Lower Class Imput

[House of Darts]

25+ years ago I raced between C/SA thru F/SA. I'm currently running a 10.80 bracket car. I've talked to a few racers that run T, U, V/SA. They are not happy about always being run down by higher class cars and usually only get to go a round or two. I have a combo that needs to be put together. Am I going to waste time and $? There is a name that I've seen of a guy( Billy Ness) that runs a lower class in Stock and Comp. Any feedback is greatly appreciated

[Terry Cain]

Lil' Tommy Mattingly running an O/SA was Div. 3 champ 2006. He was probably chased more than anyone I know. Didn't seem to effect him.

[Jack Matyas]

Billy Nees runs in U & V/SA and never in Comp--------thirty years ago (or so) I told him he was wasting his time in the lower classes and since then he has gone more rounds and won more races than me ! ! I guess my point is that it doesn't matter if you are in the lower classes or the upper ones--each has their own advantage......................And if you talk to Billy he'll tell you I'm still eating crow but he has some very interesting stories to tell about our racing together over the years .

[bill dedman]

I have no personal experience with this, but I heard something that might be of interest to you.

A well-known and highly-respected race team made up of some brothers, who shall remain nameless here, who had had a lot of success running Stock Eliminator with "fast" class cars (A/SA through G/SA) tried racing with a well-setup, lower classed car as an experiment. I am not sure of the class, but I believe it to have been a high 13-second car, or in that general neighborhood.

Their final analysis was, it was REALLY hard to dial the car because atmospheric changes and variable winds made the car virtually unpredictable. Temperature and barometric pressure changes that might affect their B or C-class Stockers a tenth would affect the slower car as much as three tenths (or more).

Wheelspin was never a problem; maintenance was minimal, and breakage was non-existent, but they couldn't go rounds in a handicap situation because of inconsistencies caused by the aforementioned factors... so, they called it a non-workable situation, and got rid of it.

I have heard of racers who CAN deal with this problem (Billy Nees is a wel-known one), and obviously, people like him have a handle on the consitency problem that these guys I mentioned couldn't seem to master. But, I can guess, it won't be easy.

You pays your money, and you takes your choice... LOL! Good luck!!!

[The Hawk]

Go ahead and spend the money on a slow car. I`ve done pretty well in the past with a car that could only run a tenth under,including winning a Division Championship. Just remember,pay much closer to the smaller details than you would with a quicker car. Good luck,and see you in the "Winner`s Circle"! "The Hawk"

[Dave Turner]

The toughest opponent that I have faced since "adopting" my car is the owner of the ugly mug in the mirror every morning!! I've been the victim of my own errors more often than not. Manage the "YOU" factor to the best of your ability and your results will reflect the effort.

Good Luck!!!....a healthy dose of that never hurts either.

[greg fulk]

I have run a V/SA car from 1999 to 2007 ....1/8th mile I would run anybody ...1/4 mile the thing would run # one round then go one way or the other the next! Milan 05 frist round 15.257 on a 15.26 I win 2nd round 15.27 on a 15.27 3rd round 15.28 on a 15.28 4th round 15.23 on a 15.28 ????have NO idea! Edgewater same year 1st round 15.26 on a 15.26 4th round i get a by 15.44 on a 15.40 5th round 15.37 on a 15.40??? & I could go on & on!!! I now have a P/SA that runs 12's & seems to be better ...we'll see

[LNorton]

I can tell you from running a slow car you really have to have the tune up on point and pay attention to the details a lot. You CAN NOT race a slow car without a weather station. Each combo will react to air differently. Once you can figure out what factors make the most difference and how to dial correctly for the air, you can win a lot of rounds in a slow car.

[GarysZ24]

Originally Posted by Lane M Weber

Go ahead and spend the money on a slow car. I`ve done pretty well in the past with a car that could only run a tenth under,including winning a Division Championship. Just remember,pay much closer to the smaller details than you would with a quicker car. Good luck,and see you in the "Winner`s Circle"! "The Hawk"

I agree with "The Hawk", you should spend the money on the lower classed car. Heck, with all of the punishment that the faster classed cars have had, the only untamed frontiers are primarily the fwd and the Q on down stocker classes. You remember the year that Scotty Richardson won the Stock World Championship in NHRA (I believe it was 1996)? I ask because The Hawk beat him in the 1st rd in Douglas, Wy. that year in his V/SA Skyhawk, so you can thank those faster classed cars he raced for the reason he won---Hawk wasn't going to let that happen without a fight, and I was in the lanes saying "GET HIM HAWK", & "RIGHT ON", afterwards!!!

I drive a DF/S stocker that has nearly $10K total invested in it (thus far), and true weather conditions affect the slower cars more than the faster cars. However, you do your stats just like with the other cars (I don't have a weather station, and I've done well enough with my Z24 to go 4rds at the 2006 Mile Hi's, the 2007 LODRS DIV. VII Tucson race (by the way I wasted a perfect run on a -.013 red eye , and this year at the LODRS DIV. VII Chandler, Az. (where I lost another winable race to a similar red light). Once I get my act together with driving the start & finish lines (like I did with my 17 sec. 1981 Div. V Street Eliminator winning Pontiac Ventura) I'll give these faster classed guys a run for the money---and If I can do it, "The Hawk has (and still is) doing it, plus Billy Nees has been doing it for years now (plus several others like Steve Pohill), then you certainly do it! My question for you is "HOW HUNGRY ARE YOU"???

[The Hawk]

Wow,you guys look over your shoulder? I only use the mirrors,and seldom turn my head around. I guess I`ve just been used to doing it that way for the last 25 years. I can race against an 8 second dragster and know 95% of the time if it`s going to catch me,but what I do at the stripe is the determining factor. Learning how to win in a slow car has helped me several times over when I ended up in a dragster,I knew what was going on ahead of me with the other driver. That deal`s over,so now I`m back to just running a V6 Stocker full time,and looking forward to it! Lane