NHRA Fastest 128 cars

[Jim Wahl]

Amen Ed, amen. Jim

[Jack Matyas]

Jim-- You have some very valid points but do you know something the rest of us don't -- 1) do you have positive knowledge of a 64 car field coming ? 2) Are there going to be more FWD cars coming next year? The front wheel drive classes have been around a very long time and the numbers are dwindling every year so what makes you think there's going to be a comeback ? Listening to your theory every FWD racer in the country should be signing up for Indy -- it could be their last chance to qualify .

PS -- Just to keep the record straight I'd be OK with only class winners in the eliminator - ( yes , even with FWD cars) - but it will never happen . BTW , the "Pro" sportsman qualifing at bottom affects you how? And they can't do that at Indy -- they would never get in the field ! ! !

[Jim Wahl]

Jack, my friend ( I say that even though I have never met you, but hope to one day)__1) the only thing I know is "***** happens". But, you can't tell me that a 64 car field will not happen can you? Hell, none of us saw this last rule coming or even got an idea it was being talked about!__2) You missed my point on this one. What I meant was with only class winners able to run in the eliminator there would be more guys scrambling to get into those "easy" FWD classes so they would be a class winner. There wouldn't be 7 A/SA cars and 5 B/SA and 6 C/SA cars in the eliminator anymore! Only one, the baddest dog in the class, would be left. Make it a 64 car field and you will see a comeback in FWD. As much as some people dislike the FWD cars, there are really only a handful in the country that are capable of bumping the 100 or so Camaro, Firebird or Mustang combos out of the #1 qualifying slot, and yet we are looked at with such rebuke it makes me sick. There has been only ONE FWD car win a major race in the history of NHRA, ask Mark Yakavone how easy that was to accomplish.
How does game playing affect me? It affects me and everyone else who qualifies by giving me Biondo, Bertozzi, Fletcher, (insert name here) in the 1st round instead of the final! I'm at a loss to understand how this last rule did anything but insert more F bodies into the show? Somebody clear it up for me, please!

[Dick Butler]

Jim Wahl, I understand some of your thoughts about only class winners in Eliminator.How did you get to 64 cars in eliminator. What do you see happening to all the rest of the classes? Consolidated? That is where more racing could come from for Class but I mean no disrespect when I say not many feel racing a fwd car is their deal. It was created to give opportunity but never caught on just as SS/X and XA were not popular enough to draw a following. If winning class became THE game again recognized by NHRA you would see Killer Class racing day and Spectators and sponsors return.. The popularity of a FWD car would not suddenly increase in the eyes of RWD racers..It is a special interest car... I have been wrong before...

[Arnold Greene]

The only thing that would make this any better, would be combine the sticks and automatics. Then you might see some real racing. Under the current rules, class winners making up a 64 car field would greatly limit the chances for heads up runs, and would give the bracket racers exactly what they want. When you had to win class to be in the eliminator, we ran off of National Records, and you had a .1 breakout in the final. I am glad to see that the elected advisory committee is trying to keep class racing alive and not create more of a bracket race. Any rational discussion concerning real racing is welcomed. Fire suit on!

[Jim Wahl]

Dick, Mark my words, within 2 years (I say next year) Indy will be a 64 car eliminator field. Sticks and Autos will be consolidated, thereby cutting classes in half. Then the quickest 64 cars will run the eliminator. Class will mean nothing! Sponsors will not pay for class anymore. It will be the top qualifiers getting their money. There will be 30-40 Camaros and Firebirds qualified at the top the rest will be Novas, Mustangs a couple of FWD cars and the "trick of the month cars" filling out the rest. Bang! High priced bracket cars!

You are a smart guy Dick. Think about it. The hand writing is on the wall. All after market engine superseded parts do one thing, they make it easier to tech! Then eventually no tech will be needed. Look at the car counts now. It will not get better, only worse, you know that. It's not fun anymore! Then Stock and Super Stock will be nothing but high priced, nice looking, wheel standing cookie cutter filler cars for the Pros. Come on, aren't we almost there now? Government regulation has nothing on NHRA.

Oh and no disrespect taken. Being a FWD pilot isn't really my deal either, I just play one on TV.

[Jack Matyas]

Jim -Let me clear it up for you--- in order to win an eliminator you must beat Biondo/Fletcher and Bertozzi even if you meet them in the first round . Did some more checking on the Indy field so far -- and after this your focus sould be on another type of car -- guess what -- there are 8 count 'em eight 1969 Camaros -(14% of the field)- and if you count Camaros built up to 1973 there are twelve ( a whopping 21 % of the field) . Yet if you combine all Firebirds and Camaros built after 1993 there are only 5 entered (8% of the field) . Seems to me your efforts ought to be toward the masses (just for the record I own a garage full of 69 Camaros so this is certainly not a bashing of them--I didn't want you Camaro guys to get your shorts twisted).BTW --entrys are up to 57 tonight .

[Dick Butler]

Jim, Your thoughts are correct. High Priced Bracket cars" at most events" NOW. Some feel good about being the fastest car in ------( fill in the class) and if there are 5 or 6 in the country that is great. If there is only Indy to run class then it is less satisfying. If 1/2 of the events were class then it would be fun again. But the statistics created by TOO many classes, TOO few cars allowed to enter events makes it a true Bracket race at nationals like the Division Meets.The push to give everyone a class to run their favorite kind of car/motor/trans/FWD or turbo or injection so entry money would be higher is killing the racing itself.
If the choices were limited on what to run it could correct some of the problems no one wants to handle for fear of losing the "one racer"" who has one and pays his entry. Maybe he would build what was allowed and participate anyway, Maybe for the good of the Classes that should have been thought of instead of proliferation of the classes to sacrifice the S and SS to get entry numbers increased at Divisional races. It was a nice idea but has hurt the eliminators.
No I do not have a car today, I miss the challenge but had hoped the committee valued class.

The superseded parts are a natural progression and a business need for the sponsors. At least now NHRA adds HP for some of the parts upgrade.
I hope they still have Heads up in eliminator. If heads up goes S and SS are at a terrible place in their History in Drag Racing.

[Colin Wigle]

Just a thought Now that the fastest 128 race the eliminator, Why not have two qualifiers at the beginning of the week set the field and run the eliminator first. Save the class runs for the weekend when there are spectators. heads up class runs easy and understandable. just a thought.

C Wigle