Snake Wants Testing Limited (1 Viewer)

[vegasnitro]

If there is one constant throughout all of racing, it is that people will spend whatever it takes to win/be competitive. Unfortunately, there is no way to put the genie back in the bottle. Look at NASCAR, every square inch of sheet metal is strictly regulated, yet teams are spending millions of dollars on wind-tunnel time, even though a car that has never been in a wind tunnel will fit the same body template as one that has been in a wind tunnel for hundreds of hours. Racing fuel is no different, and Snake is merely suggesting the owners be given some protection from themselves. True, there would be nothing stopping them from racing IHRA, and a team that has 4 cars will still be able to test 4 times as much as a team with 1 car, but there is still an intrinsic savings attached to not running the car as much as they would be otherwise. From Snake's point of view, Shoe is already testing 4 times as much as him anyway, so why not limit the number of test dates, so he doesn't get caught up in running a test team or really trying to get more runs in on a Monday test session or testing on off weekends to try and keep up with Shoe and Force. It's not level, but it is "more level" than the direction the owners are heading.

 

[Snacks]

What is yall's take? Personally I think it sucks. I understand the reasoning for it, but if one team can afford to test more, then so be it. Plus, its an even bigger advantage for the multi car teams that yall so hate.

Better call him a waaaaambulance.

 

[sparky]

The whole testing limit rule is a joke in Nascar. The teams are simply not allowed to test on tracks that they run races on except for certain approved dates. All of the rest of the time they are testing (at will) at all the tracks that don't hold cup races. Like Kentucky, Concord, Nashville and alot of others. The big $$ teams will test no matter what, somewhere. The smaller ones do too, although in a more limited capacity.

Drag racing would be no different, Teams will find a way to get it done. Somewhere/ somehow. Bad idea IMO.

 

[Cymon Sez]

NHRA = CAN OF WORMS

They have lost control of "their" operation.

Back when all the multi-car teams started showing up NHRA should have limited the teams then. Now its become a requirement to win a championship to have multi cars. Testing wouldnt be an issue now nor would the cost of operations.

If you think a testing limit is fair or not then so be it bottom line it is a losing battle for the lower funded teams. We have to give the single car efforts a lot of credit for just trying.

I say no limit on the amount of testing a team can do provided the team limit was 2 cars per class.

 

[Cabes]

The whole testing limit rule is a joke in Nascar. The teams are simply not allowed to test on tracks that they run races on except for certain approved dates. All of the rest of the time they are testing (at will) at all the tracks that don't hold cup races. Like Kentucky, Concord, Nashville and alot of others.

That's the whole point. You can test at a non-cup track, work on something and then find out what worked at the non-cup track doesn't apply to the different characteristics of the Cup track, no matter how similar they might appear to the track you tested on. As far as NHRA is concerned, I talked to Alan Johnson last year, and he is not high on testing just to test. He told me he prefers to try new things during the pressure of qualifying, because that's when you really are going to have to apply it. He said he prefers to try new things during qualifying through the summer months, pick at it a bit, and then by the time they roll into Indy they can really drop the hammer in the fall. It's worked the past two years, and I have no reason to believe that it won't work again.
If NHRA was to limit testing at selected sessions throught out the year. I think teams will still do some testing at non-powerade series tracks, but since what they learn they can't really apply to what they get a national event, I think those tests would be limited. I remember when Pro had their pre-season warm-up at Tucson, very few teams showed up because they believed what they learned, they really couldn't apply it during the season. I think the same might be true if there was limit placed on testing at NHRA tracks.
Just a thought

 

[BaldyLochs]

Really though....How can you control it? Like if Morgan Lucas' hauler pulls into some itty-bitty "no name" local track somewhere on a Saturday afternoon... do the NHRA police come out & make them put the car back in the box?
And who's to stop someone from buying a few acres somewhere out in the country and laying a strip of concrete to test on? Plus I'm sure the IHRA events would always welcome someone to stop in and make a few laps during thier events.
Or, just show up at one of the big tracks during a special event and call it "exhibition runs".

Are they going to outlaw starting the cars in your race shop or driveway, too?

 

[__]

What planet have you been on??? This isn't 2004...it's 2006....the cost for a Tim Wilkerson to run one these car has risen dramatically. Have you looked at the Top Ten in points lately?? Lower funded teams my ass!

Tony, in your estimation, what factors have driven up the operating cost significantly since 2004? I'm guessing fuel for the haulers is a part of it?

 

[force fan]

none

O.K. this is getting to be too much. What's next provisionals. Keep NHRA the way it was before all these rules. That's what I liked about the sport, being one of a kind.

 

[force fan]

none

Connie Kalitta will probably just build his own test track so he can test his cars how ever many times he wants.

 

[john]

Connie Kalitta will probably just build his own test track so he can test his cars how ever many times he wants.

.... or use an airport between takeoffs and landings.

 

[force fan]

.... or use an airport between takeoffs and landings.

That would work too. And knowing Connie he would do it just for spite!!!!!!!!

 

[BaldyLochs]

Now, that's one thing Kalitta has never done - run a race car on the ramp at Willow Run! Connie, however even today, can be seen occaisionally zooming across the ramp in his 'Caddy!
It sort of has been tried before though. Remember Gary Ormsby & Lee Beard actually tried to race a fighter jet somewhere in the Castrol GTX Top Fueler.

They had it all elaboratley planned out, the plane & the car were dialed in & handicapped like a bracket race. It was a cool idea at the time. But they couldn't get Gary's car to hook up on the bare concrete so unfortunately we never got to compare apples-to-apples.

 

[yoda]

Wonder what Snake thinks now??

I wonder if Snake is singing the same tune today about limited testing, now that the DPR TF car is sitting on the sidelines on elimination day?
If it was this time next year, the car that would probably be using at least SOME data from this year's event would be S.O.L., because there is NO raceday data to be input.

1, 2 or 4 less runs of information could make a world of difference in the Chase for the Cup, or whatever they are calling it, next year... And this particular race is one of the pre-qualifiers for the qualifier to be selected to see if you've won the lottery to be selected to even be CONSIDERED to be in the running for the Big Number One sticker... (PLACE SARCASTIC ICON HERE..)

 

[Chi-Town Brown]

Two things come to mind. First Snake is NOT a member of PRO so would he still be affected?

Second the way NASCAR limits it's guys are with tires, Good Year sells them tires at the track, but they are NOT allowed to take them home after the race, they must be turned in. So if you have no tires, you can't very well make laps.

Alan

Goodyear sells that same tire to non competitors of the big show. How do you regulate that? And what about IHRA events run by some with that same tire?