2008 SportsNationals Racer Input
 

With a new year comes some new ideas for the 2008 JEGS.com Cajun SportsNationals, and I would like some input from other racers. Last year, we ran a free Stock/Super Stock CIC no-breakout index race on Thursday. From the way it was run, I was able to gather enough data to present my 2008 ideas to NHRA.

We are proposing a change in the 2008 format that would give the spectators a chance to see ?first to the finish line wins? on Saturday. I have suggested that on Thursday, we hold a test-n-tune and contest the King of the Bayou for the super categories that afternoon. I would like to see stock & super stock get two qualifying hits on Friday morning, then go into class eliminations Friday afternoon (except for SS/AH running on Saturday).

On Saturday, we would random pair all of the class winners to participate in a no-breakout (no-AHFS) index race, with CIC for each driver running faster than 1.00 under his/her index. This would allow our 10,000+ fans an opportunity to see no-breakout door-slammer drag racing. Stock & super stock would be combined on a sportsman ladder when 8 or fewer cars remain. NPR will pay the winner $1,000; runner-up $500; semi?s $250. Jeff Teuton of Southland Dodge has sent me the money to double the purses, and he will add a 50% bonus to all Mopar money winners. Other sponsors are sure to join in for the race.

Racers arriving Saturday would be allowed 1 qualifying time trial, but class winners will be determined on Friday. As in the past, NPR will provide a free CLASS WINNER tee shirt for stock & super stock class champions.

For the past 4 years, NPR has found sponsors to cover our ?King of the Bayou? purse for the best package during time trials in Super Street, Super Gas, and Super Comp. The best package in each category received $500 cash, and the three winners were given one more chance at their respective index for a bonus $500. The result was that two of the racers walked away with $500 and one received $1,000, BEFORE 1ST ROUND! Jeff Teuton of Southland Dodge in Houma, Louisiana is sponsoring the 2008 $1,000 winner purse. Laris Insurance Agency (Ross & Big Rudy) will sponsor Super Gas, and David Boudreaux of Boudreaux?s Automotive will sponsor Super Street.

Please address your private comments to me at patjoffrion@hotmail.com or I can usually be reached on my cell at (985) 665-7145.

Pat Joffrion
No Problem Raceway Park
6470 Hwy 996
Belle Rose, LA 70341
(985) 369-3692 ? track office

Re: 2008 SportsNationals Racer Input
 

Hi Pat! Happy holidays!

My only input would be to change the date to AFTER April 15! ;-)

Re: 2008 SportsNationals Racer Input
 

Pat, We would hope to contact you about having TOP/STK this year. It would pay itself out of entry and provide a GREAT heads up Stock race. Div 1, 3 and 2 cars are heading your way and could make a good field. Please contact me Dick Butler 937-623-8126. Woodro and Alan Roerich can fill you in also....
TOP/SS would be great if enough cars are ready.

Re: 2008 SportsNationals Racer Input
 

Pat,
Can you come up north and show the dimwits in columbus how a race should be run??

Re: 2008 SportsNationals Racer Input
 

Pat:

It will be hard for a lot of racers to understand why this race was put on top of an IHRA National event in San Antonio.No doubt it will affect the car counts at both races. Your race is farther south for MOST racers, so driving time and fuel costs could sway racers to go to San Antonio, or they could skip both races, who knows. Obviously you have a great facility and we have a awesome time racing there, but San Antonio is a very entertaining city also. Hopefully the peeing contest between both sanctioning bodies will eventually pass and both races can enjoy the full benefit of having a race on seperate weekends.

Bigshot

Re: 2008 SportsNationals Racer Input
 

isn't the IHRA race 1/8 mile? if so I doubt the SprotsNationals will be the reason for the low car count

Re: 2008 SportsNationals Racer Input
 

It was IHRA that made the mistake of not checking with Pat when they put their 1/8 mile San Antonio race on top of his highly successful Sportsnationals. Birdshot can only hope IHRA is smarter when they start looking at their 2009 schedule.

Re: 2008 SportsNationals Racer Input
 

Correct me if I was wrong, but the official IHRA national event schedule was out long before the Sportsnationals date was out. By the way why did Pat change the date from last year? San Antonio is a 1/4 mile race, last year they had a major track issue during the race and the track was repaired but IHRA and the owner felt it would be safer to run the event 1/8 mile instead of calling the race off.

Bigshot

Re: 2008 SportsNationals Racer Input
 

If you go back and look at the last three years, San Antonio was run in March up against the Memphis Divisional. The Cajun Sportsnationals was run in April for 2005, 2006, 2007. Now explain why you think that Pat and the NHRA put their race on top of the IHRA Nationals in San Antonio. Sounds like it was just the opposite to me. Seems like someone didn't like the March date that they had been running on and moved it to a better weather date to me.

Big tire belong on the back !!

Re: 2008 SportsNationals Racer Input
 

Sluggo

You ought to check the dates in April. They were never the first weekend in April. NHRA changed the date on Memphis and they plugged in Belle Rose. Sounds like to me NHRA didn't like the weather in Tennessee in March/April. Calling the kettle black?

Bigshot

Re: 2008 SportsNationals Racer Input
 

Pat,
NHRA Top Stock is a good idea, but contact Dave Ley in division one, its his baby, i get real tired of others thinking its their deal.

Re: 2008 SportsNationals Racer Input
 

"Affect the car count at both races" ??
This year in Stock at Belle Rose there were 87 cars....at the INRA "National" there were 28 cars !!
Of those 28 in Stock I'd say there are at least 10 that will go to Belle Rose.
In Super Stock--70 at Beller Rose........16 at the IHRA "National event......of those 16 I'd say at least 5 will go to Belle Rose. IHRA will suffer badly in car count.....Belle Rose will be GREAT............
:-)

Re: 2008 SportsNationals Racer Input
 

John
No doubt NHRA will be the bigger venue, especially @ Sportsnationals for Stock & Super Stock. IMOP, two national events on the same weekend that close to one another has to affect each other. Have fun in the bayou!

Re: 2008 SportsNationals Racer Input
 

Trust me, Dick Butler and I have Dave Ley's full support and blessings to run Top Stock in Division 2 AND 3, as well as to help get Top Stock going at Pat's race. We both talked to Dave at length at the PRI Show in Orlando. It's NOT "our deal", Top Stock is for the racers. Neither Dick nor I have made a penny from Top Stock, nor do we intend to. We're doing this for our friends and the sport. My car is on hold because I'm working on two other cars for customers. Maybe, before you speak of things you are ill informed about, you should have the courtesy to speak to those involved. Ask Dave Ley, instead of assuming you know what you are talking about.

Re: 2008 SportsNationals Racer Input
 

Does San Antonio have a bar on the starting line area? Maybe Todd can persuade Mi Tierras to bring some frozen drinks to San Antonio to help the IHRA count....!

Dick

Re: 2008 SportsNationals Racer Input
 

San Antonio's national event IS 1/8 mile this year. Someone at IHRA thinks this will be a hit. After the race they might have a different opinion.

Ed Carpenter

66 Chevy II

4244 SS/I

Re: 2008 SportsNationals Racer Input
 

Pat
Were is the best place to stay.That is close to Belle Rose.

Re: 2008 SportsNationals Racer Input
 

hey alan there is best western in donaldsonville,la. r u can call me i live about 20mins. from the track in gonzales,la right off of i-10 an la 30...an i can tell u that there is about 6-7 hotels here...1-225-413-0731 cell thanks boo-boo....

Re: 2008 SportsNationals Racer Input
 

Guys ... & Julie (my favorite CPA),

NHRA moved both my divisional and the SportsNationals up two weeks. I requested the same dates as last year, but got mixed in the shuffle.

One of the reasons that makes sense for the April move is to allow racers to leave from the Houston national and tow straight to Belle Rose (only 4 hours). Tow costs would be reduced for racers looking to make two nationals back-to-back.

Top Stock is being considered, with Jeff Teuton's help, I'll work to get something done when we get back from vacation.

I've been really busy at the track the past few days. We just finished our last race yesterday (beat the rain by 10 minutes), and held our racer awards banquet last night at the track. Linda & I will be on vacation for the next three weeks and I may be out of touch with the internet from time to time.

In the meantime, Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to all from the gang on the bayou. Looking forward to St. Croix.....

Pat

Re: 2008 SportsNationals Racer Input
 

Pat, thank you for considering Top Stock. If there's anything we can do to help you, please feel free to contact Dave Ley, Dick Butler, or me, and we'll do whatever we can to help you.

Re: 2008 SportsNationals Racer Input
 

pat,

will nhra ALLOW you to do the no ahfs race during thier race ???
i wont be in the no afhs race unless bob shaw lets me drive his caddy... i cant beat it in U/SA.. and if i run t/sa i cant go far enough under to be a factor... the fuelie is too fast for me :(

however i will be there to drink some beer and have some fun and food !!!

captain jack

Re: 2008 SportsNationals Racer Input
 

I've been so busy running the racetrack that I don't have a full grasp on the Top Stock/SS cars. Just a few questions...

Will a racer enter his stocker or s/s car in the national event, and race that same car in the Top Stock/SS race? If so, I can see a problem running that event on Friday or Saturday when we will be running class on Friday and the CIC race on Saturday.

If some will compete in both categories using the same car, I can get it done on Thursday during our Test-N-Tune. I know there won't be as many fans on Thursday, but it will give me the oportunity to gather data and information for the following year, just like I did last year for the CIC race.

I have submitted my proposal to Len & Craig for the CIC race in April. Since this is an "exhibition" contest for our fans, and it is not an "official" NHRA class or category event, the AHFS will not apply. The only concern is that if a racer hits the 1.15 to win class on Friday, AHFS will apply.

The CompuLink system is not currently set to handle CIC in stock or super stock, but the "dial-in" is your index for 1st round. Second round dial-in is your first round E-T (drop the thousandth) PLUS 1-second, or your index, whatever is faster. The No Problem system consists a gentleman (me) using the round run sheets from the tower verify each racer's dial-in.

The CIC applies on Saturday for all runs faster than 1.00 under the index. For example...
Round one index dial-in 12.15 ... ran 11.015 = Round two dial-in is 12.01


Pat

Re: 2008 SportsNationals Racer Input
 

Pat, Thanks for trying to work in the TOP/STK race. The cars would pay another entry of $50 to run the heads up race. If it would be possible to run the time trials and then the race on one mid day it would be great. Yes it would be the same cars + or minus the wt to make the 8.25 lb wt break in TOP/STK. I will check the TOP/SS cars also for availability for the race if you can. Thanks Please call if you have time for discussion of timing options. Dick Butler 937-623-8126 cell.
TOP/SS cars which run are already at SS/B wt so no changes needed....

Re: 2008 SportsNationals Racer Input
 

Dick,

As I explained in several private e-mails that I received, I have already played my "trump" card with NHRA to get the "exhibition" CIC race in on Saturday. What I will propose to Craig & Len is that we qualify the Top Stock & Top Super Stock on Thursday during our Test-N-Tune session. Use the qualifying sheet to make an 8-car ladder (with alternates). Then, AFTER 3RD ROUND of the CIC race, run the Top S/SS shootout in front of the fans. If a qualified racer is still in the CIC race, I would place the next highest qualified racers onto the Top S/SS ladders. That would only incur 3 additional rounds, which could be run following the late rounds of the CIC race pairings.

In order to "fit" these events into the limited Saturday schedule, we will have to give two time trials Friday morning, and move into (and complete) class on Friday afternoon. SS/AH class would still be on Saturday, and late arrivals will get one T/T on Saturday, but class will have already been run and done. Basically, Stock & Super Stock will be done on Friday, except for the CIC and Top S/SS races on Saturday.

However, all non-class winners in Stock & SS will be allowed to continue racing on Saturday in the Red Line Sportsbar. We will have several benches fully prepped with VHT for all of the bench-racing action. Guard walls for the bench racing consist of a laminate of gypsum and cardboard, capable of absorbing direct impact with very little chance of injury to the driver, or damage to the racecar. The 2-year seat belt rule is waived during bench racing, and perfect reaction times are a common occurance. There is no AHFS during bench racing, which allows racers to brag on how much h/p they found over the winter.

Only one rule is enforced in the sportbar. PLEASE DO NOT THROW YOUR CIGARETTES ON THE FLOOR, AS YOU MAY CAUSE OUR PATRONS TO INJURE THEIR HANDS AND KNEES AS THEY CRAWL BACK TO THEIR MOTORHOME.

Pat

Re: 2008 SportsNationals Racer Input
 

pat,

i am concerned that the lack of RACING on thursday will hurt your FREE advertising program ( the free media race) they will get to see / experience no racing like in the past.... when they were fillers for the fun race ???? i have heard the radio / tv jocks talking on air about the experience they had on thursday racing tuetons trucks... it was best advertising ive ever heard !!!! ...at least get some exhibition runs made !!!!

captain jack

seeya in april... and im bringing MJ if i have to kidnap him :)

p.s. bob shaw id look good in the caddy for the fun race :)

Re: 2008 SportsNationals Racer Input
 

Jack,
There is a rumor going around that you resigned as president of my fan club. Any truth to that?

Re: 2008 SportsNationals Racer Input
 

Bob...Jack is waiting for a letter from GM that would allow him to run the Olds F.I. engine on his station wagon. :) :) :)

Re: 2008 SportsNationals Racer Input
 

Bob,

Watch out for Ole Cap'n Jack, he may have something up his sleeve. You may want to consider removing the power steering belt and shuttin' off the air conditioner in the old Caddy when you run him. Oh..........and don't forget to put in the spark plugs that give you the extra 2 tenths.

Re: 2008 SportsNationals Racer Input
 

no bob i still love ya !!!

but i would ,like to drive the caddy in fun race at belle rose if pats rule allow you to kick my *** for class and me using it for fun race only ... ?? me thinks i could keep enough cic to win, and you could get afternoon off to spectate, drink a beer, and crew chief a killer caddy :) :) :)

bob shaw for sportsman representive !!!!

jack mccarthy

Re: 2008 SportsNationals Racer Input
 

We will race in every class that we can, stock, class, cic, and Top Stock.

Re: 2008 SportsNationals Racer Input
 

How about a Junior Stock also (11 pounds), there should be alot of cars (10 thru 12 pounts) to make a large field.
Thanks

Re: 2008 SportsNationals Racer Input
 

Tread slowly grasshopper....

I am one of the few that would like to see more of the "heads-up / no-breakout" style of drag racing in stock & super stock. However, we have only one race weekend each year to gather data to be presented to NHRA. Two years ago, it was the national record dial-in no-breakout race, and last year it was the CIC no-breakout race. This year, it will be a Top Stock / Top SS race with qualifying on Thursday, and eliminations on Saturday. (Well, that's the plan as we await approval of our proposed schedule)

With all of the new formats being proposed (which I support), I would like to get some input from the racers and I will start a new thread on that. It is to expand the Cajun SportsNatinals into a 4-day event beginning in 2009.