Year End Power For S/SS

Dilly Dilly

M

Originally Posted by Ed Carpenter

It’s real simple if you don’t like S or SS get the hell out. If you don’t think there should be heads up get the hell out. Stop bitching and screwing it up for the rest of us. Class racing is awesome. Why people enter a performance based class and then constantly bitch about the other fast cars drives me nuts. Is my **** the fastest out there? No it’s not but we have gotten faster the past few years and we’ll be faster next year. What a world we live in now......

[4spdJohnny]

I have drag raced for 28 years. I have raced in stock for the last 7 years. To date I have never had a legitimate "fast" car. I got in to stock because of the cars, the people and the style of racing. The heads up races I have been a part of have been the some of the most fun and exciting things I've done in racing. I have won some and lost some always at a performance deficit, they have provided me some of my fondest memories in racing.
Three years ago in Vegas I had a heads up against a very fast car from the east coast, we thrashed through the wee hours, then iced and oiled etc. did all we could. The race played out with my opponent going .007 on the tree to my .020 we left together with the wheels up and then he started marching away for the win... I asked him later what the h..l he was thinking going after the tree that hard! He got a wry smile and said "well the way you were working on that sumbitch I was going for it"!!! Priceless!
Several years before that my son had a heads up in the quarters of a local combo race. Our opponent had us covered by at least .4 all day. We thrashed did all we could. The race played out with my kid being .012 on the tree and our opponent .200 something and we took narrow win for a bye into the final and ultimately the event win! The excitement and pride of that race is the coolest thing I've ever experienced in racing!
My point is, win or lose, The system isn't perfect but it sure is a lot of fun! I for one will keep working on my junk and having a ball!

[HammondRacing]

We have had a few heads up rounds since we have been running stock the last four years. There are two that stand out, the first time we ran heads up we blew the motor at 1000' against Mike Mcdonald. The other round Marissa was good on the tree, and was getting our butt out ran until guy let out and lost her until she went around him for the WIN. You never know what your going to get until you run it out.

[ALMACK]

Might be a headache to sort thru the statistics, but it would cool to see a list of the letter classes that have experienced the most most heads up runs in eliminations over the last 10 years or so at NHRA events.

[jimmyparker]

I attended four division two points races this year and lost heads up races at two of them but I love the system as is. One of the races I didn't work on the car but after a pretty close race wished I had. In the other heads up I worked on the car, went 1.00 under and still lost but again I see no need for any additional changes in the rules. If stock eliminator was easy us diehards probably wouldn't like it near so much.

[Mark Lewis]

I have been running stock for nearly 40 years now. Have had several heads up runs over the years that I won where I either had the better light or my opponent had problems. I have had my butt kicked and still enjoyed the challenge. S/SS is a performance based class and I enjoy the mechanical challenge as much as anything.
I once had a friend tell me that if I ever didn't wake up one morning thinking about something to help the performance of my car it was time to quit.
Don't think about it as often now but I still have a lot to try and learn.

Enjoy what you can do or find something that you do, life is too short.

[Larry Hill]

After several heads up runs this year I know at least two things. One my car needs a better driver. Two NEVER go to Indy with last years stuff and think you going to be competitive, it just don't work.

I meant to ask you this earlier. Are you in the class for the love of the sport? Or here trying to make money with the least amount of effort?

Originally Posted by Darrel Goheen

Having completed my 4th year of racing Stock at a total of 40 divisional and national events. Not one time did I hear anyone at a race say they were hoping for a heads up race. I only hear that on classracer.com. I've heard countless times racers saying they were trying to avoid a heads up race. I'm all for having class run offs at national and divisionals for those that can afford to go fast and to show their achievements. I'm not sure how many Stock racers are willing to lose a few heads up races and keep entering events. I've been fortunate to have raced those 40 events and have never had a heads up in regular eliminations. I don't know that I've ever not been the slowest car in my class. I love Stock Eliminator because of the (mostly) stock looking cars and the great people, however losing a few heads up races would drive me out of the class. I know many of you will think or say, "if you can't make your car go faster just go bracket racing." Yes I can and would do that but how many other racers are you willing to lose because they can't afford to make their car heads up competitive? If Stock is truly a performance class why are racers concerned about getting HP, why are there so many racers lifting way before the finish line in qualifying or a heads up race where they're the faster car? Seems contradictory to showing performance of your car.

I didn't write this to rile anyone up or start an argument nor asking for a change to the class for myself only. Thanks.

[The Hawk]

Originally Posted by 4spdJohnny

I have drag raced for 28 years. I have raced in stock for the last 7 years. To date I have never had a legitimate "fast" car. I got in to stock because of the cars, the people and the style of racing. The heads up races I have been a part of have been the some of the most fun and exciting things I've done in racing. I have won some and lost some always at a performance deficit, they have provided me some of my fondest memories in racing.
Three years ago in Vegas I had a heads up against a very fast car from the east coast, we thrashed through the wee hours, then iced and oiled etc. did all we could. The race played out with my opponent going .007 on the tree to my .020 we left together with the wheels up and then he started marching away for the win... I asked him later what the h..l he was thinking going after the tree that hard! He got a wry smile and said "well the way you were working on that sumbitch I was going for it"!!! Priceless!
Several years before that my son had a heads up in the quarters of a local combo race. Our opponent had us covered by at least .4 all day. We thrashed did all we could. The race played out with my kid being .012 on the tree and our opponent .200 something and we took narrow win for a bye into the final and ultimately the event win! The excitement and pride of that race is the coolest thing I've ever experienced in racing!
My point is, win or lose, The system isn't perfect but it sure is a lot of fun! I for one will keep working on my junk and having a ball!

Awesome read!

[Nmbr1GMfan]

Originally Posted by 4spdJohnny

I have drag raced for 28 years. I have raced in stock for the last 7 years. To date I have never had a legitimate "fast" car. I got in to stock because of the cars, the people and the style of racing. The heads up races I have been a part of have been the some of the most fun and exciting things I've done in racing. I have won some and lost some always at a performance deficit, they have provided me some of my fondest memories in racing.
Three years ago in Vegas I had a heads up against a very fast car from the east coast, we thrashed through the wee hours, then iced and oiled etc. did all we could. The race played out with my opponent going .007 on the tree to my .020 we left together with the wheels up and then he started marching away for the win... I asked him later what the h..l he was thinking going after the tree that hard! He got a wry smile and said "well the way you were working on that sumbitch I was going for it"!!! Priceless!
Several years before that my son had a heads up in the quarters of a local combo race. Our opponent had us covered by at least .4 all day. We thrashed did all we could. The race played out with my kid being .012 on the tree and our opponent .200 something and we took narrow win for a bye into the final and ultimately the event win! The excitement and pride of that race is the coolest thing I've ever experienced in racing!
My point is, win or lose, The system isn't perfect but it sure is a lot of fun! I for one will keep working on my junk and having a ball!

Originally Posted by The Hawk

Awesome read!

+1 Awesome read.