As someone has already noted, team orders have been involved in motorsports since the first time someone thought their car was faster than the other guy's. The points made above about the business necessity of team orders are relevant and understandable. Like it or not, approve of it or not, you have to acknowledge that the F1 approach about being right out in the open about it is refreshing. The money and prestige that Red Bull might attain from Verstappen defeating Hamilton for the title is a helluva lot more than we might think, making team orders that much more understandable.
We have never liked team orders in drag racing, but it would be naive to think it's not going to continue unabated regardless of whatever rules NHRA comes up with to try and stop it. It's a losing battle for them, and frankly, doesn't look good in the media when accusations are thrown back and forth without there ever being the revelation of a proven dive.
As far as how someone going down should be handled, my theory is that if you even go to the starting line something can very easily happen that will not only upset your immediate plans, but blow up your long term goals as well. Do a burnout and intentionally shut off? That can work. Let the other guy leave first to make it look good? Bad plan, something's going to go wrong and you'll find yourself cruising to the finish line wondering where your partner is.
There's no point in even considering the financial aspects when it comes to drag racing because the championship payout is beyond embarrassingly low. But an individual team could have a really good bonus coming from a sponsor for a championship. The additional exposure during the following season can also make it worth doing.
But I think we all need to grow up and accept the fact that diving is going to continue for as long as there's racing. It's inevitable.
As has been pointed out, there've been a few instances when diving was nothing short of funny. Kurt Johnson coming down the return road at Indy holding up the big sign reading "I still have a job" was priceless, and earned a huge, positive reaction from the crowd. When John Force went in the tank to get Robert Hight into the Countdown and then had that huge confrontation with Tony Pedregon at the top end it resulted in the most riveting television segment drag racing had ever enjoyed, so maybe, instead of complaining about diving we should embrace it and relish the humorous side of things. --Jon Asher
We have never liked team orders in drag racing, but it would be naive to think it's not going to continue unabated regardless of whatever rules NHRA comes up with to try and stop it. It's a losing battle for them, and frankly, doesn't look good in the media when accusations are thrown back and forth without there ever being the revelation of a proven dive.
As far as how someone going down should be handled, my theory is that if you even go to the starting line something can very easily happen that will not only upset your immediate plans, but blow up your long term goals as well. Do a burnout and intentionally shut off? That can work. Let the other guy leave first to make it look good? Bad plan, something's going to go wrong and you'll find yourself cruising to the finish line wondering where your partner is.
There's no point in even considering the financial aspects when it comes to drag racing because the championship payout is beyond embarrassingly low. But an individual team could have a really good bonus coming from a sponsor for a championship. The additional exposure during the following season can also make it worth doing.
But I think we all need to grow up and accept the fact that diving is going to continue for as long as there's racing. It's inevitable.
As has been pointed out, there've been a few instances when diving was nothing short of funny. Kurt Johnson coming down the return road at Indy holding up the big sign reading "I still have a job" was priceless, and earned a huge, positive reaction from the crowd. When John Force went in the tank to get Robert Hight into the Countdown and then had that huge confrontation with Tony Pedregon at the top end it resulted in the most riveting television segment drag racing had ever enjoyed, so maybe, instead of complaining about diving we should embrace it and relish the humorous side of things. --Jon Asher
