[bill dedman]

I have no answer for the "class war; how can we start one" question, but since the Hemi subject has come up, I have a comment ffor your perusal. Maybe I'm missing something, but this is how I see it:

The Hemis in question (the ones that used to run in SS/AA) are unique in several signifiicant ways, the MOST significant being that no one has yet built a car that can outrun them, generlly speaking. If you have watched these cars, from the outset (in 1968), one thing has stood out: Not Ford, nor G.M., nor American Motors has fielded a car with a power-to-weight ratio that could compete with them, heads up.

They had no trouble totally dominating their class (SS/AA) to the detriment of any other cars that tried to run competitively in that class.

When the rules were changed to give the the Hemis their own class, at least one consequence made itself known: Now, there was the real possibility that say, an L-88 Corvette, could achieve a class win in SS/AA. Brandon Wilkinson (with Kenny Schindler's magic) made that possible... something that would likely not have happened if the SS/AA Hemis had remained in that class.

At first blush, I was not aware that having been given their own class, the Hemis would not be allowed to race in SS/AA, instead of SS/AH, if that was their choce; after all, they still fit the class requirements (pounds per factored HP, etc.)

It seemed to me that running the former SS/AA Hemis in SS/AH should be an (elective) choice, not mandatory, since nothing changed about the cars except the newly-mandated class designation.

I was perrplexed, and more than a little bit incensed, to tell the truth.

But, after seeing how this move (to disallow the Hemis in SS/AA) has worked out, with some interesting possibilities developing for SS/AA, and the potential for spme newfound variety in a class that was, from its inception, a one-trick-pony, I have changed my mind.

Why?

At this point, I can't see a single way this rule change was detrimental to anybody.

It looks, for all the world, like a win/win situation, to me. NHRA doesn't seem to get much right these days, but I think they lucked into this one.... They say you can't make everybody happy, but I think everybody involved in splitting this class (and, on both sides iof the split) should be happy about it. I am.

Just my 2-cents...

Bill






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