Event entry
 

Is it me or does anyone else believe that computers have made our lives harder, not easier. Trying to enter the Baby Gators (I really don't like that name but...) is an effort in redundancy. You get asked at least twice to enter your name, address, etc. Sign here... again. Even with auto fill turned on, you still have to go through several steps. Then you get sent an email you have to confirm. "Click here to confirm." Could they make this any harder? What was really so hard about me showing up at the gate, handing someone cash (Oh, can't touch that), get a paper tech card, fill it out, hand to a Tech man (oh, might transfer the virus)... Come on people. Common sense.

Re: Event entry
 

And let's not forget the extra $2.50 they charge as a fee. Yes, it's only 2.50, but that's not the point.

Re: Event entry
 

Like most people I also think it is a pain. But one up side to some of these I can use a credit card instead of making sure I have cash on hand. I think the hardest part of electronic entry is when you’re on the road from one Race to another trying to get everything situated

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John what's really bad is you know this is the norm from here on out. Even after the virus is forgotten about they will never go back to doing it the old way so hopefully they will find a way to improve it. Sadly though knowing NHRA they will figure out how to make it more difficult!

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I understand the need not to have to carry cash, but they can also process a CC on the spot. We've done that for years. It's done every day at places like Walmart, grocery stores, etc. Why do we have to make things so difficult?

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Right on Johnny D....#STOPTHEMADNESS

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I actually prefer the way it I now. Filling out the tech card ahead of time is better and faster. I also like paying online and not having to carry as much cash with me when I travel. We have been doing it this way for the National events for many years. I see no downside.

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If you were one of the millions of people who was trying to file for unemployment or perhaps someone who was trying to register for the vaccine or was having trouble ordering groceries for your family online and didn't understand computers I could have sympathy for you. Trying to register for a NHRA drag race in Florida............remember you don't have to do it if it's too much trouble.

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I agree that the process could be much simpler. There is no need for all the repetition.

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He didn't say it was world ending, we all know there are bigger problems in the world. He simply asked if a decent, dare I say smarter, IT program couldn't be put in place that made things far more simple and user friendly. God John, you're such an uncaring soul, people are dying you know...

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The NHRA is one of the few organizations that will make you look back on this version and say that was much better than their new version. I can’t say I have ever seen an organization that can so consistently take a poorly functioning system and find a way to make it worse.

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Take CASh at the gate. WTF is so hard.
I buy grocery. Gas. Clothes..... with US tender CASH
You ain’t getting COVID by taking my #&$%+ CASH
But it does save the penny pinching NHRA $$$
And they keep your entry if you don’t make the race
Sort of like contingency $$$$$. Cash cow.

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I was in the IT business for 25 years, mostly as a programmer analyst. There are good and bad software outfits out there, and you get what you pay for. I'm sure NHRA is on the cheap as usual.

Re: Event entry
 

There is no question ,NHRA must ALWAYS go with the cheapest vender when it comes to website programs and management .
Time and again they experience rollout problems and crash/overload issues.
The time limits on completion and the utter nonsense of the redundancy of some information is ridiculous.
There is absolutely no reason that the National event tech card information that nearly all of us have on file and other data stored on the NHRA server can't be easily transferred to the Divisional race entries ,add your payment info an be finished in minuets .

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the last 3 division races we have went to, I have had to redo it all at the track....... So no I'm not s fan of it....

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We’ve been writing the same information on the top and bottom halves of the NHRA tech cars forever.

A system with no redundancy just wouldn’t feel right.

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Not always the cheapest is the problem. 2 Stories, I worked for a large national distribution company in 1987, they had a simple computer inventory system with no sales system in it. They brought in a large software company to upgrade the national system to integrate sales. After spending millions, they scraped the new system. The company they brought in was IBM. Website setup years later for my company, a college professor who taught website design, set our site up without a easy way to change prices, They said, "you change prices yearly?"

Kind of surprised NHRA does not use a company like MICRO STRATEGIES ????? That is right, he only supports nhra drag racing

Re: Event entry
 

I would have to fill out a tech card every time if I paid at the gate. I find it easier sitting at my desk at my own leisure. I surely don't mind paying an extra 2.50 to be safer from this crazy covid. I haven't had to wait in any lines at the races. The tech guys come around while my car is sitting in my pit space and check the safety equipment without anyone around them and the car doesn't have to move. No complaints with the system here..

Paul Haszlauer

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We will enter the Fla. race today and keep track of time to do so on the road.

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Johnny - So I waited till today to enter the Baby Gators and it should have taken 10 minutes because I type slow - shame on me - I was at it over an hour - nothing seemed to go right as I put it in .They've got to come up with a better way ..........

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Hour and 15 minutes and counting with a lot of that is filling out tech card. NHRA fix this, most racers do not change cars or class from race to race, so why can’t we have a more streamlined process. Hint swallow you pride and be customer oriented. Just a few thoughts from an old racer

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Is this whole system because of Covid ? Or was it gonna happen anyway ?

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Covid got the blame when they rolled it out
Its fine...just needs to be streamlined and a tweak here and there.

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About an hour and 30 minutes and we are done, and Patsy is our computer person. If it was me having to do this I would probably be almost home by now.

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Larry....I know where you are coming from. It can be improved, absolutely. I know that there is not a dedicated resource to this program from the IT dept from NHRA, the head of sportsman racing has to program this themselves in what little spare time there is. That however is not an excuse, I can see how this program can be frustrating for some. There is an initiative in place to have a "profile" stored that will auto fill in your information for the tech card. You will simply have to select an event from a drop down to enter the tech card. This will remove some time for sure.

I, for one, work on a computer daily and I am very efficient. I have my total process for 2 entries, waivers for 3 people down to about 15 total minutes. Again, I am very familiar with the computer system and how everything works.

Also, I prefer the online entry (minus the service fee but thats a different conversation) and tech card entry. For years, I have arrived at national events on day of qualifying and had to rush to get teched in and sign forms at the credential trailer line (oh....we forgot that NHRA alleviated one of the issues everyone used to cry about). The online entry and tech cards help with all of that process.

There are some good things about some of these processes, at least in my eyes but sure there is definitely room for improvement. And guess what, I am always in contact with my NHRA folks to tell them what they can improve from the racers side, either over the phone or in person.

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I'm not sure why anyone was ever filling out tech cards at the races, let alone at every race. I would go online, fill out my tech card, and leave the date blank. Then, I'd print a copy then make 15 or 20 copies. When I'd get to the track I'd fill in the date and hand it in. Didn't get any easier than that.

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Ditto also ETI made it complete

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Nearly 2 hours for me. We had to wait until Tuesday morning to register...had to make sure we were going to make it here. All we have are armbands...no ticket to print?
I am still waiting for NHRA to send the link to print tickets for next week. WiFi service is so slow.