Index Racing ... Fact vs. Fiction

[Subman631]

Case in point, in the later rounds the 12.0 index is usually won at the tree.

Very true, unless it is just dumb ass luck the last two rounds usually have racers who can run the number pretty close. The tree is usually the race unless you can sucker the other guy into breaking out. Very important to know what your competitor has been running in the earlier rounds. Gives you an idea if you have any wiggle room or not for fendering if you get treed.

 

[Shambo]

We didnt eliminate it unless u got a memo that i didnt.......its right in our classes and rules still and is listex on the flyer for our season opener in Phoenix.

It was call pro 1 ET class. And they eliminated it because not enough participation.

 

[Marc]

It was call pro 1 ET class. And they eliminated it because not enough participation.

I thought u were talking about our current 11.90 index class. It had a fairly decent turnout last uear and was definatly fun to watch and very competitive.

 

[Double J]

Very true, unless it is just dumb ass luck the last two rounds usually have racers who can run the number pretty close. The tree is usually the race unless you can sucker the other guy into breaking out. Very important to know what your competitor has been running in the earlier rounds. Gives you an idea if you have any wiggle room or not for fendering if you get treed.

I know exactly what you mean. From my experiance, the trucks that make it to the later rounds can typically run deep into 11's. If you're treed and have to play catch up, more than likely you will break out trying to run your oppenent down. Makes for a very close and interesting race.

 

[DEZLFREK]

i vote for no wieght limits also..

 

[joefarmer]

Please no weight limits or both mine will be index outcasts. Just say no tube chassis if don't want them in.

 

[Subman631]

I know exactly what you mean. From my experiance, the trucks that make it to the later rounds can typically run deep into 11's. If you're treed and have to play catch up, more than likely you will break out trying to run your oppenent down. Makes for a very close and interesting race.

The 11.90 is a hoot to run, lots going on and figure out and not much time to
make up your mind what your are going to do. Still plenty fast as well. Key is don't get treed and if you do, hope to hell it is by a truck that has been running 12.1 or 12.2 or you are likely dead meat unless you can sucker him to break out worse than you do.

 

[paulb]

I'm good with it all. .400, .500, Sportsman tree, bracket, index. It's all good.

We used to have random lights on friday nights. Sometimes you would get a .500 pro light, sometimes a sportsman tree. Good practice for leaving on the bottom amber bulb.

The current 11.90 NHRDA class is hard for me to slow down for, but end result is, the person with the best light has the best chance of winning. You let me have .03 on the tree and I'll win everytime (well almost!). The 11.50 would be better for me.

The 10.00 class sounds like fun. I won't run that fast, but I could be competitive in it.

I can almost always find at least one class to run in. I even raced in a flat head/inliners class one time. Kinda fun running against 60's and 70's Dodge Darts!

Paul

 

[Subman631]

I'm good with it all. .400, .500, Sportsman tree, bracket, index. It's all good.

We used to have random lights on friday nights. Sometimes you would get a .500 pro light, sometimes a sportsman tree. Good practice for leaving on the bottom amber bulb.

The current 11.90 NHRDA class is hard for me to slow down for, but end result is, the person with the best light has the best chance of winning. You let me have .03 on the tree and I'll win everytime (well almost!). The 11.50 would be better for me.

The 10.00 class sounds like fun. I won't run that fast, but I could be competitive in it.

I can almost always find at least one class to run in. I even raced in a flat head/inliners class one time. Kinda fun running against 60's and 70's Dodge Darts!

Paul

Paul you need a Duramax or one of those EFI tunable dodges and dial it right in.oke:

 

[Dockboy]

I agree with the above. Make it 0.400 pro tree and do away with weight restrictions. Who cares if something is tube chassis or not, it's an index class.



An owner is one thing, but get something in writing from a national NHRA official! One of the reasons for the .90 classes is that they wanted them to be below the cut-off like 9.99, specifically so you don't have the safety equipment issue in the event of a breakout. Not sure if they still do it this way, but my local tracks were always giving warnings for running below a given barrier. I had an 11 second street car back when the rollbar rule was 11.99. I would dial it 12.00 and fender race, and there would always be a nasty note on my time slip if I broke out. However, they always let me come back the next week! They did pull me aside more than once and try to talk me into putting a rollbar in it (which I eventually did). Ironically I put the rollbar in when they came up with an 11.90 index class!

BTW - will deep staging be allowed?

They run 11.50, 10.00, and 8.50 Index at several track around me. Cecil County, Atco, Englishtown and several others. All NHRA sanctioned tracks.

Here is the response to the exact question asked by a competitor from Jim Halsey, Owner/operator of Cecil County, and Pro Mod Champion driver.

Please forgive my ignorance on the subject ...

So if I want to run 11.50 index, do I have to have a 6-point rollbar? It's my understanding that if I run 11.4x in qualifying (under the index) that I'd be disqualified from the race without the rollbar.

My car's right on the edge of this index when I run it all out (been 11.40s).

If that's the case, why not make the index 11.90 or 11.80 or 11.70 ... so that cars without rollbars could run in the race. You'd probably pick up a few/bunch of new racers in that race.

That is not the case, if your dial-in or index is 11.50 or slower you do not need the safety equipment that is required if you are dialed at 11.49. Even if you run 11.49 you do not need the equipment as long as you are dialed 11.50 or slower.

same go for if i run 10.0?? dip into the 9's i aint going to get the boot??

So it is ok to run 11.40's without a bar, jacket, and harness or run 9.90's without a cage, fire suit, and chassis cert as long as your dialed 11.50 or 10.o?

That is correct as long as you are racing a class or qualifying. If you are testing and run 11.49 or 9.99 or quicker you will need the proper safety equipment for those ETs.

 

[Dockboy]

I put weights in there to help appease some of the "It should only be trucks" guys.

Personally, and like others have said, The weights could go away from my stand point!! Who cares what you are racing against as long as it's close.

 

[Big Swole]

Sunscribing

 

[joefarmer]

I put weights in there to help appease some of the "It should only be trucks" guys.

Personally, and like others have said, The weights could go away from my stand point!! Who cares what you are racing against as long as it's close.

LOL They's scared of getting beat by the perceived weenies.

 

[BlakeW]

I would like to see it done like this. But without the weight limits. Hopefully one of the orginizations/outlaws will put some thought into this.

 

[BFD99]

No weight limits and the rest sounds awesome to me! 11.9 or 12.0 is always the class to watch with the best racing!

 

[Dockboy]

To expound on the running under the index question...This is how it works at the tracks that run these Index's.

In qualifying, if you run under the index, you are placed in the bottom of the ladder (a 16 car NHRA Ladder is used) unless one of your runs is over the index then you will be seeded by that pass. Of course, in eliminations if you run under the index, you will lose the round, If both competitors happen to run under, the one closest to the index advances. Needless to say, if you continue to run under the index you will be eliminated for breaking out at some point.

As Jimmy expressed, this is only in effect during qualifying and eliminations rounds of a race because the "intent" is to run the index or slower. If you were merely at the track testing or running in the Open Test runs sometimes offered to eliminated racers during a race, you need the proper safety equipment for the et you are running or will be prohibited from running.

Clear as mud? LOL

 

[Marc]

To expound on the running under the index question...This is how it works at the tracks that run these Index's.

In qualifying, if you run under the index, you are placed in the bottom of the ladder (a 16 car NHRA Ladder is used) unless one of your runs is over the index then you will be seeded by that pass. Of course, in eliminations if you run under the index, you will lose the round, If both competitors happen to run under, the one closest to the index advances. Needless to say, if you continue to run under the index you will be eliminated for breaking out at some point.

As Jimmy expressed, this is only in effect during qualifying and eliminations rounds of a race because the "intent" is to run the index or slower. If you were merely at the track testing or running in the Open Test runs sometimes offered to eliminated racers during a race, you need the proper safety equipment for the et you are running or will be prohibited from running.

Clear as mud? LOL

Only thing i would like to add.....is the DQ rules vary a lot by track. I dont wand to see someone dissapointed or worse yet banned from a track thinking they are all alike. Some are strict ......others bend the rules. Just learn about where ypur running if your on the edge od a major nhra rule like roll bars or cages

 

[MaxPowerLB7]

The proposed index rules seem pretty cool to me. He weight probably doesn't matter a whole lot as it will only serve to exclude willing participants .

Only thing i would like to add.....is the DQ rules vary a lot by track. I dont wand to see someone dissapointed or worse yet banned from a track thinking they are all alike. Some are strict ......others bend the rules. Just learn about where ypur running if your on the edge od a major nhra rule like roll bars or cages

In my experience, tracks seem to be a lot more flexible at a larger event than at test and tune or midnight drags.

 

[unfinished business]

This is a GREAT IDEA Greg! I hope this catches on!

Paul

 

[Michael]

Greg,
I suspect you will find tracks in general much less accommodating of under-the-limit passes than Cecil is.

As much as I like index racing, what is the goal of proposing these classes? To replace the current mix of brackets, index, and no-breakout classes? I personally think that the existing classes are working pretty well given the economic climate. Heck, despite the existence of mid-low 9 second Super-Street trucks, you still see rounds being won by high 10-second trucks.

BTW - would you allow deep staging in your proposed classes?