More classes added to Div 2 LODRS events

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by Villain281H

Updated info on the new index stuff:
www.nhradiv2.com/apcm/templates/divnews.asp?articleid=44103&zoneid=14

Just an outsider's perspective, but the thing index racing has that most super series stuff doesn't is side-by-side racing. That is more fun to watch two cars battle door handle to door handle all the way down versus the launch hard, then sit on the throttle stop, then go again which can be hard to understand for a spectator. And since Division 2 is trying to bring fresh faces into the game, why not give it a shot? As mentioned, if it becomes an issue on time I'm sure they'll know/hear about it! I'd guess these will be the lower end classes and will get the hot lap since the powers that be might figure "mostly bracket and street cars will do this; they can hot lap like a Saturday night deal."

Just my $.02

Derek

NHRA screwed it up by allowing "Deep Staging". It will be a drag race to the starting line.

[Villain281H]

Cutting a 5 tenths pro tree in a 12 second car without deep staging isn't easy. I agree and wish they had a better way of allowing deep staging than the "race to be first into the beams."

[X-TECH MAN]

I wonder why NHRA didnt have an 8.0 class (or a 7.50 class) for dragsters and altereds on the 4 tenths tree in this "UnLeashed" stuff ? There are plenty of them being run these days ! Maybe the drivers can't drive one WITHOUT a delay box.......LOL. I remember when dragsters first started running et brackets back in the stone ages. The door cars were killing them before the delay box came into being. When the delay box came out then the door cars became obsolete at a bracket race against them.

[Rollins_2241]

Yes, one thing missing in most threads about "index racing OR Super class racing" is from the corporate exec's perspective, the TV shot is much better when the cars are side by side down the whole track. I've been racing 25 years, pretty jaded about TV racing shows, and even I noticed this when watching the Unleashed show - it "looks faster" that way and it's easier to repurpose the video clips for other marketing or selling to advertisers.

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by Villain281H

Cutting a 5 tenths pro tree in a 12 second car without deep staging isn't easy. I agree and wish they had a better way of allowing deep staging than the "race to be first into the beams."

Deep Staging still sucks unless your trying to run a 1960 Pontiac station wagon (kind of heavy) in the 13.0 class. It became a "zoo" without courtesy staging. Everyone said the 5 tenths Pro tree wouldnt work in Top Stock when I first came up with it but it was proven wrong. I know the Top Stockers were low ten second cars and most weighed around 3200-3400 lbs but it can be done.

[Rollins_2241]

Unleashed was billed as a "door car experience" or whatever. If it's to be merged with Lucas Oil racing (the writing is on the wall in big letters), a 7.50 heads up dragster class and 8.50 heads up door car (left steer) class would be no-brainers. You would lose half of Super Comp, but I think that's their point, to build this stuff up to critical mass and then make the painful switch at the opportune time. Then all those cool S/C and S/G cars will have somewhere to go, and the relatively few that can run WAY under those indexes can either step up to T/D and T/S or slow it down.

[Rollins_2241]

X-Tech Man has just a bit of experience conceiving a new class on paper, coming up with rules, getting people to build for and run it, and making it a success...I hope NHRA is listening to people like him...

[Villain281H]

Originally Posted by X-TECH MAN

Deep Staging still sucks unless your trying to run a 1960 Pontiac station wagon (kind of heavy) in the 13.0 class. It became a "zoo" without courtesy staging. Everyone said the 5 tenths Pro tree wouldnt work in Top Stock when I first came up with it but it was proven wrong. I know the Top Stockers were low ten second cars and most weighed around 3200-3400 lbs but it can be done.

My street/strip Nova weighs 3580 with me and I can't cut better than a .047 footbraking on a 5-tenths pro tree (car cuts 1.50-1.59 60 foots). But I can go red off a transbrake at or below a 3000 rpm 2-step setting all day.

The problem with saying no deep staging (especially to the 12 second class, which will have a good chunk of street/strip cars) is you now put the power in the hands of racers that have cars specifically set-up to hammer the pro tree and/or can get out the beams quickly. What's to stop someone that has a 11 second car to slow down to the 12 second class and shoot it up like ducks on a pond?

I agree deep staging can add a new hassle, but I don't concern myself with it. If I see someone with deep on the car, I'll ask in the lanes how they want to do so neither of us feels rushed and/or hung out.

Maybe a better solution will come about after a race or two.

Derek

[Maverick]

I just want to say that deep staging is when you have deep on you windshield and they allow you time to go deep. Letting the prestage light go out is really not deep staging. The prestage bulb is there to tell you are getting close to turning the stage light on. I will agree that letting the top bulb go out you will get a better rt. But I believe you can have courtesy staging and should be able to let the top bulb go out and still race. Why call it a pro tree, if you have courtesy staging rules. You should call it the Blue Lite Stage Tree. It is not a pro tree if you have courtesy staging. It really don't matter to me if the opponent goes deep and I haven't prestaged. My time don't start until I lite the prestage lite and I have plenty of time to do what I want. You have staging battles now with Blue Lite Stage Tree, where people don't want to be first and make the other guy move first and then they lite both bulbs. I can race either way. I prefer no courtesy staging, and the timer doesn't start until the second racer prestages. Let have some fun on the starting line.

[Tom Joseph]

1. NHRA let's the track pukers,Pros, deep stage whatever they want which the monkeys in the booth call "Starting Line Prowness". They need to inforce courtesy staging accross the board.
2. After much thought maybe there won't be that many cars to worry about because A. Most will be locals,B. Most won't want to pay the entry or the membership, the cert and the license if they make them have those things. C. If they don't have motor homes,which most local racers from the host track don't have because they only race there, and come from out of town then the hotel expense. These things may cut that tech line down. No disrespect to any local bkt racer just that this will factor in when they can run at a local track 1/8 mile and win the amount of money. I wouldn't blame them if they consider these things.