I didn't take Monday off this year, so Rachael and I pretty much had to drive straight through. I managed to put in my forty hours, but didn't really start feeling like myself until Friday! Been gathering pictures,(and my thoughts) to start writing again. It's amazing how many memories and memorable moments can be packed into two weeks!

Hindsight being 20/20, there are so many things I would have done different...

I'm gonna say.......makin sure the "plan b" ride has been thoroughly tested well in advance would be high on the list.

As in........ You should be making sure it's all sorted out now....... In case it needs to be pressed into service for next year.

Fast ,
Aren't your nhra rules for modern cars good to 10.00 no cage ?
Down here that is the go for post 2008 cars , as long as no cutting on body such as tubs . Power adders dont seem to matter.
Go figure not even any safety clothing .

Tex

I'm not sure you'll be able to read it..... But:

Kool
Looks like you are strickter . They run bracket here , no one worries . At least till someone gets an eye out 😅

Tex

Sounds like Billy is saying they might have adopted the Aussie late model rules for Drag Week.

I think that rule is loosely enforced in lots of places. I know a guy here with a Hellcat Challenger that has run in the 10.0s at 140 and he has raced at several tracks with no problems.

Maybe the Tracks/NHRA are realizing this is bringing more people to the track?

I guess my point is...... It's clearly an NHRA rule that the cars aren't allowed to run that quick with any mods other than different rear tires.

So, someone can blow past the 11.50 rule to the tune of 1.5 seconds in a late model car, and it's all good.
But if someone were to run a totally stock appearing car(think FAST), they're "done" at 11.50.

I wonder if any new Demons will show up next year, and what will happen if they run quicker than 10.00.

I'm not a big fan of "selective" rules enforcement.

Don't tout repeatedly how the cars can only turn in time slips with an ET that's slower than the rules say the car can go........ And then have numerous cars making runs, and turning in slips where that isn't the case.

If you're going to deviate from the NHRA rule book in certain classes....... Then make it clear what the rules for those classes are.



I'm sure the same could be said for not enforcing the roll bar rule for any cars running quicker than 11.50.

Is it possible that the OEM crash protection specs meet or exceed NHRA roll bar specs?

Kevin

I would guess that a modern car is a heck of a lot safer inside, than the junk we build that meets nhra rules.

Maybe that should read you hope the modern cars are safer
I've seen some horrible crashes at the track that the drivers didn't get hurt, I've also heard of drivers dying in a car from tire shake that didn't wreck before the car hit the guard rail after doing a burn out like Eric Medlen died of
I'm a firm believer in having the best safety equipment you can get in a race car and never testing it

I had to chuckle while I was watching the nhra race today.

Remember the add in the magazine after the testing was done on the new Demon where it was too fast to be running without a roll bar, and there was a copy of the letter from the nhra saying the cars wouldn't be allowed to run?

I guess when your a race sponsor......... That stuff just gets totally forgotten....... As I watched Leah Prichett and Matt Hagan having a little Demon match race.
They didn't show the scoreboard too well on TV, but it looked like they conveniently didn't show the ET's.

As Gear Vendors Hot Rod Drag Week presented by Dodge becomes larger and more heavily sponsored year after year, there is a certain amount of kickback against the original premise that David Freiburger laid out twelve years ago which was: "On Drag Week, there are no rules"! When there were 100 or less cars, running at smaller facilities, it had an almost outlaw feel with only cursory tech inspections, and everyone was lumped together in just a few classes with a "let the drives sort them out" attitude. The 11.50 no-bar vs. 10.00 new car stuff is quite frankly a minor nuisance compared to some of the other stuff that goes on, but I've been getting my hands slapped for being a little too revealing in these stories. Watching the live feed is very entertaining for someone participating at Drag Week, who has intimate knowledge of what is going on, because DF and Lohnes are just spit balling up there most of the time on the mics, playing fast and loose with the particulars of everyone's combinations. "The time slips turned in must be above the competitors tech speed", is a very true fact, but many times those are the slowest five passes some guys made all week!

The core of Drag Week is that it is a showcase of fast Street Cars, driven by Street Car guys, so sure you have a handful of serious racer types that compete in various series of competition, but for the most part, many spend very little time at the track, and have little use for NHRA mandated equipment and licenses, so every year there is a crush of would be participants trying to jump through the NHRA hoops to be able to run their cars to their true potential. That situation became even more murky this year as we were starting at an IHRA sanctioned track.

Don't forget the live feed by Auto Meter!

...... Unless you're running a late model vehicle(then we're looking the other way).

Don't people get thrown off of tracks for running faster that they are teched for? None of them get thrown off-during this very specific event. If it were really about safety regs the first pass below the min ET or above the MPH the competitor would be shown the door until they could pass tech.

As was previously mentioned, You go through "tech" at check in, then show up at tracks and race. I suppose the assumption is that because you cannot hand in a faster slip, then you won't run faster. That being said, the tech inspector last year asked if I was going for 10.0 (even though I am in the "no bar" crowd)

If every track had to tech and police 400 cars, all rolling in at different times, the event could never happen.

The problem is, in Street Race classes, they are not allowed to have a funny car cage, or 25.X chassis. The cars have gotten to the point of easily breaking that 8.50 mark. For 2018 that no FC cage rule needs to be lifted IMO, and let the cars run what they can run. This is supposed to be a fun event, and it is. Kicking people out right away would sour things real fast.

The only way to REALLY complain about the rules though is to enter the event, and run it. Not much power behind a complaint written on a web forum.

I'm NOT saying anyone should be kicked out of DW for running faster than the #, far from it. My point is that this ISN'T an NHRA sanctioned event, so Hot Rod has final authority on what passes and fails. I'm sure that the track owners and the sanctioning bodies work behind the scenes to figure out what is OK. Between Billy and the live stream I've become a fan of this event and have put it on my bucket list, hopefully in the next couple of years I'll be a small part of the ongoing saga of Drag Week.