Heads-Up Runs

[Mike Carr]

Originally Posted by JrRacer2033

Thank you Mike for the clarification! I've got one situation I would like to hear your thoughts on. So lets say you have someone covered (or believe to have someone covered), you play it safe on the tree and get "treed" by .05, would you risk running -1.15 knowing you would receive HP to get back around them to get the round win or just dump and race another weekend?

Yeah, I probably would. -1.15 won't get you hurt *too* bad. The rule was you had to run -1.15 twice (at different Nat'l events), or you, plus one other racer with your combo (at that or another Nat'l) both had to run -1.15 to triggger an evaluation, and if that particular combo averaged more than one second under during that half of the season (all data goes into first or second half of the season), it would then get HP. Which favors a combination with many cars running it ('67-'69 Camaros with a 396 or 350, '80 something 305 Camaros, for example). There could be two slow cars for every fast one, and the combination would not average a second under, and be safe from getting hit with horsepower. A one of a kind or rare combo, like those I have raced, where there are few or no one to bring the average down, could get hit with HP more easily). The rules were changed slightly for this season, and one racer earned HP by making two runs of more than -1.15 at the same Nat'l. He was the only racer with that combo, at the only Nat'l he ran all year, and received HP, so the rules may have changed. However, if a racer runs more than -1.40 at ANY race (Nat'l, Divisional, Nat'l Open, during qualifying, Class or Eliminator), they get automatic HP the Monday after the race, and more then they would if the combination averaged, say, -1.18 for that particular half of the year. So with that long, complex explanation, YES, I would run -1.15 and take the win and take the chance of maybe getting hit, as long as I got the Wally at the end of the day. If I knew I was going to go -1.20 on that run and STILL NOT WIN, I would lift and live to fight another day.