New Super Stock weight breaks for 2017

[Bryan Worner]

I'm sure the index you currently have at your weight break will remain the same. It's just that you'll be running GT/IA instead of GT/EA. So I would assume GT/EA will be 10.10(the old GT/AA index), FA 10.25, GA 10.40, HA 10.50, IA 10.65, etc. So, in reality, your current weight break you run will carry with it the same index, well should anyway. So, yes, the GT/IA index should change from 11.20 to 10.65. It might go to the SS/IA index of 10.70, who knows.

[Michael Beard]

Originally Posted by Bryan Worner

I must be reading the change wrong than those on here getting all excited, ie. Beard and Butler.

All I see is they added four lighter weight breaks. 6.00-6.50, 6.50-7.00, 7.00-7.50, 7.50-8.00. That's it! No mention of combining sticks and autos, SS and GT, etc.

Nobody is gaining an advantage here, just adding lighter weight breaks. Remember when they did it in stock, (AA/SA)? Same thing here, only now your letter will change.

You are criticizing a point that I was not debating. I have no problem whatsoever comprehending what the rule changes are, past, present, or future.

I addressed very specific issues that are *already* in the rulebook, which based on NHRA's 2017 rule updates, will continue to be issues in the future.

[Greg Gay]

Let me try to explain where Michael is coming from with an example from my own car. I put the 400 back in the Mirada, and I'm in GT/HA. I had thought that I might put a Drag Pak 360 in the Mirada. With a slightly lower hp factor, and the small block being a little lighter, I would have also been in GT/HA. Now, the Factory Stock GT classes come out. If I had gone the 360 route, I would now need gloves, neck brace, thicker fire suit, chassis certification, etc. With the 400, I make no changes. Theoretically, both combinations have the same performance potential, but FSGT combination needs all the extra safety equipment. Previously, what would have happened was that when the record was set below 10.00 in a particular class, then the following year that class would have come under the additional safety requirements.

[Greg Gay]

In regards to combining stick and automatic classes, it seems like the automatics can hold their own in the lighter weight and higher cubic inch classes. A 427 Camaro with an automatic can probably run pretty close with 427 stick Camaro. However, a 283 Nova, even with a 3 speed automatic, is not going to hold a candle to 283 4-speed Nova.

[Byron Worner]

Originally Posted by FireSale

From the revision that has been discussed here:

SECTION 11A: SUPER STOCK, DESIGNATIONS (Page 11) (1/28/2016)
DESIGNATIONS (For 2016 season)
FGT/A, FGT/B, FGT/C, FGT/D, FGT/E, FGT/F, FGT/G, FGT/H, FGT/I, FGT/J, GT/A, GT/B, GT/C, GT/D, GT/E, GT/F, GT/G, GT/H, GT/I, GT/J, GT/K, GT/L, and GT/M, preceded by car number (manual transmission). GT/AA, GT/BA, GT/CA, GT/DA, GT/EA, GT/FA, GT/GA, GT/HA, GT/IA, GT/JA, GT/KA, GT/LA, and GT/MA, preceded by car number (automatic transmission).

DESIGNATIONS (For 2017 season)
FGT/A, FGT/B, FGT/C, FGT/D, FGT/E, FGT/F, FGT/G, FGT/H, FGT/I, FGT/J, FGT/K, FGT/L, FGT/M, FGT/N, GT/A, GT/B, GT/C, GT/D, GT/E, GT/F, GT/G, GT/H, GT/I, GT/J, GT/K, GT/L, GT/M, GT/N, GT/O, GT/P and GT/Q, preceded by car number (manual transmission). GT/AA, GT/BA, GT/CA, GT/DA, GT/EA, GT/FA, GT/GA, GT/HA, GT/IA, GT/JA, GT/KA, GT/LA, GT/MA, GT/NA, GT/OA GT/PA and GT/QA, preceded by car number (automatic transmission).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From the originally published 2016 rule book:

SECTION 11A - SUPER STOCK, DESIGNATIONS
FSS/A, FSS/B, FSS/C, FSS/D, FSS/E, FSS/F, FSS/G, FSS/H, FSS/I,
FSS/J, FSS/K, FSS/L, FSS/M, SS/AH, SS/A, SS/B, SS/C, SS/D,
SS/E, SS/F, SS/G, SS/H, SS/I, SS/J, SS/K, SS/L, SS/M, SS/N,
SS/O, and SS/P preceded by car number (manual transmission).
SS/AA, SS/BA, SS/CA, SS/DA, SS/EA, SS/FA, SS/GA, SS/HA,
SS/IA, SS/JA, SS/KA, SS/LA, SS/MA, SS/NA, SS/OA, and SS/PA
preceded by car number (automatic transmission).

SECTION 11B -SUPER STOCK/GT
Requirements and specifications for GT classes
are the same as those for Super Stock classes -
Section 11A - with the following exceptions:

DESIGNATIONS
FGT/A, FGT/B, FGT/C, FGT/D, FGT/E, FGT/F, FGT/G, FGT/H,
FGT/I, FGT/J, GT/A, GT/B, GT/C, GT/D, GT/E, GT/F, GT/G,
GT/H, GT/I, GT/J, GT/K, GT/L, and GT/M, preceded by car
number (manual transmission). GT/AA, GT/BA, GT/CA, GT/DA,
GT/EA, GT/FA, GT/GA, GT/HA, GT/IA, GT/JA, GT/KA, GT/LA,
and GT/MA, preceded by car number (automatic transmission).

It looks to me like SS and GT are going to be merged under the designation GT. The new revision is titled Super Stock 11a, but all the classes listed are designated GT. The text makes reference to GT only and includes the "year optional" for the engine, so maybe an error in the section title?

Dale

I'm not seeing any change to the Super Stock designations.

[Michael Beard]

Originally Posted by Greg Gay

Let me try to explain where Michael is coming from with an example from my own car. I put the 400 back in the Mirada, and I'm in GT/HA. I had thought that I might put a Drag Pak 360 in the Mirada. With a slightly lower hp factor, and the small block being a little lighter, I would have also been in GT/HA. Now, the Factory Stock GT classes come out. If I had gone the 360 route, I would now need gloves, neck brace, thicker fire suit, chassis certification, etc. With the 400, I make no changes. Theoretically, both combinations have the same performance potential, but FSGT combination needs all the extra safety equipment. Previously, what would have happened was that when the record was set below 10.00 in a particular class, then the following year that class would have come under the additional safety requirements.

Additionally, going from GT/HA to FGT/H, your index gets hits .20. Some other classes only got .15, and GT/AA to FGT/A only got hit .10. I & J got hit .25!

And again, other Super Stock classes where sticks and automatics are combined, the automatics get a weight break. The Factory classes are the only exception.

[FireSale]

Originally Posted by Byron Worner

I'm not seeing any change to the Super Stock designations.

Then the revision should be for Section 11B Super Stock GT, not 11A Super Stock. I want to see a complete corrected 2016 rule book as a single document just to be sure what is right. These constant partial revisions are not very professional.

Disclaimer: I taught Elementary school. Lack of polish from the administrators drove me nuts...

Dale

[Hagen Gary]

Michael, NHRA bases their safety requirements on the potential performance of a combination. Like it or not, the FGT and FSS indexes are still soft. They, NHRA, wants factory cars at the top of the Qualifying sheet. And that allows someone to come out with a factory stocker motor and still qualify in SS, I'm sure you like that aspect. It's their show, sorry. But you do make a point about combining Auto and Stick. But thats not what we are talking about here.

What I read is NO changes to SS at all. So if you have an old SS car, don't worry. Nothing to see here. This is just GT.
8 New classes are being added, 4 in GT, 4 in FGT. All they are doing is adding lower wt breaks for the GT/AA and FGT/AA cars that have nowhere to go if they get power added. That's a major problem for the new factory cars. You can't even build a factory 427 right now for any GT car. 2017, you can.

If I don't change my GT/GA for 2017, I'm a GT/KA with the same index i had the year before. End of story. Calm down guys. Its just 8 new classes with lower wt breaks, buy some new Class Designation stickers and your good. Nothing happens to your index. No sticks in your class. It doesn't say that anywhere from what I see.

[Chris1529]

There is 11 more months before this goes into effect. I'm sure there will be more changes by then, so no need for all the worry right now.