No alcohol cars at divisionals in 2012
 

hearing they will go to a "regional" series next year

Re: No alcohol cars at divisionals in 2012
 

How many on this forum will miss them at divisionals ? Just asking.

Re: No alcohol cars at divisionals in 2012
 

not me snif snif.

Re: No alcohol cars at divisionals in 2012
 

I just want to know if they are going to do the right thing and lower the entry fee's or raise the payout since they wont have to pay out the purse for the alcohol cars
Chuck

Re: No alcohol cars at divisionals in 2012
 

Buhwahahahaha !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Oh, you were serious, weren't you?

Re: No alcohol cars at divisionals in 2012
 

I bet that statement blew a lot of coke, Pepsi, or coffee thru some noses this morning.

Re: No alcohol cars at divisionals in 2012
 

They are going to a regional points system but as I understand they will still be running the alky cars at the divisional events that will have them. There will not be a new series of races for them. Division 2 will most likely not have them at many events. Maybe Atlanta, Gainsville and Charlotte. There will no longer be a divisional points champ for the alky classes.

Re: No alcohol cars at divisionals in 2012
 

I already know the answer to what I said.
I was seeing what kind of responses people would have. lol.
On a serious note, if they want the racers to increase participation, nhra needs to start thinking about a better return on their investment for the racers. It's gotten to the point that even if you win a divisional race, you probably still lost money, or at best made very little.
I know its not all about the racing, its also about seeing your extended family. But with todays economy, I think that racers are looking a lot harder at what it cost to go versus the possable return.
Chuck

Re: No alcohol cars at divisionals in 2012
 

Chuck, I was just clowning. Hell you have to laugh.

You are right though, the cost is rapidly becoming excessive. nearly every year, there's a new rule requiring more money spent. Fuel is up, oil is up, tires are up, insurance is up, and yet NHRA continues to raise various fees, and make new requirements. They add "services' you must pay for, such as "waste disposal".

Honestly, we all like to win, but to be honest, "return' doesn't figure into it that much, if it did, we'd go big money bracket racing. The truth is, for sportsman, 10 racers out of maybe 400 at a race are going to win or runner up. That's not even 5%, more like 2.5%. So it's about the cost to do it, not so much the return. Don't get me wrong, we load the car(s) and expect to win, every time we roll out of the driveway. But we also know the reality.

I think Fletcher said two years ago after the big contingency payout crash that his contingency payouts on a win dropped around 65%, from $15K to $5500. That's where the return is anyway. They've killed that and increased the cost every year since.

I've been down there helping a customer fill out the contingency sheet recently. I can say for a fact, NHRA is not spending squat on administering that program. There were maybe 4-5 NHRA staff people who were already there for other duties at the race dealing with contingency sheets. Knowing people who now pay, or did pay, and knowing what it costs, NHRA makes a killing on contingency programs, and it doesn't cost them that much. The racers and the companies who pay both get the shaft.

Re: No alcohol cars at divisionals in 2012
 

just think of the money nhra will save on oil dry.just think of the down time that will be saved.more space in the pits. win win for everybody.the alcohol cars will save to. those cars are very costly to run and should be run at nationals only they are so close to the nitro cars anyway.

Re: No alcohol cars at divisionals in 2012
 

I thought the points for alcohol would be based on a 2 regions, but the races would still be the same, just at fewer events.

Re: No alcohol cars at divisionals in 2012
 

Prob isn't going to matter to any of us "tradional" sportsman racers - they will just replace the Alky cars with something that takes up more track time, makes even less sense, crashes and/or oils the track just as much.....but brings them in more revenue....... read between the lines... its already being done.

Re: No alcohol cars at divisionals in 2012
 

X2 on that.

Re: No alcohol cars at divisionals in 2012
 

I agree.

Re: No alcohol cars at divisionals in 2012
 

Since the alky cars wont be messing up the track are you guys going to be able to hook on a "rusty" track surface?

Re: No alcohol cars at divisionals in 2012
 

Yep, there will be more hooking than at the hotels in Vegas. :cool:

Re: No alcohol cars at divisionals in 2012
 

... you hit the nail on the head!

Re: No alcohol cars at divisionals in 2012
 

Just me but if they would cut it to 2 races per Div. you put Div 6 & 7 as west, Div. 4&2 as south , Div 3&5 as midwest & Then have 4 races in Div. 1 as northeast. It would work be easier to promote as "Big Div" races & we just might see better racing between these cars. Like said before though I'm sure the races without these cars they will "fill" with something foolish!.....just my .02 cents

Re: No alcohol cars at divisionals in 2012
 

Instead of filling with something foolish they could cut a day out of the event. Have Friday for T&T and Tech Qualify Saturday and race Sunday. Now thats a good idea.
Chip

Re: No alcohol cars at divisionals in 2012
 

I would think that if they went to a two day event, it would be Friday for qualifying and time runs with the race on Saturday. Sunday would be a travel day back home or used in case of rain on Saturday
Chuck

Re: No alcohol cars at divisionals in 2012
 

Chuck,
That would work also.

In these Hard Times, It's not about what you bring in but how much goes back out.
Chip

Re: No alcohol cars at divisionals in 2012
 

Then you could guarantee that people would be there to park on Thursday or even Wednesday. :rolleyes: With a Saturday-Sunday race, a much smaller number of people would have to miss some (if any) work days.

The only reason we're doing our $5K-$20K-$5K Footbrake race as Fri-Sat is because we're on Thanksgiving weekend, and the holiday allows us to have the best of both worlds with more travel time on Thursday/Friday, AND a rain date/travel day Sunday.

Re: No alcohol cars at divisionals in 2012
 

Mike, I'm with you - I wouldn't want to see the Sat qualifying run cut out from the program (unless something else was done: read below). We have a quite a few folks in D1 who at a number of points races have no choice but to show up on Sat due to work, etc. But I'm all for running the entire race on Sat afternoon & evening.

Although.... a number of D1 racers chatted recently about the possiblity of having a late day Qulifying session run on Friday evenings.... (maybe 8 - 9 PM or so) if things were to go a Sat Elims only format..... that way even late comers (i.e. the ones who usually can only show up on Saturdays) could have chance to get on the sheet for Saturday Elims. I don't know if the nhra folks would consider something like that as it would extend their work day on Fridays.... but I really think it could be viable option.

Sunday could still be held in reserve for bad weather.... and also many folks who would have otherwise had to not participate (assuming the format change) would still be able to be included.

Anyway those are my thoughts -

BTW - where is that Thanksgiving weekend Footbrake race being held?

Re: No alcohol cars at divisionals in 2012
 

AD,
The Footbrake race is at Coastal Plains Dragway in Jacksonville, NC. It's one of the fastest tracks in the country. great air and the bite is there also. You will run numbers there that you never have.
Also the payout is great too. Not many races around paying $20,000 to win.
Chip Johnson

Re: No alcohol cars at divisionals in 2012
 

That's what they have done with comp in D1.

Re: No alcohol cars at divisionals in 2012
 

Why is it every one wants the two day races to be Friday and Saturday? If you do a Saturday and Sunday two day race at least the nearby racers would not need to miss work to make the race. I keep hearing that you would have Sunday for a travel day but if you really need Sunday to travel then I assume you also needed Thursday to travel to make the race. I understand wanting Sunday as a rain day. But you are making people take a day off (Friday) Just in case there is a rain out and you need Sunday to race. I would rather take a chance at maybe missing work on Monday to finish a race than have the guarantee that you will need to miss work on Friday.

Re: No alcohol cars at divisionals in 2012
 

i agree with you!! I'm not to fund of the fri/sat races

Re: No alcohol cars at divisionals in 2012
 

www.staginglight.com/footbrake No transbrakes or 2-steps, but air/elect. shifters are ok. If you can hoof it, come on down! :D Be cool to have some Class cars there.

Re: No alcohol cars at divisionals in 2012
 

With all this talk about no alky classes at divisionals who are we to think that this won't happen at national events for stock/super stock.

Re: No alcohol cars at divisionals in 2012
 

Works better for me too.....I missed more then one race because I couldn't get off work on Fri....