National event chaos?

[Eric Merryfield]

As the ultra rare 1st generation racer I don't have a problem with the changes. If I can attend national events, the one less extra day can be a godsend, and might allow more testing, etc, work, anything, and I mean anything is better than having to push it to get to a event, to be put in a field to await parking, then go wait in line for tech.

The ETI's and hardcards have permitted me to attend some events over the last two years that I would have punted on in the past. I roll in when I can.

The horrendous "UPGRADE" of the online credentials, was a fiasco of the highest order. Fill out everthing and then wait to get a follow up email to print? Really, thats just unacceptable.

With the reduction of costs ie less overhead to run the events, I expect to see the purses increased. What incentive do I have to put myself through the aggravation of national events?

Divisonals, national opens, club racing(allstars etc), even figuring out how to run IHRA enough times to compete, all seem like a better time and experience than some national events.

I play enough to have the grade points to go to any race I want, but the National event chaos is pretty tough to stomach.

Just the musing of what possibly could have been the NHRA's growth demographic......SCCA, stock car, vintage, they are all other forms that compete for the first generations of anything.

Eric

[Chuck Stubeck]

Well Pomona is around the corner and I signed. No problem there. Now try and print out your credentials. It won't work. Once you get your Email confirmation regarding your order, they conveniently left out the space for your PROMO CODE and PASSWORD. Without these you can't get any credentials. Same problem with trying to get Phoenix credentials. What part of the NHRA improves the pre-event process does this fall under. I will find out Jan 2nd from Jennifer as NHRA is closed until then.

[Bob Gullett]

Originally Posted by Chuck Stubeck

Well Pomona is around the corner and I signed. No problem there. Now try and print out your credentials. It won't work. Once you get your Email confirmation regarding your order, they conveniently left out the space for your PROMO CODE and PASSWORD. Without these you can't get any credentials. Same problem with trying to get Phoenix credentials. What part of the NHRA improves the pre-event process does this fall under. I will find out Jan 2nd from Jennifer as NHRA is closed until then.

This is what I got from Jennifer after I emailed her about this.
"This year we are with another company, at the beginning of the new year you will receive an email with the new link. It will be much easier this year"

[Chuck Stubeck]

Bob, Thanks for the update. I missed the NHRA office by one day or I would have had the latest info.

[FireSale]

I had some questions about missing a time pass over an easy tech fix like a tail light, but if you treat your race car like an airplane and do a good walk around when you first set up, you are good to go. This puts more on the racer where it really belongs. Know the rules for your class and take responsibility for your own safety.

[Bill Koski]

The idea of being randomly teched in the lanes is BS.
Twice I had a tech guy that said I was not legal when he didn't know the rules, I'd been assured from California I was legal. That time I left the National Event without competing because no one would step in and over rule the guy.
The other time after some wrangling the ruling was so off of the wall that it was over turned.
If some guy that doesn't know or understand a rule shows up in the lanes before first round you'd be DONE for the weekend!
I missed a qualifying pass at Vegas once because some guy at the starting line said I had to have a fire jacket in U/S.

[Crew Chief]

Here's a thought that does not sound appealing....local bracket tech men from the track where the national event is held could be the ones walking through the staging lanes and randomly checking stock and S/S.