Diving lessons?

[stitcherbob]

To end team orders, they could institute some rules for multi-car teams:

that each car have a separate sponsor

lane choice in the championship rounds would be determined by coin toss instead of ET

a penalty be applied to any team not showing up at the starting line (in case that would help their teammate through a bye run)

.....and if the no show is because of engine damage, etc., then the NHRA would have to investigate whether or not that was caused on purpose.

 

[Mike]

So you risk potential long term contracts for an extra $400K? Not to mention the stigma that goes with it. There are those who want to believe this, but is the risk worth the reward? The dollars don't add up for a conspiracy like this. It's not only the FCs that would be affected. The scandal would rock the entire organization. That's 7 teams and dozens of sponsors. No way!

 

[.]

To end team orders, they could institute some rules for multi-car teams:

No, what needs to happen is for the owner(s) to quit blowing smoke up everyone's a$$es by telling them they race straight up, and then sending drivers out to lay down.

That is the thing that irritates me the most about this whole thing last weekend. If you are going to tell everyone time after time after time, after time, that you race every round straight up, then damnit, do it.

And if you are a fan, if you don't say something about this, then don't say a word when other teams do it. Ever. You look just as hypocritical as that owner does when you act like that.

The other way to make this stop if for sponsors to start jerking money away from teams that do this. If you don't care enough about your sponsors to give them an honest attempt at winning a race in a car they pay for, you shouldn't be taking their money from them.

 

[flapjack]

I had a thought. Perhaps this was run up the flag pole with all sponsors involved, and they were OK with it. I mean, what about next year? What if Ron has a chance at the championship and Hagan is asked to lay down for him? Could be that NAPA considered this scenario, as well as the other sponsors.

 

[PJ]

You don't seem to understand that the countdown is not the problem, as evidenced by your pointing out instances that happened long before it came into play. 1 particular owners lack of integrity was the problem yesterday.

.

reread. We can point to a few instances over many years pre-countdown. With the countdown the opportunity for dives to happen have increased and with that the number of dives. Almost every year we have races that we all point to now.

 

[.]

I had a thought. Perhaps this was run up the flag pole with all sponsors involved, and they were OK with it. I mean, what about next year? What if Ron has a chance at the championship and Hagan is asked to lay down for him? Could be that NAPA considered this scenario, as well as the other sponsors.

If that is the case, then that particular owner should just have pasted a sign on the ticket window that said "If any of my cars match up against each other on Sunday, then Driver A will win the round. You may as well save your money and go on back home, because I don't really care if you feel like you didn't get the show you paid for and wanted to see, this is all about my ego".

 

[PJ]

Oh I am sure the sponsors were aware. I know of sponsors that have made the call for such things to happen. When they pay the bills you do what you're told.


Since we're just throwing stuff against the wall on options to fix it, here's a crazy one.
Teams start against each other. So for instance team Force's 4 FC run round 1 and 2 against each other, same with DSR. Alexis vs Del race in rd one, Cruz vs Tony the same. Indep it doesn't matter they can race whoever. By the time you hit the semi's everyone is on equal turf and running clean.
Sure there are holes in this one too but what the heck, lets go for it

 

[Mike]

Yeah Tom, Don called a sponsor summit immediately after the ladders were set on Saturday and they all bought off. Then he paid the first and second round losers to dive for his cars so that his cars could dive for each other....

Do you see how ridiculous this gets. It played out perfectly for the haters and conspiracy theorists and here we are today. All over $400K. Laughable !!!

 

[.]

reread. We can point to a few instances over many years pre-countdown. With the countdown the opportunity for dives to happen have increased and with that the number of dives. Almost every year we have races that we all point to now.

I don't care about the past. I am talking about what happened YESTERDAY. The guy that comes on here and says "We race. All the time. Straight up." lied to everyone on here. And everyone tip toeing around the subject because the he occasionally posts here.

Look, I know you are looking for any reason you can to bash on the countdown, but this isn't it.

 

[.]

Yeah Tom, Don called a sponsor summit immediately after the ladders were set on Saturday and they all bought off. Then he paid the first and second round losers to dive for his cars so that his cars could dive for each other....

Do you see how ridiculous this gets. It played out perfectly for the haters and conspiracy theorists and here we are today. All over $400K. Laughable !!!

Tell Jim Jannard that. How many millions did he dump into a car and see the outcome manipulated?

 

[flapjack]

Yeah Tom, Don called a sponsor summit immediately after the ladders were set on Saturday and they all bought off. Then he paid the first and second round losers to dive for his cars so that his cars could dive for each other....

Do you see how ridiculous this gets. It played out perfectly for the haters and conspiracy theorists and here we are today. All over $400K. Laughable !!!

I see that it's become ridiculous. I wrote what I did in response to the several posts regarding sponsors pulling out because of what allegedly happened. I say allegedly because people can think what they want without having all the facts in hand, but I take the view that we don't know everything about this, nor will we. I was just putting forth an alternate view. I don't consider it a conspiracy, I consider it one way to do business.

 

[PJ]

I don't care about the past. I am talking about what happened YESTERDAY. The guy that comes on here and says "We race. All the time. Straight up." lied to everyone on here. And everyone tip toeing around the subject because the he occasionally posts here.

Look, I know you are looking for any reason you can to bash on the countdown, but this isn't it.

Isn't yesterday in the past????

Wow, you like to argue so much you don't even see when people are agreeing with you. smh


I don't think people are tip toeing around anything, most of the post on here are in agreement that a dive happened and it seems the majority agree that it sucks.

 

[.]

I see that it's become ridiculous. I wrote what I did in response to the several posts regarding sponsors pulling out because of what allegedly happened. I say allegedly because people can think what they want without having all the facts in hand, but I take the view that we don't know everything about this, nor will we. I was just putting forth an alternate view. I don't consider it a conspiracy, I consider it one way to do business.

Then lets just call national events what they really are. Scripted match races. Don't lie to us and tell us you race straight up, all the time. Everyone knows that is BS now.

 

[Mike]

Tell Jim Jannard that. How many millions did he dump into a car and see the outcome manipulated?

Not sure your point Greg?

 

[.]

Isn't yesterday in the past????

Wow, you like to argue so much you don't even see when people are agreeing with you. smh


I don't think people are tip toeing around anything, most of the post on here are in agreement that a dive happened and it seems the majority agree that it sucks.

I was simply pointing out, and you confirmed it, that the countdown had far less to do with the outcome of yesterdays race than one owners oversized ego did.

 

[flapjack]

Then lets just call national events what they really are. Scripted match races. Don't lie to us and tell us you race straight up, all the time. Everyone knows that is BS now.

Somehow or another, I think you are taking this as I am defending what happened. I don't like it at all, but it is what it is.

 

[.]

Not sure your point Greg?

The team he paid for got the short end of the stick once as well. See any cars out there now with Oakley splashed all over the side of it? Me neither.

 

[PJ]

I was simply pointing out, and you confirmed it, that the countdown had far less to do with the outcome of yesterdays race than one owners oversized ego did.

All I'm saying is the countdown creates more chances and instance of it happening.

I'm not so sure it's an ego thing. Like I've said before, I hate dives but I understand the business decision(although flawed) behind it. He gets a sponsor that gets to carry the #1 next year. Happy sponsor = more money over the long haul. Again, I hate that they happen and that they lie to us about them but I see why they do it.

 

[.]

Somehow or another, I think you are taking this as I am defending what happened. I don't like it at all, but it is what it is.

And like I said, the only way it will stop is when sponsors pull their money from owners that crap all over them. When you don't give them an honest effort, the checks stop coming. That will stop this crap.

Everyone wants to blame NHRA because of the lack of "good sponsorships" in the sport. Why would a sponsor come on board and pay for a car that, if an owner doesn't want them to run next round, they wont be?

I would rather see that money go to someone who is going to give the sponsor an honest effort, every round, every race, regardless of who is in the other lane.

 

[.]

All I'm saying is the countdown creates more chances and instance of it happening.

I'm not so sure it's an ego thing. Like I've said before, I hate dives but I understand the business decision(although flawed) behind it. He gets a sponsor that gets to carry the #1 next year. Happy sponsor = more money over the long haul. Again, I hate that they happen and that they lie to us about them but I see why they do it.

Sure it is an ego thing. Don't kid yourself. And because of it, if that team loses NAPA, the loss will be deserved.