How do you get (N) racers over to the (I) side

[Kegracing]

Some good answers and good questions here... I am glad. I was worried that Wade would just get a bunch of BS stuff...

I have raced for a long time now (no where as long as Dave Ribeiro! ), some years much more than others... Started out as N, living in Kansas. Not really anything with I on it close 20 years ago... Moved to North Carolina, and started racing I... and N... at the same time! I was more sportsman friendly. Biggest thing was the tech officials. While I knew some nice guys at N races, the IHRA crew just seemed thrilled to have you there. They tech'ed me just as safely, but were just a happy lot doing it for most part. Money was not really that much different 10-15 years ago. And as Beard said, you still have to win.

Now I have my car set up for I, with a crate motor. No fear of top 10 qualifier, unless there is less than 10 cars! It is under the index, and I can take my kids and go have fun. I have parts for a Pontiac motor, but not the time and MONEY to put it all together right now. Work way too much... have to remind myself that I am blessed to have a job sometimes... Car is built legal for both N and I, and may get the other motor together some day.

I am happy to be able to class race some. Guess what... I am going to try to bracket race a little this year too. With my class (yea, crate motor) car.

Couple of comments on the differences. Slicks... most everyone runs 9" radials. I have both. I do keep bias tires for bracket racing and run them on hot tracks. Cheaper and last longer. I have a set of MT 29.5x9 and a set of MT 28x10.5. Tread face, and section width of the tires are within 0.2" of each other on 8" rims... 9" tire is the widest! The 29.5 grows and rubs on my car in 1/4, so I keep the shorter tire on the car. MT does not have a 28x9 or I would use it... Go measure them next time you have a chance, or stop and measure mine at the track... That is really not an issue. Not a performance advantage anyway.

Classes are really not a big deal, other than for the handful of "fast" cars, looking for a heads up run. Even in N, with limited classes, you really do not see that many heads up runs. Case in point, when there are several, we get a post started on here telling everyone to watch! If it was that common, we would not make a big deal of it.

Bottom line, we need a place to race, and the tracks have to make a living. If we want to make it better, then we are going to have to just try to support them, and let them have a chance to get it better. I am disappointed with IHRA on the contigency side, and really would like to see them do a better job of it. But, I am not going to sit at home because of it. Hell, with all my used, 10 year old, 2nd hand parts, I am not going to get to claim squat anyway!

Hope to see some more of you at the races. Crandall will be my first points race this year, and I cant wait!

Ken Graham

Stk 412

[Ed Carpenter]

Originally Posted by 71mavlouisville

Scheduling

in Div 4 this year, the race in Crandall is the weekend between Houston Divisional and Belle Rose National, I live in Dallas area but can't go because of work schedule. Very difficult to take that many days off in a 3 week span. State Capitol is the weekend before Ennis, Houston National 2 weeks after that with Easter in between. You would have to be a traveling professional, retired or independently wealthy to race that many weekends in a month.

Gilliam is scheduled nice compared to Belle Rose divisional

San Antonio is also doable 2 weeks before Houston divisional

Look forward to seeing your car run this year.

[Ed Fernandez]

Originally Posted by Myron Piatek

If Crate Motor cars are combined with "regular" Stockers, I'm pretty sure there would be more complaining because they would be running heads up. There are enough issues with trying to equalize regular Stockers as it is. At least seperately, they handicap race and there isn't any advantage/disadvantage to complain about. As Mike pointed out, there are fast crates and there are fast regular Stockers - even if you don't count the new factory cars. Qualified fields from both sanctions were compared here and the results showed a pretty even mix throughout if they were combined.

Cover me I'm going in:
IHRA started crate motor classes because of the lack of traditional stockers.
If the car counts went up significantly,eliminating the crate cars would cut down the classes some.
Incoming,duck.

[Bench Racer]

Before you bash, no I don't have a car, but I think the NHRA mindset is the IHRA guys are not in the class with the NHRA clan. NHRA has more "big names" at the track, a MUCH bigger horse and poney show for the drag race newbies to awe over, But if you are willing to put the class records, and I can run farther under the index than you aside, and are wanting to see who can cut the light and run the stripe give IHRA a try and see if you are a
drag racer or a qualifier! Don Jackson

[Ed Wright]

Around here the IHRA SS cars also run NHRA. Same cars. Other than the crate motor cars I think the Stockers are all the same cars too.

[Jim Woods]

Ed, who ever said crate would be deleted ? i work for IHRA and never heard that plan.

[Myron Piatek]

Jim,

I think Ed was just suggesting that crates could be "deleted" if car counts went up with more "traditional" stockers. But that's like saying "Let's drop K/SA-K/S and slower to reduce the number of classes! But seriously, all that would do is reduce the number of cars attending and we're back to lower car counts!

I think car counts and number of classes are two seperate issues that should be addressed seperately

[RPM5595]

I would definitely support IHRA again if they get some more truly Midwest races like we used to have in Div.5. Last week I received a mass email from IHRA and part of it was telling just how much they support the Sportsman racers and all the good programs they have for us. I was in kind of a pissy mood that day and decided I would email back whomever might read it and let them know my disappointment in them "screwing" us racers in Div.5 a few years ago. I also told them to "feel free to take me off your list" of mailings. To my absolute astonishment I received an email from Scooter Peaco (VP of racing operations) the next day and a phone call from Jon O'Neal ( Div. 1,3,and 5 director)! They were TRULY concerned about my response and my negative attitude about the "screwing" I referred to. I spoke to Jon for an HOUR on his dime and we discussed a number of "I" versus"N" issues and what actually led to the decision to cancel what was then Div.5. He had some very valid business reasons and I had some valid racer reasons of why we felt a little screwed such as reading in the IHRA paper that the cause was mostly due to "lack of racer participation" when I know that we were doing the best we could with scheduling conflicts, and trying to get other NHRA racers to show up.
Here is the point.
I truly do not understand some of these supposed "issues" some of you guys have with running IHRA. How many of you think that I could write an email to NHRA complaining about something and have Tom Compton email me and some other muck call me about my concerns? YEAH RIGHT!
My list of things to change would be NO 1/8 mile races at 1/4 mile tracks. It would also be fun to have Class Runoffs. Have a S/SS Shootout Saturday night. Have a time run Sunday morning and allow late entries to help car count. Definitely keep heads up runs in eliminations. Start some kind of "bounty" program for the person that takes out the #1 qualifier. I could come up with more ideas if I try. I'm sure all of you can too, and have.
We should ALL start calling our local NHRA tracks and inquire about them making the switch to IHRA and the excellent Sportsman program they have for us. Jon told me that IHRA would LOVE to bring back Div.5 to Iowa, Minnesnowta, Nebraska, Illinois, etc. but the biggest problem he has is getting the track owners convinced that they wont lose money and racers if they do. I used to travel to IHRA races and NEVER had a bad experience. It was always refreshing to feel like you were welcomed to the races instead of tolerated. Not to say that I didn't have fun at NHRA races because I did. But, it is a different atmosphere at a IHRA race.
As far as getting rid of classes because you may not like them give me a break! I thought we were trying to SAVE Class racing? Some of you pie in the sky NHRA die-hards need to open your eyes and see what is going on. Hell, when I won the IHRA National in Cordova I raced a bunch of NHRA regulars! What the hell is the difference when 99% of the time we DIAL IN? Does it REALLY matter that you may get out qualified by a Crate Motor car? Those types of reasons for not supporting an organization that would LOVE to show you a good time and LISTEN to our thoughts are just plain BS!
Win money? Contingency? How many races do you normally WIN in a given year that it would even matter? As Michael said, if the car counts are there the money will follow! I got almost 9 grand for Cordova in 2002. I guess I thought that was pretty good for a weekend of racing?
People, WE racers need to take control of OUR destiny if we want to keep having Class racing available to us. I say lets see what a motivated group of racers can get done and start talking to local tracks. That is where it will start. I find the IHRA people to be VERY open to RACER input. Hopefully I will be able to support them in the near future again.
Off my box, as you were, carry on.

[Charley Downing]

Terry(X 1930’s tech man) when was the last time you raced? What 1968. You are a joke. You don't race you don't build engines for racers, heck when was the last time you went to a class race(2001 class nats)? You act like you run 12 races a year and we should value your views. When you build a car or buy one and show up to a NHRA or IHRA race with a SS or STker we as a group will listen to what you haft to say. Until then stay in 1975.


Facts 80% of NHRA racers will not race IHRA for all kinds of different reasons. This is just the way it is. So the only way you are going to get your car counts up at IHRA is to change the I to a N. It’s not being a smart ***** it’s just being honest Azzhol#.

Sorry Terry for posting before 8AM I know you don’t get up this early.

[Dwight Southerland]

I think of it as an investment for the future. When I see what IHRA has done to make racing available for S/SS racers and compare that to what NHRA has done in the past 10 years, I ask myself what are the prospects that S/SS racing will improve if the majority of racers spend money with 'I' or 'N'. You should do the same. Which organization do you think will work to improve and maintain S/SS racing in the future? There are enough negatives in either to make you want to switch, but it is the positives to focus on.