To all you INTELLECTUALS (B Parker)

[Bob Shaw]

I have a good example of how the old factoring system worked.
In 1991 at the Topeka national race early on Friday morning in the cool air with a tail wind
I ran .70 under my 18.50 index and qualified #1. This was with a 86 HP Mercury Lynx. I happened to survive eliminations until Sunday afternoon. Then it was about 95 degrees and a head wind. I dialed the index and could not run it. So NHRA gave me 5 HP which moved me up a class and gave me a 17.25 index. My car was instantly obsolete. Nobody at NHRA was interested in talking to me about what they did.

[Billy Nees]

Originally Posted by Bob Shaw

I have a good example of how the old factoring system worked.
In 1991 at the Topeka national race early on Friday morning in the cool air with a tail wind
I ran .70 under my 18.50 index and qualified #1. This was with a 86 HP Mercury Lynx. I happened to survive eliminations until Sunday afternoon. Then it was about 95 degrees and a head wind. I dialed the index and could not run it. So NHRA gave me 5 HP which moved me up a class and gave me a 17.25 index. My car was instantly obsolete. Nobody at NHRA was interested in talking to me about what they did.

Good example Bob! To put this into a little bit better perspective, you were given 5 HP (the minimum that NHRA gave out in "the old days") in a 27.5 pound class! That's a lot of extra weight for a 86HP combo to have to haul around.