National Records vs. the A.H.F.S.
 

As Jeff Colvert pointed out at the end of his post RE: the national records he has set, the A.H.F.S is a big deterrent to setting new records because of the possibility of running afoulf of that system, if you run really quick.

How are people supposed to set new national records with such a self-defeating system?

Wouldn't it make more sense to disable the A.H.F.S. just during record runs?

I remember when being a national record holder was a really BIG DEAL, and was even worth some advertising dollars; cars had it emblazioned on the top... proudly!

I'd like to see it mean something that significant, again.

Has anybody ever approached NHRA about this?

Makes all kinds of sense, to me...

Re: National Records vs. the A.H.F.S.
 

Bill, NHRA stopped awarding points for records, so my guess is they would just as soon not screw with tear downs. The bracket race contingent just bad mouths you for having ego issues if your that fast with a legit car anyway.

Re: National Records vs. the A.H.F.S.
 

National Record Holders got free entry at my local track in the '60s.

Other than that it was just something to shoot for and be proud of.
Getting paper T's and Q's was right up there with setting records.....You have to be old to know what they were....LOL

My race partner and I tried very hard to set a record and did. We also did get a T from Indy....and left it on the car untill the weather faded it out...

We also were very close to setting the record with out first car a '57 sedan delivery once.

Was not an easy task for two young guys with mostly just a desire to do it...

Re: National Records vs. the A.H.F.S.
 

The solution is to make records pay. Currently, setting a record really only pays the engine builder, since you get no points and no money. The engine builder looks good, and may get some new business, but the racer, unless he is also the engine builder, only gets the extra work and expense of a teardown, and his name in the Dragster for a while.

Records should pay points, and maybe at least $200 or so. You should not, however, get points and money for resetting your own record. It would help the AHFS work better. Just like paying points and money for class and qualifying.

Re: National Records vs. the A.H.F.S.
 

Right now with the index is three tenths lower, and the auto hit is 1.20 under in all that is 1.50 under the old index. Now if you drove smart not hitting the 1.00 under to have it looked at and save it for say a shot at the record one time late in the year you would not get your combo hit. Even at .999 under would be almost1.30 under the old indexs.
Tom

Re: National Records vs. the A.H.F.S.
 

The biggest problem with the A.H.F.S. is that it is to easy to get around. If you drive smart and don't care about things like records you can run a bogus car and be fast and never have to prove that the combo is legal. It is getting where NHRA doesn't even have the slips at National events. So unless you want to do something dumb like set the record and have NHRA look at all your stuff you can run almost anything bogus you want to. What would make A.H.F.S. work would be to have a tear down, pass, and be sealed with a date, If you take it apart after it is sealed it has to be checked again .Also if the you go fast enough to get the the combo horsepower it needs to be torn down and certified legal before they add horsepower. Do it at the division races of a random number of cars whether they were fast or not and you would have been torn down before you can run National events. And do it on the day before the race. Seems like a good idea to me.

Re: National Records vs. the A.H.F.S.
 

Bill, You can set the record at opens and not hit the trigger unless you go 1.20 under, and you can set record`s at points meet and not hit the trigger, only your fastest run in qualifying counts one time on hitting the trigger, you can run two times under 1 second and it only counts as one hit on the trigger. you need to hit trigger twice before you get looked at, unless you go 1.20 under. Tom

Re: National Records vs. the A.H.F.S.
 

Tom,

Thanks for that explanation.

It's... complicated.

Sounds liike you need to have access to a Philadelphia lawyer to ensure that you're not going to "trigger" something you really don't want to happen.

To GREATLY simplify, I think NHRA just needs to disable the monitoring of national record runs (ONLY,) as regards the A.H.F.S.

What could be easier?

The status of record holders is in need of an overhaul. Stock and Super Stock are performance-based classes and holding a national record in any of their classes should be elevated to a status commensurate with the accomplishment.

It's not, as things stand. I think the A.H.F.S. situation may be part of the reason.

Re: National Records vs. the A.H.F.S.
 

i might have tried to set the u/sa record at indy open but ive only got a .02 window before auto trigger and shazaam im a t/sa car forever...too much risk for all that REWARD !

captain jack

Re: National Records vs. the A.H.F.S.
 

Jack, wasn't that Kingswood a T/SA when Quinn had it, set the record with it I believe. That is its natural class is it not.

Ron Ortiz
U/SA weighted subject