Please, explain to us all that don't understand your vocabulary, what is "Moon Flied"?
Jim Hughes Disqualified!?!?
- Thread starter stanman
- Start date
It seems to me, that NHRA trains their employees/track workers to know thier job and only their job. I don't know if you've ever asked a somebody in a powerade blue shirt where you would get something taken care of, but it's very rare that they know stuff outside of their job requirements. It's not always a bad thing, because their discretion is limited to the scope of their job, but it can be.
Their pit was right next to where I was and I wondered why there were 3 cars sitting there all had written in shoe polish "DQ'D ask me why?". I never went there and asked, but have the basic story now. Sounds like a comedy of errors on the part of both sides (no disrespect intended with the phrase 'comedy'). NHRA wants people to race, I know that. This seems very unfortunate for everyone involved.
Nitrohaulic
Nitro Member
Maybe they're just being "outspoken." By suggesting that they're bashing, aren't you bashing them?
That would be like insulting entire groups of people for simply having political views that differ from yours.
Nemo
Nitro Member
I was also pitted just down the road from Hughes and stopped by to see what the deal was. I will say that NHRA has gotten better over the last few years, but this year at Topeka was a slight down turn. The parking was all kinds of messed up, they waisted about half the "plug in" spots due to poor planning. The Tech was also messed up, I had all kinds of trouble getting teched in (so did about ever racer around me). I had an issue with my brake lines running through the chassis (has since '96, and our dragster before that since '88). I looked and EVERY DRAGSTER around me was the same way. They decided to let me run but what a cluster. I think the guys meant well, they were polite, but it just seemed like the entire sportsman side of the "race" was a little off their game.
*******
Nitro Member
Exactly !! Simply amazes me at the number of sportsman racers who continue to show up, pay money, get treated like crap, gripe about it but then go to the next race over and over. If it wasn't for the ET bracket finals once a year I would let all my membership and licenses expire.
MoparBilly
Nitro Member
"Moon Flied"!!!! Bobby, you've out done yourself this time!!!
Anyone of us who regularly attends and competes at NHRA National and Divisional events, clearly understands the quantity and severity of incompetence that is in place in official positions at these events at any one time. We love the sport, and we love competing at the highest level; so we learn to roll with the flow, figure out who, what and when can expedite our "experience" with the minimum amount of roadblocks and speedbumps, and do our very best to get pitted, teched, waivered, credentialed, fueled, and in the lanes for our first hit.
Usually it goes smooth enough, I mean, if I make the back of the lanes for first time run, with seconds to spare...great!!! I forget about all the hassles. But when It goes bad, you darn well know I'm going to throw a fit, and let everyone know!! We simply spend too much time and too much money doing this to allow mistakes made by a few inept or uncaring people ruin a whole event for you.
I have NEVER assumed anyone was a f-up at any time for any reason, regardless of the uniform they happen to be wearing, or thier station in life. Everyone I place in that category, has earned thier way in by consistantly making bad decisions at the wrong time.
I feel bad for The General, and the whole Hughes team...its a horrible way to end a race weekend.
Anyone of us who regularly attends and competes at NHRA National and Divisional events, clearly understands the quantity and severity of incompetence that is in place in official positions at these events at any one time. We love the sport, and we love competing at the highest level; so we learn to roll with the flow, figure out who, what and when can expedite our "experience" with the minimum amount of roadblocks and speedbumps, and do our very best to get pitted, teched, waivered, credentialed, fueled, and in the lanes for our first hit.
Usually it goes smooth enough, I mean, if I make the back of the lanes for first time run, with seconds to spare...great!!! I forget about all the hassles. But when It goes bad, you darn well know I'm going to throw a fit, and let everyone know!! We simply spend too much time and too much money doing this to allow mistakes made by a few inept or uncaring people ruin a whole event for you.
I have NEVER assumed anyone was a f-up at any time for any reason, regardless of the uniform they happen to be wearing, or thier station in life. Everyone I place in that category, has earned thier way in by consistantly making bad decisions at the wrong time.
I feel bad for The General, and the whole Hughes team...its a horrible way to end a race weekend.
Nitrohaulic
Nitro Member
The brake line on my bracket dragster goes through the frame rail and that's never been an issue in any of it's SFI inspections. Since we have a reason to need a deflector plate to protect/separate the driver from the engine, I'd think we'd WANT to have the brake line protected by the frame rail tubing as it passes the engine.
I did once have an INSPECTOR point at my deflector plate and ask why it's so short (top of my shoulders). I told him "Because the radiator is behind the engine?" He looked confused, then asked me "What does the location of the radiator have to do with anything?"
I had another complain about the lengths of heater hose I had going from my water pump to the radiator. He started quoting, as if out of the rulebook "No more than 12 inches total of rubber line, for connection purposes only." I finished the quote with "Except for NHRA accepted woven pushlock." The quote he was quoting me was from the FUEL (line) section.
Do you think I got an apology for that guy trying to apply the wrong rule to the wrong part of my car? Hell no! What I got was "Well, I can always just deem your car to be unsafe" which got me in his face saying "Then we need to go into the tower and have a talk with management because, you have a LOT of cars here that are going to have to be deemed to be unsafe."
I'm not going to generalize an entire group of people but, I've definitely encountered incompetence among a few NHRA tech inspectors, including another who made himself into a proven liar in front of witnesses at a B&M race. He tried to say an event promoter said one thing right after an incident, when he told me something completely different and, the inspector hadn't BEEN with the promoter since it happened. When he said "George Howard doesn't want that car running here" and, I said "Well, that's funny because George just told me that if I fix this, I can buy back in." the man just got a "deer in the headlights" look, turned, and walked away.
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Has he? Yay for Bobby.
FABMAN
Nitro Member
Greg i am with you, NHRA management drop the ball on this. It's their job to make sure that the people running the credential window have ample supplies to handle the race. They know how many racers that will be there by pre-entry and previous races. Jim obviously paid his entry fee and is a regular entry at most races. Employees should be trained to be respectful and courteous to people that pay there hard earned money to race in these events. If Jim and other racers had made several attempts to get their credentials and NHRA could not provide them then they should have at least had one of there runners notify the racers when they were available and this issue would not have happen. I don't think Greg or anyone else is bashing NHRA, it's called frustration. NHRA management is not doing there job and that drops down on employees and before you know it the organization begins to have problems after problems and frustration settles in. The racers and fans spend their money on racing to have fun and some do it for a living. NHRA management has lost the values that this organization and sport were built on.
Bob
Nitro Member
Frank Nichols Jr did race in the third round Sunday.
As to what happened, I can see time trials being run without a waiver when there is a glitch like a shortage of paperwork available for signatures at the time of registration, especially when the sanctioning body makes a list of those competitors who still needed to sign (and submit) waivers before the start of eliminations. Same thing with tech cards, though there are always some missing tech cards during time trials and qualifying. The sanctioning body makes a point of calling drivers to the tower (at least they do at divisional events) for missing tech cards during time trials and qualifying. That is different than the waivers, as those are usually kept at the tech or registration trailer (correct me if I'm wrong here), so race control likely won't know if there are missing waiver signatures during TT and Qual unless registration brings it to their attention.
This isn't the first time I've seen a racer tossed for not signing a waiver. What would have been the result if Jim's elimination runs were allowed to stand and other racers found out he hadn't turned in his waiver(s) prior to running eliminations? I suspect some folks would have been crying favoritism due to his stature as both a racer and supplier/sponsor.
It's a shame he got tossed, but the blame isn't solely on the sanctioning body. In fact I think they acted accordingly by enforcing a rule that pertains to every racer.
JMHO,
Bob
Taking a page from NASCAR, who (whom?) NHRA SEEMS to be trying to emulate, judgements and penalties like Jim's expulsion should probably be investigated and handed down TUESDAY after the event, when all sides of the story have been bandied about and a level-headed decision made.
(Seems like there was something recent about possesion of nitro that would apply here also.)
Hit 'em hard if they deserve it, for sure, but the Hughes deal sounds like a clerical error with MANAGEMENT at fault.
As many know, you can spot NHRA officials at ANY race by their blue shirts and khaki pants.
At the highest level, like VP and above, those individuals, as they walk along, will suddenly develop a violent KNEE JERK!
Ya can't miss 'em!
(Seems like there was something recent about possesion of nitro that would apply here also.)
Hit 'em hard if they deserve it, for sure, but the Hughes deal sounds like a clerical error with MANAGEMENT at fault.
As many know, you can spot NHRA officials at ANY race by their blue shirts and khaki pants.
At the highest level, like VP and above, those individuals, as they walk along, will suddenly develop a violent KNEE JERK!
Ya can't miss 'em!
I guess I won't get an answer to what "Moon Flied" means?
Don't leave us hanging here.....
- Thread starter
- #37
Bob,
The only thing Hughes had not completed as part of his entry into the event was receipt of his ticket with its restricted area sticker. He did sign his waiver in front of an NHRA official and his name along with all the other competitors in the same boat was put on a list of those needing their ticket and restricted area sticker.
The fact remains that the situation was caused by NHRA and it should have never resulted in Hughes' disqualification.
FABMAN
Nitro Member
Greg, i am fairly new on nitro so i don't know if Jim has posted here before, sure would be nice to here his thoughts.
"Dr. Dirt"
Nitro Member
You left hanging? Why don't you just open-mindedly re-read the entire first page of this thread where Greg Stanley, a regular participant at such events, poses a very simple-yet direct question only to be debated to death over semantics without answers to his question then notice just who are these debating parties. Without receiving honest answers to his valid question, I'd say he was "Moon Flied" It appears from other replies, there was a consensus.
Don't take it personally. Why not just answer the man's question without the drama of unforeseen collateral BS.
