NHRA At It Again

[GarysZ24]

The shrinking of quotas is a direct result of NHRA adding classes. Now we have the new FX class starting this year. That will take more of the sportsman quota away at Nationals.
Last year approximately 935 stock eliminator cars competed and scored points. Just over 700 super stock cars ran for points. I would venture to say we have the highest car counts of any other classes but we are getting pushed out by classes that have nowhere near the numbers we have.[/QUOTE]

I think it's laughable that Top Sportsman only has two entries, and Top Dragster 19. They would've been better off adding Super Street instead of both of those categories....

[SSDA Hemi]

Originally Posted by GarysZ24

I think it's laughable that Top Sportsman only has two entries, and Top Dragster 19. They would've been better off adding Super Street instead of both of those categories....

All that matters is where it closes at before the race. T/S and T/D racers on the west coast might just have lower grade point counts right now. IMO better to race a class with less/ no quotas than be fighting when grade point 9 or 10 becomes reality lol!

Originally Posted by SSDA Hemi

All that matters is where it closes at before the race. T/S and T/D racers on the west coast might just have lower grade point counts right now. IMO better to race a class with less/ no quotas than be fighting when grade point 9 or 10 becomes reality lol!

Bingo SSDA. There should - be 30 or more TS and probably 45 TD..
Might be a sh!t load of Stock and Superstock . Hopefully!!

[GarysZ24]

Originally Posted by SSDA Hemi

All that matters is where it closes at before the race. T/S and T/D racers on the west coast might just have lower grade point counts right now. IMO better to race a class with less/ no quotas than be fighting when grade point 9 or 10 becomes reality lol!

Perhaps, but I'll certainly be looking to see just how many of them enter by that last Monday. I'm certain that within D7 alone, there'd be plenty of Super Street racer sign-ups (probably equal or more to Super Gas/Comp), by now. I have several Super Street buds that I know (Mike DeCarolis being one), that would've been on the list already. We'll see....

[novassdude]

Question would you go back to a pick up and trailer if NHRA said they would add 20 to the quota but no RV/Toter's allowed in the sportsman pits?

[Mike Gray]

Originally Posted by novassdude

Question would you go back to a pick up and trailer if NHRA said they would add 20 to the quota but no RV/Toter's allowed in the sportsman pits?

Simple answer NO, unless the race track is less than an hour or two away from my house. When I raced super street in the ‘80’s I spent time sleeping in motels or the back of a pick-up and even on cots under my shade canopy. Too old for the truck or outdoors and leaving a race car and trailer worth 10x what I started with unattended over night isn’t going to happen.

Originally Posted by novassdude

Question would you go back to a pick up and trailer if NHRA said they would add 20 to the quota but no RV/Toter's allowed in the sportsman pits?

Heck no! That means more trailers and trucks. Some stackers have 4 stockers/ super stockers. It also means travel time to hotels and food.

[Alan Roehrich]

Originally Posted by novassdude

Question would you go back to a pick up and trailer if NHRA said they would add 20 to the quota but no RV/Toter's allowed in the sportsman pits?

With the money you spend on hotels and restaurants, as well as the time spent commuting, we would not. I can stay at the track, cook my own food, drink my own beverages, work on my race car, socialize with my friends, and still have time to relax. No rush to get across town, no lines at the restaurant, and no time wasted driving or riding. I can work until 11:00 if necessary, shower, and hit the sack before midnight, and sleep an extra half hour. I don't have to wait in lines to get in or out, of the track or restaurants.



Further, when you take your truck to the restaurant, or your rig to the hotel, and leave them unattended, they're exposed to an exponentially higher risk of theft. Especially since they're "out of town" vehicles. Way too much stuff is stolen. Insurance will "pay", but it really doesn't cover you adequately. Most people would be done, for years, if not forever, if someone drove off with their rig and race car. The odds of you getting any of it back, in even repairable condition, or getting paid even close to what it is actually worth, are slim and none.



I understand, some people do not like, or cannot afford, a toter, or maybe a big pick up and a living quarters trailer. However, the idea that people who have rigs are "to blame" for NHRA slashing quotas, or refusing to pay bigger purses, or contingencies, is really just a joke. Neither is true. Honestly, can you imagine how annoyed NHRA would be trying to get an extra 300 sportsman crew/tow vehicles and 400-500 more people into the pits every morning? And the attending traffic jams?

[SSDA Hemi]

Yes, I believe the real problem is time. Face it, NHRA wants semi finals on Sunday and NHRA workers are tired, underpaid and overworked. The real question is would you give up a qualifying session and run 2 qualifiers and first round on the first day (thursday or Friday depending)? How bad do you want higher quotas?

Have to give to get and throwing NHRA that bone, they may bite. Seems this was attempted at a few nationals in the past and everyone went nuts. Are you there to picnic and party or race?

[Mark Yacavone]

Originally Posted by Alan Roehrich

With the money you spend on hotels and restaurants, as well as the time spent commuting, we would not. I can stay at the track, cook my own food, drink my own beverages, work on my race car, socialize with my friends, and still have time to relax. No rush to get across town, no lines at the restaurant, and no time wasted driving or riding. I can work until 11:00 if necessary, shower, and hit the sack before midnight, and sleep an extra half hour. I don't have to wait in lines to get in or out, of the track or restaurants.



Further, when you take your truck to the restaurant, or your rig to the hotel, and leave them unattended, they're exposed to an exponentially higher risk of theft. Especially since they're "out of town" vehicles. Way too much stuff is stolen. Insurance will "pay", but it really doesn't cover you adequately. Most people would be done, for years, if not forever, if someone drove off with their rig and race car. The odds of you getting any of it back, in even repairable condition, or getting paid even close to what it is actually worth, are slim and none.



I understand, some people do not like, or cannot afford, a toter, or maybe a big pick up and a living quarters trailer. However, the idea that people who have rigs are "to blame" for NHRA slashing quotas, or refusing to pay bigger purses, or contingencies, is really just a joke. Neither is true. Honestly, can you imagine how annoyed NHRA would be trying to get an extra 300 sportsman crew/tow vehicles and 400-500 more people into the pits every morning? And the attending traffic jams?

Several decades ago, we could load up our race cars, go over to the motel, unload, have the camshaft half changed before dark.
Not anymore, with the multiple .90 classes, the circus acts etc.
Try running Vegas at 8 am, and then long after dark, on the same day.
I wouldn't go to any race without an RV now, as I've been doing since about 1991.
It doesn't take a brand new or expensive Class C to pull an open trailer.
No $15 hot dogs for me.