Re: What's up with NHRA logic?
 

Ok. let's see if I understand the situation.

Stock filled up at grade 2 (before grade 1 opened up). Since then some racers withdrew but since it filled up at grade 2, only grade 2 or higher can get in even though we are now in the grade 1 window.

I'd say that since we are now in the grade 1 window that grade 1 participants should be allowed. However, since it filled up at grade 2, it's only fair to allow other grade 2 racers to enter before opening it up to grade 1 racers.

The question is how long should the other grade 2 racers have to sign up (after the withdrawls). What if the withdrawls happened the day before the grade 1 date. That only gives other grade 2's a day to find out there is room and sign up before grade 1 racers get to enter.

For NHRA it is a lot easier to enforce the policy they have now because the scenario that I just described leaves room for subjectivity and will surely P someone else off that feels they did not have time to signup and NHRA took a lower grade before them, blah, blah, blah.

How's that for an answer.

Re: What's up with NHRA logic?
 

It still leaves the possibility of unused quota's and association members on the outside looking in. So in the interest of being fair, you wind up being unfair! All because there's no room to park!

Lew

Re: What's up with NHRA logic?
 

Lew - There is a way to avoid all of this - go to the Lucas races and enter the National events early .Follow that formula and you get to race ............And the parking - there is no easy fix as most tracks were built 30 to 50 years ago and they don't grow land .....

Re: What's up with NHRA logic?
 

They are the ones playing the game; the racers are the bat and ball.

Re: What's up with NHRA logic?
 

If you don't go to national events you don't have to put up with their BS. I haven't been to one since 2008 and haven't missed a thing. Between points races, Ihra races, opens and local combo races I can race between 12 to 15 weekends a year and that is all I want.

Re: What's up with NHRA logic?
 

Greg; We are in total agreement with you. If you do not like how nhra conducts business, then do not give them any of your money. We have even taken it a step further. My nhra membership has expired, and we will not renew until the car is back together and there is a race I want to go to.

Yes the rules are what they are, but a good business practice requires that you take care of the customer. The problem here is that in nhra's eyes we are not the customer, the fans in the seats are. We are nothing more than a source of working capital to cover accrued costs. This being the case, you would think that nhra ( the business) would do what it needs to do to maximize this source of capital. Re-open the class to the current grade point, and if the quota is not met lower the grade point. Proactive vs reactive vs nonactive. Our expectations should not be this high. Remember this is a management team who was going to sell and profit from a business that they did not own. This same business that allows them to set their own compensation with out question.

This thing brings to mind another business that followed the same thought process. I stopped giving them any of my bussiness. I don't know if they have any stores or outlets still open. I do know all the locations anywhere near where I live are all closed. Did you ever hear of Blockbuster Video

Jim Fitzpatrick
something/sa

Re: What's up with NHRA logic?
 

Sounds like I need to clarify a couple of things on here. I was not complaining about not getting into the Gators this year, I was complaining about the quotas. According to my first post on Page 1, post #5.
Tried to get into the Gators this year with only 1 grade point. Could not as grade 2 filled it up on Saturday, before the Wednesday deadline for grade 1's. called NHRA and was informed that if someone was to drop out, only grade 2 could get in as that's when it was filled. They had an 80 car field, while Super Comp was at 100, I don't get it. Now in Stock, it is down to 77, but I can't get in.

I was pointing out the quotas, the fact that I did not get in was explained to me by NHRA. Then Stock had withdrawals, it was like a joke, here is withdrawals and it didn't matter as I only had 1 grade point. I further explained myself on page 4, post #34 about the quotas.

Then I went on about the pitting at Gville, as some individuals on here so proudly defend as an excuse for lower quotas. Then I followed up with the lowering of entries as years progressed. Then I really complained about racing at 8:00 AM. And Yes I did whine and complain about how we are treated, and you know what, if you don't like it, I don't really care. I've been racing long enough to know about how we have been treated in the past and present, I know from on the scene "live" experiences. And don't give your crap about if you don't like go play else where. I race because of all the people that are there and the fun we have, I just don't like the upper brass taking away what I love. I also pointed out that fuel qualifying should be at night, can you disagree with that too.

Last year The Imperial Palace broke down on the way to the Gainesville Divisional so I could get my coveted grade point. I know that I need grade points to enter a national event, but sometimes thing happen. Couldn't get to SGMP the following 2 weeks, so I ended up with 1 GP.

I busted my butt to get there this year. Left Thursday AM and as fate would have it, noticed over heating 35 miles down the road, turned around for repairs. Left Friday AM, same thing only 10 miles up the road. Begged for a ride up there and Steve Hunt came to the rescue. Left Saturday 4:00 AM, got there, made 1 time trial, got beat in Rd 1, went home with tail between legs. At least I got 2 GP's for next year. Can't go to SGMP, getting repairs done. It's going to be fun getting in again next year.

So, as you can see I run NHRA divisionals for GP's. Must be tough on you D1 guys with having to have so many GP's to get into ETown, but your divisionals are alot closer distance wise. Gees, imagine the racers in the D6 on where their divisionals are.

I race NHRA & IHRA & SSSSA races, I race Stock Eliminator.

I also like IHRA's format of entry. Lets take a vote, how may racers out there want to send your money in a month early instead of at the gate. Guess you don't mind someone else getting interest holding your money. Lets take another vote, how many racers like racing at 8:00 AM instead of say 10:00 AM or even 9:00 AM.

Jack, you say staffing is an issue. If you have past data & statistics on a certain race from years of experience, then it should not be a problem. It is always better to be over staffed than under. I mean it's not like the employees are getting our entry fee as their hourly wage.

RacingRicki, NHRA said that only grade 2 can enter, period. There were no other options. So there are no other questions, that's your answer

We all understand why grade points are needed, it is the quotas that need to be addressed. Sorry I get a little excited now and then, no, no I'm not.

Ron Ortiz
U/SA you can't even buy a grade point

Re: What's up with NHRA logic?
 

Ron,

You have been to two divisionals this year and one last year, right? So shouldn't you have enough grade points to get in?

I always thought grade points earned were good for the same year also. I remember people in the past saying they needed to go to a few divisionals so they could get into a national a few months away.

So, if a person was just getting into stock this year, they couldn't run any national events until next year? That's not how I remember it working.


-Toby

Re: What's up with NHRA logic?
 

Right Toby. The way I have been told was the previous years grade points PLUS the grade points earned in the same year before the National Event requested. Your DD can help you also, they have sway! Jim;)


.

Re: What's up with NHRA logic?
 

Ready for this, I did not want to bring this up, but here is what went down.
Talked to DD at Orlando. Said that this years GP's apply to next years requirements. That if I averaged the last 3 years, 2-2-1, it would average to 5 divided by 3 = less than 2, since they round down it's only 1 GP. Told to contact Jennifer Gregg at NHRA. She informed me about the grade 2 situation upon the deadline. Saw the withdrawals and knew I could not get in, changed all the family plans, which is about 10 people. Decided to fully repair The Imperial Palace. Notice the other day that I had now 2 GP's from Orlando & Gville Divs. Knew they were for next year. Went into the national entry section and it allows me to enter the gators now because I have 2 GP's. WHAT! Too late, all plans were changed. From now on I will only trust what I read upon reading the grade point system as described in the grade point window, which only shows if you have a grade point. It is only updated after about a 2 week period after you renew your membership and Comp #. Before that I could not view such information. This has been an adventure. Sure wish I could have just entered at the gate.

So I am out this year, but maybe next year. I really like racing or I wouldn't put myself through this nonsense.

Ron Ortiz
U/SA not overjoyed

Re: What's up with NHRA logic?
 

So I am out this year, but maybe next year. I really like racing or I wouldn't put myself through this nonsense.


you are right "nonsense"...Glad i don't have to go through that stress to get someone to take my money.....lol

Re: What's up with NHRA logic?
 

IHRA allows you to enter at the gate! Jim

.

Re: What's up with NHRA logic?
 

Well, since you're getting the Imperial Palace fully repaired, maybe you can go to Atlana or Charlotte this year. :)


-Toby

Re: What's up with NHRA logic?
 

Toby, would love to do that. But since the Imperial Palace gets a whopping 5 mpg, I need to win to break even. Atlanta is 1200 miles round trip. Lots of expense with fuel, entry, a paltry $160. 5 gal of VP finest @ $11.50, and the usual standards of living, fine dining, beverages, and the ever hidden fees. Doesn't make sense to me, but I chose this game, must be a mental thing.
For my situation, I need to keep close to home. Used to travel in a van and a short trailer, did all the stories that you've heard about. Do not want to do that anymore. Just want to race Stock and have a good time.

Well I am going back to the bonfire that we got going in the back yard. Just love it, bonfire and it's 80 degrees with a nice breeze.

Ron Ortiz
U/SA racing is fun

Re: What's up with NHRA logic?
 

....................

Lew

Re: What's up with NHRA logic?
 

For the racers that can afford to travel the country and wait for a race to break out, you don't have a dog in this fight with NHRA on this subject. For the racers that have limited time and finances to sport a Stock Eliminator car, NHRA's policy on grade points is totally stupid. I could understand if the field was full with grade 2 racers and there aren't any open spots, that's the policy that I would understand. There are now 6 spots open for the Gator Nats in Stock, what is NHRA thinking not to let grade 1 racers to enter.
The people who run our sport in the offices of NHRA are not racers for sure. They are just pencil pushers with no common sence and just repeat what they are told to say! Can't think out of the box that makes business sence.
It's not the fault of the racer that NHRA can't keep tracks under their wing, it hurts the racer when a track changes associations because the issues that NHRA have with the tracks and doesn't care if they fix it. PBIR went IHRA because of the past D2 director, nobody stepped in from NHRA to see if they could fix the issues, instead the track was sent adrift. There are 5 tracks with in 100 miles from me, none are NHRA, closest is Orlando, 200 miles away. There are also no National opens anywhere in the D2 area, the one that I used to be able to go to was the old Moroso, now PBIR's Citrius Nats.
Casey Miles
248H Stock?

Re: What's up with NHRA logic?
 

Ron - Just to clarify, I was talking about a hypothetical situation where NHRA should let grade 1 racers enter after the withdrawls but maybe not immediately.

Grade points don't add up between different years. They take the highest grade between last year and the current year (as you now know).

Here is a link to the grade point policy in case anyone wants the offical word on the matter.

http://www.nhra.net/apcm/templates/n...=2537&zoneid=8

Re: What's up with NHRA logic?
 

Josh: Reading the guide lines is like school yard mentality, other people make commitments that they can't follow up on, so other people get punished for that behavior.
Philip Casey Miles
248H
283768

Josh is the NHRA competion administrators.

I get the logic now, punish the racer who wants to go to a race and do nothing to the people who make commitments that aren't reallized. That makes all the business sence in the world. The people who withdrew should loose their entry fees if this is the business solution that NHRA is following!

Casey Miles
248H "F" NHRA Stock?

Re: What's up with NHRA logic?
 

You need to grow up. Racers do not enter races with the intention of withdrawing at the last moment just to send immature brats into tantrums. I was one of the last to withdraw from this race because, after final prep of my little rig, I returned home to find a very dear family member in the throes of a medical emergency. Thoughts of racing vanish in these situations. It's really hard for me to ever feel sorry for nhra but this thread is mostly about adults behaving like children and I mean pre-schoolers.

Re: What's up with NHRA logic?
 

Bruce, I feel bad that you had a medical issue arise, by your number I can tell you are from D1, I used to race in D1. No problem getting to D1 races and I think you have 2 or 3 National events with in a 200 mile radius. But down here there are no NHRA tracks within 200 miles, I played their games with getting a grade point to race at the Gator's, it was a hardship for me to even get to the Orlando D2 race.
If NHRA kept everyone's entry money who withdrew and closed the event, fine. But everone who withdraws gets their money towards another national event and the racers who only have one shot at a national event which is the 2nd closest race, 300 miles, gets locked out.
The people who are in charge are not racers, never even owned a race cars, what are they doing in the NHRA? I'm here with my $250 wanting to enter, they wouldn't take it because of a policy that was probably procured before the recession and now is a business error. 8 withdrawalls equals $2000 in entry fees that NHRA lost. Who need's a degree to figure that out?
I'm no school kid, just a racer wanting to race!!
Casey Miles
248H "F" NHRA Stock

Re: What's up with NHRA logic?
 

If the issue is local racers not being able to race in the closest Nationals, why not have "bonus point" based on home base of racer. Live within 300 miles of the race, you automatically have one extra point for local event. If you live 1000 miles away you dont. This would still allow most points to enter first but help locals enter sooner if they have been earning points.
Second thought it is obvious local SportsNational format works if it were expanded and advertised. Let the bracket racers have the fill in time for the National events. Racing at an NHRA event was always a highlight of my racing but with the dilution of the field to Super Comp, Super Gas, and Cutting of Class racers the drive to be there would slow....
Without 8 or 10 cars in a class to compete it appears to be less attractive.

Re: What's up with NHRA logic?
 

Casey, I can't believe you still want to eat that NHRA crap sammich.
IHRA is taking over Florida, one track at a time.
your pal, Marshall