"phone a friend"or Tech

[Mike Gray]

As an ex super gas racer I would like to know what I’m getting into building a stocker. I have no dog in this fight and I know nothing of either racer. My question is why the rule book is not being followed or is it?
A pretty firewall doesn’t seem to me to be a performance advantage.

1.6.5 Protest Procedures
Contestant protests must be filed with the proper officials the day prior to eliminations (class and/or eliminator) of that category or as outlined in writing before a protest will be accepted. Protests by Event Officials may be entered at any time during the event at no charge. Inspections of protested vehicles and outcomes related thereto are not limited to the subject matter of the protest.
Protests must be accompanied by a protest fee as outlined below. Protest fee, minus Technical Department expenses,
will be forfeited to the vehicle owner if the protested vehicle
is found in compliance with the requirements of its class of competition. If an inspection proves a protested vehicle to be out of its proper class, fees will be refunded, less expenses, and the non-compliant entry will be subject to action as the Event Officials or Technical Department may impose, including possible disqualification, fines, suspension, and/or revocation of competition privileges.
A protested engine must be disassembled for inspection and reassembled by the vehicle owner and/or crewmembers. Failure or refusal to disassemble an engine upon demand from an Event Official will result in the removal of the vehicle from further competition and is cause for removal of the vehicle, owner, driver, and crewmembers from the racing facility and such other or further penalties as deemed appropriate by NHRA.
(NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series, NHRA Top Fuel Harley Drag Racing Series and the NHRA Factory Stock Showdown series) protest fee: $750
Any Professional category protest fee: $1,500
Contestant protests may only be filed by a driver or registered vehicle owner competing in the same event and in the same eliminator category, as the vehicle being protested. NHRA reserves the right to reject any protest filed that it determines, in its sole and absolute discretion, is frivolous or intended to

Administrative Procedures Section 1, page 19 Administrative Procedures & Appeals
harass another competitor or to otherwise gain some unfair competitive advantage.

[Billy Nees]

Originally Posted by Mike Gray

My question is why the rule book is not being followed or is it?

Maybe a "George Soros" judge has infiltrated the NHRA Tech Dept.?

[Bryan Worner]

As a fellow SS competitor, I have to just ask; was the firewall altered or covered? Is this legal according to the rules? Along the lines of a “protest” Gary, did you have to do anything besides open your hood? Were any of your runs DQ’d or were you DQ’d from racing in the eliminator?

I consider all parties involved here racing friends that I’ve made over the years. Im impartial here because it doesn’t effect me one way or the other because I’ve done nothing to my firewall. I just want to know why having to simply open your hood and allow the tech guys to look at it was such a big deal? Believe me, I get being upset at being the target! But at least you weren’t DQ’d after winning a round that would eventually cost you a division championship!

[Demon340]

On the better side of Tech..
We had two D7 tech guys come to our pits at the Salt Lake Divisional race and look over my son's 73 Dart. This was his first race as a Stocker. One guy climbed into the passenger side and spent a good 5 minutes looking at the interior. Then they spent another 10 minutes looking under and around the car. Our concern was were we being protested? As one director was talking to my son the other gentleman came over to me and quietly said that my son car was being considered as being voted as D7 Best Engineered at the race. They came back twice and it was between us another D5 Mopar.
Good things do come from Tech.. we won the award and it was an honor to receive the trophy since we built the majority of the car.
Larry 5706

[Eric Merryfield]

As its all out there in the open now like a itty bitty bikini

might I suggest a grudge fest of sorts at the Napierville Open.....

maybe a best 2 out of 3 wheelstand competition......Distance height, etc

I know the Brunet family and the scantily clad fans at the starting line and along the barriers would approve

Best I can think of at the moment!

Eric

[Bob Bender]

Here is my 2 cents, be a man and do it the correct way. Don't sneak behind a phone call and no one will know it's you. My 2 cents.

[Charlie Yannetti]

There is a NHRA Rule Book for a reason.. there are rules pertaining to protests for a reason.. there have been several incidents in recent years, where the governing body (NHRA) have not followed their own rules pertaining to protests.. or, for that matter, the timing of Tech Inspections during an event..

We also have the convenience of having SRAC reps, who many believe are the FIX ALL to the racer's problems.. from experience, I can assure you, this couldn't be farther from the truth.. but regardless, those SRAC reps always seem to find themselves in a lose-lose situation as a result of trying to help us out.. their efforts are appreciated by most racers.. most, if not all, racers know why the SRAC was created.. NUFF SAID!!

It's unfortunate that these incidents can have a really bad affect on serious class racers, as it quickly becomes personal.. NHRA does nothing to quell the anger caused by false accusations.. the accusers face no repercussions.. if money is put up to file a formal, and legitimate protest, and the protester loses his/her bid, they lose that money.. if one can protest via a phone call, or text, without posting the required fees, there is nothing to prevent them from repeating their nonsense.. this is where the SRAC should step in and demand sanctions.. BUT THEN, that's where who you are, and who you know kicks in..

I worked on a very well known team, both World and Divisional Champions many times over, who were protested at a Divisional Event for a hood scoop height violation.. NO MONEY was put up for the protest.. the supposed violation was rectified in less than 10 minutes by lowering the scoop EXACTLY 1/2", and the team was reinstated.. as a result, the team has NEVER returned to any Divisional Events, and would not race National Events in their home Division, as the same folks were always involved.. and the anger towards that Division, and the folks involved, has not yet diminished, 10 years later.. people taking sides, friendships gone, and the racing family doesn't really seem like much of a family anymore.. AND NO APOLOGIES HAVE EVER BEEN OFFERED BY ANY OF THE PARTIES!!!

One remedy might be for NHRA bigs to give up some of their un-deserved salaries, and bring back "competent" Tech Inspectors.. online tech cards and spot inspections are nonsense.. we all know that, as honest as most are, we can not police ourselves..

ALSO, and maybe it's just me, once eliminations start, tech inspections stop, unless such violations are blatantly obvious.. otherwise it just looks like sour grapes from folks who just got beat.. if Mr Tech finds something wrong after I just won the 5th round, I might get removed and punished, but what happens to those 5 racers that I already sent home??.. do they all get reinstated??.. do they all get points credits for winning the race, because potentially they might have??.. understand my point??

OOOOOOOORR, maybe we should all just have a NHRA Tech Guy on speed dial when we want to win a race.. YEAH, YEAH, THAT'S IT!!

[davidhuff]

Originally Posted by SS/GSI

Garry Ewing, please use your name when speaking. You must be upset that your 15 minutes of fame between the Baby Gators and Gator Nationals on CR is now over and everybody has forgotten about you. Typical Facebook, Instagram, TicToker needing continuous instant gratification from his peers. To now come on here weeks after and slander Marty is completely out of line and you should be embarrassed. Yes, I am the one who brought the issue to NHRA. I also told them they could tell you it was me. Marty has had no knowledge of what I did and to presume he was involved and/or at the forefront of it shows how little you know about him as an individual. Marty is the most honest, hard working, loyal and humble person I know. Anyone who really knows Marty will attest to that. He is a racer, for the racers, not agendas. Yes, I do hire Marty a few times a year to drive/test my car. Do not assume or project to the masses that he is on payroll or that we are neighbors...I live 10hrs away from him and reside in a different country. Nevertheless that has nothing to do with the issue at hand, and to come on an open forum and accuse someone without evidence is testament to your woke mentality.

Garry, as per Section 7 Body of the 2023 NHRA Rulebook under Super Stock

Firewall

1. Alterations Prohibited
2. Firewall Coverings Prohibited

If you and NHRA feel that 3/8" to 1/2" of bondo 12-18" high and 60" wide creating a perfectly smooth surface is not altering or covering the OEM firewall, then I guess I am wrong. Perhaps NHRA should eliminate those lines altogether?

Regardless, your intentions here were not to bring light to your situation, that moment has come, gone and been resolved. You are here to create a smear campaign against someone who had nothing to do with it...If you, or anyone else would like to blame, criticize, name call, keyboard cry and/or wish to call me, I have no problem with that. My cell # is 613.229.9582

Leave everyone else out of your issues, your problem is with myself. Now you know, but I know you have all along, since NHRA did tell you it was me...just another lie...15 minutes are up!!!

And for those competitors out there who think I am "IN" with NHRA, you obviously do not know my history with the sanctioning body...no favors coming my way anytime soon.

How did you get special treatment from NHRA and you were able to protest a fellow racer over the phone with not being present at the race and not having to put up any protest funds?

[Don Eckel 111]

Originally Posted by Charlie Yannetti

I worked on a very well known team, both World and Divisional Champions many times over, who were protested at a Divisional Event for a hood scoop height violation.. NO MONEY was put up for the protest.. the supposed violation was rectified in less than 10 minutes by lowering the scoop EXACTLY 1/2", and the team was reinstated.. as a result, the team has NEVER returned to any Divisional Events, and would not race National Events in their home Division, as the same folks were always involved.. and the anger towards that Division, and the folks involved, has not yet diminished, 10 years later.. people taking sides, friendships gone, and the racing family doesn't really seem like much of a family anymore.. AND NO APOLOGIES HAVE EVER BEEN OFFERED BY ANY OF THE PARTIES!!!

This part makes no sense Charlie. The way I read it, the protest was lodged and found to be legit. If the scoop was too tall, whether it's 1/2", 1/4", whatever, it's illegal based on the rules. Plus they were allowed to make it right. So said team stomps their feet and stops running events because they were illegal, intentional or not? Why should someone apologize for being right if the protested car was in fact not in accordance with the rules?

[Charlie Yannetti]

Originally Posted by Don Eckel 111

This part makes no sense Charlie. The way I read it, the protest was lodged and found to be legit. If the scoop was too tall, whether it's 1/2", 1/4", whatever, it's illegal based on the rules. Plus they were allowed to make it right. So said team stomps their feet and stops running events because they were illegal, intentional or not? Why should someone apologize for being right if the protested car was in fact not in accordance with the rules?

Well Don, when the Tech official was asked if a legitimate protest was lodged, and the appropriate fees put up, we were told "NO, NOT YET".. it was then a word of mouth complaint, and actually held no validity, in my opinion, at that point.. and yes, we were then allowed to make a quick adjustment, probably because the protest was not valid at that point, and we were placed back on the ladder, instead of at the bottom of the sheet, or DQ'd, as requested by the whiners..

I believe that an apology was necessary for the inconvenience to a team that was a mainstay in Comp Eliminator for better than 30 years, whether the hood scoop height was correct or not.. that simple jesture may have kept that team around for a while longer.. like I said, that's when who you are, and who you know kicks in.. we were apparently not a part of the right clique at that venue..

While I will not argue whether the car was actually legal, or not, a 1/2 inch height discrepancy on a hood scoop could easily have been someone misreading a ruler.. maybe the crew guy from another team who actually compelled the whiners to complain.. maybe even the Tech guy.. and I don't even believe that those particular whiners even had the funds to lodge a legitimate protest, without help.. maybe the Tech guy knew that they were trying to raise the funds, and told us to fix it while he waited.. in the end, the Tech guy may have actually helped everyone (RIP RC).. we took care of the problem, and the whiners saved their money.. and then the whiners went red in the 1st rnd.. maybe KARMA??

The bigger fact in this matter, is probably the part about people not wanting the owner, or the driver, of said team to win another championship, and that race happened to be important toward that goal.. just like the guy in the original post didn't want another racer to win his race.. but that's a whole different cliquish kinda story..

My original point is that there are rules pertaining to protests, and those rules, more often then not, are not even followed by the governing body (NHRA).. how can you accept a protest via text or phone call??.. and reportedly, the person was not even at the venue at the time.. how are the protest fees then collected.. and in the case I referred to, how do you send your wife to complain with NO MONEY in her pocketbook, and on an *** Clown's say so??.. I will say that that wife had more balls than all the men involved in that particular scenario though..