The Compulink AUTO START System once armed to :ON

[Bobby Fazio]

And then there's this lol!

https://www.facebook.com/reel/761688246114778

[Cglrcng]

Oh Bobby, you are killing me brother, I don't have Fakebook, ok where was that Final so I can find it please and watch it, as you have my curiosity up on overdrive. Ty

[Cglrcng]

I got past the login window. Either the Sure Start switch was not thrown, which technically does not require it to be thrown until at least both are pre-staged (the guy in the left lane absolutely went deep, backed up, then re staged, easily seen), or it was not used (the Sure Start System at that track), or the starter had his head anywhere but in the game and on the job at hand. Please tell me that was not called a good race for driver in the left lane.

[Cglrcng]

Ok, I feel like I am standing on a bridge over a river, a lot of racers are standing around up here, I think some of you, at least 10, have participated in the thread, and ty to every one of the 10, some multiple posts, but we have almost 4 000 views so far, lots of people have their phones out just taking video.

Some of you for sure in my mind know exactly what's next, maybe many don't but I am not jumping in the river, I am going to calmly walk across the bridge, full steam ahead, alone if necessary, just hoping I have company in the end.

When I was 18 and first cracked open an NHRA Rulebook that was borrowed, I was able to prep my racecar so well for my first trip to the track, not as a longtime fan, but as a future racer, and tech was a breeze (just 1- 2 min repair), and I was tetched and ready to race.

Why, because published rules are great. Unless you find (especially if accidentally), a conflict in the rules. And if you do, it is your responsibility to publicize it, point it out. And attempt to get it changed. Rules should reflect reality, not fantasy.

[Cglrcng]

Let's look at race proceedure rules, does anyone even see in that section the mention of the Compulink Sure Start System as used in "Qualifying?"

What does the "Qualifying"section read?

Does that section reflect the reality of before, or after the addition of the Compulink Sure Start System?

It isn't that hard to fix the rules to reflect reality, it is simply adding the system, and moving a few words around, to actually reflect the reality of real world the way it is now, oh yeah, and has been for the last 15 yrs., and keep Division Directors from having to make on the fly decisions for no good reasons (when weird stuff happens), if the wording reflects reality.

Ok, not a hypothetical situation, real world, On Saturday April 20, 2024 (2 racers in EF/S Class woke up at Las Vegas and both were entered to run in D7-4 the 2nd race of a double w/class racing. But Q1 is first and just before 8:30 AM, see the Div 7 NHRA Saturday at Las Vegas replay of live feed on youtube, and move slider to 44:00. Start it and stop it at 45:00 (ok my angle, I am at the ready line, in the right lane, getting ready to watch my scheduled only competitor in EF/S make his Q1 pass (our class race is due to happen in a few hrs C1which is also Q2. Now start the vid, watch the tree, and the car in the left lane Bill O'Conner in his Slow Roller. At 45:54 what do you see? Pre-stage and red correct?

Ok, now, the camera did not show all, here is what I saw, the 2 competitors both pre-staged, Farmer on the right staged, O'Conner in left lane attempted to stage, but the car would not roll forward, he was attempting to, from side view just before Farmer leaves, and after O'Conner hand comes up off the steering wheel as he just timed out and got a red light foul, but he was just a few inches from fully staged, tyranny was broke. I have seen a pic of the shrapnel in his pan, no doubt in my head what happened, we have same transaxle, carrier pin dropped out of the spider gears.

At that point in time, I had no idea what happened except it was not good, and I am headed out next, 1 pr between us. And I am still looking at his pre stage bulb and red on at 45:58 right now. And Farmer is just entering the 1,000 ft beams. At 46:03 car is locked in forward and reverse, as starter begins rocking it.

Then the race timer hits the screen at 46:08., and they back his car off.

Question of the day...Was that a legal qualifying attempt?

Back to my view, they both Pre-Staged, Farmer staged, O'Conner attempted to stage, 2 times, then timed out red, tree activated and came down on both sides, and for a split second O'Conner side had Pre-Stage Blue upper/white line lit plus green plus red. By the time camera view went from Side view Farmer front bumper in the air to the rear view again, it was pre-stage left plus red, car stuck, never fully staged. The Compulink Sure Start System :On found him after that 3rd light turned on. (It happened to him, I am just affected outside of feeling horrible for him after I find out why later, bur I am only tangentially highly affected later).

[Cglrcng]

While they are pushing him off, the lane master shuts us both off at the ready line under the arch, my temp was perfect so I shut off, engine, water pump switch, fan switch, set brake...Now, everything I have done for a couple of months was feared toward a 1 and done EF/S Class race, a re-defense of a lucky one I got away with last October at Bakersfield, not whining here, just understand the crap at this point going through my head...all while hoping he can get whatever it is fixed in the next 3 hrs....Ok, lane master fires us up, It fires, pulls us out fast, I push the 1-2 shift out too far just in case he gets it fixed I need to know where that is too far, I hit it, too far...and after the finish line I realize water pump/ fan switches are off. Dang it, a.005 light wasted. And I turn on the switches, temp was just fine.

Time to go find O'Connor and he says tyranny is trashed, car is being pulled backwards, and clicking bad, I know that sound, not good at all, and offer to help pull it out, but no way we can do it in 3 hrs., the last word at that time was he was going to track down D.D. Matt and ask to withdraw. I had another bit of contact with him, making the offer again, we traded phone numbers, and said If he decided to not repair,, then call me I would attempt to husdle up bodies to help him get it on the trailer.

[Cglrcng]

Next up, my deep dive back at my pit spot into the rulebook.I jump in find Race Proceedures Section 2, and everything is covered (well, all except of course not the Compulink Sure Start System that was put into affect 15 years ago, which jumbled up the whole ball of wax). As you no longer have to actually stage a car to foul out. You don't have to actually stage a car (if the system is used as designed), to make a legal qualifying attempt and break your car, roll in too far, roll back once prestaged, or fail to stage as long as your competition in the other lane on the pass turns on bulb 3 after the Compulink Sure Start System is armed to ON by the starter.

I have zero idea at this point where that will leave me. (I feel terrible for him, since 1975, I can be a fierce competitive racer. From Ready line to finish line), but everywhere else, we are family folks. I was ready to dive in and get dirty to help him ready his car for Sunday morning, and no way we can fix it in 3 hrs, but having all day and night (except for lane call of C1 I was his if he wanted, and everything I could help him with).

Ok, I wait, read the rules, go see him again, and his car was next to the motor home in his pit, he is not there, so I go to base of the tower and donate to RFC for the Q1 sheet, the Q1 incrementals sheet, and the Pairings sheet for Stock class, turn to Incrementals and it is there O'Connor entry number, name, class, and no incrementals but broke at the end w/ the time. Look at the Q1 qualifying order, his entry and pass do not appear there at all, then look at the Class pairings sheet for Stock and I appear all alone in EF/S. (His entry is no longer listed).

I now assume that he approached the Div. Director Matt, and pled his case and he allowed him to withdraw.

Book says. Sometimes a D.D. needs to make decisions at the event and we have to accept them, their decision, without fail, without question, and it is non-appealable. (Though there is an official appeal process available later...at a $1,000.00 posting).

So, I arrive 3rd car to the C1 lane call, I am told by lanemaster Ron, I have Mr. Snow, fastest car in the Auto Combo, vs my now slowest car in Auto Combo of 6 cars. I ask Ron. If O'Connor was granted the withdrawl from the event, Ron says I have no idea what you are talking about.

I state there were 2 of us in EF/S, until Q1, he broke inches from the stage beam, but was prestaged, fouled out, and I now appear alone on the pairings sheet in EF/S, was he allowed to withdraw.and he said Matt could tell you, but he laddered you in the Auto Combo, so it appears so.

Find your dance partner and pair up. I did (while I had something for another EF/S car at Vegas 3/10ths quicker), this time i had nothing for Mr. Snow at -.500 under, did my best, cut a decently good .012 light, ran -.166 under, lost to his -.475 under .117 light. A good race but out after C1.

Sunday was a much better day, there was no EF/S Wally winner at the D74 race for 2024 sadly for both of us. (Worse for him no doubt, broken transaxle).

I accept that bad situation, but I still do not understand why he was not assigned a 28.00 second time on Q1, left on the sheet, and allowed to fix his car, must accept the fact that he was allowed to withdraw and must accept that decision made on the fly by the rules by the Division Director, and held by the same race proceedures rules to not argue with the decisions made.

Disappointed am I, but rules are rules...Or, are they?