Four Wide and Pro Board (3 Viewers)

[rollingthunder]

I like this idea...especially the no points. Make it an invitational, bring in 8 or 16 each of TF, FC, PS, PSB, PM, maybe the alcohol cars, and four jet cars. I know jet cars aren't really racing, but the crowds love them.....and they would really add to the circus atmosphere..........

How are jet cars not racing ?

 

[d'kid]

If each pair of lanes provides a winner, we'd have 8 Winners in the 1st rd, 4 in rd 2, 2 in rd 3 and 1 in rd 4. It has to be that way if each pair of lanes has a winner.

then why even bother running any 4 wide... thought the whole reason to run this krap was to cut down running time for a tighter TV package, the semis and the finals could still be run together, the first one between the 1/2 pair and the first of the 3/4 pair, which ever of those two the cross the finish line first is the winner, the other is R/U...

 

[Husky]

then why even bother running any 4 wide... thought the whole reason to run this krap was to cut down running time for a tighter TV package, the semis and the finals could still be run together, the first one between the 1/2 pair and the first of the 3/4 pair, which ever of those two the cross the finish line first is the winner, the other is R/U...

If time was a concern then the 2 rd format. with 1 winner from each set advancing, would keep the traditional winner take all philosophy of DR and speed things up.

As why they ran the 4 wide, JMHO it was for the WOW factor and to try something new.

 

[JB3]

I posted ther easons in my first post here as to why PRo does not like the deal (those three answers would be the real reasons they don't like it, not the pc ones they gave), and like Tim said, saying safety being a concern does not wash, simply because they would agree to an non points old winston type deal. very hypocritical of pro.

Here is something that you can think about as well. The winner of the race could conseivably lose in his or her first two rounds, by being second best, but then be the quickest in the final and win the race.
A 1-2 record instead of a 4-0 record and walk away with the most points for the weekend
or you could go 0-3 for the weekend and be runner-up
How about setting the national record in the event but losing all three rounds (2nd in all three) but walking away with the same amount of points as the winner.
I think you should be 3-1 to deserve the runnerup position
THat is a much more important issue imo. (someone may have already stated that though)
Many times you see a round were the second quickest car overall in round one loses because he or she happened to face the best car of the round, and then you get two pairs who can't get down, but the guy who pedals best gets the break.
That is what racing is all about, and has been since the start of the sport. It is better to be lucky than good sometimes.


Now in one sense you could say that the 4 lane format ensures the best cars make it for the reason I stated earlier. A car might not have won an earlier round but they were very quick and did enough to get to the final.

Which format is better: personally I think you must win a round to advance, not just be one of the two best cars.
That is why four lane is best kept an exhibition. IMHO

Dean Murdoch
SPEEDZONE MAGAZINE ONLINE

Dean ... That's exactly it!! As an example, Doug Herbert goes to his first race of the year. He gets to the stripe 2nd, 2nd and 4th in each of his respective rounds. He walked out with 72 points and was considered a semi-finalist. I've stated that in 2 other threads and all I get is " the chances of advancing were the same as any other race - 50/50", which I say is B.S.

No disrespect meant to Doug ... he played the game within the format presented. But I suspect if he or Virgil were running a car for the championship (I wish they were by the way), they might feel differently. Again, NO DISRESPECT to Doug or Mr. Hartman.

 

[DixonFan]

I think the format need to be improved and here is how I think it should be done....lol

Round One
16 cars run like usual.
2 run in the left side track...winner goes to next round
2 run in the right side track...winner goes to next round
8 cars remaining after round one

Round Two
8 cars run like usual
2 run in the left side track...winner goes to next round
2 run in the right side track...winner goes to next round
4 cars remaining after round two

Semi Final
4 cars run like usual
2 run in the left side track...winner goes to next round
2 run in the right side track...winner goes to next round
2 cars remaining after semi final

Finals
2 Top Fuel Cars run in the left side track
2 Funny Cars run in the rights side track

2 Prostock Cars run in the left side track
2 Prostock Motorcycles in the right side track

Points Count!

Great show for the fans which equals possible Live TV option

 

[PJ]

Nhra has a poll on their facebook site as of when I looked the results were

I think Four-Wide racing would be awesome if ...
NHRA didn't change a thing; running four-wide for points was great 23%
(36 votes)
NHRA ran four-wide as an exhibition/all-star race, but NOT as a points race 50% (80 votes)
NHRA never ran four-wide again under any circumstance 27% (43 votes)

 

[Tim5636sc]

I like that idea Shannon

 

[mike]

And that's the BIG problem. TV viewers (the vast majority and the folks who get to watch the commercials) have a hard time following what's going on. The solution? Endless replays. 10 replays of a run (even an eventful one) is way too much. I like Mike Dunn's commentary but can only watch a run so many times.

Never thought I would say it but this was one boring race.

by my (very suspect) math there was something like a minute and a half *of actual racing in what was supposed to be a 3 hour show it'd be hard not to make that boring


*I'd be willing to add in more time for the start-up/burn out/staging/etc if ESPN didn't spend most of that time interviewing somebody or babbling

 

[Mooseman]

Theres a great interview on ksvl92 with Ron Capps where the 4-wide thing gets talked about.

My Website

 

[Cymon Sez]

Can anyone tell me when the FUNNY CAR pulls up and all the CLOWNS pile out.....I might tune in for that.

Im so glad I have a track 20 min away to get my drag racing fix without the three ring circus atmosphere.

Good for PRO!

 

[Toejam]

I think the format need to be improved and here is how I think it should be done....lol

Round One
16 cars run like usual.
2 run in the left side track...winner goes to next round
2 run in the right side track...winner goes to next round
8 cars remaining after round one

Round Two
8 cars run like usual
2 run in the left side track...winner goes to next round
2 run in the right side track...winner goes to next round
4 cars remaining after round two

Semi Final
4 cars run like usual
2 run in the left side track...winner goes to next round
2 run in the right side track...winner goes to next round
2 cars remaining after semi final

Finals
2 Top Fuel Cars run in the left side track
2 Funny Cars run in the rights side track

2 Prostock Cars run in the left side track
2 Prostock Motorcycles in the right side track

Points Count!

Great show for the fans which equals possible Live TV option

Makes sense, but your still gonna confuse the fans. Trying to explain that 2 separate races take place at the same time is just gonna make it more confusing!

 

[Marchboom]

by my (very suspect) math there was something like a minute and a half *of actual racing in what was supposed to be a 3 hour show it'd be hard not to make that boring


*I'd be willing to add in more time for the start-up/burn out/staging/etc if ESPN didn't spend most of that time interviewing somebody or babbling

Oh not, can't do that! We have to allow time for Paul Paige to say numerous times that we are going racing 4-wide with 32,000 HP! Also have to allow time to ask every driver about their staging strategy.

I sure hope Vegas doesn't go 4-wide. With this being the second to the last race in the points chase, I wonder if the drivers who are VERY close to winning the championship would take a chance with the complexities of 4-wide? I wouldn't want ANYTHING to be changed this close to the end.

 

[Tony]

I think if they took a vote later in the weekend it would have been different, but the leader of PRO was the most upset about the format Friday evening because his team was doing really bad to say the least. And it was the easiest thing to blame it on the format rather than the driver and team itself. He went as far as having NHRA move cars out of his "quad" twice during qualifying on Saturday because they weren't up to his "standards". If that team had performed well during the weekend, you would not have heard a word from PRO.

Pretty strong words, Mr. Hartman. In my opinion, if you make a public accusation, you should at least include the name of the person you are accusing.

 

[Lori]

No offense to Mr Hartman at all, but I don't think the drivers were all that hip on it even after Friday. They had to do their job and this was the format they were given to do it in.
They were asked during interviews and gave some very PC responses, but I felt as though they were just trying to straddle a fence so to speak. A neat thing to hear, see and feel, but I would lay money that not one of them want this to be regular or for points. I could see it in their interviews, and some of those were after Friday.
Thank you Mr Hartman for posting on the website.

 

[mick]

yesterday there was an april fools link regarding $10mill. race next year @ zmax.
perhaps it should have read something like this.

"Bruton Smith signs agreement with ESPN to air 2011 Zmax 4-wide eliminations
live in their entirety; Mr. Smith working with existing and potential new sponsors
in hopes of purse increase"

woops! sorry, no live TV, no increased purse.........the racers don't want it.
oh, and it's NOT april fools - it seems to be reality.

 

[Wayne]

I think if they took a vote later in the weekend it would have been different, but the leader of PRO was the most upset about the format Friday evening because his team was doing really bad to say the least. And it was the easiest thing to blame it on the format rather than the driver and team itself. He went as far as having NHRA move cars out of his "quad" twice during qualifying on Saturday because they weren't up to his "standards". If that team had performed well during the weekend, you would not have heard a word from PRO.

Pretty strong words, Mr. Hartman. In my opinion, if you make a public accusation, you should at least include the name of the person you are accusing.

Tony I don't see any accusations there. He was making an observation based on what he saw/heard. And why should he name the person? I think most of us all know who that person is and so what!

I do agree that PRO should've had a vote on this AFTER the race as that would've given them more creedence and maybe impact.

JMHO

PS: I hated the 4-wide thing!!!

 

[.]

Eddie Krawiec is definitely not a fan.

 

[Muddy]

"Marcus Smith encouraged by 4 wide success". I wonder where the sand was he had his head stuck in?

MARCUS SMITH ENCOURAGED BY 4-WIDE NATS SUCCESS

 

[Lori]

He was interviewed *just like a lot of drivers* and said what he had to say.
What would you expect?

 

[PJ]

Here's the exhibition race they should put on. Mix 4wide with the showdown

2 floppers on one track, 2 dragsters on the other. The rails and floppers aren't racing each other but it happens at the same time so it is the spectacle that they want. They end up with a funny car winner and a tf winner. Put some mad money up for grabs and run with it




Someone mentioned jet cars. Check out youtube. They ran 4 jets there last year