The "Greek" gets shafted by the qualifying rules! (1 Viewer)

[DragFan2]

Don't know how many noticed but if not aware, Chris "the Greek" Karamesines ran two of his best ever passes in qualifying at this years U.S. Nationals (3.927 and 3.933) but due to the sometimes unfair 12-car cut, he got screwed this year as he made his two best runs on Friday night and Saturday and both were tossed out for Sunday's final qualifying day. The Greek would have been in 13th place if his runs had counted. Bummer.

 

[mick]

this is the biggest piece of **** qualifying rule ever imagined, much less
implemented.....the fact that it now bites the greek at the nationals makes
it all the more unbelievable.

 

[CrewGuy]

The qualifying format applies to all pro racers. That's the way it is ran- end of story.

 

[Bobby]

aw man....I was wondering why the results didn't show is best previous time ...
that really is too bad....but the rules have been that way for a while...

 

[mick]

yes i know 'it's the rules' and it's been in effect for a few years, doesn't
mean i like it anymore now than when it debuted.

countdown/playoffs....fine, whatever

this qualifying rule....why? just don't get it. thought the idea was something
to the effect 'if car didn't make great pass in friday nite session, there would
now still be a real chance to make field on saturday'?? (something like that)

so the greek makes a great pass on friday and still gets screwed.
seen it happen to others also - hartleys once last year for sure.

 

[Bobby]

basically to put some drama into the last sessions.

the cars are easier to run in the cooler nighttime temps

used to be , if you missed it during the night session, you may as well not even try on the final session during the day...
I can see why they did this.

it was either that or the teams wanted to get rid of the night sessions.

so I don't mind this...it's a good compromise I think...

 

[d'kid]

I call it "The Pro Stock Rule"... it would not have made a difference in flopper, those that bumped in made their best runs yesterday, which still would have qualified with or without the 12 spot rule.

Why 12? Not in the top 8 would make more sense... more fake excitement

d'kid

 

[cantdrive55]

Too many racers have gotten the short end of the stick from wiping out times13th and back. This qualifying format blows, end of story.

 

[Kansas Stan]

I'm with you, Keith. If everyone has an equal opportunity on equal days, why discount below twelfth place runs? If you feel like nobody wants to watch on Saturday because there's no bumping, run night qualifying then as well or do away with Saturday nitro qualifying and run Pro Mod or something else to put butts in the seats. I have never believed and will never believe in erasing better runs like they are doing now.

 

[Sean D, shondoo]

This qualifying format blows, end of story.

Amen, brother! As a matter of fact, you put it much more mildly than I would have.

Sean D

 

[Clark W.]

This is what we really need - more complicated rules for drag racing. I take a couple of casual fans with me every year and you should have heard our conversation of me trying to explain this on Sunday afternoon! This rule is very awkward at best, and when things like this happen, it should be abolished. NHRA really outdid themselves with this one.

 

[Heavyhauler]

Shame on NHRA Marketing for keeping a legend, who legitimately earned a qualifying spot out of the Nationals.
If I get bumped from a show I expect it to be by some car with a quicker ET, not by some hair brained promoters option.

 

[Rooster]

Well unfortunately our sport has become a spotlight for who has 'the most' money, "the fanciest" fleet or trucks and trailers, "the best" hospitality tent.. And somewhere down at the end of all this you will find "the legends" like Chris and Luigi, still bringing out their hot rods and doing what the love to do. The NHRA has turned this whole deal into a side show as far as I'm concerned. I still go out and help my friend by hauling his stuff around the country when I can, but it turns my stomach to see what it is turning into.

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

Shame on NHRA Marketing for keeping a legend, who legitimately earned a qualifying spot out of the Nationals.
If I get bumped from a show I expect it to be by some car with a quicker ET, not by some hair brained promoters option.

Right on !!! How in the world did they come up with this??? How do they justify not counting 13,14,15,&16 th places??? It is qualifying isn't it???

Like I've said before, try explaining that to yer sponsors.....
Yes we were one of the 16 quickest.....but, um, no we arn't racing Sun.

I really think this is is worse than the countdown.....

 

[twostep]

The whole idea was to give 17th and up non-qualifiers a second chance, which they otherwise wouldn't have if they missed qualifying on a 70-degree Friday night only to be confronted by a 95-degree Saturday.

But as of late national events are lucky to even have a 16 car field, or at best, maybe 18-19. About the only people the rule actually helps are the Pro Stock folks, who typically have 20-25 entries.

I feel sorry for the Greek. He deserved a Sunday spot.

 

[Heavyhauler]

We can only hope the Sheik buys the Pro division of NHRA less Pro Stock, only 33 people come to watch them anyway.
Add the ADRL type Pro Mods with the Nitro cars on Saturday nights under the lights and you will have a great show.
Imagine no NHRA BS, no Olsen, no Light, no Stewart, no Compton, no Gardner, no Board of Directors robbing the company of cash and investing nothing into the future.

Now if we could get Steve Evans resurrected, bring back Dave MaCelland, "Big Daddy's bits from the pits", have Paul Page incarcerated, hire Bill Doner to run the Ad program, find Mike Dunn a ride, and get some new writers on staff for Bob Frey's stand up routine, they might even put together a broadcast that doesn't generate nausea.......

 

[big guy]

Dont get me wronr,I like the Greek,but he had the same chances as everybody else there.The bottom line is he didn`t get it done as per the rules everybody else had to follow.

 

[Muddy]

I well remember a few years ago when everyone on this board was complaining about the UNFAIR situation on Saturdays. When guys like WJ, Toliver etc didn't qualify because they had some minor problem on Friday nite and it was just way too hot on Saturday. Now everybody is is being a bawl bag the other way. You can't have your cake and eat it too, which way do you want it?

 

[vegasnitro]

If I recall correctly, same thing happened to Zizzo at Indy in '08. The rule rarely comes into play, but when it does, it seems like it's at Indy. Must be a function of higher car counts and 3 qualifying sessions instead of 2 with the top 12 cutoff in effect ...

 

[mw6789]

The qualifying format applies to all pro racers. That's the way it is ran- end of story.

It may be the way it is, but it still SUCKS!!!!! I never understood the reasoning behind this deal.