Nitromater

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Should backup cars be allowed during eliminations?

doug would also have not been allowed to use shawn's backup car, or anyone else's backup car. only doug's own backup car.
but a funny car can use someone else's body, but not someone else's chassis, only their own backup chassis.
does this all sound correct?
doug would also have not been allowed to use shawn's backup car, or anyone else's backup car. only doug's own backup car.
but a funny car can use someone else's body, but not someone else's chassis, only their own backup chassis.
does this all sound correct?
Does this apply to all classes or just T/F and F/C?
 
Jordan Vandergriff asked when was Doug's back up car last run and was told "never". It was a brand new car, warmed up only twice, and was to be tested in Brainerd but it rained out. Out of the box untested it ran 3.81 @ 335mph 👍
This is what I was curious about, I always heard/thought that a brand new "never" run car's first pass could only be a half track, checkout pass.
 
This is what I was curious about, I always heard/thought that a brand new "never" run car's first pass could only be a half track, checkout pass.

That rule went away in the mid 90s. They used to let you do the half pass in the morning, then come back for Q1 later in the day.

Someone (Steve Gibbs maybe?) finally realized that was a waste of time, so the rule was scrapped.

Alan
 
So if you run #1 car 1st round of qualifying and decide #2 car may be a better choice. Then you crash in Rd 2 of eliminations, in this situation you can't go back to #1 car?

On the other point, I've always thought the points should go to the car and team.
 
The rule states that you may change cars (or motorcycles) at any time, for any reason. But only one change is allowed per event. Once you have changed you can not change back, or change to a third car.

Remember Topeka '99? Gary Scelzi blew a tire Q1 and twisted the back of the chassis, and they brought out the back up car. Q3 lost the engine and broke the car in half. The Q1 car was not hurt bad, but they could not swap back. They took to Q3 car to Neil & Parks shop, used the cocoon from the Q3 car, cut the front half off the Q1 car and borrowed a bolt-on rear section from John Mitchell who had one of the three piece bolt together chassis' (remember those?) and welded the Q3 car together for eliminations. They went to the Semis that Sunday.

But they had to fix and race the Q3 car, even though the Q1 car would have been much easier to repair. That car became known as FrankenFueler and was sold to Ron Smith in Seattle. He ran it for many years. I honestly don't know if he is still running it, but he may be.

Alan
 
Ouch..... 😧 Ever figure out what it was?

Back then everyone was trying to figure out how to take it to the shift light in low gear with PSI screw blowers instead of short shifting with a lot of gear and counterweight from 1-2. I made a bunch of changes to the clutch and a transmission gear change and figured we were good. It was lights out. And it was at night when I did it. I told the guys at that point I thought I met Elvis face to face. LOL.
 
1997. That's when Eddie qualified #1 at Sonoma and crashed on the run. The car was unrepairable, and even though he had a brand new car, he was not allowed to run it Sunday. 1st round, he and Ercie were on the starting line and put a foot in the beams.

After that NHRA made the rule that you could pull out a back-up car for eliminations if the primary was damaged. The rule was expanded when live TV became prevalent. Teams were concerned that the quick turn around for TV could create an issue if a car was damaged either physically or by fire and it would be a safer option to change cars during eliminations. I don't remember exactly when that change was implemented, but it was about 10 years ago.

Alan , I stand corrected for some reason I had thought we couldn't bring out a new car in eliminations and the 2017 rule.

Sean
 
No, if a cars chassis is damaged and can not be safely repaired they are done.

Not arguing, just asking. Who decides what constitutes "Safely Repaired"?

And if a car can be "Safely Repaired" but untested, or a back-up car could be rolled out that is known to be in perfect condition, why would you not allow that?
Which one is safer for the driver and the person in the other lane?

Alan
 
I think Kim Parker bought Ron Smith car and tried to license but could not go fast enough wanted to run seattle
 
Not arguing, just asking. Who decides what constitutes "Safely Repaired"?

And if a car can be "Safely Repaired" but untested, or a back-up car could be rolled out that is known to be in perfect condition, why would you not allow that?
Which one is safer for the driver and the person in the other lane?

Alan
This was the basis for my initial question, about if there is a standard to make that determination (what constitutes "safely repaired"?)
 
This was the basis for my initial question, about if there is a standard to make that determination (what constitutes "safely repaired"?)
"Safely repaired" should not include wood (unless it's Dade County Pine) or tie-wraps. Dade County pine (now extinct) machines like 6061 T6. A This Old House episode had a Florida Keys reno a few decades ago, where Norm asked Bob Villa for a few grand to purchase a few new Sawzalls to replace the ones they burned up cutting the framing while reworking their project. Good stuff. Hugh Tucker wanted to make a 6-71 manifold from a piece.
 
Not arguing, just asking. Who decides what constitutes "Safely Repaired"?

And if a car can be "Safely Repaired" but untested, or a back-up car could be rolled out that is known to be in perfect condition, why would you not allow that?
Which one is safer for the driver and the person in the other lane?

Alan

Safely repaired would be NHRA Tech and I am sure many will come along and say NHRA Tech is a joke so why have them at all
If it can be safely repaired per a standard it is good to go, other racing organizations do it, During qualifying yes, eliminations no, just leveling the playing fields for low budget teams that don't have a perfect complete back up car
Safely repaired or replacement car are equal now if the repair is questionable a new car definitely
I also believe certain engine components should be limited during eliminations again for cost reasons and help the little guy. Mainly the engine block itself, if you can not rebuild the engine around the existing block done.
We are already at the point where big teams just keep rolling new parts out of their multiple trailers at the event. People keep saying we need to reel in costs.......
 
Safely repaired would be NHRA Tech and I am sure many will come along and say NHRA Tech is a joke so why have them at all
If it can be safely repaired per a standard it is good to go, other racing organizations do it, During qualifying yes, eliminations no, just leveling the playing fields for low budget teams that don't have a perfect complete back up car
Safely repaired or replacement car are equal now if the repair is questionable a new car definitely
I also believe certain engine components should be limited during eliminations again for cost reasons and help the little guy. Mainly the engine block itself, if you can not rebuild the engine around the existing block done.
We are already at the point where big teams just keep rolling new parts out of their multiple trailers at the event. People keep saying we need to reel in costs.......
you would see way more engine explosions with the block rule you suggest. They'd have to take chances where today they just swap it out.
 
Safely repaired would be NHRA Tech and I am sure many will come along and say NHRA Tech is a joke so why have them at all
If it can be safely repaired per a standard it is good to go, other racing organizations do it, During qualifying yes, eliminations no, just leveling the playing fields for low budget teams that don't have a perfect complete back up car
Safely repaired or replacement car are equal now if the repair is questionable a new car definitely
I also believe certain engine components should be limited during eliminations again for cost reasons and help the little guy. Mainly the engine block itself, if you can not rebuild the engine around the existing block done.
We are already at the point where big teams just keep rolling new parts out of their multiple trailers at the event. People keep saying we need to reel in costs.......
that's a very good point, about helping the small teams.
 
"Safely repaired" should not include wood (unless it's Dade County Pine) or tie-wraps. Dade County pine (now extinct) machines like 6061 T6. A This Old House episode had a Florida Keys reno a few decades ago, where Norm asked Bob Villa for a few grand to purchase a few new Sawzalls to replace the ones they burned up cutting the framing while reworking their project. Good stuff. Hugh Tucker wanted to make a 6-71 manifold from a piece.
No wood, check. How about bondo, bale wire, and duct tape? There's a lot of redneck engineers around, LOL.

side note - I love that show, "This Old House". Was thrilled to find it on a 24/7 channel on Pluto TV. My parent's old house, when I was just a tot, the oak floors were like that - when they had forced air put in, the contractor burned up a couple Milwaukee circular saws cutting out the holes for the vents.
 

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