Shipping weights

[Charley Downing]

Can someone explain to me why we need shipping weights for Stock and Superstock anymore? I would love to hear one good reason. I mean a combo can already move up or down one class from its natural class. If someone can get extra weight out of a car/combo why should they be forced to run a heavier class. Or here is a though just rewrite the current rule to make it where you can move up or down 2 class's higher or lower then your natural class. you people are making this way harder then it needs to be.

I mean no shipping weights for cars in SS/GT appear to be working with no issues. Why not just eliminate factory shipping weights all together?
I mean its pretty simple take your (NHRA HP) x (that class weight) plus 170lbs and that's your min for that class. Pretty simple

I can’t see people adding 200-400 lbs to make their cars slower. I believe this was brought up a few weeks ago to the SRAC committee and Kent Hanley and Mike Crutchfield were the major reasons this was shot down. Which is funny because they both compete in a SS class where factory shipping weight are not used.

[Herbie Null]

Charley, stop trying to make it to easy for them lol, I’m very surprised Hanley and Crutchfield were against it if that is true. Makes sense to just get rid of the shipping weights, solves all the problems and makes everything fair.

[Charley Downing]

Herbie I was told from 3 different people that set on the SRAC board for stk and ss that it was easier to agree with the 2 of them and move on, then waste 45 more mins of the call. I have no problem calling them out. Maybe they will post here and clear things up. I mean they both email D1 and D2 racers notes from these calls

[tstickff]

I agree, they wonder why the newer generations aren’t interested in stock and super stock, they make it a Math test to be able to figure out just what class they can run, maybe it was useful in the old days but I know guys racing for the last 30 years that still have a hard time trying to figure this out, why can’t we just simplify things? Oh, because that’s too simple

[442OLDS]

This is actually a good post.I was thinking the same thing.
Stock Eliminator has got so far away from it roots,that it really doesn't matter anymore.
What I would like to see is the elimination of the 170 pounds for the driver in the minimum weight.
Example: My horsepower rating is 350.G weight break is 350x11=3850 pounds.Just weigh 3850 and forget about another 170 pounds for driver.How many people weigh 170 pounds anymore and who cares anymore?
When class racing started,it was advantageous to build certain cars like convertibles because they "FIT" certain classes.
But now,you can go up one or down one.If someone wanted to go up two or down two,I don't see what difference it would make at all.

[nssracer]

I agree with getting rid of the shipping weights. Stockers today can weigh much less stocker from years past. Lighter transmissions, replacement seat, aluminum heads, the list goes on and on. These old shipping weights just are not aligned with todays race cars.

[GTS340]

All the Mopar cars I've built. They are real good when it comes to the 50/50 scale number I'm looking for in its natural class. If I work at it I can make it a good car in the lighter class given. Getting a 340 1971 Duster down to 2680lbs is out. So all the A/SA cars can rest at ease.

Paul Haszlauer

[Race Clean]

Originally Posted by Charley Downing

Can someone explain to me why we need shipping weights for Stock and Superstock anymore? I would love to hear one good reason.

Maybe to keep good car engine/combos from dominate yet another class!
When they changed the rule to be allowed people to move up one class in addition to move to down a class I can't help feel that some good cars got a little bit hurt by new combo's previously not allowed to battle in that class .
But lots of people maybe like this to be an "few combos field" in the end...

[Charley Downing]

Mr or Miss Race Clean that is about the weakest /vaguest argument for needing shipping weight so far. Basically your saying Please don't run my class it not far, that you have worked on improving your car and lighting it up over the years. My combo should only be allowed to run at the top of the class.
Could you give all of us an example of this. I'm pretty sure that most classes have 3-4 combos in each class that run a the top of the pack. with the exception to classes with slower then 13 second indexes just because of lack of car count in those classes

Also please try and use you real name (this goes for everyone with an option on this for or against). This is a going to be a real issue with STK and SS if this shipping deal is not handled in a way that is best for the class and its ability to keep current and new racers coming back to a sport we all care about.

[Billy Nees]

Just two questions to go with this "eliminate the shipping weights thing;

Will the Tech guys be checking for ballast? And will they be tossing cars out that are carrying over 500 lbs.? It's a "General Regulation".

How long will it be before the Racers that want to do away with shipping weights are wanting fiberglass and carbon fiber parts so that they can lighten up their combos and making it "fair" to their heavy combos that can't compete with the light combos?

If this passes, it WILL be the beginning of "E.T. 2 to the lanes"!