[bill dedman]

Jeff, I said I was done with this thread, but deep staging is another topic.

The (in MY opinion) blatantly unfair red light rule, that penalizes the first car to leave, UNIVERSALLY, in Class racing AND Bracket racing) is the only rule-related topic I have ever posted my opinion on, because it's the only controversial topic of that type I have any experience with.

Despite my having started drag racing in 1955, having been an NHRA Area Tech advisor at the pleasure of Dale Ham (Div.. IV Division Director [now retired],from 1960, 'til I moved to Iowa in 1964,] and despite having been the Stocker tech guy at the Carlisle, AR strip from 1960-'64, the Little Rock, Arkansas NHRA strip, from 1960-'64, the Stocker tech guy at the Des Moines Dragway, from 1965 'til it closed in 1968, despite having had several drag racing-related tech articles published in Super Stock and DRAG ILLUSTRATED during the period of time 1983 'til the late '80s, and an article or two in National Dragster (points race (Fremont) reports, and despite a long stint as Moderator of the Prodgy Drag Racing BB, and despite, in the 1950s and 1960s, campaigning several NHRA-classed Gas Coupes, and a Class-Legal H/SA car from 1965 'til 1970, or so, you seem to think that I am a know-nothing and have no right to post my opinion on this board just because I do not currrently campaign a Class-legal car.

And defifntely YES, this bizarro rule affects ME every time I take a car down the drag strip if I am the first to leave (I have a bracket car.) If it didn't, you probably wouldn't have had to endure all this outrage.

Well I don't know it all (FOR SURE!,) but, having sent a lot of years with an NHRA rule book in my hand, I recognize an unfair and unnecessary rule when I see one. That's the reason I run my cyber-mouth about this red light business. I didn't figure it out on my own... I'm not that smart. I had to have it explained to me over a period of time, but I finally GOT IT.

Anybody who thinks a first red light rule, in a race wherein one of the cars has NO CHOICE but to leave first, can explain to me what is fair about that, when there is an easily-implemented alternative that could make it fair for EVERYBODY, is welcome to do so...

There's just no reason to give free rides to cars that have "red light jeopardy immunity" just because they were the second to leave, and the firrst guy bulbed. When do they get their chance????

It's just unconscionable...

As rtegards Deep Staging I will say this: If someone can describe a reason how deep staging is unfair to any competitor, I would certainly entertain argumements regarding why it should be outlawed.

OR, if there were legitimate reasons someone could prove that is is an impairmentnt to the actual racing process... not just a "we don't like it," THAT would be a logicaL reason to discuss it.

Maybe someone could prove that is takes too long to get staged, that way.... I dunno.

But at this point, I don't have an opinion, since I don't now enough about it.

So, now you know why I don't run my mouth about THAT issue. Eminently unqualified.