How would YOU change Drag Week?

[squirrel]

I'm cool with the rules the way they are. If you didn't build enough car this year, then get your sh!t together and get to work on one for next year. And be sure to make it even badder than you think it needs to be, because the other guy sure is gonna, you can bet on that.

[MattSwindle]

My first year doing it and we had a blast!
..but my observations for changes would be..:


1) nothing slower than 11.99...(the days of a 12 sec car being fast are long over)..I'm pushing 60..so I can say that..LOL
2) have a minimum et limit for each class..(possibly based on previous year competitors?)
3) consolidate classes
4) require cars within the same class to run each other(none of the fans knew who was competing against who)
5) eliminate trailers
6) rename Daily Driver to 10.80 index..and 10.80 will be the dial for the race for everyone...
7) use a Pro Tree

just my op..

Matt

[38P]

My first year doing it and we had a blast!
..but my observations for changes would be..:


1) nothing slower than 11.99...(the days of a 12 sec car being fast are long over)..I'm pushing 60..so I can say that..LOL

That's just elitist BS. I'd put my 12.21 up against 98% of the cars I actually see on the highway. And how would competitors prove beforehand that they're "worthy" under the arbitrary Swindle rule? Hmmm?

2) have a minimum et limit for each class..(possibly based on previous year competitors?)

Why? No class other than DD is overrun with cars. And again there's that niggling how-to-prove-it question.

3) consolidate classes

Again, why? It's not like the number of classes affects anything other than the length of the awards ceremony (which would speed up if Freiburger showed up on time and would lay off the jokes about his apparent drinking problem)

4) require cars within the same class to run each other(none of the fans knew who was competing against who)

Possibly valid, but that would require more organization than they've shown thus far. And when they have a total fiasco such as Friday at BG, adding in delays for class calls would have even further limited the paltry number of runs allowed.

5) eliminate trailers

Not practical or safe. I say the trailer rules should be liberalized to allow more camping trailers for actual camping and that the Daily Drivers should be prohibited from arriving on trailers.

6) rename Daily Driver to 10.80 index..and 10.80 will be the dial for the race for everyone...

While the DD class was quicker this year, it's hardly an all 10.80 class. There are certainly not very many actual daily drivers in the Quick 32, but that doesn't mean it should abandon the bracket race concept.

7) use a Pro Tree

Why? It wouldn't affect any class other than DD. And most sportsmen racers are used to a sportsman tree.

[TheSilverBuick]

I agree, having an empty glass and only Bud Light or Coors to drink is a problem

[MattSwindle]

That's just elitist BS. I'd put my 12.21 up against 98% of the cars I actually see on the highway. And how would competitors prove beforehand that they're "worthy" under the arbitrary Swindle rule? Hmmm?

Wow!
That's why I said maybe base it off last years Competitors..
Y'all ask for opinions and then ya attack them..
Thanks for proving what ya are..

take care
see ya next year..
Matt

[MR P-BODY]

I know the race director(guy on the 4 wheeler at Bowling Green.. sorry I forget
his name) really wants to eliminate any street tires on the track... those are the
tires that tear up the starting line

[38P]

I know the race director(guy on the 4 wheeler at Bowling Green.. sorry I forget
his name) really wants to eliminate any street tires on the track... those are the
tires that tear up the starting line

Perhaps he ought to concentrate on getting the gates open early enough (a complaint voiced from someone in the Hot Rod toterhome, BTW), and having a working timing system.

I didn't exactly see the BG crew pouring their hearts into starting line prep during the down time (and there were obvious street tire tracks visible before even one car took the belated green light at BG on Friday). Contrast the BG effort with how they approach track prep at Indy . . . .

[squirrel]

The BG crew were busting ass trying to get the timing system working again, they did that....

I guess I just have my expectations in line with the way things are. I didn't find anything to gripe about this year. Great job Hot Rod magazine!

(Adger is the guy we're talking about?)

[MR P-BODY]

Perhaps he ought to concentrate on getting the gates open early enough (a complaint voiced from someone in the Hot Rod toterhome, BTW), and having a working timing system.

I didn't exactly see the BG crew pouring their hearts into starting line prep during the down time (and there were obvious street tire tracks visible before even one car took the belated green light at BG on Friday). Contrast the BG effort with how they approach track prep at Indy . . . .

He doesnt have control over what the facility does or doesnt do... thats the track...
as to the lights... well when it gets hit by lightening it tends to fry the equipment
and the track crew tried their best to get it up

[MR P-BODY]

The BG crew were busting ass trying to get the timing system working again, they did that....

I guess I just have my expectations in line with the way things are. I didn't find anything to gripe about this year. Great job Hot Rod magazine!

(Adger is the guy we're talking about?)

Thanks for the name... I forgot it

[Bamfster]

One solution to the street tire issue .... true street tires run outside the groove, slicks and DOTs get the groove.

[38P]

Wow!
That's why I said maybe base it off last years Competitors..
Y'all ask for opinions and then ya attack them..
Thanks for proving what ya are..

1) nothing slower than 11.99...(the days of a 12 sec car being fast are long over)..I'm pushing 60..so I can say that..LOL

Matt, you certainly have a right to your opinions. And if you live in a street car version of Lake Wobegon, where all the cars are "above average" and "the days of a 12 sec car being fast are long over," then so be it.

But when you attack participation of those who for whatever reason haven't shown up with an 11.99 or quicker car, perhaps it's foreseeable that you'll get a bit of pushback. Sorry you don't like the heat, but you brought it on yourself. But then you're "pushing 60" so you can take it.

I will stand all day, every day for all the little guys who enjoy the DW experience with 12-second and slower cars. There were some bitchin vehicles that didn't quite measure up to the suggested 11.99 standard, such as that blown Jimmy 6, and yes, even Doc's sano LESSmobile Camaro.

It's amazing that for one week a year a 12-second or slower car is apparently something to be ashamed of. I refuse to be among those elitists promoting such.

[JeffMcKC]

Most of this has been covered 40 times.

Racing by Class is not possible, beside not being what the week is about at last at this point, and even by Class a lot would not be close. No one is in the stands, who does not get it?
Why tell someone they cant come?

[38P]

He doesnt have control over what the facility does or doesnt do... thats the track...
as to the lights... well when it gets hit by lightening it tends to fry the equipment
and the track crew tried their best to get it up

Certainly problems occur that must be overcome. But your OP was a report about an official's complaint about street tires and their effect on track prep. I merely pointed out there were bigger issues than that. And I reported my observations about the comparatively lesser effort of the BG crew to prepare the track. It's not as if there wasn't pre-existing street tire "damage" that the BG crew apparently ignored.

Personally, I don't think the street tire thing is a big of a deal. Competitors should adjust to the conditions.

I was the first competitor at the track at BG on Friday, had my car sitting in line for hours, and still only got three runs. (That, of course, was my fault, Jim, for taking time out to get my N20 bottle back from Monte before I ran the second pass).

On every other day . . . even the day I swapped trailing arms . . . there was time for a lot more than three runs. While the Quick 32 bracket race was part of the reason why there wasn't enough run time in BG, in my opinion they didn't adjust the schedule enough after the timing light delay. For those who believe HRM is the embodiment of metaphysical perfection, then I guess it was all good.

It doesn't sit well to be marshalled out of the lanes when other competitors are allowed more runs. But that's my fault for not bringing a "class" car. But then being slower than 11.99, and too new to boot, some say it shouldn't even have been there. Again, my fault.

[38P]

BTW, the fact that Monte had my bottle at BG on Friday was MY FAULT because Monte ran out of gas on Thursday (again MY FAULT because I didn't call Monte and tell him to check all his mother bottles before he left NOS) . . . and because I gave 'em my bottle on Thurday to weigh (only 4 lbs had leaked out with all the thrashing at DW '12 and '13) . . . and MY FAULT because I should have taken it into town to buy my own nitrous instead of sponging off of the NOS sponsorship.

As a matter of fact . . . I any of you had any problems at DW '13 ... it was probably MY FAULT.