Changing superstreet to a 10.5-10.9 index class

Sure there are a few more trucks here and there but for the most part it has not changed much in the past 5 years. The fast guys are still fast and it's still only about 10 trucks, one stops and one new one fills back in but its still around 10 trucks that run 9's to low 10's. If you look at the numbers being posted and back out the guys running in double or even triple classes at an event there just isn't the numbers needed! I wish there was but the base problem comes from trying to fill the classes. I believe you could do something to maybe split the low classes that have 20 or 30 trucks that show up but when it comes to the 11 flat and quicker numbers, the volume of trucks at any one race are too few. If you want a typical class that needs 16 trucks per class to make a field. That would be 16 times however many classes you setup to have payouts in. PLEASE prove me wrong and come-up with a way to get the people out to the races, if I had the answer for it I certainly would, but I do not. Many have tried but I think doing the same old thing that's been done before and not worked isn't going to get it done. We need new blood to enter the sport to keep it growing that's for sure.
 
I just read this entire thread (helps to be at home sick). I can't believe it took until post #177 for someone to remember that DHRA tried a 10.50 index class, and it was the result of many discussions just like this.

I don't have a direct dog in this fight, but I think I have some perspective on some points.

It would really suck for the people building and running SS right now to suddenly turn it into an index class! I was driving DirtyMax when we were allowed to run with a tube chassis in Pro Street (before the existence of Pro Stock). IMHO they should have left Pro Street as it was with no prohibition on tube chassis, and maybe with a reasonable minimum weight like 3000 lbs.

SD has been probably the fastest growing class in diesel drag racing, and I agree that it has made for some really close and exciting racing. I ran an 11.90 index gasser class many years ago, but made the mistake of completely dominating a class. I made some changes to my daily driver to get it to react quickly to the pro tree, and in a class where everyone else was stuck in the 0.170-0.300 range for RTs I was consistently 0.010-0.025 range and could always run the index. The first race of the series was at a track 3.5 hours from my local track, and we had about 30 racers in the class, of which about 10 were from my local track. By the last race of the season at my local track (after I had easily won every event to that point), not a single one of those 10 racers was entered. They all gave up since it was a "race for 2nd place". Should I have backed off and not won by so much to not discourage people? In my mind, "Hell No!"

After that I started racing the 9.90 index class, which was a huge crowd favorite at the time (wheels-up launches and close racing). Unfortunately they came up with the timed throttle stops, and everyone started building 7-second cars to run the 9.90 class (which gives them a tactical advantage to be coming from behind at the finish line). I think if nothing else any index classes in NHRDA should ban timed throttle stops, so we never even go into that territory.

At this point I think the truck counts are still too low to justify adding another class. I think we should re-evaluate this after another season, and then consider adding something like a 10.90 class. One nice thing about the 10.90 class is that it matches the NHRA index class (ironically named Super-Street), for those who will race both NHRDA and NHRA.
 
Well Michael I only think we are going to see more of the private guys like Myself, Max and Scott drop out if things stay as they are. I can not keep up with the Jone's like the fore mentioned people. Hell Scott is already trying to sell his truck and mine may just end up getting stripped down and parted out for what will likely be a gasser and just race the single Texas event in the SD class or SM class. Guys like Rob, Seth, Palmer and the hand full of others have done nothing wrong in the least but the only new builds coming in PS and SS that I have seen are people with major sponsor dollars. People are not going to get spot lighted for the 11.90 class to get the sponsorship dollars it takes to compete at those levels. Where will these come from then that are going to keep growing those class's? I think it only makes sense to add an economical class between 11.90 and the average 10.0 to 9.5 it takes to compete in PS and SS. I think it gives guys who want to run at that level a platform to develop their truck to move up in class. JMO
 
Sorry guys I have been swamped finishing up our Tv show from the Edmonton event, working on the 2013 schedule and of course the World Finals.

So there are alot of good points on all sides and we will review this over the next couple of months.

My first gut response is yes we need to get our truck count up at all events before adding more classes.

Especially now that we have Diesel TV we dont need to dilute the competitors even more and yes I do remember the DHRA days and saw that didnt work very will , Though our sport has progressed leaps and bounds since the early days.

Super Diesel is coming along but we still only average 14-16 trucks per event while Super Street averages 8-10 per event so it really doesnt justify adding yet another class until our competitor count goes up.

Well back to work see you at the World Finals
 
rocracing said:
Super Diesel is coming along but we still only average 14-16 trucks per event while Super Street averages 8-10 per event so it really doesnt justify adding yet another class until our competitor count goes up.
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This is the whole issue that we all need to try and figure out. How do we get more trucks and people to attend each of the local level events. I would love to see 5 classes, each full of trucks racing but that's not where it is today. That would be 80+ trucks racing per event.
 
Runninlean said:
Well Michael People are not going to get spot lighted for the 11.90 class to get the sponsorship dollars it takes to compete at those levels. Where will these come from then that are going to keep growing those class's? I think it only makes sense to add an economical class between 11.90 and the average 10.0 to 9.5 it takes to compete in PS and SS. I think it gives guys who want to run at that level a platform to develop their truck to move up in class. JMO
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No sure I agree with this statement. I don't believe there are a lot of trucks that can run 10's that are currently setting out of racing all together, due to not wanting to race SS or SD. At least at the races I attended this year which was every one except the Florida and Virginia races. There are companies who will sponsor the 11.90 class as well, both Verlon and I have pretty good sponsor deals this year, niether of us couldn't have made all the races we did otherwise. I think that is the key, you have to be willing to travel to a lot of the events to get a decent sponsor deal.

As I said before, adding a class will only dilute what is already there. Also I don't believe there is such a thing as a economical 10 second truck. At least that has been my experience.
 
Subman631 said:
Also I don't believe there is such a thing as a economical 10 second truck. At least that has been my experience.
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Oh I agree on it not being "economical". It has been my experience as well as a few others who have already been mentioned that once we started trying to run into the 9's the expense hit a whole other level and the breaking increased drastically. I had the intentions of traveling much more this past season however major break downs and the wreck put a huge damper on that. Even with that said I pulled the race truck over 7 thousand mile's this year to diesel events. Unfortunately I completed 0 full pass's in competition. Not that this is anyone else fault than my own.

Perhaps I just do not have what it takes that could be the case I do not claim to be a guru just love the sport.
 
Dockboy said:
Again... This is not rocket science!

Index at the safety breaks.

Your truck runs slower that 12.50...
Run Sportsman ET

Your truck runs 12.50 to 11.40 and you have no roll bar...
Run 11.50

Your truck runs 11.40 to 9.90 and you only have a roll bar...
Run 10.00

Your truck runs 9.90 to 8.40 with a nhra chassis cert and license...
Run 8.50

All heads up except for ET and EVERYONE CAN RACE!
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THE ABOVE DOES NOT ADD ANY ADDITIONAL CLASSES!!*bdh*

11.50 = Super Diesel

10.00 = Super Street

8.50 = Pro Street

EVERYONE THAT SHOWS UP HAS A COMPETITIVE CLASS TO RACE IN!!


For the life of me I don't understand why you people fight this:doh:
 
Diesel Tech said:
This is the whole issue that we all need to try and figure out. How do we get more trucks and people to attend each of the local level events. I would love to see 5 classes, each full of trucks racing but that's not where it is today. That would be 80+ trucks racing per event.
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I actually think there'd be bigger turnout in total numbers if there were more classes. I know of numerous guys that sit out because they don't fit anywhere.
 
rush said:
I actually think there'd be bigger turnout in total numbers if there were more classes. I know of numerous guys that sit out because they don't fit anywhere.
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Really, where don't they fit? That is just an excuse, if they really wanted to race they'd race. Maybe they don't race because they are afraid they would get thier ass handed to them in Super Diesel or Sportsman? As I said, I would love to see the 11.90 index quicker, but I don't think that would not add any additional racers, just water down existing classes.
 
Dockboy said:
THE ABOVE DOES NOT ADD ANY ADDITIONAL CLASSES!!*bdh*

11.50 = Super Diesel

10.00 = Super Street

8.50 = Pro Street

EVERYONE THAT SHOWS UP HAS A COMPETITIVE CLASS TO RACE IN!!


For the life of me I don't understand why you people fight this:doh:
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Subman631 said:
Really, where don't they fit? That is just an excuse, if they really wanted to race they'd race. Maybe they don't race because they are afraid they would get thier ass handed to them in Super Diesel or Sportsman? As I said, I would love to see the 11.90 index quicker, but I don't think that would not add any additional racers, just water down existing classes.
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But dockboys idea doesn't add classes :confused:
 
Subman631 said:
Really, where don't they fit? That is just an excuse, if they really wanted to race they'd race. Maybe they don't race because they are afraid they would get thier ass handed to them in Super Diesel or Sportsman?.
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This is exacty why they don't race. And telling them to man up and get in there isn't gonna get new racers involved. New guys never wanna go out and have to run against trucks 3 times faster than them. But give them a class where they could come out and be remotely competitive and more people will join in and start running. I don't think super street should go away but I really like the idea of adding a 10.50 index.
 
97singlecab said:
This is exacty why they don't race. And telling them to man up and get in there isn't gonna get new racers involved. New guys never wanna go out and have to run against trucks 3 times faster than them. But give them a class where they could come out and be remotely competitive and more people will join in and start running. I don't think super street should go away but I really like the idea of adding a 10.50 index.
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I'm not clear from the above what you're saying the reason is. Are you saying it is a binary decision like "well I can either lose in SM or SD, or get smoked in SS so I have nowhere to race."

Sportsman is a place where everybody can win. I don't see why people can't just start there. It's the most economical, it's fun, it teaches good racing fundamentals. Don't get me wrong, for selfish and obvious reasons I would love a 10.50 or so index, but I also don't expect rules to be made for me.

I also don't think any index in the 10's 9's 8's or whatever is going to get more people to race. I think there are four 10 second trucks in the state of Oregon. Ken's, Paul Breedlove's, Source Auto's truck that hasn't ran in a while, and mine. I do not know of any sitting in garages all dressed up with nowhere to go.
 
Subman631 said:
Really, where don't they fit? That is just an excuse, if they really wanted to race they'd race. Maybe they don't race because they are afraid they would get thier ass handed to them in Super Diesel or Sportsman? As I said, I would love to see the 11.90 index quicker, but I don't think that would not add any additional racers, just water down existing classes.
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Most guys that have 10 second trucks aren't going to race 11.90. And why beat on your equipment in ss when you have zero chance of being competitive. What nhrda is doing now isn't working (as far as growing the classes) so why not try something different.
 
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rush said:
I actually think there'd be bigger turnout in total numbers if there were more classes. I know of numerous guys that sit out because they don't fit anywhere.
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Kelly, we've chatted and your one of those guys. You haven't attened a nhrda event in 2 or 3 yrs. You have a 10.8 truck and you don't race it at events cause you think you can't win. The rest of us still go out there and try. Nothing will change until we get the truck count up. You and other want a better class that fits. Your voice would be heard a lot more if you were at the events, that goes for everyone. We all ask for lots on our keyboards, but voices in person, having your trucks at events, showing them there are enough trucks for a change.
 
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