LIMIT SPORTSMAN ENTRANTS?
Jok, it is good to know that someone in Glendora is listening. The poll is a step in the right direction. While I am in the camp of "No Delay Devises" of any kind, I understand the arguments on the other side and see how there is a valid argument to go that way.
I think you hit the nail right on the head concerning professional sportsman racers. Over the years, even before becoming a Chaplain, I have become friends with many of the professional sportsman racers - the Folk family, the Fullers, Dan Fletcher, to name a few. They are smart, intelligent racers, and I hold no grudge against their successes. They have taken the initiative and come up with viable solutions to their perceived situations. "Racers race," that is what they do.
However, I agree that to protect the nature of sportsman racing something must be done. The one driver per class per race rule is a good one. Having class eliminations at every national and divisional would also be a good way to go. I would like to see all sportsman eliminators contested at all national events again, even if there has to be a severe limiting of the number of entrants in each class. If the limit were set at 64, we would see more full fields, and it would but even more of an emphasis on making divisional meets than now exists. The 'Nationals' events should be special, not open to every driver in every class. The entry should be earned by racing and going rounds on the division level. It should not only be a grading point thing, but also a rounds won thing, with extra credit going to racers would participate at divisionals and national opens that are within an "X mile" radius of the national event site. I would also cut down the number of national events allowable to count for the season championships. I would not want to totally deny East Coast racers the chance to come to West Coast events, and visa versa, but that way it would cut down on some of the professional sportsman racers feeling that they "have to" enter all the events possible,
The way it is now, we still have the same racers coming to
Las Vegas for the spring and fall national events, but racing the different sportsman classes (Stock, SS, S/G, S/C, Comp), sometimes with the same car that ran in a different eliminator in the other race. I know one racer that runs the same car in Stock and SS, and has a second car that runs SS and Comp, and a third that is set up for S/G, but is also fast enough to run S/C with a different throttle stop set up. Plus he also races at big money bracket races as the NHRA schedule allows. He is a traveling professional, no two ways about it. He is on the road as much as any TF, FC, or PS team, and maybe even more, because he has all the equipment for maintaining the cars right in his big rig. He can do any tear-down or rebuilding he needs to do anywhere he desires, including welding. He wins a lot of races, and most certainly be eligible for single digit numbers in most of the eliminators. Do we really need such domination in the sportsman ranks?
One more thing - do we really want to have true professionals also racing in the sportsman classes? I mean TF and FC and PS drivers also driving in sportsman cars at the same race. I think, established pros also racing sportsman cars at the same race is just as damaging to the sport as the professional sportsman racers with their multi-class efforts. There might not be as many of them doing it, but just the same, they diminish and blur the distinction between "Professional" and "Sportsman" racers.
Just my thoughts...
Dale Tuley
RFC Chaplain
Las Vegas, NV
REAL RACERS AGREE
Jok, great article, keep it up. I totally agree with you and I am sure that 90% of the real racers do also. Even though I run a 2-step, I would pull it out in a heartbeat if the word came down. It used to be that someone could get on a roll and cut killer lights and be in the winners circle at a national event. Been there, done that, though it’s been like 15 years ago. Now days it seems that the roll that these guys get on is 4 races long and they or their Professional Sportsman buddies win more than 3/4 of the national events.
I agree with you that they treat it like a job and that they do it well, sometimes almost too well, but that’s another story! I hope that the sanctioning bodies listen to what you have said and that the rest of us throw a little weight their way.
Good luck and thanks
R.J. Sledge
4004 Stock
SOMETIMES THE TRUTH HURTS
Thank you for hitting the nail on the head. Those whose feathers get ruffled are only responding to the truth of the realization of their advantage. There are far more people who race for the fun than a living and they should have a fair shot at going rounds.
Al Minopoli