Points for Qualifying and Records

Sounds like its time to build a better car, or become a better driver!
The statement that alot of people like to use " It's all just a bracket race" would change fast.

Originally Posted by fredjohnston

Explain your "Bull!".

Let's say I've got a 2012 whatever and can qualify on the pole at every race. I can set the record a couple of times during the year. You've got a 1970 whatever and you qualify mid-pack every race and aren't fast enough to set any records. We both go the same amounts of rounds during the racing season. Who wins the Championship when points are awarded for qualifying and records?

[Pedigo Perf]

Originally Posted by fredjohnston

Explain your "Bull!".

Let's say I've got a 2012 whatever and can qualify on the pole at every race. I can set the record a couple of times during the year. You've got a 1970 whatever and you qualify mid-pack every race and aren't fast enough to set any records. We both go the same amounts of rounds during the racing season. Who wins the Championship when points are awarded for qualifying and records?

The person who spent the time, money, and ingenuity to prepare a better car. Everybody gets a trophy mentality doesn't apply in Drag Racing.

[David Barton]

Originally Posted by Todd Hoven

Sounds like its time to build a better car, or become a better driver!
The statement that alot of people like to use " It's all just a bracket race" would change fast.

I agree 1000% with Todd. That's the biggest problem......its just a bracket race. If you want to just bracket race or if its not in your budget, they make other classes for you.

[B Parker]

I really like the idea. You need to be careful how many points are awarded for qualifying. Lets face it it's not an even playing field out there. It would be nice if the AHFS would raise the 85 under average. There aren't many cars out there that can't run faster than that on an average. Barry

[Angelo DiTocco]

I think that is a great idea.

Originally Posted by Jeff Colvert

Sounds great to me,I'm all in. Just cut off the AHFS when setting a record and racing will be fun again. Also when two cars in the same class run heads up for class cut off the AHFS.

[Bob Bender]

I like it !!!!!!!

[David Barton]

Originally Posted by Alan Roehrich

I don't think points for records would be too complicated. You'd need about 4 rules. (Feel free to point out anything you think I may have overlooked)

20 points for setting a national record.
No points for re-setting your own record.
Maximum of records in 3 classes per driver per year.
Records in only one car/engine combination per year.

With those rules, you get points for records, but you can't "game" the system by continually bumping the record by small amounts. You also can't switch cars/combinations and set a lot of records.

So it would work like this:

Driver X has a 1969 xxxx with a xxx/xxx engine, and an automatic transmission, for Stock Eliminator in 2013. It is a natural "A" car, so it can run "B" and "CC". So, driver X can set the record in CC/SA, A/SA, and B/SA, in the same car with the same combination. That lets driver X earn 60 points. If no one else sets any of those three records, driver X can only collect 60 points for setting records. If driver Y takes the A/SA record from driver X, then driver X can try to set the A/SA record again, if he succeeds, he earns another 20 points. Now, even if driver X sells his 1969 xxxx, and gets another car, or gets a ride in another car, he can only set records in CC/SA, A/SA, and B/SA. And he cannot reset his own records in the new car. So driver X can't get out of the 1969 xxxx, or swap engines or transmissions, then go set records in F/SA, G/SA, and H/SA, or any other class to gain points. That prevents anyone from spending money to buy more cars or get rides in more cars to set records.

And really, 20 points is not a lot of points for the effort and expense of setting a record, it is about the same as winning a round. Honestly, a record should be worth more than 20 points. But you have to be careful that 2-3 guys don't get in a little contest, since in theory those 2-3 guys could earn a lot of points bumping the record 0.05 taking it from each other, and making a record worth a lot of points could do that. In theory, if a record started out at 0.8 under, between 100 and 160 points could be paid for records before anyone even got instant HP. You'd get the record set 6-8 times in that scenario, at 20 points each time. Even making it pay 40-50 points to set the record, if two guys set it 6 times, that's 240-300 points each.

As much as I'd like to see it pay 40 points for a record, 40 points for #1 qualifier, and 40 points a round to win class, that's probably swinging the pendulum too far the other way.

You just proved my point, that is complicated. NHRA would read into about 3 sentences and say, "next".

Here is another problem with the record idea, but I have a solution. Since car counts in Division 1 are so high, they give you a limited amount of chances to actually set a record compared to other divisions. Each divisional director has there own view on how records should be set, and trust me Division 1 is the hardest by far.

Solution: Let anyone set a record at any time, its simple.

[fredjohnston]

Originally Posted by Todd Hoven

Sounds like its time to build a better car, or become a better driver!
The statement that alot of people like to use " It's all just a bracket race" would change fast.

So if someone with an older car, as mentioned in my example earlier, and their combination is pretty much "maxed" out, then he/she should build a newer bogus combination if they want to chase points. Sounds logical to me!

[Billy Nees]

Originally Posted by fredjohnston

So if someone with an older car, as mentioned in my example earlier, and their combination is pretty much "maxed" out, then he/she should build a newer bogus combination if they want to chase points. Sounds logical to me!

Ya know Fred, I have a feeling that if I GAVE you a second under car (which I could but I won't), you wouldn't race for World Championship points anyway so what is YOUR point?

[MikeFicacci]

Based on Fred Johnston's logic, we should basically get rid of all performance in the class and make it a bracket race. According to Fred's logic, we should probably get rid of heads up runs completely.

There are a few guys, especially on the west coast who run "maxed out" 69 Camaros 396/375 and can put in on the poll at just about any race that they want to.

Ultimately, I believe a points system for qualifying (and records) will help the AHFS work more quickly.