Re: HP Reduction Request
 

Ed, you said it. They don't know and probably couldn't care less, as long as they make a lot of noise and potentially go bouncing off the concrete barriers or blow sky high. You'll never get them interested in sportsman racing.

Re: HP Reduction Request
 

I dont care if the fans leave, I race for MY fun not theirs. One question, i think I saw at one national event there where only 128 qualifying spots but more cars where there, does this happen at all of the national events? What about divisional events, how is that handled?

Re: HP Reduction Request
 

Economics ! : The fans pay a lot of the bills. No fans no race. Look at pictures of National events in the '70-'90s. packed to the fences. Most people wore t shirts that were sponsor related to racing friendly. Look now, John Force, Schumacher etc. etc. etc.

128 car fields goes back a ways. Back then, lowest qualified 128 cars raced. Anyone #129 could stick around to see if any of the qualified cars couldn't make first round. The others could watch or go home.
Divisionals are all run fields.
Indy takes 170+ in S/SS. 128 race the others go home.

Re: HP Reduction Request
 

Question for the gray beards. When did Nat'l events become 4 day marathons?

Re: HP Reduction Request
 

At the 2nd Vegas Divisional last year that wasn't the case.

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Sorry, I worded it wrong, when the fans go to get something to eat or whatever, it doesn't bother me there not there. I want the place packed too. Make money so the tracks stay open.

Re: HP Reduction Request
 

Divisionals are a qualified field of 128 for stock and superstock. Dot 90 cars are all run. The Sports nationals and opens are all run for S/SS.

Re: HP Reduction Request
 

We're getting way off topic, but here's what I posted on yellow bullet recently when the subject of fans came up. (tried to clean it up a bit for here)

Back to basics, make the race competition not entertainment. THAT is where nascar/nhra/etc all went wrong. Chasing the $$ by making it entertainment for the masses thinking it will draw in the idiot stick and ball crowd. Here's a hint, IT DOESN'T! Every twit sitting in the stands at a ball game imagines himself out there on the field being the hero as they've all played a sport in school growing up. Take those same retards and put them in the stands at a race (any race) and they can't relate unless they're "car people" in the first place. Since the majority are not, its just loud excitement for them, what happens doesn't matter as long as they're entertained. Run half the cars clockwise and the other half counter clockwise and the idiots will flood the gates. That's why monster trucks took off so strong. Now the idiots are used to the level of destruction so they went to "freestyle" which just meant jump and smash and destroy the truck in the name of entertainment. Now even that is dying off because non automotive tards "don't get it" and would be just as happy if you took a sledge hammer to an old fridge. They would still sit there slack jawed saying "lookit, haw, haw, he done smashed up thet fridge, haw, haw"

To heck with nascrap and nhra too, I'll stick to local tracks where the stands might be almost empty as well, but those that are there are family/friends and actually care who won the round and cringe when stuff goes bad.

Back on topic, hope this reduction can get legs, put me down as "for"!

Re: HP Reduction Request
 

If anyone watches the No Mercy or Lights out races in South Ga. you will see not one empty seat in the whole place. I believe the attraction to Stock for fans and racers is heads up. Index and dial ins pretty much suck to sit and watch. I agree a lot of combos need adjusting but also we need 1lb classes for more heads up. Do we need a classification guide??? Pick the class you want to run with a max of say 100-200 ballast.

Re: HP Reduction Request
 

There is another thread here for some of these ideas.Thanks


http://classracer.com/classforum/showthread.php?t=65533

Re: HP Reduction Request
 

I agree in general. Stock and SS lost spectator appeal when it moved further away from being performance based. The most exciting part of watching these classes has been class eliminations at a big race like Indy. But even that has been diluted by the 1000 ft runs.

Re: HP Reduction Request
 

Here ya go Mike! This subject STILL needs Racers to get behind it and let the NHRA know how you feel.

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OK Billy
Every sport recognizes their roots. In Stock, Old Timers Day is every day!, No retired numbers! Its great NHRA supports nostalgia racing, however, there is a unique opportunity here for them to cross over to Stock Eliminator. These old Super Stock cars, foundations of the sport, driven by most of the pioneers of the sport, could fit right in, with the stroke of a pen. Off the top of my head, a pre 1965 weight reduction deal, so they don`t break everything. Come on NHRA, help them out.

have a look.... http://georgeklass.net/ss.html

Mike A114

Re: HP Reduction Request
 

Should qualify off the index, or dial. Staggered start. Write the number on the window. Let the fans watch a race. If I was king, thats the way it would be.:D
MJ

Re: HP Reduction Request
 

I think they could offer CIC races for stock and superstock at select events. Maybe just divisional or opens. Do it like Pat Joffrion did at No Problem. Make the hit low enough to get the interest of the more people. Hell charge whatever they think they need to charge. Make teardown for finalists or at least a good look. I would pay to enter that! Oh and make the CIC AHFS free,

Re: HP Reduction Request
 

Qualifying off the index would make qualifying look more like a race for the few spectators that show up, now. At this time all a spectator sees in Qualifying is "Timed Runs" nothing that resembles a race.
If I was in charge the racers would probably put a hit on me because I would be doing everything I could to get spectators in the seats.

Re: HP Reduction Request
 

I surely see no harm in reducing forgotten combinations. I really don't see this producing new young racers much either unless Dad has a 67 GTO he is tired of looking at.. Now a days a street car can go faster than 12 seconds it seems which takes more money to run. Just building any new stockers is more than a few dimes. Most folks are looking for built cars that need a new owner. Again if you need my vote... Yes! reduce forgotten combinations. Good Luck!

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You guys don't get it NHRA DOESNT WONT ANYMORE STOCK AND SS CARS THERE RESTRICT ENTRIES AT EVERY NATIONAL

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Tell that to the track owners and operators that hold Points Meets and Natl. Opens!

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Also, the local associations. We could use more cars at ours. It's a great program.
Cash in hand, same day.

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"At this time all a spectator sees in Qualifying is "Timed Runs" nothing that resembles a race."
Yep!!! This has been brought up so many times that NHRA and the tracks have to be against it.

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Great point, but I don`t understand why?
More work for the tower crew?
Problem is, with the entry fees being $170+50, I don`t think it matters much if spectators show or not.
MJ

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I figure at a LODS each car entered brings at least one,or two crew / spectators .At $50 to $60 for each person, that brings quite a bit of extra income to the track at these events.

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in case you haven`t seen this....better pack a lunch.
http://georgeklass.net/ss.html

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Performance is where it's at for me and guys like Wann, Sorenson, Hale, Boudreau, Owens, Beach and many more are the reason I still follow this sport.

The Yacavone, Nees and Southerland Consulting Firm should be hired by the NHRA.

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Just asking, when was it decided that helmets were a good idea!

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Bernie I raced started racing in 1965 running stock and did not need helmet till 1974.

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I was the track announcer at Pomona for the Street Legal drags for 7 years. I leaned on the manager for years to do this and finally, one Saturday we did it, Spectators loved it. Racers learned what Bracket Racing was about. It was fun as heck. Computer operator whined and and cried and so that, was the end of that.

Make racing fun? You must be kidding

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Should have fired the comp op.
MJ

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I don't understand what the computer person was complaining about - don't they have to enter an E.T. or an index for EVERY car? :confused:
Just think (from any spectator viewpoint) about seeing cars RACING each other instead of "why is that slow car trying to race that fast car" comment every other pair. Might keep people in the stands, maybe even interested.

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Just like the old Corvette modifieds in the other post, I love the starting line more so than the finish line. The sounds of the engine screaming and hammer dropping still to this day sends chills up my spine. Don't care who wins just keep bringing them to the line. Average joe spectator loves a chase (faster car going after a slow car) a natural animal response.
Mike

Re: HP Reduction Request
 

I think that it might let the average fan help to understand it better. With a little bit of luck it might even lead to a little more interest in the different cars and combos which might lead to a trip into the pits to look at the different cars and combos which might lead to some discussions with the owners of the different cars and combos. Am I running on?

Re: HP Reduction Request
 

MJ,
To NHRA it probably doesn't matter, Esp at points meets. Anything the Racers say about it NHRA seems to consider it unnecessary and maybe an inconvenience. What most racers don't realize is NHRA is already paid and have their money.
For years and years I've heard racers say " NHRA should GIVE a points race to So and So Track". It doesn't work that way at all. There is no GIVE!
The Tracks buy the Points meet from NHRA. The tracks try to make their money back by the money coming through the gate. At one time points meets were so expensive it took about 400 cars entering for a track to break even. I just don't understand why Track owners are not insisting NHRA change rules and procedures that will Grow interest in the sport and fill the stands with spectators. I guess it is because some track owners are short on promotion skills and the desire to promote. When I was running my tracks I found I could promote the races and make more money by putting spectators in the stands than just continually raising entry prices for the racers. It was track owners that got the Alky cars separated from divisional so smaller tracks (tracks that can't handle 400 cars) could make money with a points meet..
In this case I think the track owners are the key to any operational or procedural changes like Index qualifying.

Re: HP Reduction Request
 

Adger, Been thinking along those lines.
However, I do believe the DD has most, if not all, of the discretion in actual scheduling during a particular event. If he thinks index qualifying , would take more time out of the schedule, for whatever reason, then I don't believe you're going to see it.
Someone please correct me if I'm wrong about this.

Re: HP Reduction Request
 

I sent this to Dave Mohn and Ryck Campbell on 1-12. Have not heard back yet.

Happy New Year,
Hope all is well with you and your family. There are a couple of interesting discussions in Class Racer threads. The first, in the interest of spectator appeal, would it be possible to have Stock and Super Stock qualify off their index, or dial-in, to create a "chase"? The slow vs. fast car offers little suspense when they leave together. http://classracer.com/classforum/showthread.php?t=6553
The second, concerns obsolete combinations. They are the early, mostly forgotten S/S cars, which we don`t see much at the local, Divisional level. Could they be given HP help and return as Stockers in LODRS? http://classracer.com/classforum/showthread.php?t=65507
Here is another link to an extensive photo collection: http://www.georgeklass.net/ss.html

If you have any suggestions for next steps, please join the discussions ,or reply here.
Thank you, Mike Jones A114

Re: HP Reduction Request
 

If you want the AHFS to work then put a .10 +/- dial-in rule in place. The softer combos would run harder in the event of a heads up and the averages would reflect it, then they would get power when triggered. Just my .02

Joe