Bullet
Nitro Member
How 'bout ..........adding weight after the run
That was my first thought.
Troxel & Scelzi DQ from Norwalk
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That was my first thought.
I do think nhra needs to invest in their own trailer with a scale. Ideally one that can be shielded from the wind.
Regardless of that however it had no bearing on what happened here. Loose ballast only leads to one conclussion regardless of their reasoning for it, it is against the rules.
I'm shocked that in all my years I've never heard of a pro team being busted for this before and now two get hit in one weekend. I have to wonder if there has been a crackdown on this or what.
Regardless of that however it had no bearing on what happened here. Loose ballast only leads to one conclussion regardless of their reasoning for it, it is against the rules.
I'm shocked that in all my years I've never heard of a pro team being busted for this before and now two get hit in one weekend. I have to wonder if there has been a crackdown on this or what.
Pro Stock has always been subject to searches at the scales to see if weight has been added after the run....and for good reason. The NHRA tech guys routinely would look through the car, helmet, firesuit and anything else looking for added weight. I've seen them make you take out a bottle of PowerAid out of the car. Did they ever find anything? Oh yeah! Loose weight pucks, bags of lead shot, a few pounds of tools wrapped in a rag and maybe a few full bottles of PowerAid.
At some national events (ie: Las Vegas) the scales are downhill from the end of the track, in those places you can't even go pickup your race car. The driver has to roll it downhill and unto the scale, then, once it's been cleared by the NHRA tech guy, you can hook up to it and pull it to fuel check.
I know one time a car broke a weight tab on the burnout and the tab and the weight puck came out onto the race track. When the driver saw what happened, he figured he might be light at the scale, so he took it upon himself to drink four bottles of PowerAid before going across the scale. Was the driver sick? Yes! Did the car make weight? Yes!. The car probably would have made weight without the drivers extra effort, but that's how close on weight these cars are run.
When a team knowingly adds weight after the run, that is just flat wrong! And in my opinion, the punishment fits the crime (CHEATING)!!
Pat
At some national events (ie: Las Vegas) the scales are downhill from the end of the track, in those places you can't even go pickup your race car. The driver has to roll it downhill and unto the scale, then, once it's been cleared by the NHRA tech guy, you can hook up to it and pull it to fuel check.
I know one time a car broke a weight tab on the burnout and the tab and the weight puck came out onto the race track. When the driver saw what happened, he figured he might be light at the scale, so he took it upon himself to drink four bottles of PowerAid before going across the scale. Was the driver sick? Yes! Did the car make weight? Yes!. The car probably would have made weight without the drivers extra effort, but that's how close on weight these cars are run.
When a team knowingly adds weight after the run, that is just flat wrong! And in my opinion, the punishment fits the crime (CHEATING)!!
Pat
Thanks, Shoe, for your outstanding sense of ethics and sportsmanship. Maybe you should run for President. It would be so refreshing to have a politician say that a mess up was his/her responsibility rather than placing blame elsewhere.
Also, the one race DQ was harsh, but compared to NASCAR, where crew chiefs are suspended for weeks at a time, fines levied, and championship points taken away, it may not be too harsh.
Also, the one race DQ was harsh, but compared to NASCAR, where crew chiefs are suspended for weeks at a time, fines levied, and championship points taken away, it may not be too harsh.
You are the man Don, Kinda embarrassing for the whole team, But at least you guys are honest, And we all know it wasn't a performance advantage based on the way that car is running
Dave
Nitro Member
I know it wasn't right to do what they did, I'm not defending them. But it does seem odd to me that Scelzi's and Mel's cars were the only ones found with the "loose ballast". This is not an attack against DSR, I like everybody on Don's Funny Car Teams. I hope this doesn't get anybody else in trouble, but why was Scelzi's the only DSR car with "loose ballast"? Why wasn't anything found on Capps', Toliver's, or Beckman's cars? Again, I'm not against DSR, it just seems odd to me. I believe I heard Mel say something about everybody's doing it because of the goofy scales. Why were these the only ones caught if everybody is doing it? Not trying to start anything, no black helecopters here, just seems strange to me.
Dave
Dave
Rexfiles
Nitro Member
Mel is not on Shoe's Team.
I think this was just a individual decision from that particular team to do so, no conspiricy.
REX
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Bullard Anderson
Nitro Member
PJ, I wouldn't deem it out of the realm of possibility that another team (maybe outside the Top 10 like Scelzi and Troxel) spotted this and felt the need to draw attention to it. There is a big difference between 10th and 11th 2 months down the road, eh! It will be interesting when the dust settles after INDY just how far Troxel and Scelzi miss/make the Top 10.
