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Originally Posted by Michael Beard
Again, why should this be treated different than any other national event? If Pomona rains out, will you expect NHRA to just split the money among the potential championship contenders? Doesn't make any sense. You have to crown World Champions, and you have to RACE for it, in my opinion.
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Because the NHRA doesn't postpone races indefinitely, or even for 4 months like it looks like this race is going to be postponed. If Pomona rains out, they'll try to run it on consecutive days, and if they get to the point where it is not going to be able to be run during the week, they'll try the very next weekend. Not at the beginning of the following year on the verge of the new season starting. Crowning a 2009 champion 2 months into 2010 completely takes the luster off of it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael Beard
1) To give racers one last shot to qualify for the TOC
2) To make the weekend financially viable. Remember, there's no "entry fee" for the TOC. IHRA and the track have to make some money somewhere. Would a track reasonably take on an event where the ONLY income was from spectators/crew? Sportsman payouts are still a sizable nut to crack.
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I'll stand by my prior comments that trying to run the Sportsman National event PRIOR to the TOC was just plain stupid. I agree with you...they did it to try to entice racers to come down, and make the weekend financially viable. But, the race should NOT have been used to give somebody one last shot to qualify for the TOC in 2009. It should have been run AFTER the 2009 TOC, with the winner of that race and the TOC automatically gaining a berth in the 2010 TOC.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael Beard
Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. We were all presented with a worst case scenario. The issue now is how to deal with it. At this point, I would like them to make a decision, period.
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I certainly don't disagree with you there, and I feel bad for all of you that are / were involved with this. My point of view is that at this point, it's an f'ing disaster. Cut your losses, split the purse, and move on in life with a clean slate in 2010. If you run the race in early 2010 (like it looks like they will, IF they run it), you'll eliminate a good portion of the racers simply because they can't return, and this race will favor those racers down south who have been able to race prior to the TOC. Those up in the Northeast will be going down there cold, and will be at a distinct disadvantage (rather than running at the end of the season where EVERYBODY has a large number of runs to draw off of).
So, how validating is it to be crowned the "champion" when not all the contenders participated, and when a good portion of them are coming in rusty due to inactivity?