Why Limit Pros to 16 ?? (1 Viewer)

[my friends call me Zappy]

This question came up inside another thread. There were good points made both for and against, so I thought I would give it its own thread so more would see it and give their opinion. ( Perhaps a Mod would start a poll.)

The question is: Should we limit Pro classes to only 16, or let ALL run??

In the interest of growing the sport I'ld like to see them let ALL run. We would see new faces/cars, and sponsors. Also it would open the door for up-sets.

What say you gang??

 

[Chris]

Races would take longer, plus usually they have a hard time fielding just 16 cars. That's not the case right now though. Plus most of those cars that usually didn't qualify would more than likely go out 1st round.

 

[Mooseman]

You need a specific number of cars for elimination style racing so that you have enough cars to guarantee equal pairings and end up with two cars for a final. Before 16 car feild there used to be 32 car feilds back in the day but then they had trouble filling a 32 car feild so went to 16.

The numbers that work are 8 car fields, 16 car fields and 32 car fields.

If you took qualifying out of it and let everyone run you wouldn't be able to have drag racing in the elimination style we currently have it.

Why not you ask? well it wouldn't work what if the cars you had show up numbered to a multiple of 3, you would end up with 3 cars for the final. Just wouldn't work.

A 24 car field wouldn't work as its both a multiple of 8 and 6 you would still end up with 3 cars for the final.

You need a field number that after each round when you end up with half as many cars each round that when the final comes around that you only have 2 left. If you end up with 3 or whatever you are in trouble.

 

[Mooseman]

16 car feilds isn't nhra limiting feild sizes, its just one of the only numbers that work for the kind of racing we enjoy. If you want to open the feild to more cars, then refer to your mulplication tables everyone and find a larger number that works that can actually be filled.

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

Odd number no problem. When you get to an odd number, it's called a bye run. Been part of drag racing since the begining.

 

[Mooseman]

Odd number no problem. When you get to an odd number, it's called a bye run. Been part of drag racing since the begining.

yeah but when you go through the rounds and you suddenly end up with 3 cars what are you going to do have one car run a single and the others duke it out then the winner and the single car run for the final? Yes bye runs are a part of drag racing but thats a really odd setup doing it that way. The amount of people you would have crying foul over one car getting a single.

Bye runs are generally for breakage or if someone couldn't return for the round or got shutoff.

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

Just like now when only 15 cars show, low et gets the bye. When you get to 3 cars, the one with low et the previous rd gets the bye.

 

[Toby]

NHRA does let any competitor run...in qualifying!!!

Just like getting into college or a promotion at your job if you are an employee, you have to prove yourself to move further.

I understand your point but hell you could take it further and say 'why race...lets just draw straws for the winner?'

Part of the show is who will get into the top 16. If all race on sunday, there is one less reason for spectators to show up on friday and especially saturday. We all know they don't show up friday and saturday for the cheap beer and hot dogs.

This question came up inside another thread. There were good points made both for and against, so I thought I would give it its own thread so more would see it and give their opinion. ( Perhaps a Mod would start a poll.)

The question is: Should we limit Pro classes to only 16, or let ALL run??

In the interest of growing the sport I'ld like to see them let ALL run. We would see new faces/cars, and sponsors. Also it would open the door for up-sets.

What say you gang??

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

It would make Fri. & Sat even bigger. The fans would get to see 25, 30, or more make two passes. We know nhra isn't goin to lower tickets, so lets give more show.

 

[d'kid]

This question came up inside another thread. There were good points made both for and against, so I thought I would give it its own thread so more would see it and give their opinion. ( Perhaps a Mod would start a poll.)

The question is: Should we limit Pro classes to only 16, or let ALL run??

In the interest of growing the sport I'ld like to see them let ALL run. We would see new faces/cars, and sponsors. Also it would open the door for up-sets.

What say you gang??

This is the second time you've asked. What classes would you Drop? T/F or FC, or Pro Stock? Booked in Shows are nice, But.... Elims final 16, Qualifying, as many passes as you can drag your mess back to the line....

Been thee, seen them, and yeah, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing

d'kid

 

[none]

It would make Fri. & Sat even bigger. The fans would get to see 25, 30, or more make two passes. We know nhra isn't goin to lower tickets, so lets give more show.

They get to see all the cars make two runs Friday ands Saturday now, don't they? Then the best 16 come back and run on Sunday. If you weren't fast enough to make the field what makes you think they would upset somebody anyway.

What's next? All the baseball teams make the playoffs? How about everybody gets a trophy?

You earn your spot in the starting field. If you're not good enough to do that you don't race on Sunday.

And one more thing, if everybody gets to race on Sunday, the lower budget teams wouldn't run Friday and Saturday at all. Why waste the time and money making the runs if you don't have to qualify? That wouldn't make much of a show.

Alan

 

[SoCal Racer]

Limiting pro classes to 16 car fields is partly due to payouts. The more cars, the farther the purse has to stretch because they pay round money. Less rounds = bigger winner's purse.

 

[Nunz]

All-run for the pro cars wouldn't grow the sport, IMO. I think Alan made the best point, the low budget teams wouldnt need to qualify, so they probably wouldn't run qualifying anyway. For that matter, many teams would probably skip runs, other than the very large-funded. So you may actaully get less of a show. I think it's fine the way it is. Even through turbulent economic times, over the last few years there really have not been that many short fields, and lately they seem very healthy. One are that could always use improvement would be payouts, particularly for non-qualifiers (who I believe get a few bucks now). The biggest factor in growing pro class participation, is money. The more sponsorship money that can find it's way into the sport, the more cars. Simple.

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

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Not really,when 18 cars show now do the top 14 skip the last 3 Q's???

 

[Silly Savage]

And who here remembers that there used to be 8 car nitro fields at National Events...

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

This is the second time you've asked. What classes would you Drop? T/F or FC, or Pro Stock? Booked in Shows are nice, But.... Elims final 16, Qualifying, as many passes as you can drag your mess back to the line....

Been thee, seen them, and yeah, there is such a thing as too much of a good thingd'kid

Why do you think a class has to be dropped??

If some is good, and more is better....then too much should be just right.

 

[Silly Savage]

Hell, NASCAR runs what, 40+ cars on Sunday, but they still have to qualify right?

 

[Nunz]

Not really,when 18 cars show now do the top 14 skip the last 3 Q's???


Paul, of course not. The funded teams will almost always make all the runs available, that's how they gather data and improve.

 

[JRX]

Why doesn't everyone get a trophy? It's kinda like youth sports theses days right?

 

[d'kid]

Why do you think a class has to be dropped??

If some is good, and more is better....then too much should be just right.

T I M E....

Three 32 car fields = 31 Runs per class = 93 runs on 'Sunday'
Plus clean up... Great TV Package.... Lets call it 8= hours....
I've been to 32 car shows.... There is such a thing as too much

d'kid