What about this change... (1 Viewer)

[barry]

What if NHRA changed the way they ran first round for all classes. Instead of #1 qualifier running #16, (and giving them a great chance to advance to round 2) #1 would run #8 - #2 would run #9 etc. I'm sure the old school racers/fans may not like it, and I would certainly understand, but it seems that now with the financial gap growing ever larger between teams in all classes, that it may possibly help with a lower funded team going a round or two, and get some valuable TV sponsor time. And it might just help put a underdog team on the winners podium.. and who doesn't like to see a underdog win once in a while. Even the big teams have nice things to say when a little team wins.
Maybe to compensate for a more difficult first round match up, #1- #2..on down.. qualifier could get more of the "little" points.

 

[Nunz]

I’ve felt that it should be that way for a long time, and I almost think at some point in history it was that way before changing to the current method of pairing off. IMO it would be a positive tweak to what I believe is currently a great show.

 

[Marchboom]

One of the big benefits of qualifying #1 is that you get to race the slowest qualified car. Big incentive to go all out during qualifying. With your plan, qualifying # 7 or 8 might be a better strategy as a car that could easily be in the top 3 would now have an easier 1st round by having to race the slowest car (usually a lower funded car). We don't need any sandbagging. I like it the way it is now.

 

[TK]

I like this idea, and likewise feel it would be a positive change; and yes the ladder was set up this way sometime ago. I am not sure when it was changed, but it sure makes for some lop sided match ups in first round now. Another change I think that would have merit would be to base qualifying position on the average of a participant's 4 qualifying runs.

 

[Randy]

I personally don't like it. The reward for running well in a full field (#9) shouldn't be meeting up with #1 first round. The closest pairing in terms of performance has always been #8 vs #9 first round. And run order is determined by choice, giving #1 qualifier first option to chose when to run, followed by #2, etc. That's why you typically see #8 and #9 as first pair out in eliminations because #8 gets the last pick in the run order and nobody wants to be first.

 

[Jeff]

What if NHRA changed the way they ran first round for all classes. Instead of #1 qualifier running #16, (and giving them a great chance to advance to round 2) #1 would run #8 - #2 would run #9 etc. I'm sure the old school racers/fans may not like it, and I would certainly understand, but it seems that now with the financial gap growing ever larger between teams in all classes, that it may possibly help with a lower funded team going a round or two, and get some valuable TV sponsor time. And it might just help put a underdog team on the winners podium.. and who doesn't like to see a underdog win once in a while. Even the big teams have nice things to say when a little team wins.
Maybe to compensate for a more difficult first round match up, #1- #2..on down.. qualifier could get more of the "little" points.

So you want the pro's to use a sportsman ladder? Sorta making the pro class like Fun Fair Positive Soccer aren't we? So now nobody want's to be #1, they want to be in the bottom of the top half? While I feel that the Harley guys already use a version of this methodology .... I'm not a fan.

 

[Cliff]

There are lots of ways to run the race. I used to see 32 car races, #1 raced #17, & it actually worked well. With todays' fields, #1 Vs #9 could be a really close race. Have seen at least the top 14 qualifiers within .10. Or, "Chicago Style". Everyone runs 3 rounds & the 2 quickest winning ET's go off for the title. I really don't know how the racing "ladder" got started, but traditionally, it was always #1 Vs #9, etc until that changed later. I think the idea was to give the slower cars a better chance at winning a round. I kinda don't like #1 Vs #16, cuz you know that most of the time, #1 is going to win & it will not be a close race for the fans. Fans play a big part in the sport, & giving them close races will make them wanna come back again. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Nick Name]

I think the big show cars should run Chicago style. Every car runs first round. Second round, all cars race again. winners race winners and loosers race loosers.

Third round, two quickest ETs race to determine the winner.

 

[Butch]

This post has got to be a joke - or has everyone forgotten that in the old days first round was 1 ran 9, 2 ran 10, 3 ran 11, 4 ran 12 etc... all the way to 8 ran 16. Then wally world changed it to today's format.

 

[Dave]

The format changed at the 1990 Winternationals. #16 qualifier K.C. Spurlock won in Funny Car!

 

[Crazy]

How about drawing drivers names, first two drawn, run each other and so forth. This would be done each round.

 

[Bobby Bennett]

The #1 vs #16, started over in the IHRA when Larry Carrier get frustrated with his No. 1 qualifier having to race a tougher car in the first round, and often getting eliminated early. The NHRA later followed suit. His reasoning is the No. 1 qualifier should be rewarded with an easier first round opponent.

 

[T.Smith]

What if NHRA changed the way they ran first round for all classes. Instead of #1 qualifier running #16, (and giving them a great chance to advance to round 2) #1 would run #8 - #2 would run #9 etc. I'm sure the old school racers/fans may not like it, and I would certainly understand, but it seems that now with the financial gap growing ever larger between teams in all classes, that it may possibly help with a lower funded team going a round or two, and get some valuable TV sponsor time. And it might just help put a underdog team on the winners podium.. and who doesn't like to see a underdog win once in a while. Even the big teams have nice things to say when a little team wins.
Maybe to compensate for a more difficult first round match up, #1- #2..on down.. qualifier could get more of the "little" points.

We don't go to a race trying to be #16 qualifier.

Leah Prichett was the #8 qualifier at Vegas, so instead of running us the #9 qualifier who she beat (3.705 @ 326.16mph to a 3.752 @ 329.18), she would've raced the #16 qualifier Troy Buff....and that helps Troy Buff how???

 

[Chili]

It shouldn’t be changed for the stated reasons. For those who don’t know, Barry owns a TAFC that his daughter drives. Normally they are in the lower part of the field so it would benefit the lower funded teams and give them a better chance to go rounds. One of the times they won first round and made it to the second round they didn’t show it on the Lucas oil broadcast. Sometimes you just can’t win.

 

[Dave]

We don't go to a race trying to be #16 qualifier.

Leah Prichett was the #8 qualifier at Vegas, so instead of running us the #9 qualifier who she beat (3.705 @ 326.16mph to a 3.752 @ 329.18), she would've raced the #16 qualifier Troy Buff....and that helps Troy Buff how???

Troy Buff had a red light and lost to #1 Tony Schumacher so nothing was going to help him. Tony had a .190 light and went 3.73. Under that format he would have run #9... and lost! Who was #9 again?

 

[T.Smith]

Troy Buff had a red light and lost to #1 Tony Schumacher so nothing was going to help him. Tony had a .190 light and went 3.73. Under that format he would have run #9... and lost! Who was #9 again?

Yeah but you know you can't count on stuff like that, my question to Tony Shoe would be how much of Troy's bad red light affected his light, but hey it looks great on paper! If we only could've raced that guy!

My point is, #16 vs #8 doesn't really help #16 all that much...not in Top Fuel at least.

 

[PJ]

Getting the slowest car or a bye in the case of short field, is the bonus of qualifying #1. It also makes seeing those upsets even better when a 15 or 16 takes out a 1 or 2

 

[mike]

maybe the drivers should all meet at the starting line then "call out" and "lock in" races like on Street Outlaws

 

[T.Smith]

maybe the drivers should all meet at the starting line then "call out" and "lock in" races like on Street Outlaws

For what? So everyone can get on their keyboards and pound NHRA for trying to be like Street Outlaws?

 

[mgty3whlr]

maybe the drivers should all meet at the starting line then "call out" and "lock in" races like on Street Outlaws

If they did that it would save the teams a ton of money because then you can get rid of qualifying.