So.. Why aren't RACERS trying to set National records!?

[tommy d]

As a teenager I would read the NHRA records page so often that I had many of your names and hometowns memorized. Miss that about the DRAGSTER.

[bubski]

Bubski is thinking the problem is class racing has been overtaken by bracket racers looking for a a sitting duck who just wants a personal best ET for whatever conditions may be be !! Not very many racers left who would stay in it all the way to see if they made a positive move in Performance !! The bracket people figured this out quick and made it less desirable to work on your combo or for that matter to care about national records , that drove the record setting performance mentality out of class racing for the most part . Sure theres still guys working their AZZ off to be the best in their class but most of the time their just along for the ride with the shoe polish like the bracket guys !! Racing just like politics !! NO real leaders just politicians !! And not many real racers just bracket guys !! Nothing against bracket guys they play the rules given to them and Stock and Super Stock are pretty much the same as bracket 2 nowadays !!

[Billy Nees]

Ya know, there's "car guys" and "racers". Every once-in-a-while there will be a guy who's both but not very often.
There's not many "car guys" left. I guess they've all gotten old and gone streetrodding (ugh).

[GUMP]

I think the fact that the records are no longer published has had a big impact.

The NHRA makes a huge deal about Pro records being broken, but has gone in the opposite direction with Stock and Super Stock.

[Mike Pearson]

On the racer side lots of us stock and super stock racers are getting older. I will be 64 this year. Early on in my career I was able to set the record in my car a couple of times. Right now I dont even know if there is a record in my class or if it is at the minimum. Personally I dont want to run qualifying all day then tear my engine down to do tech then put the thing back together to race the next day. I do build my own engines and am perfectly capable of doing that. Just dont care to. I am sure there are some that buy their engines and have never taken one apart and reassembled it to race the next morning.
Now at the D2 races we have been running one or two rounds on Saturday afternoon/evening so that eliminates the record setting and tear down. I cant remember the last time I saw someone tearing down to set a record. Especially an old guy like me.

[Brett C]

ZERO incentive!

[John Duzac]

Originally Posted by Brett C

ZERO incentive!

Brett, the incentives use to be the awarding of points for setting the ET, like 100 points and half of that for setting the mph. You can bet if points were awarded for setting a national Records, there would be no minimums at all. Besides, if racers were torn down, some may get tossed. There was a time, every class winner at the US Nationals were torn down. Every one of them.

[Glenn Briglio]

Originally Posted by Mike Pearson

On the racer side lots of us stock and super stock racers are getting older. I will be 64 this year. Early on in my career I was able to set the record in my car a couple of times. Right now I dont even know if there is a record in my class or if it is at the minimum. Personally I dont want to run qualifying all day then tear my engine down to do tech then put the thing back together to race the next day. I do build my own engines and am perfectly capable of doing that. Just dont care to. I am sure there are some that buy their engines and have never taken one apart and reassembled it to race the next morning.
Now at the D2 races we have been running one or two rounds on Saturday afternoon/evening so that eliminates the record setting and tear down. I cant remember the last time I saw someone tearing down to set a record. Especially an old guy like me.

In division 1 we have open races to be able to set a record. I did set a record and went thru the full teardown procedure. I was by myself and it took me a full 12 hours to teardown and put back together. I'm right there in age and it took all I had to do it. I set my mind to do it and glad I did. Now I won't be doing it again this year but glad to have great tech people to get it done. I did have help moving my car back to my trailer from a great Hoven family!

[Sean Marconette]

I set the SS/N record in 2019 as it was a big deal to prove my car and engine is legal to myself. The satisfaction of all the trials and broken parts to get it to that point is an ego thing. Constantly trying something to see if that works or doesn’t is what drives me in this performance based class. It’s disappointing that we can’t get a small space in ND once a year of the national records. Even trying to find the current Stock and SS national records is a joke online. The ability to set records with the divisional tech staffing at opens is also a problem the last couple of years.

[B Parker]

Originally Posted by Glenn Briglio

In division 1 we have open races to be able to set a record. I did set a record and went thru the full teardown procedure. I was by myself and it took me a full 12 hours to teardown and put back together. I'm right there in age and it took all I had to do it. I set my mind to do it and glad I did. Now I won't be doing it again this year but glad to have great tech people to get it done. I did have help moving my car back to my trailer from a great Hoven family!

What Glen and Mike have said has a lot to do with it. The only place because of the AHFS is at an open if you want to set it at more than 1 under. I'm 66 and until this year was working about 60 hours a week. It's a lot of work to go threw the process and most of us getting older don't have the gas in the tank we did in our younger years. I've been threw Indy tear down's several times with different cars. Have made it threw every time but it's a long normally hot day. I laugh at the racers who haven't done it and would come on hear and say I don't have a problem tearing my car down. I look at it as getting a colonoscopy. No one really wants to do it but when your done and you get the thumbs up it's a good feeling. BP