NHRA Official Qualifying Changes (3 Viewers)

[DLB]

Here's the solution...

Keep the qualifying sessions as they were last year (and previously) and bump the Sunday field to accommodate how ever many cars come out to play.

Hey, you may start out with 50 PSB's, but at the end, there is still only one winner. Sure, the event would last all day, and half the night, but it would be some great racing.

Just start it on Saturday evening with a slower qualified bracket. That would give those guys a chance to improve their times, and the winner of that round jumps into the top bracket the next day somehow magically.

It could work with the Glendora bunch. Don't know why it wouldn't.



DLB

 

[Toejam]

I really don't care about specifics, as long as it eliminates the Tiresmoke Fests that a lot of Saturday sessions have become...

 

[Mike]

.

You are correct Mike. It would take 5 cars improving to bump out number 12, however in the scenerio you quoted, where 3 cars ran good enough for 10th spot, then the provisional 11th car would race Sunday from the 15th spot, and the provisional 12th car would race Sunday from the 16th spot.

Absolutely, they would all shuffle down except you bumped down 1 to many and the 4th quickest that wasn't quicker than 12 would be 16. You still have to fill in with 4 cars no matter what. Don't you know I have to always be right!

 

[lmhb oyf]

One other thought is how will this affect Indy with the extra session and the Skoal Shootout?

 

[Bigdaddio]

Look at it this way: After Friday is concluded (regardless of sessions completed, I've learned) we will have 12 provisional qualifiers. All other times from Friday will be thrown out since they wouldn't put you in the show.

After Saturday is concluded, the other four spots are filled from that day's quickest performers not already in the 1-12 spots.

But any position from 1 -12 can be gained in any of the sessions assuming that a Saturday run is quicker than someone's Friday run holding one of those spots.

Good weather scenario: with good weather throughout the weekend, performances are great every session and we'll see bumping all four sessions just like we did in previous years.

Bad weather scenario: The Friday night session is killer but it's hot and humid all day Saturday. The quickest 12 from Friday start Saturday in their provisional spots. Greg/Jeg/Dave missed badly on Friday but manages to run quick enough in the heat on Saturday to jump into the 10th positition. The 12th spot is bumped out and the previous 11th place moves to 12th.

As is often the case, no one else is able to improve. The four next quickest cars on Saturday who are not already in the 1-12th spots move in the 13th to 16th spots.

With the ladder set up the way it is, this may put a huge premium on qualifying 1-4 at the end of Saturday.

(edited for further thoughts)
Then again, the best position to end up in may be 5th. You wouldn't have to meet a team with strong momentum which had figured out a hot day / track better than anyone else. You'd meet someone who had a good cool weather / track tuneup but may have not figured out the hot weather / track yet.[/QUOTE]


Thank you Dan...well done. I get it and I like it!
Dennis

 

[none]

I can`t wait to listen to the drunk `know it alls' in the stands, trying to explain how this works. Saturdays are gonna be fun again!

 

[Bullet]

I think that the key piece of information missing from the NHRA's release is that after Friday Qualifying is complete, all elapsed times for those not in the "Provisional 12" are discarded.

 

[PJ]

So just so I have this straight here is Friday's sheet after both sessions

1. Tony Schumacher --- 4.462 327.66
2. Rod Fuller ---- 4.464 328.54
3. Clay Millican --- 4.483 328.94
4. Bob Vandergriff --- 4.499 324.67
5. Doug Herbert --- 4.506 321.42
6. J.R. Todd --- 4.510 324.83
7. Hillary Will --- 4.514 328.70
8. Larry Dixon --- 4.516 320.51
9. Cory McClenathan --- 4.532 330.23
10. Melanie Troxel --- 4.540 330.39
11. Joe Hartley --- 4.541 325.85
12. Alan Bradshaw --- 4.550 319.67
___________________________________________
13. Scotty Cannon --- 4.557 326.40
14. Doug Foley --- 4.577 326.95
15. Scott Palmer ---- 4.584 314.46
16. Doug Kalitta --- 4.596 317.57

On sat Doug K has the best time of the 13th and below cars with a 4.60
followed by
Lucas 4.74
Cannon 4.75
Kaladova 4.96


So those 4 bump 13-16 out. So Doug K was 16th but runs slower and moved up to 13th?? Foley and Palmer run in the .50's but go home for a guy 4 tenths slower.


Does this mean the end to record fields?? A killer Friday night session gets 16 lightening fast times. A hot smoker saturday leads to guys running 5 and 6 second times fiilling the last fews spots...


This would seem to hurt small budget teams. They get their best pass ever under ideal conditions on Friday. One of the big guns struggles but it able to easily put together a pass on SAt in the heat. Mind you not as fast as the low buck guy's Friday night but $$ man still makes it in. Seems to be a way to help ensure the name drivers don't have to worry about dnq's

 

[.]

That's a good point PJ.

Additionally, this does nothing to stop smokefests on Saturdays.
So now there will be more pedaling by fuel cars on Saturdays.
More engine blow-ups / oildowns?

 

[Paul]

Hey PJ, in the interests of fair reporting Brandon Bernstein would have been 2nd with a .61 followed by Lucas and Cannon.

 

[Bullet]

So, technically the following could happen:

Field after Q2 is completed Friday Night:

Psn Driver Vehicle ET Speed
1. Robert Hight AAA of So. Cal Mustang 4.693 326.79
2. Gary Scelzi Hemi Oakley Charger 4.726 330.80
3. Ron Capps Brut Charger 4.741 327.82
4. Scott Kalitta Kalitta Air Solara 4.741 317.05
5. Mike Neff Castrol GTX Mustang 4.744 325.22
6. Tony Pedregon Q Power Monte Carlo 4.749 317.42
7. Jack Beckman MTS Charger 4.774 325.53
8. Tommy Johnson Jr. Skoal Racing Impala 4.778 322.34
9. Bob Gilbertson Autolite XP Spark Plugs Stratu 4.788 312.86
10. Jim Head Head Racing Solara 4.795 316.01
11. Del Worsham Checker Schuck's Kragen Monte 4.800 327.03
12. Ashley Force Castrol GTX Mustang 4.810 281.19
--------- Not Qualified ---------
13. Gary Densham Torco/Racebricks Monte Carlo 4.830 320.74
14. Tim Wilkerson Levi, Ray & Shoup Monte Carlo 4.833 317.19
15. Cruz Pedregon Advance Auto Parts Monte Carlo 4.843 302.01
16. Jeff Arend Checker Schucks Kragen Monte C 4.849 323.97
---------- Old Bump ----------
17. Mike Ashley Torco Race Fuels Charger 4.869 318.09
18. Grant Downing Silver Fern Racing Firebird 5.026 298.47
19. Bob Bode Alard Machine Products Monte C 5.073 288.03
20. John Force Castrol GTX Mustang 5.085 122.96
21. Tony Bartone Jim Dunn Racing/Lucas Oil Mont 5.210 215.55
22. Kenny Bernstein Monster Energy/Lucas Oil Charg 11.114 76.64
23. Terry Haddock Goldstar Asphalt Stratus 11.549 89.64


Field at completion of Q4 on Saturday

Psn Driver Vehicle ET Speed
1. Robert Hight AAA of So. Cal Mustang 4.693 326.79
2. Gary Scelzi Hemi Oakley Charger 4.726 330.80
3. Ron Capps Brut Charger 4.741 327.82
4. Scott Kalitta Kalitta Air Solara 4.741 317.05
5. Mike Neff Castrol GTX Mustang 4.744 325.22
6. Tony Pedregon Q Power Monte Carlo 4.749 317.42
7. Jack Beckman MTS Charger 4.774 325.53
8. Tommy Johnson Jr. Skoal Racing Impala 4.778 322.34
9. Bob Gilbertson Autolite XP Spark Plugs Stratu 4.788 312.86
10. Jim Head Head Racing Solara 4.795 316.01
11. Del Worsham Checker Schuck's Kragen Monte 4.800 327.03
12. Ashley Force Castrol GTX Mustang 4.810 281.19
13. John Force Castrol GTX Mustang 5.085 242.96
14. Tony Bartone Jim Dunn Racing/Lucas Oil Mont 5.090 265.55
15. Kenny Bernstein Monster Energy/Lucas Oil Charg 5.091 276.64
16. Terry Haddock Goldstar Asphalt Stratus 5.099 259.64
--------- Not Qualified ---------
17. Gary Densham Torco/Racebricks Monte Carlo 4.830 320.74
18. Tim Wilkerson Levi, Ray & Shoup Monte Carlo 4.833 317.19
19. Cruz Pedregon Advance Auto Parts Monte Carlo 4.843 302.01
20. Jeff Arend Checker Schucks Kragen Monte C 4.849 323.97
21. Mike Ashley Torco Race Fuels Charger 4.869 318.09
22. Grant Downing Silver Fern Racing Firebird 5.026 298.47
23. Bob Bode Alard Machine Products Monte C 5.073 288.03

All of the not qualified cars in the second list had their times that would have regularly qualified them thrown out at the end of Saturday.

And them as they weren't one of the 4 fastest non provisional cars on Saturday they miss out.

Hmmmmmm....

 

[mike cummings]

Seems to be a way to help ensure the name drivers don't have to worry about dnq's

maybe that is why the word "provisional" is used so much in this new format......

 

[Rajunz]

Oh well, if nothing else, it will sure make Saturday's TV shows more exciting to watch, something new for Mike and Paul to wear out.................

 

[Bullet]

ALL WE NEED NOW IS "PROVISIONAL" COUNTDOWN QUALIFIERS!!!

PJ would LOVE THAT!!

 

[Sully]

We (FastNews) got some clarification fropm NHRA on how it will work and weather isn't a player, other than being the reason the new format was adopted.

At the completiion of Friday's qualifying sessions (Saturday's at Indy), the top twelve qualifiers will keep their times. Everybody else's qualifying slate will be wiped clean and they will start over on Saturday. Their prior runs won't count for qualifying.

From there on, everything works the way it does now. If you run quicker than the current #1 qualifier, you are the new #1. And there won't be a bump time on Saturday until after the first four not-qualified cars go down the track.

All of the comments about weather were meant to explain why, and how that scenario might play out. They do not mean that weather conditions will determine whether or not the new procedure will be followed. It will be used regardless of the weather - unless the weather wipes out the Saturday sessions, of course.

 

[Johnny Mopar]

Give us an example, it all seems black and white from where I'm reading it.

Wouldn't it have been simpler to have moved the 4th session to Saturday evening?

 

[Joker]

I like it. I think its been a change a long time coming b/c the way Sat's were the last few years they have been worthless basically.

And PJ as for your comment "it seems to hurt smaller teams" I disagree. I think it helps them. Reason being I think there's more of a chance of that group of racers throwing out some solid 4.60's on Sat than there is of them throwing down a 4.50 on Fri night. The way it was they pretty much had to run a career best to get into the field, now they dont have to. But we will see.

I am just glad they did something. I would just have rather had them add another night session though.

 

[Joker]

Isn't the 'weather' factor a point where a judgement call would come in play? What determines good and bad weather...especially in July and August when 'good' is really just slight better than 'bad'?

Wouldn't it have been simpler to have moved the 4th session to Saturday evening?

Thats been my solution all along John but they dotn like it. We debated it here once or twice and the downside was the extra hours a crew would have to work and then get ready for Sat, that if they broke they wouldnt have time to fix it by Sunday, etc but I think it was a simple and easy fix that would have benefitted all, especially the fans.

 

[PJ]

Hey PJ, in the interests of fair reporting Brandon Bernstein would have been 2nd with a .61 followed by Lucas and Cannon.

thanks I missed that

 

[*******]

So if I run 4.59 and 4.60 on Friday and it's only good enough for #13 spot, then on Saturday I only muster a 4.80 and 4.79 and the other guys who were not in the top 12 all run 4.70 I'm **** out of luck not racing on Sunday ?

This is crap. What's next ? Provisional starts for guys who have 4 cars entered in one class ?