"SCELZI" Tells it like it is !! (1 Viewer)

[Jeremy Hejduk]

Here's a couple of trends I've come across in the past few years...with the exception of Pro Stock, in the 4th session once the 2 or 3 drivers outside looking in are now trailered everybody is trying for a race set-up, Saturday afternoon is about 2nd round Sunday time anyways. Columbus 2005 Friday Night qualifying was rediculous!! Out of 36 total Nitro cars I think 4 made it down the track W/O smoking the tires. Awful!! Friday Night qualifying IS what brings people to the track. If you want ratings (or whatever) that's what's going to do it. (Now this may be why they don't race @ National Trails anymore, too.) Maybe try eunning a couple of rounds later in the evening. Hell, years ago you could almost have a 32-car field in Pro Stock that could have run 2 rounds in the evening...Just my thoughts...

 

[farmje]

If the general consensus is that more night qualifying will sell more tickets and get more publicity, I don't understand why NHRA and PRO are even debating it. Here's the options:

Make the racers and crew chiefs happy, and do something other than night qualifying. Ticket sales plummet, ticket prices go up, and fans are miserable in the 100 degree heat of Friday, Saturday, seeing nothing but tire smoke.

or.

Make the fans happy. Ticket sales go through the roof, sell out crowds, more people. More tickets = more exposure. More exposure = more money.

Why are we talking about this again?

 

[PJ]

I don't believe you'll see a ton of tire smoke if the night session is done away with.

Teams outside or at the bottom of the ladder are trying to get in or move up and have to press the track to and past its limit which leads to the tire smoke. The ones safely in are trying to see where that limit is for race day.

Now if all the sessions are in the heat then there will be no safe spots. Tuners will not be able to set it on kill if they want to have the best chance of making a full pull.

I'd like to see then bump the friday session up a little and back the saturday session up a bit. Make them both start at 5 or 5:30

 

[FuelCarBuilder]

It's pretty easy to see what the fans want. Look at the stands on a night session and then look at them on Sunday. To the casual fan...fuel racing is like watching fireworks. They are more in to the spectacular show than who is being eliminated. Simple fact of life...Nitro puts asses in seats. Of course this doesn't apply to classes other than nitro. Try to look at it from a fans point of view. Hardcore fans and racers families can't fill the seats. I am for Fri and Sat night qualifiers. I think fuel eliminations on Sat evening would also be an idea to consider. No matter how it pans out, the playing field is the same for all contestants. Let the best racers win! bOb