Attn 396, 375hp iron head racers

[Alan Roehrich]

Originally Posted by Keith Lynch

What happened to the new AHFS rule about the average being lower for a large number of cars with the same combo as compared to a single combo car? I thougt NHRA made that change this year? Or was it recinded? I'm way to old to keep up with the AHFS.......of course, Jim, you knew that already.LOL

Oh, that's the way it works Keith, the MORE cars running a combination the LOWER (less under the index) their average has to be for them to get HP. The FEWER cars running a combination, the HIGHER (more under the index) their average has to be for them to get HP.

Not that Keith really needed it explained, it's more of a joke between us as we've discussed this several times. It's always the reason I give him when he asks why we don't run the 396-375.

It does not seem to be so equitable a situation. But the neither is a single person, or a "HP committee". Introduce the human factor, with politics, friends vs. enemies, grudges, and possible factory pressures, and you have a mess.

So a more popular combination, even though not as fast as a less popular combination, is more likely to see a heads up run (because there are more cars running that combination), there for needing to go fast more often and hurt their average, will get HP easier and sooner. Where as a less popular combination, even faster than the more popular combination, is less likely to see a heads up (because there are fewer cars running that combination), there for not needing to go as fast as often, will take longer to get HP, and will get less HP each time unless they go 1.4 under, even though it is a faster combination with a softer factor.

This thread is a perfect example. The 396-375, with or without aluminum heads, is one of the most popular combinations in Stock, period. It's in 67-69 Camaros, Chevelles, and Novas and runs in AA thru D in most cases. Now, there are cars and combinations that will easily go faster than the 67-69 396-375 cars and combinations. But not nearly so many. So, barring someone accidentally triggering an automatic hit with a 1.4 under pass, odds are the 67-69 397-375 combinations will be hit several more times before the faster combinations with fewer cars.

To be even close to fair, NHRA needs to either make the average required to cause a HP hit the same for everyone, at the very least, or swap it around so that a combination with more cars must average farther under the index than one with fewer cars.

It's just another one of many screw ups and loop holes in the current AHFS setup. And why the AHFS doesn't REALLY work like it should.