WHAT IF part 2
 

I dont know how many have thought much about the other thread I posted several days ago about the possability of another U.S. Class Nationals "TYPE" race happening or if you thought it was even something real but things are getting closer. The proposed time frame for this year is near labor day weekend (or maybe ON labor day weekend). A location yet to be decided. It depends on how the first race turns out to determine if it would become a bonifide stock and super stock association. We hope it would. Again the wheel wont be reinvented with this as far as classes go but it will be an association that will allow our kind of racers and cars to be the show with TV coverage and decent payouts. Yes.....TV coverage and major coverage in auto magazines. Major manufacturers poasting for class win money of which several have already intended to be part of the program with a title sponsor. It takes a LOT of time, sweat, and effort to put something of this magnatude together not to mention MONEY so please be patient and I will try to keep everyone interested informed as things progress.. We fully intend to have an association for ALL of the so called "little guys" up and running by 2010 with a 4 or 5 race series to start with. Beyond 2010 theres a possability of a 6 to 8 race series along with a championship at the end of the year. If the race this year turns out like we hope it will then you can look for the association to have a booth at the PRI show this December. This is the "real deal" and I hope the administrator of this site will continue to allow me to post in this area of the site for awhile to keep the information in the mainstream. We hope the local circuts across the country will work with this as being united for our type of racing is important. Its been to many years that the legal class cars have been push aside for some circus act and its time to band together. More to come as it developes. Terry Bell (aka X-Tech Man)

Re: WHAT IF part 2
 

Terry,
This sounds really good. I'm sure everyone who is serious about class racing is going to be watching this with great interest. I would like to offer one suggestion, and that is rather than trying to upstage Indy, that you pick a different date, just far enough away to not cause conflict. The reason is to avoid forcing racers to make a choice between the two. Perhaps the strongest case you can make for your race, and the possibility of your series, is to let racers go to Indy, and also get a good taste of what you are offering, and show them why and how you are offering something better. Just a suggestion, it's up to you.

Re: WHAT IF part 2
 

Terry, First of all, I didn't mean to sound negative in your last thread. It is important though, for people to understand what it takes for an endeavour like this. Especially for an association.

Let me know if you need anything.
markyac@cox.net

Re: WHAT IF part 2
 

Gentelmen....I fully agree with not having the race on the same date as INDY (this year or next) because Indy is after all......INDY. I just threw that in there to get your attention and to show how serious we are at trying to get this to happen. In time I would hope that there wouldnt have to be such a choice and turn this associations races into an "INDY" for all class racers at every race.

Re: WHAT IF part 2
 

INDY has a 128 car qualified field.Some of us that don't work on our car will not qualify there.Is there going to be a limit on the field size at these events,or is EVERYBODY going to be able to race in the first round?Example.....187 cars in round one at the U.S.Class Nationals.

P.S.
The TV coverage is a great idea.

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Thanks Terry for all the work! I say keep the date....

Re: WHAT IF part 2
 

First off, no, my car isn't even ready yet but have to ask. Concerning the possibility of an Indy conflict. Will IHRA cars be allowed, ie: GT, crate motor and pure stock, as well as SS/production cars? They won't be going to Indianapolis. Or will this be strictly NHRA S/SS?

This whole idea sounds great.

Re: WHAT IF part 2
 

I would love to see another "Class Nationals" like the one they had at Byron Dragway!!!!!!!!!!

Re: WHAT IF part 2
 

Terry, I agree with Alans comments. Give people a chance to see both Indy and a Class National event. Many people who are younger need this opportunity to appreciate the "rush" of competing at More Heads up events. Then they will be able to appreciate what the older racers keep talking about. Class Wins can be a real achievement.
Indy is the event of the year and has Class but another site where Class wins are important is needed.
Thanks too goes to Alex for the first one.
Good Luck. If I can help please ask.
Dick Butler

Re: WHAT IF part 2
 

To answer a couple of questions YES all who enter will race even if its an almost 200 car field (or more)like the Class Nationals. Yes its for ALL legal classes in NHRA and IHRA which means the so called dreaded crate motored cars in stock and production S/S cars. We need everyone to attend and its for all not to exclude someone because of thier taste or brand of race cars. It will be a CLASS racers association. Pretty much just as the Class Nationals like 8 years ago. Many more details to come after Pomona in a couple of weeks.

Re: WHAT IF part 2
 

LOL....we thought about keeping the date but decided that it would hurt our car count and INDY's. There are still to many "DIE HARDS" out there and they would race Indy if all they won was an empty beer can. Until this works we will have to work around some things.

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What if Race schedule. ok let me dream....................lol

Thursday
Gates open at 8am
Tech opens at 9am
Open Time Trails (these runs do not count for anything) 10am-4pm
Gamblers Race $20 entry, put dail in and go, pays winner, runner up and Semi's 5pm till---------
All night parking open gate to make sure nobody is sitting outside the gate

Friday
Tech opens at 8am
First Qualifying round for Stock** at 9am (Note, first 3 pairs will be allowed to except or throw the run out and run at end of round again)
First Qualifying Round of SS*** at 10:30am
First Round of Comp Qualifying at Noon
Second Qualifying Round of Stock** at 1pm
Second Qualifying Round of SS*** at 2:30
Second Qualifying Round of Comp at 4pm
5pm start of the Quick 32's
** Quick 32 Stock ($100 entry fee paid before 1st qualifying round)
*** Quick 32 SS ($100 entry fee paid before 1st qualifying round)

Saturday
Round one of Stock Class Eliminations 9am
Round one of SS Class Eliminations 10:30
Third Qualifying Round for Comp Noon
Class Eliminations for Stock & SS 1pm
Fourth Quifying Round for Comp 4pm
Sportsman Cookout 6pm till-------------------

Sunday
Round one of Stock 8:30 am
Round one of SS 10am
Round one of Comp 11:30 am
Go the rotation till race ends

Boy would this be a dream race or what !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: WHAT IF part 2
 

Where were you thinking of having this first race at?

Re: WHAT IF part 2
 

COUNT US IN !!! We would love to go to another CLASS NAT type event. I'd pull out all the cars in the shop for that. Lets all get a PLAN !!! 5402S/S, 5404S/S, 5403S/,

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I went to the first one,had a good time.won money.was #1 qau.just too hot & at not the 1st.class track!:)

Re: WHAT IF part 2
 

Just a little more to dream about (lol)......how about on saturday after fourth round of Comp qualifying a Top Stock and Top SS shootout, heads up for A,B, and C cars?

Re: WHAT IF part 2
 

But, and this is just my opinion, I think what makes "INDY" THE race is the fact that class racers from coast to coast show up that makes it a big deal. If it were Ennis for example where the stock/super stockers choose to participate en mass, then THAT would be the big race of the year. Being in Clermont, Indiana I think is irrelevant, I think the racers make the race, not the other way around.

Re: WHAT IF part 2
 

I'll be the first.Have the race at Atco NJ.Tie for best run track with NP.Now let's hear where else.This is where it gets interesting.Like every other hot topic it will turn into a free for all.Just speaking from experience.

Ed F.

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Ed, I think it is important that the race be held at as central a location as possible. Sure, it'd be real convenient for me, or racers around me, to say Bowling Green, Bristol, or Memphis, but that makes a really long tow for guys from the south of Division 2 and 4, and the guys from Division 1. We've been hoping to go to No Problem, and that would be a great place to have it. But what about the Division 1 and Division 3 guys? And we aren't even getting to divisions further west. Sure, you can't be all things to all people, that's a big failing this sort of thing falls into. But you have to put the best effort out to get a location that is central enough to draw a good field that is also a good cross section of the racers. I'm not saying no to or voting against Atco or No Problem, not by any stretch.

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Norwalk, US131, No Problem... I've never been to Edgewater, but good location there...

What are some of the mid-west track like?

Re: WHAT IF part 2
 

Alan;
That's the point I'm making.Somebody is going to get on here and have a hissy fit that the race isn't in their neighborhood and so on and so on.Based on the state of the economy travel is out of the question for many of us.The best solution would be races at ,for example,Maple Grove,NP,Milan,Phoenix and Calif.
Regional for sure,but good coverage.The logistics of organizing it would be emense though.
It's too bad the numb nuts at NHRA dont just give us 2 Sports Nat's in each division and run the clown classes at national events.I could surely live with that.
Sports Nat's at Atco and Maple Grove (we already have the Dutch) would be fantasti aqh but what do I know,I'm just a lowly NHRA dues paying member for 33 years and still counting.

Ed

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Re: WHAT IF part 2
 

My suggestion would be Edgewater,Bowling Green or O`Reilly Raceway Park.You have to have it centrally located to have the best draw. I`m in for something like that.

Re: WHAT IF part 2
 

Ed, you are right, some regional events would be excellent, especially considering the economy. However, they probably need a big event to get the whole thing off the ground. And that needs to be as centrally located as is humanly possible.

I agree completely, there will be those who demand it be held in their back yard. Those are exactly the people who need to be ignored, because they will only do what serves their own desires and interests, and ignore the big picture. They'll show for a race or two, if it suits them. If you try to make them happy, you'll put off a lot more racers who would travel a reasonable distance to support something like this.

We don't even have one SportsNational Open here in Division 2. Shoot, we don't even have a points meet that isn't in Georgia or Florida, Atlanta is the only event that isn't in south Georgia or further south. Tennessee, Alabama, and the Carolinas get the finger. Charlotte has their National Event, and so does Bristol. That's it. Memphis, for whatever reason, is Division 4. So I completely agree with you and understand about the scheduling and travel. We practically have to take the entire month of February and part of March off to run Division 2.

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O'Reilly would be a major deal, if it could be pulled off. But somehow I doubt NHRA will let that happen.

Bowling Green would be really cool for us, we can be there in about 90 minutes or so.

But again, I'm looking at the bigger picture, the greater good. What's great for us, like Bowling Green, might not be the best we can do for everyone.

Re: WHAT IF part 2
 

Adam:
Any facility would be a trek for you.I feel your pain.Hope all is ok in the frozen tundra.

Ed

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After I posted I realized O`Reilly was owned by NHRA so that probably wouldn`t be a good choice.

Alan,I`m happy for you that you are 90 minutes from BG but it`s more centrally located than Atco.If you don`t like my suggestions I`ll go with Atco.

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Ed,1000 miles is my limit these days!...lol

It`s already -5*,come on up and you can help me stack some wood....

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LOL Adam. It doesn't really matter what I like, as I said, it needs to be located well for the largest number of racers who want to attend.

One thing is for sure, it says a great deal about you that you are willing to make a longer tow so that the race could be located more central to the largest number of racers. That's great, you see the big picture, you want what is best for everyone, not just yourself. It's guys with an attitude like yours that help good things happen. Everyone should share your selfless attitude, we'd all be a lot better off. My hat is off to you.

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What is wood?

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LOL, Ed is too old for wood!!!:D

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I`m not even going down that road....

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Guys, a couple of questions.

Where was the first Class Nationals held? How many cars entered the event?

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Byron, Illinois

187 stockers IHRA & NHRA cars

113(?) or so SS IHRA & NHRA cars

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Adam, we're counting on you to push that cold front back north lol.

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I'm with the guy from Jericho (Vt) that "shifts it"
Atco's the place!

Adam, I can't believe you got your computer to work in the cold up there?

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Wait,wait,wait.there's wood and there's WOOD.The first i dont carry,the second I ain't dead yet.
Never heard of sexy senior citizens????????????

Ed

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i live in cincinnati and help out at the umtr stickshift races,dick wienle that owns edgewater is a very difficult person to deal with,it is a very central location,but the race surface leaves alot to be desired unless you rent the facility and prep it yourself.on the other hand columbus and jim layton the track manager is great we have 2 races there a season and that race facility takes care of the people that come to them,i cant say enough good things about jim and his staff.if you go onto www.umtrdragrace.com and the contact info for dave stehlin or mike laboda at www.umtrnorth.com both have dealt with jim and can tell you more.