Open Field or Not?
 

I was unable to attend the MIR ProAm event due to some conflicts. Just got the email today about D1 racers that attended MIR are able to claim their last 2 in-division points races at Darlington or London, but those racers that did not go through tech at MIR cannot claim Darlington or London as their last 2 in-division races.

I spoke with Scooter Peaco and just as the email stated I am told that I cannot claim Darlington as my last 2 in-division races that I need to get my in-division total up to 4. The big problem I have with this decision is that Scooter also told me that if the event had been rescheduled at MIR that I would have been able to attend the reschedule and get my last two division claims as the fields would have been open. He went on telling me how it is not fair to the other 160 racers that attended MIR to allow me to claim Darlington as my last two divisision 1 races.

My question is: How is it any different that I claim Darlington as my last two division 1 races than it would be if the race were to attend the rescheduled at MIR?

Re: Open Field or Not?
 

Basically they are rewarding the drivers that made the effort to attend the MIR event. I think they should've rscheduled but that being said I think the decision is fair.
Chip Johnson

Re: Open Field or Not?
 

Does anyone know if the test and tune will be quarter mile?

Re: Open Field or Not?
 

So it's fair that anyone could claim the event for points if it were rescheduled at MIR, even those that did not attend the first time, but since It was moved to Darlington those that did not attend cannot claim it?

Why is this event being treated differently at a different venue?

Re: Open Field or Not?
 

I think so.
2 things to ponder
If you had came it would'nt matter you get the points.
If it had not rained you get the same amount you got now.

You did;nt show so same result whether it rained or not.

Re: Open Field or Not?
 

Scooter Peaco logic.

Re: Open Field or Not?
 

You are still passing by the point here. Why is it getting treated differently with the claims being made at Darlington than it would be if the claims would be a a rescheduled MIR event?

Re: Open Field or Not?
 

Its the fact that there is no re-schedule of the MIR event and there were no availible tracks to hold the event or any that are within reason for the northern guys and southern guys..what they did with the Darlington and London races are giving the people who made the trip to MIR the chance to get there full claims in...to clarify what Chippy said if you didnt go to MIR and they had raced you would be out by not enough claims....its really a win lose situation but i guess the main thing is what would have happend if we got the races in at MIR then those that couldnt make it to the race wouldn't get enough in claims

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think about how much this has to suck for the true div.1 guys. a lot are from NY, upper PA, and even Canada, to ask them to make a trip to SC. or KY. is a slap in the face. they don't live in 1 state with all their div. races. we can all take it or leave it. if you really have an issue you should grow a pair and tell the whole gang what they can do with it!

Re: Open Field or Not?
 

Keith,
The Northern east coast racers have a legitimate gripe.
The NY,OHIO,Mich and Canada racers are closer to London than MIR.

The NC/VA racers have options of KY or SC.

The racers that really have it bad are the ones that have to go to both to get 8 races in.

Re: Open Field or Not?
 

The only thing i see wrong is that maybe some of the racers already have plans other than racing on labor day weekend .for example Danny jr has made plans with his wife and child to go see his wife's dad and family in Alabama for the weekend..not that it is a life or death thing , but he did have a mathematical chance to at least get in the top 3 for a trip to Memphis ,but not now.....and he did go to MIR and stayed all weekend....Guess he will go to Columbus in 2 weeks.......need to go back to the old points system in my opinion.....

Re: Open Field or Not?
 

What does IHRA pay if you win the division in your class? Forget about the Memphis race, if you win the Division, how much $, etc. do you get?

Re: Open Field or Not?
 

$1500. +gold card, win
$500. r-up
$0. 3rd down

Re: Open Field or Not?
 

Gold Card is worth a Good Bit here It saved me close to 5 grand this year between the IHRA races and the bracket races I attend.

Re: Open Field or Not?
 

Now I get atop of my soap box!!! I agree with what most are saying that if the race had been run to completion, Lee would still be in the position that he is currently in. The fact of the matter is that the race wasn't ran & to my understanding, not all classes even made a pass. I don't understand IHRA's thinking by making this race a closed field based off the above. We were at Mooresville, had made 2 qualifying runs with a ladder generated, jr. dragsters were in the water box for first round somewhere around 10:30 p.m. when the plug was pulled on this event. If any race should have had a closed field, you would have thought that it would have been Mooresville. The Mooresville race was moved to another D9 track/event & most racers were happy with this decision. However, there were no reward to the racers that stayed at Mooresville all day & night. Not to mention, that some racers were at Mooresville, didn't go back to the rescheduled event at Farmington, but called IHRA & since they don't have the transfer rule this year, instead of just getting the 10 points for the Mooresville event; their $$$ is good at the Mooresville event next year. I think IHRA made a great move on opening the event up at the Farmington/Mooresville race because more racers came in. However, by opening the field; the ladder was done away with & random pairing was put into place. By handling the race in this situation, my husband won the event & points were not given based off of field size but instead they were awarding based of # of rounds of race since a car did not show back up for 3rd round of the race. Not only did it take a round out of the race, it also took out 3 bye runs. This can ultimately have an effect on if Robbie gets in the Top 3 & also the potential of winning the championship. By having dragstrip employment experience, I know that it it impossible to make a decision that will be effect all racers equally but I do feel that IHRA has made a quick decision on this call & it is not fair to all racers involved. I don't mean to step on anyone's toes here but IHRA needs to re-evaluate this decision & look at similar but somewhat different situations & how they handled those.

Re: Open Field or Not?
 

As you can see from the 2 pages of posts, all NC racers have no problem with this decision or can live with it. I am probably the only (idiot) from NJ chasing points as a TRUE div 1 racer with IHRA, they should have ran it @ a TRUE div 1 track like skyview, which most of the NC racers claiming Div1 did not attend during the season. Unfortunately it is a flawed system. After blowing a gasket reading all of these selfish comments, I do understand IHRA's situation, if the car counts were up and tracks made profits from Pro-ams in DIV1 you better believe MIR would have rescheduled. The Millers are great people, but this is there livelihood and no track wants a race that looses $$.

No disrespect to other Div1 racers, but I am in 4th in superstock with a good chance of making the TOC for the first time in SS, but my business will not allow me to go to Darlington (12hrs) or London (10hrs)...my problem.

Richard
SS/DM 161

Re: Open Field or Not?
 

they tried but no tracks would take this race all are book through the end of year from what i heard...yes i will admit i am happy about being able to claim darlington but if it came down to traveling to kentucky or anywhere else i would have done just that,as i feel i had a equal chance of bettering myself as you did..it cant be any worse than going to martin mich. 2 years in a row it took us 9 hours to get to MIR with all the troubles we had and 6 to get home, you can't pawn it off on all NC races being happy we traveled the road this year and years past chasing points, this situation just came out good and bad some people

Re: Open Field or Not?
 

Rich,
I call BS on your thinking you are more of a division 1 racer than me because you are a Yankee. I only live 200 miles from Richmond and 300 from MIR How far are you????????

To answer your question about being fair. It's not fair to some but life ain't either. I'm leading the points in Hot Rod and would go to BUMF**#$%&ked Egypt to finish out what I started.
No Disrespect intended.
Chip

Re: Open Field or Not?
 

From Rochester NY (where 5 cars that have a chance for the top 3) is 665 miles to London ky and 775 miles to Darlington Sc.

Re: Open Field or Not?
 

Be nice Chip, Dont start cursing @ someone from Brooklyn, NY... That being said, I am 250 from MIR, 300 from Richmond, did you goto skyview..no, did you goto Pitts...no, I do not recall ever seeing you @ Epping, WHY? .So yes, I am more of a DIV1 racer than you. It should be held @ a DIV1 track, wherever that may be.

Re: Open Field or Not?
 

So now us true D1 racers have to travel thousands of miles (round trips) to try to win a points race or two, worth about $2500.00 each? Not worth it! Why no reschedule at MIR? No planning on IHRA's part for a possible rain date? Why was this race, which has always been run in April, scheduled in August this year? Especially with no effort into planning a rain date? Come on!

Maybe the rumor that MIR is going NHRA next season is true after all!!!

Re: Open Field or Not?
 

Rich - In the past, Chip has been to Epping, Pittsburgh, Martin, Palm Beach, Immokalee, etc. The travel argument doesn't work well against him. ;)

Chip - You posted in the .90 section on a roll call thread
If you hadn't gotten the gear fixed in time and hadn't gone, and saw it rain out... would you relinquish your points lead with a shrug, take a '0' for the season and say, "Sometime's life's not fair."?

Re: Open Field or Not?
 

I think this is a little different situation since it was the last two division one races of the year. For those racers that chose not to come to get their in division races in, or chose not to come for some other reason, knowing full well this was the last two division one races of the year, why would you think the field should be open if the race is run somewhere else? If you needed the points or claims, and you chose not to come to MIR, then you were giving up on the points. Just because the race was rained out and racers are given an opportunity to earn points elsewhere, that by no means gives anyone else the right to enter now.

For those that couldn't come to MIR, you would have missed out on the claims/points anyway if the race was run. I don't think there is an arguement for an open field there either.

If this hadn't been the last race of the season in the division, and there were still claims left on the table for everyone, I think IHRA would open up the field.

I also think its not too fair to the people from up north, but if no other tracks would schedule another divisional, then what choice did IHRA have? There wasn't enough cars at MIR to cover the purse, so why would another track take a divisional right now.

I'm not going to Darlington or London. I had already made other plans this weekend, and I took my first and last trip to London last spring.

Re: Open Field or Not?
 

Exactly my point in starting this thread. If the shoe was on the other foot...

So now I will be at an event with other D1 racers and they can claim it but I cannot. The race at MIR didn't even happen...

Re: Open Field or Not?
 

Bryan, MIR announced before we left the track that they had no open slot on their schedule to host the venue they have plus another shot at a pro am..so a make up race at MIR was out before we left the track

Re: Open Field or Not?
 

Why is it your first and last trip to London?

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I also heard the rumor about MIR. would suit me just fine.

i had typed about 100+words on this subject but thought i better not (i have gotten e-mail warnings from big brother) and i just renewed my membership about a month ago so:

Without getting myself into too much trouble, i will say this




EVEN RATS KNOW WHEN TO GET OFF A SINKING SHIP!

Re: Open Field or Not?
 

Then why should we have to race against them in a race they can claim as MIR when some of us cannot then?

Re: Open Field or Not?
 

I was hoping for a pretty decent sized field based on Darlington having 3 races for the week-end, but by the tone of some on this thread, it might be a small crowd afterall. Certainly hope more will come than not. I'm not a racer, just a fan, so $$ make a little difference in travelling, but not near as much as you racers. Hope to see a good turnout this week-end. I can understand some of the frustrations, but if I were in the competition for a Divisional spot, I would hope the powers that be would make it worth my while to travel.

Butch

Re: Open Field or Not?
 

As poor as the turnout was he wouldn't have cancelled a test n tune to reschedule this race. I understand everybody's frustration, cancelling this race doesn't work for anybody. I have to work sat. been planned for months. Don't know what I am going to do yet. I hadn't heard the rumor about mir going to nhra, that would be very surprising.

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Sure glad I chased no points this year,....X 2...why no Creek in April?

Re: Open Field or Not?
 

Beard it's called a Poker Face ;)

Rich, You still on my Yankee TopTen List ;)

Re: Open Field or Not?
 

Chip,

LOL, next time I will bring some NY strip steaks for you. Wife said if I added all the hrs sitting around @ etown NHRA Divisional, I would be @ London and back...so we will see how Darlington plays out.




Richard
SS/DM 161

Re: Open Field or Not?
 

Maybe I can find some baked sweet taters and Homemade Peach Ice cream too.

Re: Open Field or Not?
 

and IHRA continues to dig their hole deeper and deeper.

Re: Open Field or Not?
 

come on rich, i plan on making this trip if weather looks ok, us Yankees can go down south, hang with the Reb's, BBQ, drink, talk smack, wear florescent shirts and sing co-um-by- ya.... lol

Re: Open Field or Not?
 

We take pride in our florescent shirts...lol

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This is going to be my first IHRA race since 1979. Will I need a flack jacket? To not get killed in the crossfire.LOL

Re: Open Field or Not?
 

The owner of Darlington is actually from NYC. Great people, unfortunately
Business Obligations this week...London is a possibilty

Re: Open Field or Not?
 

If the weather forecast hadn't turned sour at the last minute I believe the car count would have been better, atleast by one. Its 300 miles for me but worth it to run 1/4 mile at such a nice facility. As far as traveling goes atleast the D-1 guys and everyone else gets to run the doubles unlike us in D-9 racers running these singles.