NHRA getting REALLY serious about oildowns! (1 Viewer)

Classic:

“Let’s put it this way, if the penalty for speeding was the death penalty, you would not see too many people speeding,” Beard said. “If the penalty for speeding is a $5 ticket, you’re going to see a lot of people hauling ass down the interstate. The effect of the (NHRA) rule will do what really needs to be done, and that’s fix the sport from all the delays.”

I sat in the stands at the 2010 Finals at Pomona on Friday for the last pro session and was bored to tears. I thought the real race was to see how quick the oil downs could be cleaned up, not how fast the cars could go. Every time there was an oil down a large percentage of the people that were left headed for the parking lot.

If the penalties affect the outcome of the championship so be it. The best car/team should win it, not the team that has a hail Mary tune up that is fast but blows everything up in the process.

Lower funded teams like mine can take a second look at our containment devices, tune up, etc, to see what we can do to minimize the oil downs. Thankfully our average is one oil down about every two years when we are running.

Not all oil downs are due to breakage. I know of instances where a breather was loose, valve covers never tightened, problems that were known to exists that weren't fixed due to time restraints. Which brings me to one thing I have trouble with. They are giving the teams very little time between rounds to service the cars and giving them less and less as eliminations go on. Considering that after a run you have to get in line to be weighed, then fuel check, then fight the traffic and fans getting back to the pits you end up with about 40-45 minutes max to do everything. For the lower funded up and coming teams that may have volunteer crews that means less time to double check your work or properly service the car should you have a big problem. They can't have it all.

RG
 
My guess would be that NHRA is trying to make the experience a better one for new and/or casual fans. The hard core fans like the people on this board will attend regardless of long oil down cleanups although we won't be happy about them. I was at Vegas 2 and the oil down situation was ridiculous. It won't affect my attending the races but if I was a first time fan I would be hard pressed to want to come back if half the day is spent watching cleanups of the track.

I do agree with other posters that it would be fairer if those who don't oil the track would get a credit after X number of clean runs.
 
My guess would be that NHRA is trying to make the experience a better one for new and/or casual fans. The hard core fans like the people on this board will attend regardless of long oil down cleanups although we won't be happy about them. I was at Vegas 2 and the oil down situation was ridiculous. It won't affect my attending the races but if I was a first time fan I would be hard pressed to want to come back if half the day is spent watching cleanups of the track.

Great points Brian.

I've been going to drag races since the late 60's. I've seen the sport grow from little weekly programs to what it is today. I've grown weary of all the puking Nitro cars in the last 10 years or so. It takes the 'show' away. Now that ticket prices are beyoned the rediculous level and the cost of over priced hotel rooms, food and travel have made attending an event a thousand dollar investment, I haven't gone to a National event in 10 years. I go to numerous local events throughout the year. I don't need to attend a National event to follow it. I have the NHRA App on my BlackBerry, so I can follow along without taking two or three hours of time out of my day to watch the delayed coverage on the tube. I can also follow along on line. I follow the races while we're out on our boat or while playing a round of golf...without having to leave town and spend a grand to do so. I can go to ten (10) St Louis Cardinal baseball games, spread throughout the year, for the cost of attending one NHRA national event. I think THAT is why the stands aren't full anymore.
 
oildowns are bad no matter which way you look at them. Wasted time, degradation of the track surface for the pro stockers, boredom, cost issues and safety issues. NHRA has done a good thing.
 
Registered member said:
I do agree with other posters that it would be fairer if those who don't oil the track would get a credit after X number of clean runs.

At first, it did sound like a good idea. But after thinking about it a while it may not be fair at all. Using the 10 clean equals one freebie ratio:

let's say were at the fifth or sixth event of the year...
We both have just over 30 runs...
I have been clean, so I have three credits/freebies…
Every eight or nine passes you spill oil… So you have zero credits…

At this event, we both make it to the final…
The first three rounds I win, but spill oil...
You, on the other hand, have a superclean weekend...

So here we both are, at the same point in the season, with the same number of passes and oil downs... (3)
YET, I have paid no fines, and lost no points.
But you have been fined three times for $3000 and lost 30 points.
FAIR?? I think not.

As much as I am against any penalties, for bad luck.
If you're gonna punish for One oil down, you got to punish for All oil downs.
jmo
 
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