[Billy Nees]

Originally Posted by Alan Roehrich

What we now have is a number. How good is it? I'm not sure we really know. With all due respect to the actual tech guys in the field, and I do have a tremendous amount of respect and yes, admiration for many of them, regardless of this "tool", or any other "tool", NHRA itself will probably not use it to "do a better job". After all, why should it change now? From what I've seen, guys like Travis, Wesley, Dave, and Harry do the very best job they can, given what NHRA actually allows them to do.

Now, with regards to "bowl hogs" and necked down valves, if you race, and you have to face pretty good odds of getting heads up races, or you desire to be competitive in class, then you must take advantage of the rules NHRA gives you. If they say a valve that flows better than the rest is legal, you pretty much have no choice but to run it, again, if you want to go fast and win. If they change a rule to allow more valve job modifications, you don't have a lot of choice, unless you don't mind getting beat. Do you have to do it? No, no one is forcing you. But, you did come to race didn't you?

Have the rules gotten way out of control? Yes, absolutely. Did the average racers really have a choice, or a say in the matter? Not really. Most of the current perversion and looseness is a lot more of a result of NHRA (not to be confused with the tech staff in the field) not wanting to invest the time and effort in tech inspection, rather than a result of racers wanting the rules opened up. Sure, some racers can have the blame for this laid squarely at their feet, because they were the ones who got caught with the cheated up parts to begin with. But it was NHRA that decided to make them legal, rather than have to look at them.

Alan, I've read and reread your last post a few times now and I don't know where you're coming from. Nobody has more respect for the Tech guys than I do. Any racer that would give a questionable piece to a Tech guy to look at is DISrespecting him. Getting tossed by a Tech guy and going over his head is DISrespect. Agreed? They now have a given number to compare specific castings to. You're over, you're out. No more going over his head. Period. Black and white. Agreed? Now with regards to bowl hogs and valves, you will have to go pretty far to find a more competitive person than I am BUT if somebody beats me in a heads up run or bumps me from a full field and is legal then I have no problem with that. Agreed? Have the rules gotten out of control? No doubt. Did the average racer really have a choice? Yes we did. We all knew what rules were being "perverted" and let it happen. At Indy a few years back I got in a heated "discussion" with a young man that told me;"Where I grew up we called guys like you a rat" to which I replied "Where I grew up we called guys like you cheaters". Since then I share my thoughts with my close friends and leave it at that. Average racers have allowed other racers to "pervert" and manipulate the rules to a point that it becomes the norm. Period. Agreed? We have brought all of this on ourselves by ignoring it all. Agreed?