Ever wonder where Grade Points started?
 

I was doing some research on a Nickens car I owned and came across this interesting info: http://competitionplus.com/drag-raci...g-busch-league

Re: Ever wonder where Grade Points started?
 

Back in the 60's when NHRA only had a few races they would get so many so show up for a race they had to limit the entries. Grading points was the way to do that and help the points meets.

Re: Ever wonder where Grade Points started?
 

We did not have grade points in the '60s, or even '70s.

Re: Ever wonder where Grade Points started?
 

In the 70's you did, I remember my dad having to run Blaney SC I think it was to get an entry to a national event when he had taken a year off.

Re: Ever wonder where Grade Points started?
 

As early as 76 your did, I remember always nervously awaiting my national event enty confirmation reply via U. S. Mail. I alway had enough points but IIRC some of my friends missed events because of this.

Re: Ever wonder where Grade Points started?
 

Ok Ed
There is one of 2 things happening here. Either you are too old and have already started furgitting(old timers diseasae) or you wus too young to remember. Now which is it.
reed

Re: Ever wonder where Grade Points started?
 

In the 70's and 80's you had to attend at least one WCS event just to have a national event entry request form sent to you. You filled it out sent it in and waited to see if you were accepted or not.

I never ran many events and was denied entry to a national event one year. Can't recall when it was or for what event......

I don't recall any grading deal in the '60s and there was never much of a limit on entries.....Indy had over 1000 I believe in the mid to late 60's...

Re: Ever wonder where Grade Points started?
 

That's funny right there 'cause everybody knows that Ed is reeeeeeeeealy old! Jim

(love ya Ed...mean it!)


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Re: Ever wonder where Grade Points started?
 

Old & forgot I guess. Don't remember ever having to deal with or worry about them. Always ran all the div races, so guess it was a non-issue.
Sorry.

Re: Ever wonder where Grade Points started?
 

In 1976 I got a entry, and attended the Gatornationals.I had never raced at a NHRA event before that.

Re: Ever wonder where Grade Points started?
 

Ed might be old , but his mind is still good . Rich has it right .

Re: Ever wonder where Grade Points started?
 

I attended the Gator Nationals and the sports Nationals in 1978. I only attended one Div 1 points race in 1978 and the little guy Nationals in late 1977 with my SS/IA.

Re: Ever wonder where Grade Points started?
 

I remember it the way Lyn Smith does. We showed up at the 1976 Summernationals at Englishtown with George Lazar's B/SM entry. Neither George nor I had ever watched a national or divisional event, let alone participated.

In fact, he didn't get through tech on the first try. The tracks at Atco & Cecil County let us run in a similar class called XS with only a lap belt. George rode back to Phila to get a 5-point harness at Ben Pilla Speed Shop while I stayed with the car.

We did get through tech the second time, and ended up making it down to three cars (from 10) in the semi-final. Joe Lepone took George out, Dempsey Hardy singled, then Hardy won the class final and the right to race on Sunday.

I remember this vividly, as it was such a big deal to us to even get in, let alone win some rounds in a class that had some big names in it. In fact those two finalists went on to race in Pro Stock for a while.

I know it was 1976 because I was still in high school in 1975 and married with child by 1977, and I was never involved another NHRA race until I bought my own car in 2001. Perhaps the WCS entry requirement started in '77. Come think of it, 1976 was the first year the Super Modified classes existed in NHRA.