Disappointed, Fontana SN schedule !!!
 

This is great, we're at a 'SPORTSNATIONAL' this weekend and for some odd reason, the obvious showcase is the 'super racers' !!!!!!!!!!!! I post here because it's a Stk./SS forum.

Stock had class on FRIDAY after one qualifier, then it went to SS class on Saturday because they got their two qualifiers in on Friday plus an early pass Saturday morning to make three Q's. So far so good, if you don't mind having qualifiers after class for Stock on Saturday, we were slotted for two, to catch up with SS and make it a pretty normal schedule.

Whoop's, there's a bunch of oil downs and time got short, Stock was supposed to be the 4th. catogory out and we didn't get to run until after 11:00 am for our 2nd. TT. Hanging out for a few hours, waiting for the next hit, they cancelled Stock, Comp. Elim and some Super classes of their final TT/ qualifier.

I get home (only 30 minutes away) and read on DRC how they ran 'Shoot-out's', I'll say it again, 'shoot-out's' for Super Street, Super Gas, Super Comp, Top Sportsman and Top Dragster for the remainder of the day with the rest of SS class that included the Hemi 'shoot-out' (five cars) Oh, don't forget the car show and some possible 'Cackle fest' that we'll probably see on Sunday.

What the f*ck, this SN is a joke. We should be concerned as a group that this can take place, what happened to the spirit of heads up being the draw for this venue with class racing. Also, Comp. Elim., the fastest class out there gets bumped for 'super shoot-out's'

Even the advertising for this event was for Top Sportsman and Top Dragster, these classes don't even exist on the National level !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WATCH OUT !!!!!!!!!!

Re: Disappointed, Fontana SN schedule !!!
 

Better get ready.. Even more than a few of the Comp guys are worried about Top Dragster & Top Sportsman replacing them. ( And the Pro Stock guys are looking over their shoulder too) I've had a couple of Comp customers talk/worry about their future while at my shop. If we can get our head out from under the hood we might see this. It is even happening to suppliers & sponsors. What direction has Reher & Morrision taken? They aren't the only company making the move in that direction. How many times do we(S &SS) have to park in "The Outback" at Div. races when other classes get "In Close" parking? I've done a little numbers crunching of Top Dragster in Div 4 & have come to the conclusion it will be a 6 second class next year when it is changed to a 32 car qualified field. That's right and Top Sportsman won't be much, if any, slower. Can you see that a Sportsman show full of 6 second cars would be an easier product to sell to track owners & spectators. Want to take any bets that NHRA is seeing that too?
My .02 for Free

Re: Disappointed, Fontana SN schedule !!!
 

Top Sportsman and Top Dragster are big class's at IHRA races and getting bigger.

Re: Disappointed, Fontana SN schedule !!!
 

They may be growing IHRA classes but the fact of the matter is that they are not NHRA classes and in no way should they get any preferential treatment over those classes that compete for national points in the league. It is an insult to ALL NHRA sportsman racers that these TOP categories are getting runs when other classes are getting bumped. The same thing happened at the Lebanon Valley Divisional. If they want to bring them in then they should be first bump as an exhibition class only. The Sportsnationals were created because there was no time for the existing classes to all run during the normal Nationals so why are they adding new BS classes to carry the problem into the Sportsman events.

Re: Disappointed, Fontana SN schedule !!!
 

hmm..how does SN work down at Pat's place...good right? so who is the target here?...maybe Pat could be hired to run all SN?

Re: Disappointed, Fontana SN schedule !!!
 

How many STK and SS versus the bracket TOP/S and D classes. Remember its entry numbers NHRA is using as a gauge of popularity and the Sponsors can sell BIGGER and BIGGER buck motors and there are NO rules, just dial it and run fast. Only takes MONEY to run fast . Guys dont have to worry about the .03 or.04 techniques of Stk or SS anymore.
With points meets and Opens and Nationals becoming focused on the eliminator type racing WHY would NHRA do differently?
Support Class Racing! Only a few Class racers try to keep it alive and Pat is one of them. Remember it is not whether it is your class that runs it is the FORM of racing that means something. TOP/SS and TOP/STK are attempts to get NHRA attention and return to Heads up racing. With time this can spread if you help support the racers and Concept of Heads up Stk and SS racing.

Re: Disappointed, Fontana SN schedule !!!
 

Pat also has the Shootouts. They consists of only the top four in each class. That is only eight cars total. It really doesn't take that much time to run them. We also run on Thursday down here. Pat will also run into the wee hours if he has to,as long as it's safe.

Greg

Re: Disappointed, Fontana SN schedule !!!
 

I dont know how Fontana works , but at Columbus last week the super class racers had to pay an extra $20 to have a chance to make the top 8 shoot out , plus as a bonus we had TOP FUEL BIKES and NOSTALGIA FUEL CARS , which had reserved paved pit space for the one day they were there. We have enough going on without paying BOOKED IN SHOWS, and do you charge for class run offs in stock /super stock?

Re: Disappointed, Fontana SN schedule !!!
 

Sportsnationals? Ditto! At Columbus 90% of the asphalt was saved for the Top Whatever and other stuff that didn't belong. Stock and Super Stock were pushed off to the morning and evening with prime time going to the afore mentioned. If that's what NHRA wants then they should change the name to the Top Whatever and Nostalgia Nationals. I'll vote with my money next year. A long drive, a lot of time, and a lot of money for a big disappointment. I won't go back!
Also, Division 3 races have headed in the same direction. Stock and Super Stock with fewer runs and pushed out of the way. Then hurry up and finish!

Re: Disappointed, Fontana SN schedule !!!
 

I have not had the chance to race much this year, but I have said all along to my divisional staff, if I have to be at a divisional on Friday to get more than one qualifying pass in stock eliminator then chances are I won't be there. Why do I have to sacrifice my qualifying runs on Saturday for all these top junk catagories. Who is even there to watch them? If I can't get Friday off from work and show up Saturday, get one qualifying pass then into eliminations then NHRA doesn't need me. Divisonals were built on Sportsman racing from alcohol classes to stock eliminator. At one time we had Pro stocks at divisionals. Now we have top junk and no spectators .... and I get less qualifying runs and pay more to race .... by the way NHRA I was at the SN at Columbus and the spectator turn out was pathetic.

Re: Disappointed, Fontana SN schedule !!!
 

I agree completely with Chuck. Why do I go to LODRS races? Why do I go to the Gatornationals on Thursday? To see three categories - Comp, Super Stock and Stock. I have no desire whatsoever to watch TD or TS or anything else for which relative performance is absolutely meaningless.

Re: Disappointed, Fontana SN schedule !!!
 

I agree with Chuck 100% I copied this from the Div. 4 Website (I hope it doesn't violate any rules)
NEW TECH PROCEDURES FOR D-4 LODRS EVENTS



1. Tech will begin at noon on Thursday at all D-4 LODRS events. There will be Technical Officials onsite to handle tech during this time.



2. Tech for ALL classes will be held in the staging lanes or an area designated by Tech Officials. Any designated area will be announced over the loud speaker at the event.



3. There will be no house calls for COMP, TS, and TD at future events. Tech for these classes will be held in the lanes or designated area.



4. Early Tech will still happen on Fridays at all events. Staging lanes will be designated as cars that are already teched and ready to race and those needing tech. All cars needing tech will go into the same lanes and once a racer has completed tech they will have to then go to the assigned lanes for their class. Tech will not be provided in the lanes where racers are running.



5. Racers are encouraged to take advantage of Thursday tech and early tech on Friday so as not to take a chance on missing time runs.



6. This new procedure goes into effect beginning at the Thunder Valley LODRS event October 12-14, 2007.

Looks like the div races (at least Div 4) are headed toward having to be there 4 days. I really don't understand why we will miss runs on Friday since they have cut Top Sportsman & Top Dragster to 32 car fields. Could there be more time planned for the Top/.90 class shootouts? Could they be doing this to help us get more runs, Or could it be a plan to get us to the motel bars earlier? Draw what ever conclusion you want, but I think running later Friday & Saturday night is better than getting there on Thursday. OH! I forgot some of the Div tracks want to run their bracket program on Sat night... I'm a little concerned with the direction of our sport.
My .02 for Free

Wave of the Future!
 

There seems to be a belief among some people that TD and TS will draw spectators?
Bracket racing has never drawn any significant number of spectators and that is all this is, fast bracket racing!
Why they have designated qualifying times and bump "real" national classes at all the divisions divisionals is a travesty!

Re: Disappointed, Fontana SN schedule !!!
 

We run in the Jegs Super Quick. the tracks that we go to are packed,and We are Treated like pro at most we started running T/D this year and it is really disappointing how they treat the Sportsman at the Divisionals, I thing the only class that is treated as bad a stock it Super Gas. NHRA has forgot who Pay the way...

Lanny

Re: Disappointed, Fontana SN schedule !!!
 

Not only did the schedule suck. But how can you have a 1st class race at a 3rd class facility? It was a cross between PalmDirt and the stench of Bakersfield. The time slip booth was about a 1/4 mile from the scales hidden in the pits. With no comunication between the scale gas check crew no body knew who won a race.The super classes had the pits betweeen the finish line and the staging lanes. Most of the Stock/Superstocks were pitted beyond the staging lanes closest to the garbage dump. The one positive I can say is track prep was good.

Re: Disappointed, Fontana SN schedule !!!
 

Yes, very different track. I've lost lots of ways before but never to the wind. I had a .027 light to my opponent's .081 light, I had a good package and up on the scoreboard pops a 7.95 so, of course I didn't get the win light. Wowza, and my team says I don't know how to work on a car! LOL At the scales the tech officials immediately told us we would have a rerun (there were a total of 4 reruns in Stock). I waited around for our re-run, then the race was put on hold for the wind about 11AM. We had my brother-in-law with us this weekend. He has Stage IV lung cancer. He wasn't feeling that great today and rather than make him more uncomfortable I opted to leave the race. Sure would've been nice to have left with a round win!!

There were no loudspeakers in our pits and I never saw any officials come by alerting us that it's time to run. The only way I knew was if I stayed in the RV listening to the radio or saw a parade of cars going by. And the time slip booth, what the heck is up with that? On test 'n tune it was next to the fuel check so why did it have to get moved on Friday?

But you want to know what really ticked me off? I was stopped by a security guard while in the golf cart. In the cart with me was my dog, Harley. I had just taken him down to the grass area to "do his thing". I was told that I had to keep the dog in my motorhome as dogs weren't allowed at that facility. Yea, right, I'm not going to let the dog out of my motorhome for 3 days!! I've been around racing for many years and never heard of a facility that didn't allow dogs!! I told him I drove 360 miles to get there, that I checked their website before I went for track rules and I wasn't going to keep the dog confined to the motorhome. Later on I heard them announce that they were "turning their heads" for this race about dogs but not to transport them around the pits.

Track prep was good. Other than that, the track is sub-par. I keep telling myself to be thankful we have a track in California again, we have so few. But I'm not sure I'll be back.

Re: Disappointed, Fontana SN schedule !!!
 

After being away from the sport for awhile I entered this the SN feeling positive about the race and then here we go again STOCK looses our last QUALIFIER to a series not in the NATIONAL event format. Not only does this happen but after a dragster crashes everyone is informed @ 10:30 that we are postponed till 2:00 pm and a decision will be anounced concerning the windy conditions .Only 2 hours go bye and they are calling ss -s/st and stock now everyone is scrambling to get ready there were definately some singles out there because of a anoucement there would be no racing till 2pm does this Director continue to stumble through making mistake after mistake concerning how this Division should be run NHRA has a rules book with catagories for everyone to compete in yet they use a NHRA SN race to showcase these association races and limit the runs for all the rest . Then to add insult to injury all NHRA NATIONAL events have a entry of $210 for 4days like Las Vegas but here we have to pay for that extra day THURDAY TNT $70 what the hell is that about.$290 to go to a race that they take your last run away .There was 7 cars in my class so class so I had 3 rds.plus 2 qualifiers for a total of 5 passes, do the math almost $60 dollars a run for a race that paid out less than a decent bracket race Director this isn't right or fair. Now I understand that the race wasn't completed and it was carried over to Monday well Mr. Director if you had scheduled the race format to include Thursday your event would have been completed. .