Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimmy D. Hyink
As someone who works as a starter for a dragstrip, I do think that the loss of deep staging has hurt the racers with slower class cars. This is one of the few downsides of autostart, not so much the fault of the system, just need to let NHRA@IHRA approve it again. For a good line crew deep staging with autostart is not a problem. just an opinion.
Jimmy D. Hyink
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Wow Jimmy, Thanks...and because of you I found something else I agree with Ed over. In my cars set-up, shallow staging works much better. I recanted my quarter final finish at the '06 Mile Highs, and noticed that my worst rt during elims was in fact my quarter-final loss to Ryan McClanahan (0.045)...I'll remember that race until I get a rematch against him, because I tree'd him by 0.026, and he was safe against his dial under by just 0.014 (and my car fell off that rnd by 0.133)! If ever there was a race I wish I could do over, it was that one, because 0.015 or more quicker by Ryan, and barring a foul in the semi's by me against Mike Loge (his car slowed against Ryan by 1.989 sec---13.409 on his 11.42 dial), I would've had the chance to race Scott Burton in the finals and thus had a chance to join Mark as the only fwd national event winners...plus I would've seen my car in action on the "Inside Drag Racing show after the race on ESPN"! Everytime I watch that video, I wish for a do-over because I know what I did wrong, and I felt that race was mine for the taking! It would've allowed me to be the first fwd national event winner this century---which is my motivation to keep plugging away at this, because as that saying goes, "every dog has it's day", and when I have mine I won't just be barking...I'll be "HOWWLLLLING!!!
I give credit to my car leaving like the rwd cars (shallow staging) due to the converter that Marv Ripes at A-1 put together for me, and the M/T slicks I used there for the grip. Someday I'll get my rematch against him (Ryan), and I will do my best to do to him what I did to one of my friends (Wes) at a combo race here in Phoenix ( shortly after I lost the quarters to him at last years Div VII race #2 in Tucson), a 0.017rt, and a right on the dial + 0.004 run out of my car on a slippery track, which earned me a 0.003 sec margin of victory!