What would S, S/S be without teardowns at Nats?

Alan Roehrich · 03-04-2011, 11:22 AM

Wade, I've had more than one well respected tech guy tell me they found at least 3 times as many illegal cars in the bottom half of the field as they have in the top half.

What Stock and Super Stock would be without random tear downs is an easy question. They would be a joke, a hollow shell of their former selves. Worse off by far than they already are.

Car counts are down because of the economy and the way NHRA treats the racers. We're about to pay $4 a gallon for diesel, the cost to go to the Gators, if we go, will be $1K in diesel alone. They jacked our entry fee, and our insurance charge, again, fees are up for the 3rd year in a row. They added a $250 fine for any leakage on the track. The contingency payout has shrunk. The regular purse payout has not gone up in so long no one can remember the last date, but I'm thinking a decade. We're the first cars cut from the run sheet due to ANY problems, weather, oil downs, etc, we get shorted a pass. They'll send us into eliminations with ONE PASS, on a green track, that may or may not even hook. We have to get there 1-2 days before the event, or park 90 miles from nowhere, probably in a bad pit space where the truck, trailer, or car, or all three, might sink or flood if it rains. And if the race runs over, we're the ones who lose an extra day of work because we get held over until Monday.

If they need to cheat to run 3 tenths under the index, they need to consider another hobby.

Tear downs are the least of anyone's worries. And if they are worried about being legal, they need to tear down anyway.

The last thing we need to do is further reduce and dilute the performance part of the performance based classes. Too much of that has already been done.

GUMP · 03-04-2011, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan Roehrich

If they need to cheat to run 3 tenths under the index, they need to consider another hobby.

Tear downs are the least of anyone's worries. And if they are worried about being legal, they need to tear down anyway.

The last thing we need to do is further reduce and dilute the performance part of the performance based classes. Too much of that has already been done.

Well said!

Shawn Blair · 03-04-2011, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GUMP

Well said!

I agree!!!

Wade Mahaffey · 03-04-2011, 02:26 PM

Alan and Billy, I understand your passion and it's a beautifull thing. I don't know either of you personally, but respect your seniority in the sport. I look at it like this: compromise during tough times to keep it alive. I would give a little, to keep from losing the whole thing. Then ride the rough time while looking for ways to improve. Isn't that what the Stock, Super/Stock combo races are about. There is no teardown at those events, It's no heads-up and a dial-in. Now the car counts are becoming about the same, but the swing is toward the combos. There must be something folks like about it, maybe it's just aggravation mitigation! LOL

Wade Mahaffey

Ed Fernandez · 03-04-2011, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wade Mahaffey

Alan and Billy, I understand your passion and it's a beautifull thing. I don't know either of you personally, but respect your seniority in the sport. I look at it like this: compromise during tough times to keep it alive. I would give a little, to keep from losing the whole thing. Then ride the rough time while looking for ways to improve. Isn't that what the Stock, Super/Stock combo races are about. There is no teardown at those events, It's no heads-up and a dial-in. Now the car counts are becoming about the same, but the swing is toward the combos. There must be something folks like about it, maybe it's just aggravation mitigation! LOL

Wade Mahaffey

I look at it like this: compromise during tough times to keep it alive. I would give a little, to keep from losing the whole thing. Then ride the rough time while looking for ways to improve. Isn't that what the Stock, Super/Stock combo races are about. There is no tear down at those events, It's no heads-up and a dial-in.

If you want to do this go to your local track every weekend.It's called bracket racing.Been around a long time.

Ben Franklin's quote,actually about liberty,comes close to compromising on S/SS rules
is right on the mark
Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.

CycloneFE · 03-04-2011, 03:02 PM

It sounds like to me that the combo's cost less to enter and pay almost what the sanctioned race does with less BS and "enhancements". If the NHRA does not wake up they will have lost their cash cow.

As these guys have said before, it may not be fixable.

Mark Yacavone · 03-04-2011, 03:02 PM

Wade, there are no teardowns at Divisionals except for Nat'l records and now there's a cap on them,for the most part.
Those entries are way down too.
I can't see where no teardowns at Nat'l would do anything except bring us even closer to Bracket II

Alan Roehrich · 03-04-2011, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wade Mahaffey

Alan and Billy, I understand your passion and it's a beautifull thing. I don't know either of you personally, but respect your seniority in the sport. I look at it like this: compromise during tough times to keep it alive. I would give a little, to keep from losing the whole thing. Then ride the rough time while looking for ways to improve. Isn't that what the Stock, Super/Stock combo races are about. There is no teardown at those events, It's no heads-up and a dial-in. Now the car counts are becoming about the same, but the swing is toward the combos. There must be something folks like about it, maybe it's just aggravation mitigation! LOL

Wade Mahaffey

Wade, our combo races are NOT "no heads up" races. We do have scales and heads up races. If we took the heads up races out we'd lose a lot of our car count. No, we don't have tear downs. But I don't think anyone would be happy about what would likely happen if they showed up at our races and tried to get away with cheating. because the racers would know.

It is not the lack of heads up races and the lack of tear down that make the combo races popular. It's the way the racers are treated.

Dennis P Chapman · 03-04-2011, 03:20 PM

Tear downs are no fun at all plain and simple. If your setting a record that is your chose.

Nitro Joe Jackson · 03-04-2011, 03:27 PM

Back in the day.............When my father won a national event at a AHRA or IHRA national event Vance Brady of AHRA would walk over and congratulate you and then tell you before we do winner circle pictures, we need a head off and then you can party as the winner.
But that was back in the day.

03-04-2011, 11:22 AM	#1
Alan Roehrich Veteran Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Murfreesboro TN Posts: 5,118 Likes: 1,573 Liked 1,836 Times in 417 Posts	Re: What would S, S/S be without teardowns at Nats? Wade, I've had more than one well respected tech guy tell me they found at least 3 times as many illegal cars in the bottom half of the field as they have in the top half. What Stock and Super Stock would be without random tear downs is an easy question. They would be a joke, a hollow shell of their former selves. Worse off by far than they already are. Car counts are down because of the economy and the way NHRA treats the racers. We're about to pay $4 a gallon for diesel, the cost to go to the Gators, if we go, will be $1K in diesel alone. They jacked our entry fee, and our insurance charge, again, fees are up for the 3rd year in a row. They added a $250 fine for any leakage on the track. The contingency payout has shrunk. The regular purse payout has not gone up in so long no one can remember the last date, but I'm thinking a decade. We're the first cars cut from the run sheet due to ANY problems, weather, oil downs, etc, we get shorted a pass. They'll send us into eliminations with ONE PASS, on a green track, that may or may not even hook. We have to get there 1-2 days before the event, or park 90 miles from nowhere, probably in a bad pit space where the truck, trailer, or car, or all three, might sink or flood if it rains. And if the race runs over, we're the ones who lose an extra day of work because we get held over until Monday. If they need to cheat to run 3 tenths under the index, they need to consider another hobby. Tear downs are the least of anyone's worries. And if they are worried about being legal, they need to tear down anyway. The last thing we need to do is further reduce and dilute the performance part of the performance based classes. Too much of that has already been done. __________________ Alan Roehrich 212A G/S

03-04-2011, 02:26 PM	#4
Wade Mahaffey Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 581 Likes: 0 Liked 17 Times in 7 Posts	Re: What would S, S/S be without teardowns at Nats? Alan and Billy, I understand your passion and it's a beautifull thing. I don't know either of you personally, but respect your seniority in the sport. I look at it like this: compromise during tough times to keep it alive. I would give a little, to keep from losing the whole thing. Then ride the rough time while looking for ways to improve. Isn't that what the Stock, Super/Stock combo races are about. There is no teardown at those events, It's no heads-up and a dial-in. Now the car counts are becoming about the same, but the swing is toward the combos. There must be something folks like about it, maybe it's just aggravation mitigation! LOL Wade Mahaffey

03-04-2011, 03:02 PM	#6
CycloneFE Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Decatur Illinois Posts: 634 Likes: 0 Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Re: What would S, S/S be without teardowns at Nats? It sounds like to me that the combo's cost less to enter and pay almost what the sanctioned race does with less BS and "enhancements". If the NHRA does not wake up they will have lost their cash cow. As these guys have said before, it may not be fixable. __________________ Steve Jackson

03-04-2011, 03:02 PM	#7
Mark Yacavone Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Miles From Nowhere Posts: 7,818 Likes: 2,909 Liked 5,126 Times in 1,954 Posts	Re: What would S, S/S be without teardowns at Nats? Wade, there are no teardowns at Divisionals except for Nat'l records and now there's a cap on them,for the most part. Those entries are way down too. I can't see where no teardowns at Nat'l would do anything except bring us even closer to Bracket II __________________ "We are lucky we don't get as much Government as we pay for." Will Rogers

03-04-2011, 03:20 PM	#9
Dennis P Chapman VIP Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Toms River NJ Posts: 1,594 Likes: 418 Liked 53 Times in 25 Posts	Re: What would S, S/S be without teardowns at Nats? Tear downs are no fun at all plain and simple. If your setting a record that is your chose. __________________ Dennis P Chapman 1904 STK NHRA National Record Holder Car Owner.

03-04-2011, 03:27 PM	#10
Nitro Joe Jackson VIP Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Loudonville, Ohio or where ever the Nitro Lounge is parked Posts: 2,293 Likes: 58 Liked 67 Times in 19 Posts	Re: What would S, S/S be without teardowns at Nats? Back in the day.............When my father won a national event at a AHRA or IHRA national event Vance Brady of AHRA would walk over and congratulate you and then tell you before we do winner circle pictures, we need a head off and then you can party as the winner. But that was back in the day. __________________ Nitro Joe Jackson STK 3431 nitrojoe@neo.rr.com