HP on Monday?

[Doug Hoven]

I understand there are racers unhappy with the AHFS. However, no one really proposes a solution other than just "get rid of it." I really don't think that is the answer. Does that mean we just leave every single combination at the current horsepower rating and let them run however fast they want without the threat of "ruining" the combo? Possibly go back to the days before the AHFS, where a combo got a fixed number, say 5hp, at NHRA's discretion, no matter if the car was in a 25lb class or a 5lb class? Lowering the indexes is generally an unpopular idea. I know it would probably never happen, but I think that cars making very fast runs, especially when it is fast enough for an instant hp hit, need to be torn down to verify that the car that is about to "ruin" the combo is, at the very least, legal.

[James Perrone]

Originally Posted by Doug Hoven

I understand there are racers unhappy with the AHFS. However, no one really proposes a solution other than just "get rid of it." I really don't think that is the answer. Does that mean we just leave every single combination at the current horsepower rating and let them run however fast they want without the threat of "ruining" the combo? Possibly go back to the days before the AHFS, where a combo got a fixed number, say 5hp, at NHRA's discretion, no matter if the car was in a 25lb class or a 5lb class? Lowering the indexes is generally an unpopular idea. I know it would probably never happen, but I think that cars making very fast runs, especially when it is fast enough for an instant hp hit, need to be torn down to verify that the car that is about to "ruin" the combo is, at the very least, legal.

That?s what just happened NHRA made a decision
I think the reason why the decision was made this way was that the fuel check wasn?t kosher
There was no fuel check that round
He made the run realized what happened going too fast and then the Fuel came up bad
That sort of like manipulating the AHFS
So NHRA put the hammer down because the fuel check issue was questionable I think
It?s a shame. The car should?ve been tore down
Whether the fuel was bad or not, and everyone would be happier, I guess

[Mike Pearson]

Originally Posted by Doug Hoven

I understand there are racers unhappy with the AHFS. However, no one really proposes a solution other than just "get rid of it." I really don't think that is the answer. Does that mean we just leave every single combination at the current horsepower rating and let them run however fast they want without the threat of "ruining" the combo? Possibly go back to the days before the AHFS, where a combo got a fixed number, say 5hp, at NHRA's discretion, no matter if the car was in a 25lb class or a 5lb class? Lowering the indexes is generally an unpopular idea. I know it would probably never happen, but I think that cars making very fast runs, especially when it is fast enough for an instant hp hit, need to be torn down to verify that the car that is about to "ruin" the combo is, at the very least, legal.

I totally agree with everything in this post. As far as tear down goes I think that is a thing of the past. There is very few tech personnel to do a proper tear down. I guess it could happen for a 1.30 under pass.
There are a lot of different opinions on our style of racing. Some race to be the fastest. Some race to be the farthest under the index. Some race to be the best driver. Some race for fun. Some race for a living. Some have plenty of disposable income. Some have limited budgets. There should be a balance between all of that to keep the sport "healthy". The AHFS is one of those tools to try to keep a balance. As it is formatted now the racers are in control of the destiny. You can choose to run fast if you can find a combo that is under factored and run at the top of the sheet. If you do that then you have to accept the consequence when you get HP. I can tell you that the combo I race cannot reach the trigger for instant HP no matter how much money or hard work is applied. I am a bottom of the sheet qualifier. I have a good car and a decent engine. I strive to be good at driving and dialing to go rounds. I do get crushed in a heads up when that happens but I dont complain. I take the defeat and move on. I am one with a limited budget. I do all my own work on my car, engine, transmission and drive train. Just my $.02

[DG]

"I understand there are racers unhappy with the AHFS. However, no one really proposes a solution other than just "get rid of it."

Doug, I disagree. Below are a few of the possible solutions that have been discussed between NHRA and the SRA:

>Bring back the mineshaft rule
>Increase the review trigger to -1.2 under
>Raise the AHFS HP trigger to -1.0 under average
>Waive the AHFS during all class runoffs
>Lower indexes
>Provide incentives for top qualiiers such as lane choice

I would support any of these solutions. Unfortunately, NHRA hasn't made adjustments and seems to think the AHFS is working well in its current form.

Darin Grossi

[Frank Castros]

I'm an old school retired racer without a dog in the fight but in my humble opinion isn't lowering the indexes the most efficient way to repair this?
Also no AFHS in effect for heads up runs and Class Elimination events. Performance is the cornerstone of Class Racing. Please restore it.

[GUMP]

Originally Posted by Frank Castros

Also no AFHS in effect for heads up runs and Class Elimination events.

This is a recipe for some racers to dominate for all eternity...

[SDmopar]

[QUOTE=GUMP;710140]This is a recipe for some racers to dominate for all

If you reset back to all original hp ratings the AHFS is not needed.

If people are concerned about parity then leave it alone but fix the way reductions are looked at. The current system is the best way to try to manage the parity situation. It does not adjust the combos that got excessively adjusted before the current system that?s really the only thing that requires adjustment. Somebody goes and smacks a combo there should be away to bring it back sometime.

Tear downs are probably not going to increase. Not enough $$, time, or experience.

[GTX JOHN]

I do not like the idea of lowering the indexes

When I came back to racing Stock (Bad accident / Boat racing)
in early 90's, It was several years before I could run 3 tenths under.

If the index was 3 tenths faster, we would have quit as we would not
have had the budget or knowledge back then to compete. I am sure we are not
the only ones who took a couple of years to learn the ropes.

Even now a number of cars including one of mine would have had
to been parked a couple years ago if the indexes were faster.


.

[GUMP]

Originally Posted by SDmopar

If you reset back to all original hp ratings the AHFS is not needed.

Really? All I see is more disaster. There would be so many combinations moved up and down the ladder with this change that I have no clue who would end up on top!

[1347]

[QUOTE=SDmopar;710150]

Originally Posted by GUMP

This is a recipe for some racers to dominate for all

If you reset back to all original hp ratings the AHFS is not needed.

If people are concerned about parity then leave it alone but fix the way reductions are looked at. The current system is the best way to try to manage the parity situation. It does not adjust the combos that got excessively adjusted before the current system that?s really the only thing that requires adjustment. Somebody goes and smacks a combo there should be away to bring it back sometime.

Tear downs are probably not going to increase. Not enough $$, time, or experience.

How does bringing the HP back to the original advertised fix this? There are some combos that are rated 40+ hp above the advertised rating that still run 1 second under, and there are others 10hp less than than their rating that can't run a second under. You would have a full 1.0 swing putting these back.

Lowering the indexes would only help the fast combos. A 1.3 under combo like the 255hp 350 would now be a 1.0 under combo, and other combos that are .9 under combos would be now .6 under.
An award for a fast combo to not have to trigger the afhs, but no way for a slower combo to ever have a chance.

It's a complicated process, and 1 solution doesn't fix it.