the top. On the 10th or so pass of one of the few Challengers that have been actually tracked it ran a 9.7? There is easily another 3 or 4 tenths there I hope.

It wont be as easy as spinning a super faster but hey.....weve also been taking about fielding an SCJ, in 11 if it proves out the Chally cant compete in A or AA . The chally will then (with a 5.7) be a DEF car then or if the index changes CDE. Then what will happen is everyone with an SCJ will need to put another 20 in their car to make it a real competitive racer, some already have, and Id be lying if I knew how many, my bet is with a car that fast outta the box the first thing you dont usually do is all the hard expensive stuff. AND there are a lot of guys with the cars that will look to the super for quick hp, 1 guy runs too little pulley and bang theyre all hit.

The fact that you can buy a BIW from Ford makes it intersting. Dodge you cant that I am aware of.

Originally Posted by Chad Rhodes

let's use this for an example

Sorensen is capable of 9.60's in AA/SA, i'm assuming that's all its got. That's damn fast, and almost 1.30 under the old index. He can't go any faster than that under the new index, it's now 1.00 under.

Hajek or any of the other CJ's were pedaling the cars and still got a 1.40 under bump in A/SA making them AA/SA only cars now. The CJs can now go 9.35 in stock eliminator before getting instant HP. 9.35!!!!!!!

Sorensen had a prayer in a heads up under the old index against a CJ trying to protect his factor. now the CJ can have a coke and a smile on the starting line, and just blow by him at 1000', there is nothing ANY combo can do with the CJ's now, they have been given more room to hang it out and make everyone else look bad.

[Tracy Robbins]

Originally Posted by buzzinhalfdozen

Tracy, while I'll concede that there are some of those $50,000 dollar engines out there beating up some indexes, I doubt it's the norm. I don't have $50 large in my entire operation. Now I'm certainly no genious and I've been able to run under with my junk, of course that's most likely due to the "soft" indexes. So now I go from having a second under car to a .7 under car.....so what? As stated by a few on here , yes a few racers are gonna be affected in a bad way by this however they do have a choice, step up or move on.Not trying to be mean about it but that's just the hand that's been dealt. If I were in that spot I'd have to weigh my options and make a decision based on what I was willing and able to spend. Joe

I understand exactly what you're saying Joe, but it's sad that a lower budget racer should be forced to "move on"? As I stated before, NHRA's profits/car counts are down is this going to bring in more participants or force some to "move on"?
Personally, I will still go to whatever races I can get into and be competitive enough to run the index...until the index gets hit again.