Super Comp & Super Gas

Did anyone else here get an e-mail from NHRA about S/C & S/G indexes?

Dear Racer,
You are receiving this e-mail resultant to discussions between NHRA and the Sportsman Racers Advisory Council for the Super Categories. The discussion centered about the possibility of changing the indexes of Super Comp and Super Gas. The SRAC representatives feel there is a need to lower the indexes by up to a full second. Both categories have had the same index since their inception into NHRA competition and the SRAC feel the need to change is based upon safety and the need to keep pace with the growing phenomenon of having larger horsepower engines. We are asking for your input to further this discussion. Please follow the link below to cast your vote to either leave indexes as they are or change to one of the options listed. If you are licensed for both categories, you will receive separate emails for each, as we would like to keep the class votes separate.

This poll is not intended to be a final determination for any possible change. It is simply a way for us to gather information to see if a change is even on the radar. Poll results will be published at nhra.com.

Yup I got two.

dkp

Got it too..

If they did lower the S/G index, that would eliminate alot of cars that could not run the 8.90 index, and the same for S/C, if it was lowered to 7.90. That would raise the cost of each class, if they had to build bigger engines to compete.

Yea got it too. I feel like their squeezing the little guy again.
N nobody
H hardly
R race's
A anymore

Ace

I heard about this at the Div 1 race at Maple Grove. It may have something to do with a couple of top end wrecks due to excessive braking (1 racer died) at a couple of races up here this year. I dont know how lowering the index would solve that problem though.

a few can already go that fast,

1 thing they should do is get rid of t-stops in all classes

Why does NHRA have to DICK around with something that aint broke...... We the sportman racers are the one's that support their a$$!

Ace

powerstrokeace wrote:Why does NHRA have to DICK around with something that aint broke......
Ace

I agree, in the choices for S/G, there was 9.90, 9.50, & 8.90, but no matter what index they would choose, if they do, they will still have delay boxes, and they will still have people slamming on their brakes at the end. I would like to know more on why they say it would be safer, by going faster.

it use to be that when the classes started that 1/2 the field could hardly make the 9.90 or 8.90 index now everybodies running 1200-1400 hp motors and throttle stopping the heck out of them so they have the fastest mph in the class and the spectators hate it !! I think there should be a mph limit for each class just alittle over what an average weight car for the class would run to run the number without a throttle stop . just my idea !
Frank

I also agree they should take away the throttle stops .make the racers tune the cars and not just throw some more numers in the box. I have a friend that runs super gas and runs 9.90 @164 . I tell him hes a chicken shit all the time. He has the power to run8.90 and the mile hour to back it up but sais its no fair racing the pipe rack dragsters. If there were mph caps and no electronics the cars would sort out there own classes. My car runs 10.20s I could slow it down with timing and weight to 10.90 and still have a window to tune. And no bull shit electronics driving the car for me. The crowd pays good money to see cars race down the tracl not sit on a throttle stop till the last few seconds then come alive like a bat out of hell and then still jam on the brakes early ..thats what all of these classes are doing now days . I can almost bet my house on this if you marketed the worlds biggest super gas event you would not sell 50 spectators tickets. No one cars to watch throttle stop cars runnong of a computer..

I go walk the pits when the throttle stop cars come out.

Bill

powerstrokeace wrote:Why does NHRA have to DICK around with something that aint broke...... We the sportman racers are the one's that support their a$$!

Ace

Because they are corporate DICKS with nothing better to do than _uck with the little guy. You said it Ace.

billandlori wrote:I go walk the pits when the throttle stop cars come out.
Bill

I stopped paying any attention to those cars a LOOoong time ago; right after I saw one go 8.91 ET at 206 MPH. Can't understand how anybody could comprehend THAT as serious racing.

EDIT: Throttle stop racing is not much fun to watch, either. Unless you're hoping for someone to hit the guardrail because of their 2nd launch.

It always amazed me why someone would spend 20k on a engine to run 8.90,then spend another 3to 5 hundred to slow it down a full sec. to run 9.90. jmo

bbf-falcon wrote:It always amazed me why someone would spend 20k on a engine to run 8.90,then spend another 3to 5 hundred to slow it down a full sec. to run 9.90. jmo

X2

The Super Classes will get replaced with the Unleashed program.... just wait and see.

BOSS 429 wrote:a few can already go that fast,

1 thing they should do is get rid of t-stops in all classes

agreed. but not that I race any of it so I could really care less.


plus that has to be some of the most boring racing I have ever seen.

I am and have been a Super Gas racer for many years. While I agree that spectators dont watch the Super classes, I have also observed that the spectators dont watch the bracket classes either. In fact at the National events the spectators dont watch anything except the fuel cars.

My car will run 8.20 @165 flat out and 9.90 @ 160. If that makes me a bad person so be it.

I have fun doing it, I like the challenge of hitting the tree and the number,, it aint as easy as it looks.

I do not look down on anybody else for the choice they make on the style and or type of racing they enjoy participating in.

As far as spectators and professional drag racing, track owners are concerned, is there something broken yes. Yes that is if you believe that Drag racing can ever become a valid alternative to any of the other big time professional TV sports. Finding a way to present a product that fits on TV and draws a big enough audience to be competitive in the marketplace is proving to be difficult. If you want people to pay to watch you need lots of speed, noise, smoke and crashes.

If you want to participate in the family oriented sportsman, race the car I built to suit my character deal that Wally Parks envisioned back in the 50's then your options are becoming more and more limited.

Anyway I look at Super Gas as just another form of bracket racing. It just so happens that it is the vehicle that is available to me in my area that gives me the chance to win an NHRA trophy. For me that means something. For others not so much. I have fun at the racesk, I have met a lot of good friends at the track. Does NHRA suck sometimes,,, well duh. Where I am it is the only game in town so I play by their rules and just suck it up.

dkp

The need to get rid of all electronics and throttle stops......... Problem solved.....

bosshoss wrote:I am and have been a Super Gas racer for many years. While I agree that spectators dont watch the Super classes, I have also observed that the spectators dont watch the bracket classes either. In fact at the National events the spectators dont watch anything except the fuel cars.

My car will run 8.20 @165 flat out and 9.90 @ 160. If that makes me a bad person so be it.

I have fun doing it, I like the challenge of hitting the tree and the number,, it aint as easy as it looks.

I do not look down on anybody else for the choice they make on the style and or type of racing they enjoy participating in.

As far as spectators and professional drag racing, track owners are concerned, is there something broken yes. Yes that is if you believe that Drag racing can ever become a valid alternative to any of the other big time professional TV sports. Finding a way to present a product that fits on TV and draws a big enough audience to be competitive in the marketplace is proving to be difficult. If you want people to pay to watch you need lots of speed, noise, smoke and crashes.

If you want to participate in the family oriented sportsman, race the car I built to suit my character deal that Wally Parks envisioned back in the 50's then your options are becoming more and more limited.

Anyway I look at Super Gas as just another form of bracket racing. It just so happens that it is the vehicle that is available to me in my area that gives me the chance to win an NHRA trophy. For me that means something. For others not so much. I have fun at the racesk, I have met a lot of good friends at the track. Does NHRA suck sometimes,,, well duh. Where I am it is the only game in town so I play by their rules and just suck it up.

dkp

but why not move up the ladder to s/c and run 8.90, is it because you don't want to race against a draster?
just curious, I'm not at all trying to but your chops. do you not think it's a little bit hairy jumping on and off throttle stops with that kind of power? I know it would pucker my butt. Like I said I have a friend who races super gas and he has alot of fun doing it ,and says its alot more fun winning and losing in a couple of inches at the stripe. But there is where the drivers play the exesive brake game? I'm just saying at 160+ mph its dangerous. with being forced to run a faster index you get less time at the stripe for jamming on the breaks. I think that is what nhra is trying to do.

Dave the electronics and stops are not going away. The manufacturer's are all sponsors so you figure it out..

I agree the braking at the finish line is dangerous. Something needs to be done about that. Lowering the indexes in both classes seems to me would just up the ante. You would now have 200 mph Super Gas door cars slamming on the brakes instead of 170. Then the Super Comp guys would be running Pro Mod motors and running 220. All it would do would be increase the speeds in both classes. A speed limit may work but not sure how it would be implemented.

As far as me moving up to S/C it doesnt work for me for mainly two reasons.

1. The way the game is played you end up having an advantage if you are the faster car. Its just easier to judge the finish line when you are chasing. If I move up to S/C I become one of the slower 25% and lose one more tool to try and win a round. Not impossible but harder to do.

2. The open cockpit cars have better visibillity than the full body cars. No dragsters allowed in SG althought the roadsters are already there.

I have run fast brackets on occasion and enjoy running the car full throttle. Dont get me wrong I would love to "run what you brung and hope you brung enough" but fact is my pockets arent deep enough to out spend a lot of these guys. Thats why I cant figure out the Top Comp deal? You pretty much have to have a mid 7 second car now just to qualify to run a bracket race. Top each his own I guess. I am happy doing what I do.

dkp

hoss,I don't think any of us is against what you like doing and like in our beloved sport.Especially me,I know lots of racers don't like the brackets. Personally,I don't like electronics,because i'm old school and always liked driving the car by myself, and I too like you, like being the faster car,because I feel it makes judging the finishing line easier.

bbf-falcon wrote:hoss,I don't think any of us is against what you like doing and like in our beloved sport.Especially me,I know lots of racers don't like the brackets. Personally,I don't like electronics,because i'm old school and always liked driving the car by myself, and I too like you, like being the faster car,because I feel it makes judging the finishing line easier.

X2

While lowering the ET will probably make things worse by increasing MPH. There is a way that may eleiminate ecessive breaking. All cars exceding 160 mph must pull the chute. All cars going 150 or faster are required to have one so there would be no added expense.