Pedregon Proposal (2 Viewers)

[Bullet]

Maybe if tobler wasn't such a lousy tunner

Are you serious?

 

[Super Mod]

Only if Rich Christensen does the arm drop!

 

[Bullet]

Only if Rich Christensen does the arm drop!

Hahaha... Rich Christensen, what a drama queen!!!

 

["Dr. Dirt"]

The more one looks back at history, the worse the Pedregons are looking in this deal. Cruz laid down for Tony in the semis at the 2007 Vegas fall race, a .127 reaction time and up in smoke right out the gate. The other pair in the semis both got down the track, so that's a pretty good indicator that it wasn't a one lane race track. ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals FUNNY CAR

Then, how ironic is this? Tony Pedregon won the Championship over Robert Hight by less than a round (19 points)! 2007 Division 0 Point Standings

Facts, facts and more facts. They just ruin a good debate!
Great post!

 

[BF]

I have kept quiet on this issue and, until now, I didn't think I had anything worth adding. Some of you may think I don't anyway. This is one time I am glad that we are not a mainstream sport. If we were, the national sports media would have a field day making the NHRA look worse than it already does. Could you see the guys on PTI or Around the Horn arguing over whether they thought it was a dive or not? Then follow it up with this "do-over" proposal. It's a dark time we live in here, I hope it eventually gets better. The integrity of our sport has taken a major hit but luckily it is only to us that watch and not the rest of the world. I saw where one poster said 1979 Daytona = 2009 INDY. Many more people were watching Daytona, due to snow storms among other things. The only people who seem to care about this weekends events are us. I bet many in the stands never heard what happened after they got home.

 

[Randy]

Except Randy is set up in the other camp pointing his finger.

WHOOOA!

I'm not set up in anyone's camp.

I have a perspective from my point of view like everyone else, but I don't think either party is right. I did say TP should have kept his mouth shut, but I still want a witness to verify the "cripple" comment. Force already backpeddled on some of his other "heat of the moment" comments.

Here's what I think.

"It's the Countdown, stupid." I think it hurts sponsored teams to have to make the call on Tuesday, September 8, 2009, to their sponsors letting them know they are out of the top 10 even though there are 6 races to go. And, as we saw last year, if your car isn't in the top 10, Paul Page will make it known on national TV every time you prestage your car...as if you are in the way of the real contenders.

The ESPN2 guys drove the anger. You stick a mic in someone's face after an obvious tripple gaynor off the high dive and the guy says so-and-so "cheats." Two seconds later, the other guy on the broadcast team 3/4 of a mile away sticks a mic in the face of the guy who just ran and says "Blowhard says you cheat...whadya think of that?" Inciting a riot comes to mind. I bet everyone checks their comments at the door from now on (as they should). Only give the TV guys information you would share with your mom from now on.

Then, as a racer, I think about Cruz's situation. What would it be like to approach 4 rounds of eliminations, looking at a ladder than has up to 5 race teams all pulling for one guy to make the top 10...and it ain't you. It's been mentioned that it appeared more than one team did the swan dive off the 50 meter board that day.

I relate this back to 1999 when we won the NHRA Division 7 TA/FC Championship (shameless plug). What would it have been like to race Frank Manzo's hypothetical 4 car team everywhere we went to try to pull it off? Chances are we would have had to race one of his cars 3-4 times every weekend. As it was we only did it by sneaking around the North American Continent to places like Mission, BC, Canada and Noble, Oklahoma to win or go rounds to clinch it.

I feel their frustration, but the actions we saw last weekend were completely uncalled for. NHRA can't rerack the race because there is no "proof" any schenanigans were pulled. And there would have to be 100% proof, because the lawyers would most certainly be involved if the race was overturned.

Sad day for JFR, TP, CP, NHRA and ESPN2. Great day for the ratings, I suppose, and for the internet junkies on forums like this.

RG

 

[T.Smith]

Maybe if tobler wasn't such a lousy tunner, Cruz would have been higher in points and this wouldn't even be an issue. Did anybody notice that Cruz's car suddenly started to run much better after Dickie left? I'm guessing it's because tobler finally got a look at Dickie's tune-up data.

Dave...say "pop"...that's the sound you'll hear when you pull your head out of your ass.

 

[Randy]

Oh, and here's a visual for you fans that blindly stick behind your guy and think it's all Tony and Cruz's fault or all John Force's fault. Because, as my dear mother once said while beating my butt..."It takes two to tango."

 

[Nick]

Heres the pc solution.

1. put Hight in at 10th - no "proof" John tanked it and he had the car to beat John anyway
2. put Cruz in at 10th - since there "may" have been a dive and he was ahead in points
3. dock John 10 countdown points for behavior unbecoming the sport
4. dock Tony 10 countdown points for behavior unbecoming the sport
5. get rid of the clowndown in 2010

 

[T.Smith]

I agree Randy. Monday night my love for drag racing took a serious blow.

 

[willy]

Can you compare this situation to a Pete Rose type scenerio where a player can change the outcome of a game to make some money? Maybe Force gets a bonus, certain perks, or future sponsorship if AAA makes it into the countdown. If that were the case, how can Force not face the same scrutiny as Pete Rose did?

Please don't use Rose in any analogy with what is going on here.

Jeez..the guy bet on his own team to win. And by betting on his own team..he certainly couldn't alter any outcome of a game...unless they lost..then he lost money.

 

[Gordon]

Dave...say "pop"...that's the sound you'll hear when you pull your head out of your ass.

I was just about to stop reading the same things I've been reading (and writing) for days when I came across this post. Absolutely hilarious - glad I stayed.

And I agree - say what you want about JFR, or the way the Pedregon's have carried themselves, but to say Tobler is a bad tuner is ludicrous.

 

[Randy]

Dave...say "pop"...that's the sound you'll hear when you pull your head out of your ass.

An old internet favorite:

 

[Steveo]

WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! Give TP and CP some cheese to go with their whine!!!!

[on sarcasm font]The NHRA should counter with an offer for CP to run JF again. If CP wins, he get's to face his brother and if CP wins we all get to throw wet tp at TP...[/off sarcasm font]

 

[TooTall999]

Im for it,I know yall are going to hate me,but Force is a cheater.

Cruz had his chance and smoked the tires against Force...he lost control of his destiny at that point....GAME OVER Cruz...suck it up and deal with it

 

[clwill]

One thing to think about is that every single person in the pits knew the ladder from the day before. Everyone, to a person, knew what it meant. And everyone, to a person, knew that because of the way it laid out, Cruz was in control of his own destiny. Since the day before. And he blew it.

That's how you win or lose championships. None of us would be having a single discussion about this if Cruz had just gotten the job done.

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

If nhra falls for this, whats to stop every other 11th place car and bike from petitioning for another chance??? Cruz lost, it's OVER.

 

[Kelly]

Geeze....this whole thing went from really, really bad to just totally ridiculous! Ugh!

 

[BlueStangGT]

...The ESPN2 guys drove the anger. You stick a mic in someone's face after an obvious tripple gaynor off the high dive and the guy says so-and-so "cheats."...

Actually, T-Ped called Force a cheater BEFORE the Hight / Force race took place then Cruz joined the chorus afterwards. I thought Cruz's about-face in demeanor was stunning. He just couldn't seem to own up to the fact that he blew his chance against Force.

Anyone who doesn't believe that the whole affair wasn't scripted by the Pedregons is delusional. They used the ESPN guys to every advantage they could muster. I have absolutely no trouble believing that T-Ped would mutter an insult to John under his breath and out of range of a microphone to kick things off accordingly.

 

[Jer]

Cruz had his chance and smoked the tires against Force...he lost control of his destiny at that point....GAME OVER Cruz...suck it up and deal with it

If Cruz would have won and went out in the next round,Ashley would have gave it to Robert,just like John did.