The "Greek" gets shafted by the qualifying rules!

[PJ]

not a fan of it but I get why they went to it. I would prefer if they took the 8 fastest from each day. Still not thes best format but perhaps better than what they have now

 

[cantdrive55]

Why do we have to re-invent the wheel? The old system was not broken. The quickest 16 race. What was so hard to understand?

I know the reason for this format was because people were complaining about no bumping taking place, primarily in Pro Stock. However, if you look at the reality of the situation, how many Pro Stock drivers have managed to bump their way in during the last session on a warm sunny afternoon? Typically, for Pro Stock, Saturday morning was the last best shot to make the field, and that hasn't changed. What has changed is erasing runs from the record books. I don't care if it's Greek, Force, Vandergriff, WJ, Zizzo, Glidden, Novelli, Hines, Dixon, Phillips, Fuller, or whomever; if the run is quick enough to make the field, no matter what session it was in, it should count. If it means sending a champion home, then so be it.

 

[Guppy]

That rule is a steaming sack of sh#& !! End of story.

 

[tb]

Truer words were never spoken

You think people are upset at 1000 foot, remember ADRL runs 1/8 mile. Are we ready for NHRA at 1/8 mile tracks. I am sure no one would complain about that on this board.

In case no one remembers, Bruton likes 4 wide racing. I am sure if he owned NHRA every track would have to add two lanes.

 

[clwill]

The reason for this rule is quite clear. The best runs come on Friday night, when crowds are thin. The first chance many people have to get out to the big show is Saturday. And they are greeted with one after another run by people trying like heck to get into the field, and blowing the tires off.

If you've ever sat through a Saturday at the track with a new fan, the result is "gee, neat... do they ever really make a full pull?" At least with this rule, you're pretty well guaranteed four full pulls.

 

[cantdrive55]

I would think the bonus points for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd quick per session would be enough incentive for full pulls. Look at how many bonus points Mike Edwards got last year.

 

[JB3]

Yer right sir, no one knows the future. When it comes to executing, I know nothing about the sheik, but Connie, Don, John, and Bruton are business men, and VERY success ones at that.

With nhra's recent preformance and lack of safety concerns when it comes out of their pockets, I'm sure the above mentioned would do better.

But alas, it won't happen so we'll never know.

Successful ... absolutely !! Doesn't mean you would have liked how they got there. You were not an employee there.

 

[JF]

You know, I read the thread "The "Greek" gets shafted by the qualifying rules!"

Get in line it's NHRA

Can anyone think of anyone who at one time or another not been shafted by NHRA.

Careful whose name you post they keep a list of shafted and non-shafted

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

Why do we have to re-invent the wheel? The old system was not broken. The quickest 16 race. What was so hard to understand?

if the run is quick enough to make the field, no matter what session it was in, it should count. .

Right on Keith, nuff said.

 

[mw6789]

Why do we have to re-invent the wheel? The old system was not broken. The quickest 16 race. What was so hard to understand?

I know the reason for this format was because people were complaining about no bumping taking place, primarily in Pro Stock. However, if you look at the reality of the situation, how many Pro Stock drivers have managed to bump their way in during the last session on a warm sunny afternoon? Typically, for Pro Stock, Saturday morning was the last best shot to make the field, and that hasn't changed. What has changed is erasing runs from the record books. I don't care if it's Greek, Force, Vandergriff, WJ, Zizzo, Glidden, Novelli, Hines, Dixon, Phillips, Fuller, or whomever; if the run is quick enough to make the field, no matter what session it was in, it should count. If it means sending a champion home, then so be it.

AMEN---very well said.

 

[Baron]

H.L. Mencken famously said something like this: For every human problem there is a simple solution; easy, neat, and wrong.
There is no simple solution to writing rules that will not work what some will see as an injustice at some point. For example, using only the 16 quickest runs to establish the qualified field is simple. It does not, however, include consideration of the fan who would like to see qualifying but cannot come for the Friday night show (work, family, etc.). Will this fan show up for a Saturday qualifying session that consists entirely of tire smoke and irrelevant e.t.'s? NHRA didn't think so.
What difference you ask? Somebody has to pay for the show. That "somebody" is the paying spectator. Forget that guy and your dragstrip becomes an industrial park or a strip mall.
My preference would be for a graded system. The number one qualifier would be the quickest car, period. The rest of the field would be qualified based on their relative position in qualifying sessions. Even such a system as this would not be "fair" to some. An independent racer with a good run could not afford to sit out a qualifying round under a graded system, for example.
We have to keep the paying spectator in mind and add to his number.
We have enough strip malls and not enough drag strips.
Cheers,
Ed
Rocky Mountain Superchargers

 

[mick]

guessing average friday & saturday attendance (which is never released) is no greater now, and maybe even less, than 10+ years ago.weather IMO is what keeps fans away, not quality of qualifying.

- get rid of this rule
- pro stock to EFI
- qualify on grading system as ed described (i like idea too, although
'bumping' in last round would be difficult to calculate quickly much less
convey to fans)
- keep qual. bonus points in place