NHRA Chief Starter?

[Gone Dead Train]

With a different starter at the national events, there is no continuity in the way things get handled.
One starter might give a kill sign to a driver and let the driver run anyway. (bring back memories?)
Another starter might give the kill sign and stand in front of the car until it shuts off.
Seeing a combination only once or twice a year doesn’t lead to any kind of continuity.
And, in the interest of keeping things moving for TV, it will pay to have the same people at all the national events.

Yes it does, and that was BS[/QUOTE]

 

[J]

Wait till the 4wide lol

 

[.]

This sounds like yet another in an endless string of stupid NHRA decisions. Nice way to screw over Mike Gittings too!

 

[Sleepy]

so ..... who would be the Pomona starter ?

 

[Gone Dead Train]

so ..... who would be the Pomona starter ?

Hopefully Div 7 Director Mike Rice

 

[DG]

Usually, Mike Rice is in the tower in Race Control all weekend keeping all of the various crews functioning.

 

[Gone Dead Train]

Usually, Mike Rice is in the tower in Race Control all weekend keeping all of the various crews functioning.

No kidding. I've known Ray and Mike for over 40 years Ray a lot longer, since early day's of 64 Funny Cars at Seattle.
My point is i that the racers From Top Fuel to Z/Stock would feel more comfortable with Mike on the line!!!
The West is The Best

 

[vegasnitro]

There was nothing preventing a "burn down" now. Lyle and Gittings were both pretty lenient on that.

Besides, when was the last time a starter got involved in a significant way? Like Jeff White said, the voice in the head set has the last word, not the starter. The voice in the headset makes all decisions regarding re-runs, track prep, etc. The tower runs the tree, and when the tree failed, the voice in the headset made the call, the starter usually stood there and shrugged. It is usually guys around the starting line alerting the starter to leaks. I think the chief starter is a vestige of the old days, and I think Graham Light liked having a "blast shield" or "first line of defense". The sportsmen travel to several divisions a year, and I don't recall hearing any complaints about different starters in different regions or at different tracks. It does stink that Gittings lost his job, but ultimately I don't think this is as big of a deal as people are making it out to be (from the sidelines at least). Maybe some racers can chime in.

Lastly, if the process doesn't work, they can always hire another chief starter at a later date.

 

[Jeff]

I don't listen to the NHRA radio as often as I used to during a race, but, to my way of hearing it, the tower runs the show nowadays and not the starter.

 

[DG]

NHRA clarifies:

http://www.competitionplus.com/drag...ed-in-new-direction-for-official-starter-role