More Rookie of the Year Debate (1 Viewer)

[Gordon]

I know this has been discussed ad nauseum in the past, particularly this year, but I had another thought that reiterated the double-standard NHRA seems to display on a regular basis.

Why is a team penalized and told they can't earn points at the next NHRA event if they test, run a race or otherwise compete at an IHRA track (because apparently the driver can run anything he or she wants as long as the team hasn't surpassed their testing days - even though points are carried by the driver, not the team)?

When... Spencer Massey gained all kinds of Top Fuel experience running IHRA last year and that does NOT count against him in the Rookie of the Year competition? Shawn Langdon is a true rookie, learning more and more at each event - from scratch - while Spencer continues to ADD to his experience piloting a Top Fuel digger.

Please don't get me wrong, I have nothing but respect for Spencer Massey - this isn't about him, it's about NHRA's double-standard. Am I crazy?

 

[Demon]

I don't think so.It's the same deal when I posted about Jason Line being a ROTY candidate in P/S,yet he already had a stock eliminator championship under his belt.

 

[twok4hd]

My take is this. Spencer Massey is no rookie. If a football player in the CFL has a full year of playing and comes to the NFL the following year, is he a rookie?

 

[FC138fan]

Rookie n- a first-year participant in a major professional sport

Drag racing is not a major professional sport.

NHRA Championchip drag racing (IHRA Championchip drag racing too) is a professional sport like MLB baseball or NFL football or NHL hockey.

The year you cross the line from recreational drag racer to professional drag racer should be considered your rookie year. That should be further defined - your rookie year is the first year you run X amount of races as a professional.

Its tough to define when a racer crosses that line from recreational to professional. Maybe its the date you signed the contract to get paid to drag race, and not pay to drag race.

Whenever it was, due to his talent, I bet Spencer got paid to drag race prior to this year. Therefore in most peoples eyes he was a professional prior to this year. Therfore he is not a first year participant in a major professional sport and not a rookie - in my opinion anyway.

However, if NHRA defines it as being a driver racing in the PRO categories in the NHRA for the first year, then he is a canidate.

They define it, therefore he should be a canidate. Until they change the definition, he should be considered for the position.

 

[steve]

Hey Flaps, haven't talked to you in a while.

Not sure how to answer your question since I was part of a team that did just that. Don Lampus was the 1999 IHRA champion and 2000 NHRA rookie of the year. It did seem odd that they were calling him a rookie after two years in IHRA. Imagine if Millican had never raced NHRA before his six IHRA championships and then contended for NHRA rookie of the year. Maybe NHRA just doesn't want to give IHRA any credibility by factoring that in.

 

[d'kid]

Masterchief...
Using the same logic, IF IHRA, AHRA, ADRL, don't count, then it should follow, PSB to TF, TF to FC, PS to FC... anytime you move one class to another, you are a rookie... or would moving from A/F to a slower class like Pro Stock be a step up or a Step Down... and should the driver be in line for RoTY?

d'kid