Word is 1.15 under for AHFS at Opens and Divisional races

[Jack McCarthy]

bruce... spend your time where it might do some good

the AHFS cannot work in any form... it only reports data we can manipulate, and has no ability to offer any insight in to a combo's potential... ive said it since day one ... wont work...
just pisses people off and hits combos at random... (see greg hills post)

i admire your voracity but im sure your christmas lights need to be put up or your car needs some attention...trying to prove that NHRA is stupid is not productive > We all know it & they wont ever admit it !

jack mccarthy

merry ho ho's bruce

[Mike Galuk]

The Captain has finally spoken. I have wondered how long it was going to take.

Mike Galuk
JOE COOL RACING
Stock-2080

[Bruce Noland]

I managed to reduce this post by eliminating all notes and including only relevant sections from three different AHFS versions as found on the nhra site.Those versions are dated 12/11/2000,1/31/2003 and the current 2007 version. To start I'll post the recap of the 2000 version as found on the nhra site and then post the screening and review sections from the 2003 and 2007 versions.

AHFS - 2000, aka The combination specific AHFS, bb1990

To recap the system as described in issue 47 of the National Dragster: Only national event final qualifing data is included in the database. Any run of 1.15 seconds or more under index, or .25- second or less under index, automatically triggers a flag for analysis. Engine combination averages and class averages are then computed and analyzed to determine if any change is warranted. If the engine family or class average is 1.00-second or more under index an increase is initiated. If the engine family or class average is .50-second or less under index a decrease is initated. The amount of change is calculated on a stepped percentage basis. Adjustments will be effective for the specific car or body style being evaluated.

AHFS - 2003, Skipping obvious language and going straight to review provisions, bb1999

The following elements are then applied in evaluating possible horsepower adjustments for cars that run 1.15 or more under the index:

Any run of 1.15 seconds or more under the index at NHRA national events triggers an automatic review. Upon reviewing the data, the committee looks at the engine average and class/engine averages where the combination is available. If the engine family average or the class/engine average is found to be faster than 1.00-second under, a change will be initiated.

In reviewing runs of 1.15 seconds or more under the index, the database of all qualifing runs for the engine combination being reviewed are put through three screenings in search of an engine/class average faster than 1.00-second under, These reviews include the following:

ENGINE FAMILY AVERAGE for the specific engine combination being reviewed. All cars, regardless of class, running the particular engine combination being reviewed are included in this screening.

CLASS AVERAGEin the class utilizing the specific engine being analyzed. The class/engine average of the specific combination in the class that triggered the review is studied.

BODY STYLE of the engine combination being reviewed. Adjustments are only in effect for the specific car model being evaluated. However, in many instances the body style is classified by the OEM auto manufacturers' definition of "platform;" i.e., the Camaro and Firebird body are both based on the same platform and therefore considered the same with regard to body-style classification. In some instances, more than one body style will trigger a review.

AHFS AMMENDMENT - 2004
1.) Review periods reduced to two times a year.
2.) Any -.50 or less not considered
3.) Two runs of -1.15 or more to trigger a review
4.) Automatic hit reduced from -1.50 to -1.40

AHFS - 2007, Skipping obvious language and going straight to review provisions, bb2007

Final qualifing and elimination runs of 1.15 seconds or more, under the index, at NHRA national events will trigger an automatic review. (The combination must make at least two runs of 1.15 or quicker before a review is triggered to prevent a "one time fast" from triggering the system.) In reviewing runs of 1.15 or more under the index, the database of runs for the engine combination being reviewed are put through three screenings as listed below. The screenings will look for an overall engine family average or class/engine average faster than 1.00-second under. Runs of .50 and slower are not included in calculating the engine or class/engine averages:

ENGINE FAMILY AVERAGE: The overall engine average for all cars, regardless of class, running the particular engine combination being reviewed are included in this screening.

CLASS/ENGINE AVERAGE WHERE ENGINE IS RUN: The class/engine average of the car running the specific combination in the class that triggered the review is studied.

BODY STYLE AND TRANSMISSION TYPE: Also considered in the above two screening processes are the body style of the engine combination being reviewed and transmission type. Adjustments are only in effect for the specific car model being evaluated. The body style are generally classified by the OEM auto manufacturers' definition of "platform",i.e., the Camaro and Firebird body are both based on the same platform and therefore considered the same with regard to body-style classification. In some instances, however, more than one body-style will trigger a review. With regards to transmission type, if the class average triggers the review, the adjustment would be for classes with the type of transmission triggering the change. However, if an engine family average triggers a review, the adjustment would be for all transmission types.

The changes to the last paragraph in both 2003 and 2007 enabled Wesley and Skelly to lump the following dissimilar cars together during the 2007 racing season: Camaro, Chev II, Chevelle, Corvette, Century, Regal, Cutlas, Omega, Phoenix, Ventura, Firebird, Lemans, Skylark. I'm told this includes wagons too. These new groupings, no matter the OEM, should receive advance publication as well.

I've tried to copy the original AHFS information exactly as written, including typos.

Some of the new AHFS language is clarification stuff but the 2003 and 2007 versions clearly contain major system changing language. This language should have been published in advance before being used against the racers. 100% of us polled agree that nhra should publish it's rules prior to implematation and I guess we trust them to do the right thing.

Len has been working on the AHFS for more than seven years. He has described the changes to the AHFS as minor when in fact they are major changes.

Len and friends are supposedly at PRI this week and cooking up a new and improved AHFS for us. I hope this time we'll read it closely and be more persistent when questioning Len.

[Bruce Noland]

Captain Jack,

Just checked in and see that I missed your post from yesterday. The folks at nhra aren't stupid people. But some of them have some serious control issues. Think about it, why do they refuse to give advance notice of changes to the AHFS? All they would have to do is post the changes as separate items on the Lucas Oil site. Why is the AHFS any less important than buttons or valve job changes? Why won't they put up a general rule changes page on the Lucas Oil site for all of us to visit?

They certainly aren't processing their rules like any other first class motor sports organization, like NASCAR.

I just finished my girlfriends tree and lights so everything is good for xmas. My house doesn't get the full christmas thing, just a ten year old plastic wreath that may hang on the front door until April or May; if it doesn't fall off first. But there is work to do on the car, so there is some truth in your post.

Happy Holidays