my opinion

[Ed Fernandez]

Originally Posted by Jeff Lee

First post: Deep staging and pro-tree - In Super Stock, as it is perfectly LEGAL, some of the more "seasoned" racers have built in delays which are ADJUSTABLE in their transmissions or the components surrounding their transmissions or the devices which control the vehicle reaction time. Those that don't get this or deny their useage are plain NAIVE or maybe even STUPID. Don Kennedy is fully aware of not one, but all of these methods in controlling reaction times. And so are the "touring pros" reading this.
Allowing for a pro-tree and / or deep staging would NEGATE many of these tactics. And best of all it would negate or limit these tactics for FREE.

Second post: Touring pro's - The touring pro, as pointed out below by Mark Faul has many dilemmas in getting back to the staging lanes. TRUE! But why should NHRA personnel, much less their competitor be held accountable for their issues? If I race SS, I race SS. If the pro wants to race Stock and SS (or comp or whatever), he takes on the issue, not the rest of us. Anybody that has not seen the officials accommodate these racers is BLIND.
Divisional and national event point system is FLAWED and (again) accommodates the touring pro. In the "old days" a racer claimed the race he attended AT THE GATE when he paid his money. And as today, the amount of races you could claim was dictated. If you claimed a race and failed 1st round, it directly affected your points. If you won the race, same thing. NOW you can tour the whole country and "pick and choose" the races you want to claim. Therefore, the advantage WILL ALWAYS be to the touring pro over the "local yocal" The stat Don should have posted other than that other list of BS is who attends the most races and filters out the "BAD" races. The guy that has a 40 hour a week job has almost no chance of winning a championship. Right now the system is not only structured for the full - time traveling sportsman, it actually encourages it.

Bring it back to claiming a race before racing the event and retaining the allowable divisional / national races as well as points for #1 qualifier and points for national records (remember, this is supposed to be a "performance based class") and EVERYBODY is on level playing fields.

The same guys will STILL win as many races and because they're so good the percentages are with them that they will get points at every race they claim.It is what it is no matter what you "welfare " racers do to throw obstacles in their way.
BTW Don,no reply on specifics of my "so called" name calling?
The match race I would pay to see is Don against the Energizer Battery rabbit.I think Don would outlast even him.