Bring back super/mod...

[Michael Colaluca]

Did you have a good participation in that class?

[randy wilson]

We had around 8 stockers, 6 modified stock, six stock option, and 9 hot stock until the hot stockers boycotted us. They boycotted us because they thouight the indexes were unfair. We had .03 between hotstock and stock option. If any car in any class hits there index in the lower classes, it affects all. Such as, a 10 lb. modified stock runs off a 7.40 , a 10 lb. stock option runs off a 7 flat, and a 10 lb hot stock runs off a 6.70. The closest any of these classes could get to was .2. So if a stock option car ran a 6.90, he hits all classes down a tenth, unless there was more then .2 between classes. It's not as complicated as I make it sound, and I was involved with cars in all 4 little classes to prove they could all run under these rules and be competitive. One night, between hot stock and stock, there were 9 cars within .07 of each other. In the upper classes, we had 4 dragsters, two 23 T's, one don ness camaro, a balkhalfed mustang, and falcon, three vegas, two wagons, a cobalt, 6 camaros, one being Ricky Ray's old car, a thunderbird from Bickel, an olds firenza, a 64 nova, and others that may come to mind. I've never seen a shootout decided by more then a .01.

[Dick Butler]

Randy, Do you think there were really too many classes?SHould people actuallly try to fit the class instead of the classes fitting the people? Two CLass Max( one better)
Add wt, use FG or carbon fiber. With time it would happen if people started to support it.
Minimum wt,maximum Cubic inch or One cubic inch range?

[randy wilson]

In like the lower classes, were there two many? Yes, for NHRA, but you would have to know our area, and participants. In the upper classes, no. I think when you have an index of .01 per half lb. in the eighth, and .015 for quarter, it takes care of itself. We ran dragsters against superstockers, with a brodix spec head only in upper classes, and racing was extremely close. We were real loose on chassis limitations, and actually, the door cars won more then the pro stock type, or dragsters. But some of the superstock guys were close to NHRA standards in performance, so they knew what they were doing. We went in 1\2 lb. increments to fit everybody in. It was a survival mode, but it worked out good there. One 23T driver could make anything competitive, and he gave everyone fits. In the lower classes, they were limited to 200 CC heads, in 20 degree ford, 23 degree chevy, and 18 degree chrysler, iron only. No porting, except for hot stock.

[randy wilson]

But Dick, with all that being said, I like one wt. like 3000lbs. one motor size, like 330 or anything reasonable. It's just that on a local level, you have to diversify, on a divisional level, I think the head, cam, rocker arm, trans. and tire companys would eat this up. And, I'm sold about the pro tree, it's the best way to go. I do know that for a fact. It is possible, and like I said, the head companys could help police it, especially with the $500 protest, and exchange. Send the winner, and or, the fastest time recorded racer's head back to manufactorer, for verification. One time Dave Rodder from brodix was at the 360 nationals, and they had him look at a winners heads, and his comment was, "Ray Charles could see that head is illegal", and out he went.

[Wade Mahaffey]

I don't like the 400 pro tree concept unless all cars are leaf spring and stock front suspension. A Super/Gas, 4-Link, strut type car could be worth .05-.10 in reaction time. The cars will look funny when they start putting 24 inch funny car goodyears on the front end to minimize roll out. You need to have the possibility of a red light start to bring the driver into play as well. The .500 full sportsman tree is the most fair with reguard to reaction time advantage. Also it places an additional chance for any race to go either way. If you allow an advantage that the car provides, and this advantage removes/reduces the drivers ability from the equation. This is the very thing that brought about delay boxes. If you run on anything other than a sportsman tree you will be allowing an advantage to the quicker reacting car, it's as simple as that. Talking about the cost going up...now you need a super/gas car, and then add 850 pounds to meet a 3000 pound minimum. A full tree there is no advantage for the quick reactiing car. When you make the car do something....it cost money. When you make the driver do something, it cost "0"

Wade Mahaffey