Why are Opens random pairings?

[Jeff Stout]

If you opponent is in the same class just ask if he wants a heads up. Dial 8.00 and first to finish line wins.

[Larry Hill]

If you want RT to set the bye first round have a practice tree tournament. It has no place in NHRA racing for determining bye runs.

[rboyle]

I knew how it was done I just thought it was dumb. If it's a time saver it only saves time rd1. The confusion of trying to find a ladder after rd1 is mind boggling. It's just such a dumb excuse for a performance based class. Try explaining it to a novice fan that has a fledgling interest in following class racing. It was a lazy way to do it and is just wrong

[Paul Precht]

I think another reason in D1 was to let everyone race the eliminator. 25 30 years ago it was quite common at the Dutch for instance to have 140-150 cars.

[Stan Weiss]

Originally Posted by rboyle

I knew how it was done I just thought it was dumb. If it's a time saver it only saves time rd1. The confusion of trying to find a ladder after rd1 is mind boggling. It's just such a dumb excuse for a performance based class. Try explaining it to a novice fan that has a fledgling interest in following class racing. It was a lazy way to do it and is just wrong

You do understand that if it is a 32/64/128 car field. That 1st round will have as many pairs race as all of the other round together will have pairs race.



Stan

[rboyle]

Originally Posted by Stan Weiss

You do understand that if it is a 32/64/128 car field. That 1st round will have as many pairs race as all of the other round together will have pairs race.



Stan

I understand all of that. Believe me, I'm not as novice as you may think. Designated pairs also is supposed to save time. How much actual time does it really save? Most of us know who we have Rd1 and also know or have heard if our opponent had left or hurt his car.
Defending it because it's how it's been done for however long is just The Emperors New Clothes mentality. They don't do it in some other divisions. The rules change often but for some reason this "house rule" is not changing. I have little interest in opens because of this rule and how it conflicts with being able to run as fast as you can without penalty

[Stan Weiss]

Isn't the run as fast as you can without penalty really more about qualifying?

If 1st round pairs was base off of a "Q" ladder just how much faster could you run in 1st round than random pairing?

Stan

[Dirk Olson]

D5 to my memory has always been laddered. But I do have a question about index hit in opens. So does it count as far HP adds. With the new system it is somewhat confusing and I am easily confused....lol