NHRA's big problem

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Zappy

Postby Zappy » Wed Sep 09, 2009 12:13 am

I guess I'm naive enough to expect NHRA to police their ranks. I believe it's against the rules to take a fall.

With all due respect, if you think what John Force did Monday was ok, then you are living under a different set of values and sense of fair play than I. And I know I'm not holier than thou or anyone else, but I know right from wrong.

Oh, BTW, I don't like the 1000' fuel racing rule either. ETA: Sorry that sounds argumentative and I didn't mean it to be.

May I rephrase that to say, What do you guys think of the 1000' fuel rule? I know full well why they imposed it, I'm all for safety, just think thay need to go back to 1320'. Fix the tracks that are dangerous or don't race there.
Point 1) yes I think what Force did was OK.

Point 2) It is impossable to police, there are many-many ways to set up a car to fail

Point 3) The 1,000ft nitro was the best thing nhra has done in years. It was the easiest way to slow the cars, with NO rule changes to the engines, which would have been hard on the less funded teams.

Like Coil said "we've already been racing to 1,000ft" so no difference in set-up.

Some tracks are land locked, they can't lengthen their shut down. We,ve lost a lot of tracks the last few years, with very few being built. Most of the tracks are old. They don't have the acreage to host a Natl. event now a days. Don't forget the days of pick-ups pulling a 5th wheel trailer are gone. Today you need room for 75+ 18 wheelers.

We don't really want to loose long time tracks like Pomona, do we??

Now if they want to go to 1320 on the long tracks and 1,000 on the short tracks for 2010, that would work.

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Solid Rock
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Postby Solid Rock » Wed Sep 09, 2009 9:29 am

I wholeheartedly agree with BP in his post.
If it did come to fisticuffs, and I'm sure it won't, Pedregon could never defeat Force.
For him to come out and say what he did about Forces tactics is ridiculous.
Didn't he benefit from those very tactics when he won his first championship? Then he shows just what he's made of and jumps ship.
Without John Force no one would know who Tony was.

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Postby overdriv » Wed Sep 09, 2009 10:26 am

Defend JFR all you want but I'm saying it's hurting the sport. I had a first time national event attendee with me at the US Nationals. I had explained how the countdown works so he knew what was going on with Robert Hight needing one more round to get in the top 10. When they came up to race, he said "yo don't suppose John will take a fall do you", I said John Force has said in the past there will be no team orders. Does anyone remember that?

Well after the run my friend said "So much for no team orders huh". It was pretty obvious what happened. We really looked bad, guys.

I'm not picking on JFR, I'm just saying the sport don't need that kind of thing, it stinks, and I think it's a detriment to the sport. I may be naive, a purest, whatever, but it stinks.

I think what's driving the 1000' rule is the insurance companies. We don't have to loose tracks like Pomona. Do what Nascar has done Modify the tracks to be more safe. Mandate safer cars. If the tracks can't be made safer for whatever reason then it's time to retire them and move on to something that is safer. But let's get back to 1320' racing the fuel cars, otherwise it will never be the same. What will they do if someone gets killed running 1000'? Will they back it down to 660'?
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Solid Rock
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Postby Solid Rock » Wed Sep 09, 2009 11:00 am

They've already done a bunch of changes to the cars.
I doubt you'll ever see 1320 again, JMO.
Yes I can see them going to the 660" some day.
Do you really think that if Tony and Cruz were put in the same postion they wouldn't do the same thing???
Thay can talk all the trash they want but when there is that kind of sponsor money at stake they would do the same thing.
I know I would and I think most people would.

Zappy

Postby Zappy » Wed Sep 09, 2009 12:01 pm


And..despite all the keyboard wizards predictions..Tony Schumacher hauls ass ..With or Without Allen Johnson 8) 8)
Right on WCB. Tony winning this year was a far bigger deal then AJ winning.
Tony won with a whole new crew.
AJ had his same crew, just a new driver, and a great one at that.

Plus Tony wins INDY.......nuff said :wink: :wink:

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Postby Billy Mac » Wed Sep 09, 2009 12:56 pm

I'll just about guarantee that if Tony was paired with Cruz and big brother needed a round win to stay in the points chase...little brother would have mysteriously smoked the tires or gone brain dead at the tree...Yes, they ran it out the back door at Brainard, but at that time...there was still hope for Cruz'r to solidify his points position. \

I don't particularly "like" what Force did, but I was not at all dismayed that he helped out a team member...given similar circumstances, I would do the same thing...

Does anyone honestly think that if Tim Wilkerson was on the outside looking in and needed a round win to stay in contention, that Tasca wouldn't take a powder "IF" they were paired up in a crucial situation? Or vicey vercey? And how could you police such a thing if they did?...Fine 'em?... Suspend 'em?...Shoot 'em?? :shock:

Lets look at Anderson and Line...for the most part, they run "clean" when they meet up. Both are solidly in the points. But just for the sake of arguement, lets say that Greg was in the 11th position in the points and needed to win a round to stay in the chase or advance into the 10th and final slot...His next round opponent happens to be Jason, who is in the top 3rd or 4th position....does anyone think that Jason wouldn't go red, or take a nap on the tree...or miss a shift point (or two) to allow Greg into the countdown?...It would happen in a skinny minute...and anyone who doesn't think so is living in a fantasy world. (Sorry if that statement offends anyone...but it is my opinion, and I stick by it.)
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Postby draglist » Wed Sep 09, 2009 2:01 pm

Drag racing artist James Ibusuki had a great idea on, I think, the funnycarsforever mailing list yesterday. He said, why not let the NHRA change the pairings when two team cars meet (if possible)? I'm paraphrasing, but he basically said that the NHRA would have the power to alter the ladder if two team cars faced one another, or if some other conflict was apparent. So, I guess Force would have raced Ashley since neither one had a specific gain for that particular round, and Hight would have raced Tony. Not a perfect system, but James argues that it would have been cleaner than yesterday's result. An interesting idea.

I think that it's unrealistic to allow multiple team cars and to ask them to race without regard for points. NHRA needs to make a decision one way or another. I'm not saying what Force was ALLEDGED to have done was right; I'm saying if you don't like it, don't make it an option. bp
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Solid Rock
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Postby Solid Rock » Wed Sep 09, 2009 2:14 pm

BP, I think that proposal is unrealistic. If that were to be done The manipulation would be out of control.
The Pedragons didn't have a problem with these things when they were benefiting from them.
Talk about a couple of crybabies...Geeeesh.
Now they want a do over at Concord.....WTH is up with that???
If NHRA gives in to that then they deserve to go rapidly down the toilet.

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Postby bandit » Wed Sep 09, 2009 2:22 pm

You know it's not like either car is going to win a championship here. They both had crap seasons. This is a battle about 10th and 11th place. This whole deal is simply ridiculous.
Is this the countdown to insanity?? :shock: :D :lol: :wink:
Nano!!

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Postby overdriv » Wed Sep 09, 2009 2:23 pm

I think you guys have missed my point. When ever it's as blatantly obvious as JFR on Monday or admitted to as when KJ held up his "I still got a job" sign. It really lowers our sport to new lows. In my opinion of course.

As much as I respect John Force for what he has accomplished, I have to respect guys like Jim Head way more. BTW, the comparison of Wilkerson /Tasca and JFR who has 4 cars in the same classification is not even close to being the same.

How many of you remember when all the cars had names? Like Telstar, Grumpy's Toy, etc, in the biggest letters on the car. Wally Parks said, "The cars are the Stars".

It's nothing like that anymore. The cars are just moving bill boards. Yeah, the drivers and crews are just as important. They can't even have an interview without hawking their sponsors product. Seems it's more about the corporate sponsor than anything else. Yeah, I know without the corporate sponsor there wouldn't be many fuel teams. Like so many other things, big money spoils it all.

I guess I'm just disappointed in the direction the sport of professional drag racing has gone.
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