several reasons I don't like the 4 wide for the professional classes
1) You can beat a guy twice and he can come back and beat you in the final! Huh?
2) Exactly what happened to Hight and Arend is something the crews have talked about - you see one guy out front but nobody else. So in a normal race you'd shut down - now you think you might be able to finish 2nd and go to next round. I think this is a serious issue.
3) The staging process is very difficult - the drivers in interviews were being very diplomatic.
In fairness
1) The fans seem to like it
2) It is LOUD!
Other:
1) The teams will probably save money - 3 rounds and not 4
2) If you finish "tied for 3rd" you might have finished 4th in a normal race - yet you get the same points.
3) The overall time it takes for the entire race may be shorter.
4) TV loves it for the excitement
5) Lots more expensive for NHRA and TV. Cameras, safety crews are increased significantly
We'll see what the tv ratings are
Other:
Very poor crowd today. The weather forecast wasn't good and we got more in than I thought we would. But with all the hype I expected a lot more people to want to witness the first 4 wide eliminations. Saturday crowd significantly bigger just for qualifying.
Z-Max is a wonderful facility. Bruton Smith really knows what racers like. The older tracks like Phoenix (track is unsafe) and Englishtown (too short - unsafe) need pulled from the rotation. Even the 2nd most famous track: Pomona..it's too short.
The other factors that I think are ruined by 4 wide are the traditional head to head matchups that are exciting: Schumacher vs Dixon, Force vs Capps, etc. There are head games in play there not just car vs car. This 4 wide ruins that rivalry feeling. The 4 wide is over just as fast as the regular races and this way you get less bang for your buck. I hope this is a once a year (although Smith said he wants to do it in Vegas) thing that will be just different.
Of course I predicted the designated hitter in the AL would never last!
-- Modified on 3/28/2010 5:50:15 PM
There's nothing like a really cute gal (early 20's) fresh faced and great smile. Oh...and great tits and ass! I only gawked at them for about 20 minutes each!
4 wide racing is "ok"...I guess I'm too much of a purist. The fans are loving it from the sound of the applause. Of course there is one less round of racing in the pro ranks this way.
Bruton Smith said he is going to add 2 lanes to Las Vegas ASAP. I hope this doesn't catch on...but it may where there is room to do so.
But dammit I missed the Hotties.
I thought the addition of a couple more lanes was interesting.
Why don't you wish for it to catch on? The length of the event? The propensity for 'folly'?
several reasons I don't like the 4 wide for the professional classes
1) You can beat a guy twice and he can come back and beat you in the final! Huh?
2) Exactly what happened to Hight and Arend is something the crews have talked about - you see one guy out front but nobody else. So in a normal race you'd shut down - now you think you might be able to finish 2nd and go to next round. I think this is a serious issue.
3) The staging process is very difficult - the drivers in interviews were being very diplomatic.
In fairness
1) The fans seem to like it
2) It is LOUD!
Other:
1) The teams will probably save money - 3 rounds and not 4
2) If you finish "tied for 3rd" you might have finished 4th in a normal race - yet you get the same points.
3) The overall time it takes for the entire race may be shorter.
4) TV loves it for the excitement
5) Lots more expensive for NHRA and TV. Cameras, safety crews are increased significantly
We'll see what the tv ratings are
Other:
Very poor crowd today. The weather forecast wasn't good and we got more in than I thought we would. But with all the hype I expected a lot more people to want to witness the first 4 wide eliminations. Saturday crowd significantly bigger just for qualifying.
Z-Max is a wonderful facility. Bruton Smith really knows what racers like. The older tracks like Phoenix (track is unsafe) and Englishtown (too short - unsafe) need pulled from the rotation. Even the 2nd most famous track: Pomona..it's too short.
The other factors that I think are ruined by 4 wide are the traditional head to head matchups that are exciting: Schumacher vs Dixon, Force vs Capps, etc. There are head games in play there not just car vs car. This 4 wide ruins that rivalry feeling. The 4 wide is over just as fast as the regular races and this way you get less bang for your buck. I hope this is a once a year (although Smith said he wants to do it in Vegas) thing that will be just different.
Of course I predicted the designated hitter in the AL would never last!
-- Modified on 3/28/2010 5:50:15 PM
I agree with you, CG. I'd take it a step further and wish we could go back to the true quartermile races. Not downplaying the tragedy that brought about the reduced length; I just feel the alternative of additional safety run-out lengths should have garnered more consideration.
As you probably know the NHRA is experimenting with a "new 1/4 mile motor." One mag, less fuel delivery (pumps) and less cu. in. (I think around 440). Cruz Pedregon and Tim Wilkerson have done testing for NHRA with the combo and all I know is that it's a work in progress.
The death of Scott Kalitta was a combination of events that define the word accident. EXCEPT that the track is too short and the pole at the end of the track was just stupid. NHRA needs to get out of the politics of the established tracks and dump those that can't make the 1/4 mile safer. Of course a big issue is Pomona.
I say race 1/4 mile on as many as possible and 1000 feet on those that they feel must be used. It's intersting that the top fuel cars are running 320 at 1000 feet and only 20 mph more for the last 320 feet when going the full 1/4 mile! All the cars are on the rev limiter then, and now.
The cars that scare me when watching them are the pro-stockers. They need more downforce than they have even with the very slight changes brought on by Phoenix incidents.
By the way I was about 1000 feet from Matt Hagens car when it exploded on Saturday and it was the loudest I've ever heard. And I've heard a lot in the past 40 years. Wow..that was one violent explosion. He did a masterful job of driving or hanging on ..whatever!
I hope the weather is clear tomorrow.... I need to get home and get some pussy.