Ed K wins on a Harley.

[Chuck]

Yep, he was consistent all right. Never made it past the semis and went past the first round just 4 times before the countdown. A true champion.

Round in which EK lost during the year

G-Ville - 2nd
Hou - 2nd
Atl - 1st
St Lou - Semi
Chic - 2nd
E-Town - 2nd
Norwalk - Semi
Den - Semi
Sono - Semi
Bran - 1st
Reading - 2nd
Indy - 1st

Countdown Starts

Char - R/U
Dal - Semi
Memp - R/U
Vegas - R/U
Pamona - R/U

 

[The Swegian]

Round in which EK lost during the year

G-Ville - 2nd
Hou - 2nd
Atl - 1st
St Lou - Semi
Chic - 2nd
E-Town - 2nd
Norwalk - Semi
Den - Semi
Sono - Semi
Bran - 1st
Reading - 2nd
Indy - 1st

Countdown Starts

Char - R/U
Dal - Semi
Memp - R/U
Vegas - R/U
Pamona - R/U

Thanks Gary, my bad. Still though, he didn't make it into a final round before the countdown.

 

[Chuck]

Thanks Gary, my bad. Still though, he didn't make it into a final round before the countdown.

You're welcome and I agree, if not for the countdown format, he wouldn't have the championship. But, it is what it is, and we have to live with it for now.

 

[PJ]

you are a joke, it shows that consistency wins championships. Eddie did what he needed to do when it counted, and that was go rounds in the countdown. Dont steal the guys thunder just because his team mate helped him win; congrats to Eddie and the whole Vance and Hines team! Just shows you who the most consistent rider out there is....

He was consistent over 6 races.

THis countdown was done to draw new fans right. How does it look to have a guy be crowned as the champion when he can't even win a race???

I don't mean to knock Eddie personally, he won by the rules in place. My complaint is that the rules are horrible

 

[jpee]

He was consistent over 6 races.

THis countdown was done to draw new fans right. How does it look to have a guy be crowned as the champion when he can't even win a race???

I don't mean to knock Eddie personally, he won by the rules in place. My complaint is that the rules are horrible

I agree.... How do you think Wilkerson feels.. he would have had it won at the last race.. did GREAT all yr a 1 car team.. low $$ and was killing everyone.. then in the "Countdown" 1 bad run (Red vs Force) and his whole season id down the tubes

Wilkerson should be FC Champ... NOT Pedegron..

 

[PJ]

I agree.... How do you think Wilkerson feels.. he would have had it won at the last race.. did GREAT all yr a 1 car team.. low $$ and was killing everyone.. then in the "Countdown" 1 bad run (Red vs Force) and his whole season id down the tubes

Wilkerson should be FC Champ... NOT Pedegron..

even more ironic in that we were told the countdown was going to help the smaller budget teams.

 

[Dave]

This is not meant to insult Eddie as a person. I have never met him but he does seem like a nice guy. I have nothing against him personally. However, I am reminded of a quote from a multi-time NHRA World Champion. When NHRA announced the Countdown, this Champion said something like, "This Countdown format will allow some leaker to win the title". Again, I have nothing against Eddie but based on his round record; well if the shoe fits.

Dave

 

[Mikey]

I am extremely excited for Eddie and his 2008 Championship. At the end of the day he had more points than any other rider through the countdown; in turn making him the champion. Given the format Eddie deserves the Championship.

 

[mick]

congratulations Ed!

 

[Bullet]

Firs and foremost, I am a Matt Smith fan all the way. BUT... ANY OTHER TEAM ON THE TOUR WOULD HAVE DONE WHAT V&H DID!

To do anything other than that and cost your team the championship would be idiotic!

 

[Rajunz]

I am extremely excited for Eddie and his 2008 Championship. At the end of the day he had more points than any other rider through the countdown; in turn making him the champion. Given the format Eddie deserves the Championship.

I too was extremely happy to see Eddie win the Championship, he was the most consistant throughout the Countdown, therefore he does deserve the prize..............

HOWEVER

I have to agree with Justin, that was a real embarrassment for the sport and NHRA, and it definitely showed on the broadcast.

I got no problem with dives, but that one was ridiculous. Just dont make the pass Andrew. That looked horribly bad....................

 

[john]

HUH! A Vance and Hines bike is a leaker?

 

[stanman]

I too was extremely happy to see Eddie win the Championship, he was the most consistant throughout the Countdown, therefore he does deserve the prize...............

Lance,

I can only agree because of the system. Chip Rivas wins 3 of the last 6 races and doesn't win the championship because of the most blantant dive in drag racing history!?!?

Nothing against Eddie personally but if he couldn't beat his teammate heads up in the semi and then beat Rivas in the final to keep Chip from winning the championship then he doesn't deserve the crown. His title will forever be tainted in my opinion.

 

[DragFan2]

Lance,

I can only agree because of the system. Chip Rivas wins 3 of the last 6 races and doesn't win the championship because of the most blantant dive in drag racing history!?!?

Nothing against Eddie personally but if he couldn't beat his teammate heads up in the semi and then beat Rivas in the final to keep Chip from winning the championship then he doesn't deserve the crown. His title will forever be tainted in my opinion.

Greg, that was a very uncomfortable "Victory" interview with Eddie K. after his run. You could see the embarassment in his face, but he put on his best corporate-speak after that. The "blatant" dive was way too obvious and cutting a .361 light and winning is an insult to every drag racer's intelligence. I thought NHRA had issued an edict a year or more ago that "blatant" dives would not be tolerated and even penalized with fines? Was that just a bunch of words? Again, I agree with why it happened, but to be that obvious has to make NHRA feel like they have "egg on their face" after that non-race to decide the championship. Lucky for NHRA it didn't happen in the top Nitro classes like Funny Car or Top Fuel (this year). At least Cruz earned his and won the championship and the race in dominating style. I still thought it was bogus that they felt the need to show Cruz primping for the cameras RIGHT AWAY when there was still a funny car race going on in the background. They had to show that run on video replay. Why not show Cruz's trophy presentation on video replay?

Just adding my 2 cents...

 

[wilbur]

riva,s still picking his jaw up

You know Iv,e heard of team orders before, but I guess Iv,e never seen them carried out as blatently, as was witnessed in the hines-krawiec pro bike race. Krawiec had a 3 something, something light, and hines had a .006 light I believe. While krawiec was trying to catch hines, matt was doing everything he could to let his teammate catch up, save pull his engine kill strap. I think it was byron hines trying not to laugh in his intervew. And chris riva,s who had ran just before them, and who could have stayed in the hunt, had krawiec lost , was picking his lower jaw up off his leathers, when they put him on camera. This new system has to be a joke, I was laughing my arse off, watching these charades.

 

[Paul]

Some of you guys kill me! First off, stop crying about the Countdown, your crying will not change the format (obviously since it is still here and the "Petition" failed miserably), it is what it is and you can't do a thing about it. Secondly, diving has been around for years and any team would have done the same thing given that particular situation. Some of you guys are taking away some of the glory Eddie deserves given he did what he had to and was playing within the rules! Congrats to Eddie Krawiec, the 2008 Powerade CHAMP!

 

[Paul]

I don't think its good for the sport when this kind of stuff happens. Can you imagine the same thing in the NFL if one guy owned 2 teams and had one team clearly throw a game in the playoffs and then in addition made light about the situation to the press?

But I don't know what can be done about it, other than not allowing teams to own more than one car in a particular class. That rule actually might do some good for the sport, instead of 4 funny cars, teams like Force would field Top Fuel, Funny Car and a Pro Stock bike and car. He'd probably end up with more total air time that way, and the sponsors would be just as happy, and dives would be a thing of the past.

You could even have a separate "Team Championship" for the team that has the best combined results.

Actually thinking more about it I think this would be the best way to go, but I realize the chances of it happening are pretty slim.

A variation is to allow multi-car teams, but only allow primary sponsors (like H-D) to only sponsor one entry per class. This isn't bulletproof diving protection, but the sponsor pressure would eliminate a lot of diving. Actually this may be in place in NASCAR, I don't remember them every having more than one car with the same primary sponsor.

Paul T.

 

[suckeez azz]

Some of you guys kill me! First off, stop crying about the Countdown, your crying will not change the format (obviously since it is still here and the "Petition" failed miserably), it is what it is and you can't do a thing about it. Secondly, diving has been around for years and any team would have done the same thing given that particular situation. Some of you guys are taking away some of the glory Eddie deserves given he did what he had to and was playing within the rules! Congrats to Eddie Krawiec, the 2008 Powerade CHAMP!

Very well put, on the other side if Eddie went out there an red-lit and lost and Rivas went on to win the championship, everyone would be talking about what a bunch of idiots the V&H team are. Is there really a graceful way to carry out team orders? It's the same thing in vegas when robert raced neff, neff mysteriously blows the tires off. It's a little harder to not make it obvious on the bikes, sans hines redlighting. At the end of the day, Eddie WON this championship. He beat ellis in 2nd round on a holeshot for heaven's sake.

 

[PJ]

Paul come on now even you have to admit that it looked really, really bad.

Remember in F1 a few years back one teammate pulled over so the other, who was in points contention, could get the win. F1 was so embarrassed that they stripped the win.


I get that it happens and I understand why even but good lord did that look horrible. I can't imagine that it is the type of publicity the nhra would want.

As for the countdown. Quit complaining about the complainers Changes already happened after year one....and seeing the farce this year I would expect more changes next year. Sorry that I can't just be a stooge and go along with any change to the sport I lovem, when I predicted and now have seen how bad it is. hell its even worse that I feared

 

[J.C.]

I suspect that the V&H "plan" was for Andrew to red-light. When he missed the red by just a tiny bit, he had to improvise and it sure wasn't pretty.

It's unfortunate the way Eddie won the championship, but V&H did what they had to do for HD to win the title. Can't take anything away from them for doing it, it was just ugly. A few years down the road, most people won't remember "the incident" and Eddie will always have 2008 PSB champion on his resume.

FYI - I don't know Eddie personally, but did attend a PSB racer's BBQ in his back yard at Indy this year. He is a very nice guy and should represent NHRA well as a champion.