NHRA Championship Points (old style) (2 Viewers)

[Rajunz]

You have bested me.

Now just explain to me why NHRA Drag Racing, a single elimination competition with durations of less than eight seconds in the professional categories, needs to emulate any other form of competition. By design you "bring your A game" every time you stage the car. You don't have the luxury of multiple periods, overtime or cautions.

I do agree 100%, maximum effort should be put forth in all competition. However, there is one thing that everyone is forgetting, mainly because everyone here is either a diehard Drag Racer or Fan.

As a Professional Sport, entertainment of the fans should be the number one priority, PERIOD.
With that said, having this playoff system is a hell of alot more entertaining than crowning Greg Anderson Champion next week in Memphis. It's happened too many times in too many classes. BORING

If you don't believe me, just look at this board, without the Countdown there would be half as many threads, nothing for you guys to cry about, and only a few threads speculating on where Scelzi will end up next season. See it's working already!

 

[d'kid]

I do agree 100%, maximum effort should be put forth in all competition. However, there is one thing that everyone is forgetting, mainly because everyone here is either a diehard Drag Racer or Fan.

As a Professional Sport, entertainment of the fans should be the number one priority, PERIOD.
With that said, having this playoff system is a hell of alot more entertaining than crowning Greg Anderson Champion next week in Memphis. It's happened too many times in too many classes. BORING

If you don't believe me, just look at this board, without the Countdown there would be half as many threads, nothing for you guys to cry about, and only a few threads speculating on where Scelzi will end up next season. See it's working already!

Lance....

I'm Bit*hing, not crying...
I'm over how meaningless The Chase is.... just like not holding a kid back in school because his peers learn something and he didn't....

let's take this to the next step.... take the score board down and the win light, someone smokes the tires, they get a re-do.... cross the centerline, same thing as stepping out of bounds, restart the race from that point... first to reds are freebies, only the third red and you're out.... level the playing field and no one will care....

Drag Racing is NEVER BORING....
It's about who wins each week... Not about who's the season Champion... Drag Racing in and by itself is never Boring.... And I personally like early wrap ups as much as last years 'last run'... the person who did best over the whole season was champ... and I'm not a Tony fan.... The Show is never Boring.... The Hype for The CHASE is....

 

[afx421]

i agree with pj!!1 this new system is a JOKE!!!!!!!!!!!!! how about greg anderson, he was up 148 points going into indy 1-4-8!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! he went to the finals now hes in second! thats total bull. and whoever says so what, just imagine your favorite racer ( probably someone from $$$humacher) up by that much then in 1 round hes in 2nd. the countdown is a farce, if anyone but rod fuller, ron capps and greg anderson win, its as tainted as barry bonds last 300 home runs!

 

[Paul]

I do agree 100%, maximum effort should be put forth in all competition. However, there is one thing that everyone is forgetting, mainly because everyone here is either a diehard Drag Racer or Fan.

As a Professional Sport, entertainment of the fans should be the number one priority, PERIOD.
With that said, having this playoff system is a hell of alot more entertaining than crowning Greg Anderson Champion next week in Memphis. It's happened too many times in too many classes. BORING

If you don't believe me, just look at this board, without the Countdown there would be half as many threads, nothing for you guys to cry about, and only a few threads speculating on where Scelzi will end up next season. See it's working already!

I am glad to see I am not the only one who feels this way! I was watching the Reading race from 2004 on ESPN classic the other day and Schumacher and Anderson were wrapping up the titles there. I like the excitement the Countdown is bringing. Some people just can not accept change; the funny thing is that the crowds this year in Indy did not seem to be impacted by the anti-countdown crowd. In fact, the biggest anti-countdown proponent was at Indy enjoying the race after he said he would not go just to show his displeasure with the countdown.

 

[kingcobrafan]

Some people just can not accept change; the funny thing is that the crowds this year in Indy did not seem to be impacted by the anti-countdown crowd.

Oh, really? Were you there? On Monday NHRA changed entire reserved seat sections on the west side to general admission to try and get people in them.
The east side wasn't much better. Something sure kept them away, whether it was six hours of tv, sheer expense, or the Countdown.

 

[BaldyLochs]

I still can't get over the fact of how close Doug Kalitta actually was last year - a fraction of a second - nearly faster than you can inhale a deep breath and exhale it, right now sitting at your computer...... then compare it to where he stands right now. Who in thier right mind at the awards banquet last fall, thought that Doug would end up in this position just a year later? It's very intriguing.

 

[.]

As a Professional Sport, entertainment of the fans should be the number one priority, PERIOD.

Taking a dive is not entertainment.

 

[Paul]

Oh, really? Were you there? On Monday NHRA changed entire reserved seat sections on the west side to general admission to try and get people in them.
The east side wasn't much better. Something sure kept them away, whether it was six hours of tv, sheer expense, or the Countdown.

I was there Saturday and Sunday and it was packed, it seemed like a lot more people than I have seen the prior 2 years I was there. I wasn't there on Monday because my son could not be up late on Monday so he could wake up on Tuesday.

 

[Stroker]

Hey! what's wrong with the new points countdown?
This new countdown deal sucks!
Either way it's what we get, at least this year.

What sucks is:

One good qualifying run and three bad ones.​

Sitting out Q rounds.​

One Lane race tracks.​

Team orders to take a dive.​

Smokefest '07​

I would like to see four good passes in qualifying.
Maybe give bonus points for for each Q pass after
round 1 that is above the bump spot that round.

Too many qualifying sessions this year have been "Boring"

Thank you for your time, you may address any complaints you may have to:
NHRA.com

 

[none]

You guys are so predictable.

Just hang on, the sky isn't really falling............

Alan

 

[John Wheelis]

The one thing I saw on the tv that I didn't like when I heard it, is when they were interviewing "The Snake", and he said he would like to see the qualifying system changed. He wants it to be more like NASCAR, whereas if you finish in the top ten in points, then you are guaranteed a spot in the field, as long as you can keep your top ten points position. Fall out of the top ten and you are not guaranteed a spot. I even hate this in NASCAR. I truly don't like Michael Waltrip, but there have been many races that on speed he qualified better than some of the premeir drivers, but then gets booted out of the races based solely on owners points? What the F' is that? It is racing. There are no guarantees. If they go to that type of qualifying system, I think I may have to start looking for more IHRA races on tv.

 

[PJ]

The stands were not nearly as full as years past.
On Saturday I thought the crowd was decent, as we were squished into general admission. Then I walked around and saw that a large section of bleachers had been set aside for MAC tools people, which was nice but fairly unused. With less seats available it looked fuller then it was. Of the 3 days I was there Saturday did have the biggest crowd.

Sunday I took a picture of the stands across the track during a nitro session. I was shocked at the lack of people, especially for Indy.

Monday was even worse. Once I get the pics uploaded I'll post them.

Who knows if its the countdown or not but I've been to the last 5 straight Indy's at I don't remember seeing the stands look like that.

I don't get how you guys can find manufacturing points to be exciting. If they decided to just redo them before the Finals at Pomona wouldn't that be even more "exciting". What if they redid them after every race? Every race is a playoff, win and move on, lose and go home. There is no time outs, redos, no half time you either bring it or park it. I dont' care if a driver wraps it up early. There are still races to win then.


I guess I just don't like being treated like a puppet. Being told hey we're gonna just tell you this is exciting, alter the points to make it so and call it competition. Nascars numbers have dropped since their first year of the chase. I don't believe we have enough people to absorb such losses. For me its not just a matter of not liking the system, I truely believe that it is harmful to growth and health of our sport.

And Yes Paul I was at Indy, of course I could tell you how I ended up going and about the surprise packet of tickets that arrived at my house and from who. But hey its more "exciting" if I don't

 

[hellfirejim]

The main allure of drag racing is its unpredictability. You just never know what is going to happen on any given run. Yes everybody loves the competition but think about it, how many times have you heard " That's why we line them up and race"???

It would appear that all of these changes are watering down this basic concept by artifically creating the sense of competition and reward.

Snakes idea to me really sucks. The reason is simple. If you or I go to a race and we are not good enough to qualify we don't race. Why should it be different than anybody else? Because they have more money?? Because it is their job and they have to show for their sponsors??? The very first drag race was two cars racing to find out who was best. Why change it?

As for suspense about what is going to happen, has nobody been watching what has happend in the previous championships??? Sure there are going to be some people stinking up the joint because they were good enough to win a lot. So next time be better yourself and beat them. Since when did drag racing about garuntees???

So having said that the questions is will you watch the races??? Absolutely but not for the "countdown" but because I love drag racing. I have drivers and cars that I like and support and those that I do not. But this gives it a good flavor. I watch races because I love the racing.

of course this is just one man's opinon.
jim

 

[Chili]

The only reason I posted the old style Points is because it is intersting to see what could of been. There is a ton of variables that changes the way a team runs. I don't buy the fact that the teams that clinched spots have been testing up until Indy. Their goals are to win races and keeping the sponsors happy. Losing first round doesn't do that. Greg Anderson and Jason Line were in a slump over the summer. They had hurt some good engines and were playing catch up. Maybe teams lose some intensity because they have clinched a spot in the Countdown but they are still trying to win every race.

I think the countdown is good for the sport overall. It can only increase exsposure since NHRA rarely gets media coverage unless there is an accident. The only thing I don't like about the countdown is they reset the points again for the final two races. If the leaders at that point win the Vegas race it is pretty much clinched.

 

[Paul]

And Yes Paul I was at Indy, of course I could tell you how I ended up going and about the surprise packet of tickets that arrived at my house and from who. But hey its more "exciting" if I don't

The NHRA sent you tickets?

 

[*******]

If you think watching all the tire smoke in qualifying is bad now, wait and see all the aborted up in smoke runs if they did instigate some sort of seeded qualifying B.S. were (x) amount of teams were gauranteed a starting spot.

They would just be using all four qualifying runs as test runs.
Greg Anderson could put Toyo and Mickey Thompson and Hoosier tires on his car for National Event condition test-n-tunes then swap back to goodyears on Sunday for race mode.

Stupid hypothetical situation but you get the point.