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START A THROTTLE STOP DISCUSSION
Hey Jok, how about the discussion of banning throttle strops for the Super classes? This subject was brought up a couple of years ago by the NHRA but was quickly quieted (I presume by the people who sell motors, go-fast parts and throttle stops that advertise with the NHRA). It would save us Super class racers a lot of money if we only had to build enough motor to run .1 under the index and limit throttle opening or add ballast to hit the number. It also would eliminate the current launch, die and chase scenario that we and the confused spectators frequently see and don't understand. There's a reason this looks stupid.
When I started racing Super Comp (20 years ago) electronic/pneumatic throttle stops were rare and so were big expensive high MPH motors. Now it's somewhat rare to see a 350 small block Super Comp car still out there, but most guys use the large (>500 CI) big blocks. Previous to the proliferation of the throttle stops the competitors were basically racing side by side instead of the current hare/hound contests.
Of course you would also have to ban high gear only combinations which is the next logical step to take if you want a MPH advantage at the finish line.
By taking the big horse power/throttle stop combination out of the picture you could also significantly reduce or eliminate some of the advantage that 4-link cars have over a rigid chassis (it's a lot easier to hook up 500 HP than 900 HP). It also would reduce the amount of hard braking necessary to "tighten up" the finish line.
Also, maybe the NHRA needs to consider a 7.90 or Top Dragster class for those bucks up guys who want to go fast.
Because of the economics of it, I don't think we'll ever see things change. . .but it sure would be nice to race competitively with a mildly modified small block or stock big block crate motor. And I think the spectators would like to see closer (at both ends of the track, not just the finish line) Super class racing.
What do you think?
Billy Baer
SC/OR 3391