The Demise Of Class Eliminations

[Chuck Weissberg]

Originally Posted by Billy Nees

Ya know Chuck, there are very few Racers making any money at this anymore but there are plenty of fine, intelligent, friendly people to be found in this sport (oops, hobby). The friendships and camaraderie that I have felt and seen over the years still makes dealing with the NHRA worth it!

So If I catch up on my dues, I can join the club again?

[Carguy49]

Originally Posted by Billy Nees

Ya know Chuck, there are very few Racers making any money at this anymore but there are plenty of fine, intelligent, friendly people to be found in this sport (oops, hobby). The friendships and camaraderie that I have felt and seen over the years still makes dealing with the NHRA worth it!

Many of my best friendships have been made with the racers at a drag strip

Whenever I go to a Divisional or a Stock/Super Stock combo race here in Div. 6 it is ALWAYS a great time. The conversation always starts with a handshake or hug. From there is goes to How are you doing and what have you been up to lately. More like a family reunion than just friends meeting up. Life is very good.

Best part for me, even though I haven't had race car for many years, is always the fun times and shared respect. I now call many people that I only knew of - part of MY DRAG RACING FAMILY.

[Jared Jordan]

Originally Posted by DG

Ron, I agree. I have seen class contested at Nationals with a quota of 50. Its has no meaning at that point. Now were seeing cars capable of running -1.20 making deals to lift at a 1000' or setting their car up to only run -.98 and hoping with a good light to get the win. Between no prize money, running at Divisionals and the AHFS, racing for class is all screwed up except for Indy. Maybe running Class at National Opens where we can also set records without the threat of a AHFS hit, as suggested by Yac and Charley, is the way to go. Preferably these Nationals Opens would be at the fastest track in the Division and at a time of year when the DA is very good. And let us go down the the track at 8:00 am not at 11:00 am after Jr dragsters. Maybe making National Opens great is the way to go. NHRA isn't gonna give us what we want at National events.

Well said. Bakersfield the weekend before the Winternationals would be nice!

[DG]

Originally Posted by Jared Jordan

Well said. Bakersfield the weekend before the Winternationals would be nice!

Better yet,why not have a National Open at Pomona the weekend before the Winternationals.

[Mike Pearson]

With the addition over the years of the new and different classes there is just not enough time for class elimination at most national events. Plus NHRA does not have to buy the class Wally’s. I don’t know how much they pay for them. Glad I have the ones I have won over the years.
Pro mod, MM pro stock, Super Comp,Gas and street. TS and TD. FSS and now FX have all been added at some point. Plus the exhibition stuff that they run. JR’s , bracket cars and TF motorcycle among other things that take up the time that was once used for class elimination rounds. The pros seem to eat up much more time than they did when I started racing. Scrubbing the tires and making engine adjustments at the line. Fanning the doors and wheelie bar adjustments at the line after a burn out. All that takes precious time that is taken from the sportsman classes. There is no way back to what was
I am 65 year old now and hope to race a few more years before I have to retire. I plan to go to the races I can and enjoy the time I have left. See y’all at the races.

[Ed Carpenter]

Originally Posted by Mike Pearson

With the addition over the years of the new and different classes there is just not enough time for class elimination at most national events. Plus NHRA does not have to buy the class Wally’s. I don’t know how much they pay for them. Glad I have the ones I have won over the years.
Pro mod, MM pro stock, Super Comp,Gas and street. TS and TD. FSS and now FX have all been added at some point. Plus the exhibition stuff that they run. JR’s , bracket cars and TF motorcycle among other things that take up the time that was once used for class elimination rounds. The pros seem to eat up much more time than they did when I started racing. Scrubbing the tires and making engine adjustments at the line. Fanning the doors and wheelie bar adjustments at the line after a burn out. All that takes precious time that is taken from the sportsman classes. There is no way back to what was
I am 65 year old now and hope to race a few more years before I have to retire. I plan to go to the races I can and enjoy the time I have left. See y’all at the races.

But there is time to run Teslas down the track at national events 🙄

[Mike Pearson]

Originally Posted by Ed Carpenter

But there is time to run Teslas down the track at national events 🙄

That’s the stuff that is killing the class eliminations for stock and SS

[Jim Whitehead]

Maybe it is time for every Stock and Super stock racer to Email NHRA.

[Nick Heath]

Originally Posted by Ron Ortiz

Class at nationals are a joke, how can you have class when the field is getting smaller and smaller quotas.

Absolutely. There are far too many classes for such small fields. It's a significant issue in SS. At a 50-car quota, you get 25 in the "combo" classes. The combo class runoffs are still fun to watch, but not the same experience.

However...
I would bet substantially that NHRA's deceptive quota-setting habits are exactly how NHRA both reached and justified this decision.

Look at the fall Vegas nationals. For years that was a bucket list race for me. There were 100 Stockers and 100 Super Stockers and they ran 3-4 rounds of class eliminations at both!!

Now the quotas will be what, 60 each with no class in either? Maybe because they've dropped the quotas by 10 each year and created the perception that "class racers are losing interest in class eliminations, those races get fewer and fewer cars."
I feel the same thing happened with Brainerd. Years ago it was 80+ with class in both categories. Then it became 75, then 70, then 60. Maple Grove and Gainesville also (e.g., all of the big ticket class eliminations races).

I know the D2 nationals have obscenely low quotas - the Charlotte races are like 50 each right? So if you have a bunch of races with quotas in the 40-50 range with class eliminations, and others at 60-70 without class, guess what you can tell your executive buddies at the country club? "We get more entries and more entry money at the nationals without class eliminations." In the C-suite, nobody cares about why those statistics are true - just what the statistics are.

And #3, let's think about what NHRA sees every time a national event entry window opens. 100 guys rushing for 60 spots regardless of whether there are class eliminations or not. Think from a business perspective (setting aside the shady 501(c)(3) stuff for a moment). Why would a business keep providing a service when the consumer base is demonstrating that they will pay the same for the product without that service?

[DG]

If we could get one more race like Indy, it should be the spring national event at Las Vegas. Most of us cannot go to Indy with any regularity due to the cost and amount of time away from work. Stock and SS racers on the west half of the United States deserve a Class racing opportunity like Indy. 128 car field with 150 quota, no AHFS and yes tear downs. LVMS has massive pit space and the town obviously has a nationwide appeal. Heck maybe running Class on a four wide track would save time and make it special. Would love to see a Ford, Chevy, Mopar and Pontiac all leaving the line with the wheels in the air running for A/SA class honors.