No Blinders

[Markeracer]

Yo Ken,

How about creating a blinder poll.

Ok with rule change, or Not happy with rule change.

[Jim Caughlin]

Originally Posted by Markeracer

Yo Ken,

How about creating a blinder poll.

Ok with rule change, or Not happy with rule change.

So just to clarify, you want people who don't run blinders to vote on whether I can run a blinder?

[Mike Pearson]

Another dumb rule change by the out of touch NHRA tech department. Blinders have been in use for as long as I can remember and I have been racing a long time. I am not sure what they are trying to accomplish with this rule. I don’t use a blinder but I do blind the tree.

[Stan Hawes]

When I started racing in the 50's you watched the starter to see what kind of move he made just before he dropped the flag. Then they brought us the Christmas Tree so you pushed the tree red in time trials and backed off enough to see green. Then they gave us reaction times, This let the starting line ducks see their poor reaction times and other drivers good reaction times. This helped the less intelligent drivers see whey they were getting beat by a slower car. This why I raced stock. It has the most pure driving of any eliminator, no buttons, trans brakes. Now they let the factory race cars computer control the throttle "traction control" which gives them the edge. The blinders are a not going to help a good racer or a poor racer have an advantage. In my mind it is just one more thing to make sure you don't screw up. KEEP IT SIMPLE.

Stan Hawes Retired from driving, more time to bs

[GTS340]

Is there an advantage using one? Been doing this for 50yrs watching a full tree and holding the rpm on a footbrake at the same time without a two-step. I can watch one bulb come on. What's the big deal? Of course I can't string .000 lights like the last few races last year either like some. I'm sure they'll be able to adapt if blinders were used.

Paul Haszlauer
79 C/SA

[Billy Nees]

When are we going to do something about the "data loggers can't be hooked to the ignition box" rule? Or how about the "no driveshaft sensors" rule?

[MR DERBY CITY]

Originally Posted by Billy Nees

When are we going to do something about the "data loggers can't be hooked to the ignition box" rule? Or how about the "no driveshaft sensors" rule?

Hey Billy, Here’s a good place to start….remove the 327 intake manifolds from the 283’s ……..

[Doug Hoven]

Originally Posted by Billy Nees

When are we going to do something about the "data loggers can't be hooked to the ignition box" rule? Or how about the "no driveshaft sensors" rule?

One problem I foresee with trying to enforce this, is what are you going to do with all of the EFI guys that use their ECU to control their MSD ignition. Specifically, one of the more, relatively speaking, "dumb" MSD boxes such as a 6al, 7al-1,2,etc. I understand the things that can be done if someone were to be using a GRID, but these other boxes have no internal hardware of their own to do any sort of "witchcraft" during a run. It would be relatively straight forward to police datalogging with a racepak. If the sd card isn't in it, and no computer is plugged in to the COM port, no data is able to be recorded. EFI however stores data logs within the ECU, so that could be a tricky one.

[Jeff Niceswanger]

Originally Posted by Billy Nees

When are we going to do something about the "data loggers can't be hooked to the ignition box" rule? Or how about the "no driveshaft sensors" rule?

One year at US Nationals one of the tecks looked under my car while I was on the scale and noticed it had a driveshaft sensor. He ask me where that is hooked to. He noticed there was no Racepac in the car and questions "that's not going to the ECU is it? Busted!
He made me hand it to him on my next time on the scales.Sensor, bracket, wiring and all.
Is there still language pertaining to only ONE tie in from the trans brake signal to the rest of the system? People use that signal to reset all kinds of stuff, and start data loggers. If that's still in there, it needs taken out.

[Eric Merryfield]

Originally Posted by GTS340

Is there an advantage using one? Been doing this for 50yrs watching a full tree and holding the rpm on a footbrake at the same time without a two-step. I can watch one bulb come on. What's the big deal? Of course I can't string .000 lights like the last few races last year either like some. I'm sure they'll be able to adapt if blinders were used.

Paul Haszlauer
79 C/SA

Re advantage, well yes, its great for me in the Gremlin when the guy in the other lane is running a Copo/Cobra Jet and blinding, and having to sit on the 2 step for 5 plus seconds, all hyped up and ready to go, not knowing when that #$#$# light was going to come one........advantage non-blinder

And of course at night, it gets even better, for the Copo/Cobra Jet......same problem, now theres a explosion of light going on behind that blinder, takes some mad focus skills to rip a 00 light under those circumstances......advantage non-blinder

heads up runs......blinder could help you be safer assuming you have the faster car....advantage blinder for fast car, no advantage if your the slower car, unless you need the safety net.

normal racing.....blinding can help you simplify the process, and just see light and react to light, helps add that additional delay(assuming your vehicle can react.....blinding with a T/SA gremlin would be challenging for most) Advantage blinding.......but if your late, your dead late.....

The sun visor of course can be used to legally block the tree, but its not going to be as consistent as a roll cage mounted blinder.......advantage non-blinder

I am of the opinion that it doesn't really matter. You have to consistently react to the flash, it would be truly brutal for many if they REQUIRED blinding/blocking!

Eric