2024 Blinder Rule Stock/SS

[Billy Nees]

Originally Posted by Adger Smith

Humm... Wonder when some "Well Connected" company will come out with a rule book legal and NHRA approved blinder just for S & SS.. ??

It'll probably be sold by one of the companies selling Chinese SFI approved flexplates.

[Lenny5160_v2]

Originally Posted by Alan Roehrich

If it were actually a safety issue, they'd be banned in all door cars at all NHRA sanctioned tracks at all times.


There are infinitely more sportsman tree bracket door slammers than there are Stock and Super Stock cars. And they race at dozens upon dozens of tracks at least 35-45 weekends per year, the pits and staging lanes are ten times more chaotic than those at a national event or LODRS race. The number of cars, passes, and events for Stock and Super Stock cars combined does not even show up on the radar compared to other sportsman tree door slammer cars.


It ain't even remotely about safety.

There are no spectators to hit at a bracket race.

It's about protecting all of the spectators who flood the pit roads when S/C, S/G come to the ready line and S/SS are leaving the scales.

[Mike Pearson]

Originally Posted by Alan Roehrich

If it were actually a safety issue, they'd be banned in all door cars at all NHRA sanctioned tracks at all times.


There are infinitely more sportsman tree bracket door slammers than there are Stock and Super Stock cars. And they race at dozens upon dozens of tracks at least 35-45 weekends per year, the pits and staging lanes are ten times more chaotic than those at a national event or LODRS race. The number of cars, passes, and events for Stock and Super Stock cars combined does not even show up on the radar compared to other sportsman tree door slammer cars.


It ain't even remotely about safety.

I doubt there is any stock or super stock drivers running around the pits with a blinder in place. Just doesn’t make any sense.

[Alan Roehrich]

Originally Posted by Lenny5160_v2

There are no spectators to hit at a bracket race.

It's about protecting all of the spectators who flood the pit roads when S/C, S/G come to the ready line and S/SS are leaving the scales.

There are still plenty of people wandering about. Being a former bracket racer, I've seen plenty of crazy things happen. We literally had a crew member of another car run between our tow vehicle and the dragster, as they were moving and the slack came out of the tow strap. Of course, she face planted right in front of the dragster. And nearly got hit.



This is NOT a safety issue SPECIFIC to Stock and Super Stock. It just isn't.


Now, are there some Stock and Super Stock drivers with some truly stupid "devices" blocking their vision? Absolutely. But they are already in FLAGRANT and EGREGIOUS violation of multiple safety rules, in the general rules and regulations section. And they're not using blinders as per the original rule.


Just because some clown duct tapes as 12"x24" piece of cardboard to his helmet is not a reason to punish a racer with a 3"x5" piece of metal or plastic properly affixed to their roll bar. That's just a load of crap, and everyone knows it.

[Alan Roehrich]

Originally Posted by Mike Pearson

I doubt there is any stock or super stock drivers running around the pits with a blinder in place. Just doesn’t make any sense.

Well, if there are, they're the ones who need to be dealt with. I haven't seen anyone with a legal blinder down, and besides, that's not going to block anyone from seeing where they're going, or if they're going to hit someone or something. But yeah, I've seen people in the pits, staging lanes, and return roads with crap taped to their helmet. That's a clear violation of the rules to begin with. Punish them, and solve the problem.

[Adger Smith]

Lenny I wish there was a smile or tongue in cheek emoji on here that could be placed on your post... great tongue in cheek comment about the throngs of spectators
I wonder if this goes back to payback for a guy with a blinder beating a guy that doesn't like blinders?? Humm!

[1347]

I know there are a million reason why blinders should or shouldn't be used, but I thought the real bottom line of this matter was a well known racer who has pull convinced the powers to be that blinders should be illegal because they have a competitive advantage for those who use them.

Just go back to the thread last year and read it to see if I am correct on this. You can lobby all day long if you think you have more pull than this racer did last year.

I also don't know how a lawsuit will win on this since NHRA has the right to enforce a rule they feel is justified. What will be the argument in the lawsuit? They feel they are being discrimated against?

[RJ Sledge]

sorry double post

[RJ Sledge]

Over 12k views to this and for what?

Seems to me if we accept and just adhere to the General Regulation 7:8 this would all go away.

NHRA is doesn't want to address this anymore than they already have,

Racers need to use some common sense and read the Regulation, NHRA has it in black and white and as long as nobody is using 2 sq ft of tape and cardboard on the side of their helmet, and using what is written in the Regulation I don't think they are going to say anything to anybody.

If people get carried away and stray from what is written in the 7:8 Reg then this just continues.

Just what is not acceptable in the 7:8 Regulations ?????????

I would really like to know.

Thanks
RJ

[HR9121]

Originally Posted by 1347

I know there are a million reason why blinders should or shouldn't be used, but I thought the real bottom line of this matter was a well known racer who has pull convinced the powers to be that blinders should be illegal because they have a competitive advantage for those who use them.

Just go back to the thread last year and read it to see if I am correct on this. You can lobby all day long if you think you have more pull than this racer did last year.

I also don't know how a lawsuit will win on this since NHRA has the right to enforce a rule they feel is justified. What will be the argument in the lawsuit? They feel they are being discrimated against?

This is what it boils down to as far as I have been told that one person got this rule put in place. I mean that is simply amazing that someone would have that much pull inside of NHRA.
We are approaching the off-season and now is the time to start letting your voice be heard to your SRAC representative if you're in favor or against this if anyone cares to get something done about it.