New Drag Lists Ready for Public Beta Testing
By Bill Pratt
Hello, folks. Happy New Year! As you may know, database programmer Brian Clark and I have been completely rewriting the online drag racing lists during 2005. Beginning in January 2005, we began with a simple 'wish list' from me to him, describing how I wanted to upgrade the Drag Racing Lists into a true searchable, editable resource that anybody in the world could update themselves. Starting completely from scratch, and after a flurry of emails back and forth, Brian had a working 'mule' ready in June 2005. Danny White and I began beta testing that program then and have continued for the past six months.
Now the new Drag Lists are about 80 to 90 percent done, and it's time for us to ask our vast network of sport 'insiders' and hard core fans to take a hard look at what we have so far. Please click the following link, search for your favorite driver or class, select a sort order, have a look, then EDIT or add a photo to the entry -- anything you can. (PLEASE do not upload copyrighted work.) If you have any questions, email me at draglist@hotmail.com
http://www.digitalwebzone.com/draglist/draglist.php
1. You WILL find vast holes in the information... please click on the entry and add the missing info. BE SURE TO CLICK ON THE 'EXTENDED VIEW' FOR LOTS OF ADDITIONAL INFO!
2. You WILL find incorrect information! Some of the early ETs and Speeds are correct, but may be listed in an EARLIER YEAR THAN THEY ACTUALLY TOOK PLACE. Please fix what you can.
3. You will find plenty of details missing... please click on the entry and add the missing details.
4. You will find cars listed in one year only that may have raced for 10 years or more (or whatever). We want to list each driver in each car he/she drove in each year that they drove them (AND a separate entry for each CLASS they drove them in).
5. If you need to expand a driver to multiple years, use the MAGIC WAND to duplicate the current entry and bring the duplicate up for editing. You then can change the year or CLASS or whatever. When you save, the new entry is saved.
6. You will find completely MISSING drivers and cars... we don't have the ADD feature ready yet, so please pick ANY entry in that class and click the MAGIC WAND. Then, change EVERYTHING for the entry to create the driver/car that you want.
7. You WILL find ETs and Speeds duplicated over several years. We formerly were only interested in a driver/car's best ever and we often did not update following years' performances if they didn't go quicker/faster than the previous times. (I never said I was that smart)... Please update these when you can.
8. You will find some of the rankings a little wacky. They are based on the record for that year, the category average for that year, and the slowest car in the class. I have some tweaking to do on these numbers, so take the current rankings as good bench racing fodder... some of these will change as Brian fixes the formulas we are currently using.
9. Use the NOTES section to fill us in on info that is not covered in the other fields. Take as much room as you like... Best Appearing at 65 Winternats? Won Three weeks straight at Lions in Fall 68? Brother was on a TV show? Additional crewmembers? Quickest lime green '57 Chevy in history? Used a special kind of blower? WHATEVER...
10. Finally, please let me know how this process works. This will be the 'pre-sorted lists' portion of the Drag Lists, but there ALSO will be ONE PAGE where every possible field is selectable and you can create a customized list that is as detailed as you like. I already have a page like that and it works great... we just need to make a public version.
Soon after you make your changes, I'll be able to review/approve them and they will be LIVE! No more waiting for months!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT for all these years and thanks in advance for helping us take Draglist.com into a new era! We are PROUD to remember the men and women who make up our great sport! bp
NEWS FLASH! We have received over 100 individual additions and updates to the list on the first day! Thanks!
