[Alan Roehrich]

I'll say this, and I'm done with this thread.

I seriously doubt Wally Parks, or any founding member, EVER intended that cars that could barely run a 1/2 second under the index be able to avoid actually racing for a class win or qualifying and have a free ticket to single into the U.S. Nationals, or any other event. I just cannot look back into history and see any evidence there was an intent to allow anyone to actually be able to avoid actually qualifying or racing.

It seems to me that people are assuming that because Stock has so many classes that NHRA intended to have enough classes to allow people to not have to race other people for a class win. I don't think so. They have enough classes to allow a large variety of cars. Not to allow people to avoid competition.

Do I think a class win at Indy should be special? Yes, I certainly do. You should get a BIG Wally, a decent amount of prize money, and at least your name, if not your name AND picture in the Dragster. But I do not think you should get a free pass through qualifying if you single for class and do not even come CLOSE to qualifying on time, and 3 tenths is NOT close. And you certainly should NOT bump out a car that is 3 tenths faster than you. MAYBE they should allow you in, but not at the expense of a car that actually ran fast enough to qualify.

This is ANOTHER reason to lower the index 2 tenths. Then leave the trigger for a single for a class win at 5 tenths under.

It's called RACING, you have to QUALIFY, and to WIN, you have to RACE. I'm thinking they changed the rules because people started taking advantage of the rules, and gaming the system. And I'm glad they did. I'd sure as Hell NOT be proud of making the field at Indy by AVOIDING having to race another car and barely running a 1/2 second under. It's one thing to build a car for a class where there are not a LOT of other cars in the class, it's another to build a car for a class where the odds are you won't ever see another car in your class.

It's a SAD day for the sport when people WANT to build class cars and NOT have to race. It's even sadder when they are rewarded for it, especially at the expense of people who actually race other people. It'll be a shame when class racing becomes like the children's sports where people feel it's bad to keep score and have winners and losers.