Strasburg suspended from nhra competition

[M Jones]

I think that when a driver shows up on time and can only produce 1 full vile for testing he should have the option of forgoing the protection of a second for a safety net, or at least be just failed, pouring it out twice in front his face and sending him home for a year as if he never showed up is like giving Barney Fife the excuse to put that one bullet in his gun

 

[yoda]

Interesting... I thought the test center just did the testing, and the Association passed out the penalties...

From the DRO interview:

They said you need two, dumped it out, and said you’re gone, you’re out of here for a year.

 

[kingcobrafan]

Yes, you have 24 hours to report for testing, but if the testing enter is closed for 13 of those 24 hours, that means there are 11 hours during which you can show up.

Jon Asher

Exactly how I saw it in the first place, Jon.

 

[Bullard Anderson]

Sticking by what I said above but the Driver was in line. Common sense says that if a driver is in line ready to go when the clock hits 24 he should be considered "in the process of."

Common sense would say that the NHRA, or the testing ppl would take this into account before slamming a guy through the media/internet/racing public. No it's not an intentional slam but where's the damn discretion.

 

[Wayne]

Am I missing something here?

Yes, you have 24 hours to report for testing, but if the testing enter is closed for 13 of those 24 hours, that means there are 11 hours during which you can show up.

If you're still in line to run at 7:30 PM and get back to your pits at 8:10, please tell me how you get tested at that hour of the evening.

If the racers are forced by circumstances to still be involved after 6:00 PM, then the testing center should be remaining open to accommodate them.

Jon Asher

You go either immediately when you get the notice or get out of line & blow off ONE pass!!!
Or first thing the next morning!!!
The testing is THAT important!!!

Ask ANY CDL driver, pilot, LEO, ect!!!

Yes, your job/career is on the line!!!




Sheryl: thanks for the link. It is a bad situation & I truely hope some good comes out of the situation!

 

[Wayne]

Sticking by what I said above but the Driver was in line. Common sense says that if a driver is in line ready to go when the clock hits 24 he should be considered "in the process of."

Common sense would say that the NHRA, or the testing ppl would take this into account before slamming a guy through the media/internet/racing public. No it's not an intentional slam but where's the damn discretion.

Good point Steve.
However, you still have the previous time before getting into line.
In my case, once the boss hands me the slip, I'm on my way to the lab. I know drivers who've sat @ the lab for 2-3 hours chugging water like it was the last they'd ever get.

Bad situation!

 

[Bullard Anderson]

Good point Steve.
However, you still have the previous time before getting into line.
In my case, once the boss hands me the slip, I'm on my way to the lab. I know drivers who've sat @ the lab for 2-3 hours chugging water like it was the last they'd ever get.

Bad situation!

I agree with you Wayne as I posted in #218.

And in a minor sidebar to this story:

Two weeks ago I was a groomsmen in a wedding. That Friday at 2pm I had 24 hours to get my haircut for a 7pm wedding. 24 hours because the barber shop closed at 2pm Saturday. To bad it wasn't an all night barber shop but they closed at 6pm on Friday. I also had a slew of things to get done Saturday as well. But, I knew the haircut was very important to me because of the wedding. I made it to the baber shop in time.

Late

 

[FABMAN]

Is this a record for longest THREAD ever

 

[DixonFan]

Is this a record for longest THREAD ever

No this isn't the longest thread ever. That can be found here: http://www.nitromater.com/nhra/5589-gator-results.html

70 pages long

 

[mike]

No this isn't the longest thread ever. That can be found here: http://www.nitromater.com/nhra/5589-gator-results.html

70 pages long

The good 'ol' days. I had to laugh when I read I was posting from a PSP.

 

[twostep]

There's a thread at a desert racing forum, race-dezert.com, called 'Whew...that's a relief', or WTAR for short. Two years ago, it was 7500 pages long with 75,000 posts. I went to the site to look, couldn't find the thread and was asked to join in order to do any searching, so I just blew it off.

Dam'd if I know how you could talk that long in one thread. I figured you could sum up desert racing in about six sentences.

 

[clwill]

Threads with tens of thousands of posts are common over at YellowBullet. Just on the front page of the TOBT section right now are threads with 64,000+ posts, 26,000+, 36,000+, 10,000+, and so on. Just on the front page.

Some people seriously need a life...

 

[big guy]

Threads with tens of thousands of posts are common over at YellowBullet. Just on the front page of the TOBT section right now are threads with 64,000+ posts, 26,000+, 36,000+, 10,000+, and so on. Just on the front page.

Some people seriously need a life...

but most of those long ones at the Yellow Bulllet are fluf or pron.nothing to do with racing.

 

[twostep]

Latest update...

STRASBURG PLANS TO APPEAL HIS SUSPENSION

 

[clwill]

STRASBURG PLANS TO APPEAL HIS SUSPENSION

One would certainly hope so

 

[Treeshaker]

Only problem I see is that he was not suspended for testing positive, he was suspended for not completing the test in the alloted time period.

To me, it is like coming to the line for your elimination run but the car is not prepared to run, so you lose. Then you make a better than your opponent run the next day, appeal your loss using your reaction time and et from the next day as your defense.

In my opinion, I think Mike has to decide that when he goes to the national events whether he is a top fuel competitor, transmission service technician, or a tuner for hire. It seems trying to do all three at Vegas was an overload.

 

[Gordon]

Only problem I see is that he was not suspended for testing positive, he was suspended for not completing the test in the alloted time period.

To me, it is like coming to the line for your elimination run but the car is not prepared to run, so you lose. Then you make a better than your opponent run the next day, appeal your loss using your reaction time and et from the next day as your defense.

In my opinion, I think Mike has to decide that when he goes to the national events whether he is a top fuel competitor, transmission service technician, or a tuner for hire. It seems trying to do all three at Vegas was an overload.

I've avoided this controversial topic for a long time, but Virgil makes a good point...

...But still, the NHRA needs the Mike Strasburg's of the world in my opinion. There have been countless examples of his support and assistance all through the pits, above and beyond tuning and driving his own Top Fuel car.

In this case I think Mike is trying to convince the NHRA that he missed his test because he was so busy (as evidenced by many posts within this thread), not because he had anything to hide - And that's the difference to me. I think if NHRA is willing to listen to his argument and honestly weigh all the information provided, his suspension may (and in my opinion should) be lifted.

My point is this: I understand and fully support the need for rules and the fair enforcement thereof. However, sometimes rules are written with a specific intent and as they're enforced over time, situations arise that make us re-evaluate the application of the rule. I believe this is a good example of that. That said, I understand NHRA is in a difficult spot in that if they let Mike off, they place themselves in a difficult position the next time someone misses their mandated urinalysis. Still, I firmly believe a balance can, and should be struck so Mike can return to the track sooner rather than later.

 

[Sean D, shondoo]

In my opinion, I think Mike has to decide that when he goes to the national events whether he is a top fuel competitor, transmission service technician, or a tuner for hire. It seems trying to do all three at Vegas was an overload.

I tend to agree.............sort of.

I'm not "in the know", obviously, but I would guess the reason he's able to run Top Fuel in the first place is likely because of the things that spread him so thin to start with. However, no matter high of demand he's in, the folks that are used to his presence/attention, as well as Mike himself, will just have to understand this is serious business and thus be flexible, period. These tests aren't going to go away and it won't be the last time his name gets pulled, that's for sure.

Sean D

 

[Rooster]

I know Mike very well. And the biggest problem he has at the track is the fact, (like many of us) he doesn't know how to say no.. So anytime anyone needs a little extra help or advice on anything he is capable of doing, he goes and does it... He never thinks of himself and always has time to help out.. This time it came around and bit him.. I know the NHRA is aware of how he operates, and I would hope they take that into consideration when the appeal process begins...