PINKS...Here's Our Chance.....

[treessavoy]

Originally Posted by fredjohnston

Like I said, I just don't get it. When you go to race, don't you want to know that you have a chance to race for the money and not have to be selected to compete?

What!!!

If you're a class racer do you finish in the money every time you go to a race? If so you must be very good.

If you qualify and go out in the first round.....how much do you get? If you win the Stock Eliminator.....how much do you win, a thousand, two? Certainly not $18,000.00 tools and money combined.

JimR

[fredjohnston]

Originally Posted by treessavoy

What!!!

If you're a class racer do you finish in the money every time you go to a race? If so you must be very good.

If you qualify and go out in the first round.....how much do you get? If you win the Stock Eliminator.....how much do you win, a thousand, two? Certainly not $18,000.00 tools and money combined.

JimR

Pay attention to what I wrote, Mr. Tree. Would you go to a race such as "Pinks" knowing that you do not have a chance to compete for the money? Remember, you must be one of the choosen few to participate in the actual money race at Pinks. NOT ME. When you got to a "normal" race, you compete and don't have to be choosen. And yes, if you have the right decals, you can win $13,500 - $15,000 for a national event win. Most racers have a bunch of tools already, who needs a tool box??? I just don't get the appeal of PINKS, nor racing off some tool that drops his arms.

[Gary Smith]

Fred you're right, you don't get it. Did you see Travis' post? He showed a perfect example how a field would be selected using a sheet from Indy. Although not everyone was the fastest in class, they qualify using the typical PINKS format. The gamble is if & how much you want to turn up the wick in terms of "tune-up". You may elect a bracket tune, or set the car on kill (class/record setup). The whole idea is to run the car as hard as you can. Sandbagging is closely monitored and any drastic variation on your time card will get you tossed. Because so many clases and combinations overlap in performance there's no guarantee any one class or racer has an advantage. Simple.

Here's how they make it work: 1) No posted time sheets 2) scoreboards are turned off, and 3) Entry list is kept concealed, preventing anyone from "position guessing" their way in. I didn't realize this until after I entered which makes perfect sense.

Regarding the sticker money...that was one reason I built my car, only to see most of it vanish. That's based on my observation of the growing number in bare bodied S & SS cars during Full Throttle events the last couple years, unless they can still collect.

[fredjohnston]

Originally Posted by Gary Smith

Fred you're right, you don't get it. Did you see Travis' post? He showed a perfect example how a field would be selected using a sheet from Indy. Although not everyone was the fastest in class, they qualify using the typical PINKS format. The gamble is if & how much you want to turn up the wick in terms of "tune-up". You may elect a bracket tune, or set the car on kill (class/record setup). The whole idea is to run the car as hard as you can. Sandbagging is closely monitored and any drastic variation on your time card will get you tossed. Because so many clases and combinations overlap in performance there's no guarantee any one class or racer has an advantage. Simple.

Here's how they make it work: 1) No posted time sheets 2) scoreboards are turned off, and 3) Entry list is kept concealed, preventing anyone from "position guessing" their way in. I didn't realize this until after I entered which makes perfect sense.

I get it just fine, that's why you will never see me at one of the Pink races. Like I keep saying, you have to be "selected" to race for the money and I like knowing when I leave my driveway that I am going to be racing for the money. And the No posted time sheets 2) scoreboards are turned off, and 3) Entry list is kept concealed, preventing anyone from "position guessing" their way in....sounds like a real blast, if you were racing in the 1950s.

Referencing Travis' post earlier on this thread is a good example...what happens to the other 100 or so cars who were at the race...they get to look through the fence while the one selected get to race for the money.

I do not understand the appeal of Pinks and no one seems to be able to explain it other than saying "to possibly be on TV and race in front of....". NOT

[Troy Henderson]

The Tosto's have it nailed, good work guys. Have it in the spring or fall (cars leave better for the camera) at a centrally located track everyone can get to. We'd be there with three cars.

We thought about running the HPT Pinks race this year but it's between the Denver races.

Marketed correctly it would be a great show. I think everyone underestimates how amazing these cars are from AA to W.

[Travis Miller]

Here is how S/S would be in the closest 16 for a Pinks race using Indy 2009 qualifying. There were 175 S/S cars ranging from the quickest of 8.237 down to a 13.175. The first number is the actual qualified position at Indy.

163 SS/DA Mike Bogina 70 Barracuda 9.607
26 GT/DA Stacy Smith 93 Daytona 9.611
84 GT/CA Jerry Emmons 05 Cavalier 9.611
88 GT/CA Tom Randall 02 Cavalier 9.616
127 GT/DA Kyle Jeltema 88 Thunderbird 9.625
128 SS/EA Ryan Haag 67 Camaro 9.629
109 GT/CA Jim Boburka 05 Cavalier 9.645
72 SS/FA Dan Jacobs 67 Chevy II 9.646
122 GT/CA Bob Bales 98 Grand Am 9.667
124 GT/CA Chris Chaney 02 Cavalier 9.670
29 GT/TA Tom Nolan 02 S-10 9.671
126 GT/CA Bobby Rachid 82 Firebird 9.674
95 SS/FA Todd Frantz 67 Chevy II 9.680
32 SS/BX Joe Buchanan 04 Mustang 9.682
35 SS/GA Bret Voges 67 Nova 9.686
37 SS/GA Andy Fogle 67 Camaro 9.688

This spread for S/S would be .081 from quickest to slowest. Again this would make a good show at a hands drop race.

Travis

(Disclaimer: Opinions expressed and race data editing by me on this forum are exactly that, my opinions and race data editing.)

[Randall Klein]

Not paying a lot of attention, but just musing, based off Travis' groupings, if it was up to me I would pair 1 vs 2, 3 vs 4, etc, although .08 spread isn't much....just a thought

Looks like fun to me....heck, 4 time trials among fellow class racers with a good "house" is more ego-trip than most NHRA events

Anyone understand the arm drop? Do you go (or when are you supposed to) on first muscle twitch, or when the arm comes all the way down? or..... Who decides on "red light"?

[Ed Wright]

I don't know about most of you guys, but I don't often see 1/2 second difference in reaction times at our divsional races. You can't make up 1/2 second on the tree against the better guys. Like a SS/JA car having to run a SS/IA car heads up?
I (SS/JA) don't want to have to race Gary Emmons (SS/IA) heads up.
Kinda hate to race him anyway.

3/10 ain't gonna be made up on the starting line against guys around here.
1/10 would be a stretch.