Stanton, Mich. Div. 3 Event

[Steve Williams]

Originally Posted by Mike Fuller

This meet was a minor disaster in my opinion. The scales were off by 45 lbs. The right lane had ruts in it at top end that caused my car to weave left to right in high gear. One comp team left, saying that it was too dangerous for them to try and race there. The scales were not in operation today and I lost in a heads race. When this is the case at an IHRA event they do not have heads up races (all races are a dial in). I hope the stories I heard there about moving the event are true.

If it unsafe for one, it is unsafe for all. Which Comp team pulled out?

[Andrew Hill]

Originally Posted by Steve Williams

If it unsafe for one, it is unsafe for all. Which Comp team pulled out?

I believe it was Scott Chamness. I heard nearly all of the comp teams voted on Saturday or Sunday morning to run the entire race at Bowling Green, and some agreed to leave anyways once that idea was nixed by the decision maker, but I guess they ended up staying for some reason.

I just hope this race can be moved somewhere else next year, Martin would be best if NHRA could get it. There definitely needs to be a D3 points race in Michigan, but Stanton is just not a good place to have it.

[Lyn Smith]

That rumour gets started every year about this time.As long as the owners of Stanton want to pay NHRA to have a points race they will get one.

[ss wannabee]

If top end was so bad...and weather wasn't much better...wonder if a move to finish the
event as an 1/8th race would be in order?

I know it sounds strange....but didn't something like this happen not too long ago at an
IHRA National Event...think problem was top end crosswinds?

Realize everyone went to race on the 1/4-mile...but shorter races (to "speed-up" event
and beat the weather)....and the top end would now be shut-down area...(perhaps a
little safer?)

Might have had a chance to finish on Sunday...as an 1/8th mile event? Just wondering?

[njk53]

My brother and I were just talking about this same subject. We always wondered why Milan didn't have a Div. 3 Points race. Milan isn't a Norwalk from a facility standpoint but, it sure doesn't have ruts in the surface on the high end.

[Michael Beard]

Originally Posted by ss wannabee

If top end was so bad...and weather wasn't much better...wonder if a move to finish the
event as an 1/8th race would be in order?

Many tracks do not have an early turn off, which makes the difference between the run time of 1/8th mile vs 1/4 mile negligible in many circumstances. Also, you would have to give additional time trials to all of the throttle stop categories, as their setups are different for 1/8 vs 1/4.

Might have had a chance to finish on Sunday...as an 1/8th mile event? Just wondering?

While hindsight is 20/20, when faced with a potentially rainy forecast, you could make up more time by starting eliminations after the 2nd qualifying run instead of having 3 or more qualifying sessions.

[Andrew Hill]

Originally Posted by Michael Beard

While hindsight is 20/20, when faced with a potentially rainy forecast, you could make up more time by starting eliminations after the 2nd qualifying run instead of having 3 or more qualifying sessions.

That's exactly what should have happened. I think 3 rounds would have been possible on Saturday afternoon with the low car count. At that point you have 7 cars left in Stock and SS, probably around the same in the Super classes. If you ran 2 rounds of Comp, TD, and TS that afternoon you would have 5 TD, 2 TS, and 5 Comp cars left. With the amount of time we had to race on Sunday, the race could have been finished.