New Nitro Testing Policy (3 Viewers)

[Pete]

Is it me or does it sound like a screwjob for IHRA/NHRA crossovers and teams trying to make a little survival money match racing.

Great job again NHRA? I'd like to know who they consulted in the Pro ranks, I would think its probably the well sponsored multi car conglomerates.

NHRA Mandates 2009 Testing Policy for Top Fuel and Funny Car Categories

 

[Toejam]

Can NHRA fine a racer that hasn't run NHRA at all in the last year? Not a good way to encourage racers to come and compete.

 

[rollingthunder]

wonder how that affects NIGHT UNDER FIRE AT Summit motorsports park !
since Force cars would have to use that as one day.
This is the current pre list
John & Ashley Force, Cruz & Tony Pededgon, Tim & Dan Wilkerson and two additional drivers to be named!

 

[Butch]

WTF NHRA says you can't even match race now. I think NHRA is going to shoot themselves in the foot on this one. What are they trying to do kill all the competition from other sanctioning body's? Match racing is what got many of today's racers to where they are today.

 

[MM]

so i guess that means if you run more than one IHRA race you can't run an NHRA event since if you run an IHRA event and make all the qualifying runs....two events would make 6 days of testing in NHRA's eyes??



yikes.....

 

[yoda]

wow... at what point can the company you work WITH tell you what you can do on your day off with stuff that you own?????

 

[Nitrohelper]

Sounds like a great idea to force more tracks to book "Classic" Nitro F/C's for their shows.

 

[vegasnitro]

Says it includes licensing attempts. Now anyone wanting to get licensed in a fuel car will have to do it in the offseason so it won't count as a testing day?

Let's say Laurie Force got a chassis/parts from JFR and she hired test driver and hired her own crew and they made passes at a non-NHRA sanctioned track during the season and the crew, car or driver never attend a NHRA event ... is that testing?

 

[You!]

"This policy applies to both the team and driver."

So if a driver leaves a team that has used up it's testing days for the year, and goes on to drive for a new team with let's say Apple Computer sponsorship, right before Indy, they can't go test with that driver?!!

And how are they going to define the term "team"? If the crew, sponsor, driver, all stay together but the owner sells it off, they can't run it under the new owner if they've used up their days?

 

[.]

http://www.nitromater.com/nhra/20002-2009-testing-ban.html


I don't see any of your points.

1. The only 3 tracks that have run "match race" type events on NHRA tracks with fuel cars recently, is E-Town, Norwalk night of fire, and Earlville.
All 3 tracks ran the events without a hitch last year when the testing ban was in place. I don't see where NHRA is keeping "match race" money down, when there are no match races to begin with.

2. I am sure the big teams have nothing to do with it. They will test anyway, just like last year. There are other tracks available. If anything, it helps the smaller teams. Big teams that can't get to an off site test track is forced to test during qualifying during events. I know for a fact is being done.

Paul,

Did you see this part?

NHRA's definition of testing includes, but is not limited to, any run or attempted run conducted at any track whatsoever, whether or not it is an NHRA track or NHRA-sanctioned track.

 

[MM]

1. The only 3 tracks that have run "match race" type events on NHRA tracks with fuel cars recently, is E-Town, Norwalk night of fire, and Earlville.
All 3 tracks ran the events without a hitch last year when the testing ban was in place. I don't see where NHRA is keeping "match race" money down, when there are no match races to begin with.

2. I am sure the big teams have nothing to do with it. They will test anyway, just like last year. There are other tracks available. If anything, it helps the smaller teams. Big teams that can't get to an off site test track is forced to test during qualifying during events. I know for a fact is being done.

Paul you forgot Cordova.....ya know the longest running annual race in the country

and last year.....the match races were in place before the testing ban and were therefore considered "grandfathered in"......and if you read the dragracecentral.com article.....it's 4 days at all tracks.....both NHRA sanctioned or non-sanctioned tracks

 

[Just Paul]

Wait! Delete, Delete, Delete..

I didn't read the new deal..

I just was going off of what was already said in Comptons letter from last week!! Not this new bull $h!t. Oops

Noob

'Mater cred took a beating on that one. LOL

 

[Mooseman]

Whats up with this , I can inderstand cutting costs but this is silly . What if a team was a low buck team just trying to get somewhere and they were offered money for a exhibition/match race deal at some track somewhere that may help them out with money for a national event .

This is silly , there are more funny cars out there then the ones in NHRA , what about the IHRA ones or the guys still doing exhibition shows and the odd event race like Grant Downing and those other guys .

Who were the teams that agreed with this idea , Both Schumacher and Force got by through match racing in the old days , Austin Coil's claim to fame was allmost entirely through match racing . So what is this saying to the guys trying to get somewhere , "NHRA or nothing" how silly .

I say this with all my heart , I want to oneday compete in NHRA oneday but I sure wont be wearing one of their t-shirts.

 

["Dr. Dirt"]

What's next? Any cars that aren't a color specified by NHRA and painted with a product supplied by "The Official Paint of the NHRA" will be automatically disqualified?
Is it just me or are these guys complete void of business sense? It's going to be nearly impossible to fill fields this year and they are now making it nearly impossible to move up into the fuel ranks with enough testing to make a respectable showing.

 

[Mooseman]

What's next? Any cars that aren't a color specified by NHRA and painted with a product supplied by "The Official Paint of the NHRA" will be automatically disqualified?
Is it just me or are these guys complete void of business sense? It's going to be nearly impossible to fill fields this year and they are now making it nearly impossible to move up into the fuel ranks with enough testing to make a respectable showing.

Yeah , not everybody starts off in sportman racing and then gets hired by some big money team , some people want to build their own car and just race funny cars and have their own team .

 

[Gipraw]

If I was the IHRA, I would be talking to a very good anti-trust attorney right now.

 

[The Mighty]

Be interesting to see what happens with Urs Erbacher and Andy Carter if either had decided to run in the US at the end of the European season.

By saying testing is OK until Pomona infers that it is perfectly acceptable to run the ANDRA championship in Australia in the off season and then race NHRA but it is not OK to run the FIA European Championship and then run in NHRA just because we happen to be in the same hemisphere and therefore run our racing seasons at the same time. Surely this is discrimination and creates even further mockery of a "world championship" which is run by a "national" association with events only in one country which now is doing its best to make it even more impossible to compete for anyone for our part of the world. Further to this, what is going to happen with Al Anabi racing's new track in Qatar? Does NHRA really think that Sheikh Khalid Bin Hamad Al Thani is financing two nitro teams that he doesn't expect to see running at his newly built home track?

I would suggest that for every NHRA event that a team or driver misses on the tour that they should be allowed a day "testing" elsewhere if it is truly about keeping a level playing field for as little outlay as possible.

Maybe the powers that be at Glendora saw the entry lists for Pomona were ok and thought "we've gotta get it down to an 8 car field somehow and save on that purse"!

 

[Pete]

NHRA just keep pushing and pushing, not only their diehard racers, but also their fans. 1000' racing temporary? yeah right, lower ticket prices? yeah right and it just goes on and on and on. THATS why I stopped running NHRA a couple years ago. I'm just so damed sick of all of the CRAP Glendora pulls!!!!!
You can't beat the pagentry and honor of racing at an NHRA national or divisional, but there is so much nonsense bulls**t you have to overlook to make it happen.

 

[Mike]

Slow down a bit everyone. Go back and reread the rule and then think about how it applies to the smaller budget teams.

"A team in violation of this testing policy will forfeit all NHRA Full Throttle points earned at the next NHRA National event at which the team participates."

In reality a lesser funded team isn't going to run all 24 events plus go to IHRA or many match races. So if they aren't going to run all 24 events and especially the ones during the countdown, who cares about the points. It's about going out, racing your best and putting other teams on the trailer.

I feel it affects everyone equally. If you're in it for the championship, you better not go test too much and forfeit points you can't afford to lose and if you can't afford to race for the championship, the points mean nothing!!!!!

And BTW, everyone hear was complaining that the money guys get to test and it hurts the little guys. If you make a rule, it has to apply to everyone. Does anyone really think they would write a rule that says the big money guys can't test but the lesser funded teams can go run anywhere anytime. The rule had to limit testing anywhere, anytime to be effective

 

[Al smith]

Slow down a bit everyone. Go back and reread the rule and then think about how it applies to the smaller budget teams.

"A team in violation of this testing policy will forfeit all NHRA Full Throttle points earned at the next NHRA National event at which the team participates."

In reality a lesser funded team isn't going to run all 24 events plus go to IHRA or many match races. So if they aren't going to run all 24 events and especially the ones during the countdown, who cares about the points. It's about going out, racing your best and putting other teams on the trailer.

I feel it affects everyone equally. If you're in it for the championship, you better not go test too much and forfeit points you can't afford to lose and if you can't afford to race for the championship, the points mean nothing!!!!!

And BTW, everyone hear was complaining that the money guys get to test and it hurts the little guys. If you make a rule, it has to apply to everyone. Does anyone really think they would write a rule that says the big money guys can't test but the lesser funded teams can go run anywhere anytime. The rule had to limit testing anywhere, anytime to be effective

but a team that doesn't care about NHRA points can still be flagged as a flagrant violator. and then perhaps be fined.

Any team demonstrating a flagrant disregard or continual violation of the testing policy may be subject to additional punitive action as deemed appropriate by NHRA in its sole and absolute discretion