...and they call it ENTRY LEVEL??? (1 Viewer)

[Tim5636sc]

From Dragracecentral's Results section....

HEBRON, Ohio - Final order after two rounds of qualifying in RFC/DRAW Super Comp Shootout at the NHRA, Third annual Jeg's Northern SPORTSnationals:

Psn--Num--Class-Driver, Home Town, Machine-----------------ET---Index---(+/-)

1 366D S/C Dennis Rutherford, Newark OH, Advanced-Che 8.902 8.90 0.002
2 3302 S/C Pat Fitzpatrick, Peoria IL, Gebhardt-Chevy 8.904 8.90 0.004
3 3514 S/C Rob Bihl, Portsmouth OH, Dragster-Chevy 8.904 8.90 0.004
4 1153 S/C Chris DePascale, Parlin NJ, Mullis-Chevy 8.905 8.90 0.005
5 326H S/C Doug Mann, Newark OH, S&W-Chevy 8.905 8.90 0.005
6 3840 S/C Bill Schoenstein, Akron OH, Worthy-Chevy 8.905 8.90 0.005
7 377J S/C Jason Hartig, Canal Winchester OH, Underco 8.906 8.90 0.006
8 340Z S/C Sean Graham, Gahanna OH, American-Chevy 8.906 8.90 0.006


so, .006th's seperate the top 8 qualifiers...In a class where M.O.V. are typically less than a foot, it amazes me how LITTLE respect us Super Class guys get! Oh, and BTW...SUPER GAS WAS JUST AS TIGHT!

 

[Toejam]

From Dragracecentral's Results section....

HEBRON, Ohio - Final order after two rounds of qualifying in RFC/DRAW Super Comp Shootout at the NHRA, Third annual Jeg's Northern SPORTSnationals:

Psn--Num--Class-Driver, Home Town, Machine-----------------ET---Index---(+/-)

1 366D S/C Dennis Rutherford, Newark OH, Advanced-Che 8.902 8.90 0.002
2 3302 S/C Pat Fitzpatrick, Peoria IL, Gebhardt-Chevy 8.904 8.90 0.004
3 3514 S/C Rob Bihl, Portsmouth OH, Dragster-Chevy 8.904 8.90 0.004
4 1153 S/C Chris DePascale, Parlin NJ, Mullis-Chevy 8.905 8.90 0.005
5 326H S/C Doug Mann, Newark OH, S&W-Chevy 8.905 8.90 0.005
6 3840 S/C Bill Schoenstein, Akron OH, Worthy-Chevy 8.905 8.90 0.005
7 377J S/C Jason Hartig, Canal Winchester OH, Underco 8.906 8.90 0.006
8 340Z S/C Sean Graham, Gahanna OH, American-Chevy 8.906 8.90 0.006


so, .006th's seperate the top 8 qualifiers...In a class where M.O.V. are typically less than a foot, it amazes me how LITTLE respect us Super Class guys get! Oh, and BTW...SUPER GAS WAS JUST AS TIGHT!

Tim, how tight would they be without all those Electronics?? Be a whole new ballgame!

 

[Sully]

I've never heard anyone refer to Super Comp or Super Gas as "entry level." Super Street is the only one that's generally regarded in that category in the eliminators normally seen at divisional and national events, though the ET bracket classes are the real "entry level" racers.

 

[Nemo]

I remember running in super comp with my dad as a kid, using a bolt behind the peddle before the electronics and it was still fairly tight. Scotty Richardson was on a rampage at the time so it didn't matter. It's not all that easy with all the electronics, it took years of data and weather to get the car to run the number consistantly, and it still has a bit of luck to it.

 

[Tim5636sc]

I remember running in super comp with my dad as a kid, using a bolt behind the peddle before the electronics and it was still fairly tight. Scotty Richardson was on a rampage at the time so it didn't matter. It's not all that easy with all the electronics, it took years of data and weather to get the car to run the number consistantly, and it still has a bit of luck to it.

That's exactly how it was when we started as well. A Bolt under the throttle, an old airplane's Altimitor and good log books!...It was very tight back then as well. A Great Reaction time was a ".420" lite and if you ran "On the Number" you were ON FIRE!

The "electronics" on the cars are no more of an advantage than the Weather Stations that people use to predict their cars performance in every other bracket based class, ie the "NON ELECTRONICS" Stock, super stock. Most of these computer based Weather stations say..."Hey...your car will run 8.902 if you put 1.264 seconds in your Throttle Stop delay box. If you don't put any delay, your car will run 7.452".

All Super Class catagories, have been refured to as "Entry Level" by many people! Our sports Unofficial Spokesperson, John Force said, "I PUT MY DAUGHTERS IN SUPER COMP BECAUSE IT'S A GOOD ENTRY CLASS TO LEARN HOW TO DRIVE A RACE CAR." Super Street is JUST AS COMPETIVE! Heck, even some of our OUTSTANDING ESPN broadcasters have refured to all Sportsmen catagories as "ENTRY LEVEL".

 

[Tim5636sc]

Tim, how tight would they be without all those Electronics?? Be a whole new ballgame!

With today's Technology....and they way engines, transmissions, tires, link suspended chassis and all the equipment that todays cars are equipt with....as well as the weather stations and computer "Prediction" software, and with a lot of good Run Data, and Practice, I'm guessing a guy/gal could definalty get a car to run pretty darn consistantly!

 

[Toby]

For sure there are alot of 'aids' to get a car consistent. Sometimes I wonder if the electronics classes will evolve into a class where the 'driver' is standing on the starting line next to the car and it goes down the track itself, lol. None the less, its pretty impressive. To think about a track 1320' long, a tire (I am guessing at the common size) 103'' in roll out??, the tire rotates 153 times not taking tire growth or slip into the equation. To get a car to come that close to a number and repeat it is pretty impressive. If the tire say slips one more revolution that is 0.6% of the track. That might not seem like a big change but 0.6% of 8.90 is 8.954. Who is to say that 0.6% more tire slip really equates to that exact difference in ET but it sure puts things into perspective.

 

[Angus]

As a racer, I appreciate the super classes and all their different ways that actually make for close racing.

As a fan, they are fun to watch for the first 3 pairs, then it's time for a beer break .

 

[Toejam]

Speaking of Scotty Richardson, back in the 80's before NHRA allowed all the computers his best light was a .467!

 

[.]

I know a guy here in Minnesota who runs a Super comp dragster with a BOLT as his throttle stop. He will adjust the bolt up or down and/or adjust engine timing to run a 8.90. No electronic throttle stops, no timers, no delay boxes..... just a trans brake controlled by his finger!! And yes, he goes rounds!!

 

[knightrider]

Tim, how tight would they be without all those Electronics?? Be a whole new ballgame!

You can say the same thing about your beloved fuel classes. Take the clutch timers and data recorders and computers away and just where would they be? HUM

 

[Toejam]

You can say the same thing about your beloved fuel classes. Take the clutch timers and data recorders and computers away and just where would they be? HUM

Robert, that's Apples and Oranges. Super comp classes are tuned strictly for E.T. purposes, NOT performance! How else do you explain 8.90 cars going 180+ MPH, or SG cars going 170+ MPH??? Let these guys run Top comp, then lets see how many cars within .002 you see! HUM..........

 

[knightrider]

Your statement was about electronics, I just asked where would the fuel cars be with out all the electronics they use to tune them?

Robert, that's Apples and Oranges. Super comp classes are tuned strictly for E.T. purposes, NOT performance! How else do you explain 8.90 cars going 180+ MPH, or SG cars going 170+ MPH??? Let these guys run Top comp, then lets see how many cars within .002 you see! HUM..........

 

[Shaggy]

The fuel cars would be where they should be without the electronics...you wouldnt be having discussions about tire delaminations and the types of wrecks we have seen recently, you wouldnt have a discussion about 90% anymore, cause the fuel classes would still be runnng what they wanted to run...No need for rev limitors, and the fields would be larger since the price to run a fuel car would drop dramically...IMO this is what needs to happen...

 

[Toejam]

Your statement was about electronics, I just asked where would the fuel cars be with out all the electronics they use to tune them?

How can you compare the Electronics in the Fuel cars with what the Super classes run? The Fuel cars don't use their electronics to slow their cars down!

 

[Mike]

Speaking of Scotty Richardson, back in the 80's before NHRA allowed all the computers his best light was a .467!

I'd be very suprised that Scotty ever drove a super class car without electronics. I think they started a little before his time but I'd bet a ice cold ber=er that Scotty could go 0's anytime on a pro tree.

 

[You!]

I had to race Edmond Richardson first round at the Phoenix "Super Bowl" division race in '89, and electronics (timers) were not being used yet. First time I saw them were at the '91 Winters.

 

[joe]

How can you compare the Electronics in the Fuel cars with what the Super classes run? The Fuel cars don't use their electronics to slow their cars down!

Really? So when the fuel cars pull out ignition lead (retard the spark) they are not slowing down? In fact they are slowing there rate of acceleration, the same thing a super car is doing when on the stop.

Joe

 

[Randy]

When Mike English and I were racing back in the early 1970's we had no electronics, no reaction times, no incremental times and got hand written time slips (I have hundreds saved from those days).

Funny part was, you had to trust the person working the clocks in the tower to write you a legit timeslip and give you the proper dial in. For example, I would typically dial in a 9.48 rather than a 9.47. The reason? They would round the clocks up or down .05. So a 9.48 dial in meant a 9.50 on the tree. A 9.47 meant a 9.45 on the tree. It was controlled by the twisting of knobs by the girls in the tower.

More than once the winner on a Saturday night was also the guy who was currently "servicing" the girl who worked the clocks. Mike English remembers some of the names. Mike, how many times did you win? LOL.

See you at the Pyramid Party in the top of the tower after the final. Remember those?

Yea, you guys got it easy now. The winner actually wins.

RG

 

[Mr. Jean]

Hi Randy. Do these look familiar? Great memories there.