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Jeff Diehl gets bit by the Friday bug....

With all the bad sponsor news, it's great that guys like Jeff are stepping up and starting to become real contenders. But, NHRA really needs to get rid of that top 12 deal, it seems to be hurting more than it helps, and it really just adds more confusion for the fans.
 
No matter how you set the qualifying rules, someone (usually more than 1) always gets hurt. There are only 16 spots and everyone has the same opportunity. This rule gives an added opportunity to ANY TEAM who maybe had a sub-par Friday. Yes, Jeff Diehl had a very good run for him personally. But a personal best doesn't count with this rule in place. He had another 2 opportunities on Saturday and couldn't even muster a run quicker than the 5.02 bump. That's the sign off a team that is improving, but still not consistent. If you want to be a contender, you must be consistent. This is a professional sport, not a let's give a guy a break break because he had a good day sport. That's not a slam on Jeff at all, just an example. The rule cuts both ways and was a instituted to alleviate what was considered to be a bigger problem. No one will be perfectly happy with the rules when they don't work in their favor. Our team has been both bitten and saved by this rule. At first I thought it was a terrible rule (back when I would consider us an underfunded, struggling team), but the one time you have a bad Friday, those 4 open spots on Saturday can become your lifesaver. In the end I believe it actually makes you become a better team. If you don't think you are a team that can run a top 12 number, Friday affords you the opportunity to try things to become a top 12 qualifier If it doesn't work, you can run a slower, but more consistent number on Saturday and still hopefully qualify. This ultimately leads to much improved bump sessions which in turn makes for a better fan experience.
 
Registered member said:
Just go back to the 16 quickest on the property period. Shouldn't change rules day to day. Bad for sponsors & fans.
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Rule's been in place for a number of years... In all honesty, it should be called "the Chicago rule"... been going on eight/ten years or so now, Track was 'one lane', field was set on Friday night, believe all 16 spots in each pro class... it just gives anyone that muffs the Friday Night Hero Run a chance to get in the show Saturday...
 
I'm suprised the lower funded teams bother to even make a pass on Fri. if it may not count. Everyone had 4 chances to go quicker than
Diehl. 3 failed. One by more than a full second. YET the slower 3 raced on Sunday & Diehl did not. Can anyone explain how that is fair??

Karl, you say it gives anyone that muffs Fri. a chance to get in Sat. Well Diehl ran great Fri 4.12, and "muffed" Sat.
Why does it work one way but not the other?? A 5.20 car ran Sun., while a 4.12 car sat out. How does that serve the fan.
 
Make Friday a TnT session, Saturday a 3 shot to get in day. One day of qualifying.

Not everyone runs on Saturday anymore- Dunn/Arend being the perfect example. Friday crowds are so-so anyway. Saturday qualifying guarantees everyone runs- great for the crowd.
 
Registered member said:
I'm suprised the lower funded teams bother to even make a pass on Fri. if it may not count. Everyone had 4 chances to go quicker than
Diehl. 3 failed. One by more than a full second. YET the slower 3 raced on Sunday & Diehl did not. Can anyone explain how that is fair??

Karl, you say it gives anyone that muffs Fri. a chance to get in Sat. Well Diehl ran great Fri 4.12, and "muffed" Sat.
Why does it work one way but not the other?? A 5.20 car ran Sun., while a 4.12 car sat out. How does that serve the fan.
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No, They muffed Friday, because he did not make one of the twelve quickest runs Per The Rules.... and everyone qualifies by the same rules.... Which I understand The Racers Requested....

And let's get back to basics.... It's about my hot rod is quicker than yours and I can beat you to the finish line... the fact there may be some people to watch is a nice extra... but that's really NOT what the sport is about... any more than golf is about people lining the course to watch you play... (note... a pair of 16 second street cars is way more enjoyable than PGA in person.... guess you have to enjoy hunting Golfs)

It's about feeding The EGO, then the money, points....

d'kid
 
Registered member said:
A 4.12 is not good enough, yet a 5.29 is..........If preformance no longer counts, why don't we just draw names out of a hat.
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Zappy, why are you 'mitching' now about a rule that has been in place for several years... call it about the Last 100-120 Races or so... and yes, Jeff is not the first this has happened to.
 
I sure hope this rule get change for next year, not good for the sport, hell Jeff might have been able to go a few rounds with good racing conditions like they were.
 
Registered member said:
Zappy, why are you 'mitching' now about a rule that has been in place for several years... call it about the Last 100-120 Races or so... and yes, Jeff is not the first this has happened to.
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Karl, that is hilarious! A local sports talk radio station use that term a lot, and I usually get a chuckle out of it.
 
Karl the rule is wrong, you know it sir. It was wrong years ago when they first started it, and it's still wrong today. I didn't start this thread,
I'm just commenting on it. I don't like seeing the "little" guy get screwed. Or anyone for that matter. It should be the quickest 16 on the property.
It should be WHAT you run (ET)........not when you run it. I get what the intention was, I do, but it didn't work. So lets not keep
doing something wrong just cause it's a rule. Lets learn from our mistakes, and fix this. Just like the no practice rule, lets drop it.
 
The intention of the rule is to guarantee that the show happens on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. That obviously doesn't seem to be working, as teams that dont have to run on Saturday are now NOT running- pulling out of line once they know they are in.

The rule is for THE SHOW, not the spirit of competition...
 
I understand the rule. I would amend it in one way. 8 Friday, 8 Saturday. Don't leave just 4 spots, split the field in half. You want to make Saturday exciting, let's see some of the big boys who miss on Friday have to step up. Any way you look at it, 0-3 cars are going home every race.
 
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