SS cars have evolved with better chassis, better slicks (radials) and better engines (lite-weight parts and more power) which allow them to leave much harder. Those areas of improvements make them faster but the item that out did the fast race parts was the LED light. Now you have cars capable of red-lighting on a consistant basis and therefore racer's find it neccessary to slow the car off the line while not slowing the race car down (with bias tires for example).
Having a method of slowing down a launch speed by making adjustments in the valve body or trans-brake solonoid should not be a problem with NHRA. After all, one function of an automatic transmission is to control fluid pressure. If anybody hasn't figured it out, some racer's have figured out how to control t-brake release times. It's just a matter of controlling fluid pressure. Good for them, I see nothing wrong with it. NHRA doesn't tell me what ring gap I need in my engine or bearing clearance, right? Just as long as the racer has to go back to the pits to make the adjustments. If radio-controlled devices are being used with the capability of making adjustments at any time, then that's bad news. And I can see how that technology is feasible (my dad has flown R/C airplanes since the mid '60's, amazing what can be controled in a confined space!).
Using this technology, it kind of makes long travel or hydraulic type t-brake buttons a non-issue to some, doesn't it? I would guess if I had ways of controlling the dump time of my t-brake, any .99 cent button (re; "spec" button) would be adequate.
My guess is I wouldn't want to be the one without the knowledge of controlling the dump speed of my t-brake and having an NHRA mandated "spec" button. Because while I was out red-lighting (often), some of my opponents would enjoy another .000 light.
Make sense?
I guess if NHRA were truly concerned about all these methods of controlling reaction times, they would eliminate t-brakes in SS along with RPM limiters. That's the only way to clean up the mess (if you believe it's even a mess). But I don't see that happening.
NHRA #7494 SS/H
1970 AMC AMX
"Best Appearing" @ NHRA '06 Pacific Sports Nationals
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