Selecting the first few pairings to run

[442OLDS]

At Joliet,they called the left side of the ladder for first round.Then they called the right side.
I was on the right side and ended up being in the first pair out for first round.
While I don't really care,there seems to be several drivers that like to "hang back" and see how everybody is running to decide on their dial-in.
This is probably a good strategy,but somebody has to be first.
I was at a Division 5 race last year where the first three pair to run were randomly chosen and it was noted on the ladder.Just wondering if anybody thinks this is a good idea?
I actually wanted to be first because the Perfectly Strange money was up to about $1500.(missed it by .004)I don't think anybody won it yet,so there is some big money up for grabs at Englishtown.

[Nitro Joe Jackson]

its always the same people hanging back, they (tracks) need to go back to "the days" when there was chains that went across each lane, if you wasn't in the lanes 10 minutes after the call, to bad you was done.

I know one thing I would NOT put up with it at all at one of our Buckeye races unless I knew they was working on it trying to make the round.

[herbjr]

As long as they dont delay the race, but, I was at a race years ago when they made last call for SS qualifiing then they closed the lanes. When the first SS car went down out of over 100 the chain was pulled. probably 30 cars didnt make the run.

[Casey Miles]

Good thing there is a ladder at least in place. If there wasn't a ladder, there would be alot of duck hunting (I'd be a target) going on at National and Divisional events. I know that there are some racers that come into the lanes purposely late so that they are getting as much information as possible before putting their "guess" on the back window. Don't know if you should applaud them or penilize them.
Casey Miles
248H

[Mike Voth]

It's not all about dial-ins and sitting back waiting to make sure you're dialed right. Most of the time, the predictor is accurate enough not to worry about that, however, mother nature does throw a curveball at you from time to time. For us, it's about the track. It seems NHRA stops the show after whatever "super" category runs directly in front of us. Then, they prep and spray the track. In our experience, being first out of the gate, the car tends to spin and doesn't repeat. We hate seeing the sprayer when we're next. After one or two pair, it's back to normal. This, quite possibly, is just us, but I imagine the automatic cars don't experience this.

Just my 2 cents.

[Stephen & Horace Johnson]

Originally Posted by Mike Voth

It's not all about dial-ins and sitting back waiting to make sure you're dialed right. Most of the time, the predictor is accurate enough not to worry about that, however, mother nature does throw a curveball at you from time to time. For us, it's about the track. It seems NHRA stops the show after whatever "super" category runs directly in front of us. Then, they prep and spray the track. In our experience, being first out of the gate, the car tends to spin and doesn't repeat. We hate seeing the sprayer when we're next. After one or two pair, it's back to normal. This, quite possibly, is just us, but I imagine the automatic cars don't experience this.

Just my 2 cents.

Very, Very Good Point,



Stephen Johnson#2162
Horace Johnson #2167
SS/D 427 Ford Fairlane NHRA-IHRA