I see we have the annual rule change thread going. It's a good thing to discuss but bottom line is to grow the sport we need more racers in the lower classes that get the bug and want to move up. The 12.0 and slower Sportman class gets a ton of entries and is fine the way it is. Having a 12.0 dial and waiting for a 17 second truck isn't the best thing on a converter but that's what you do if you want to double class. The 11.90 class has grown leaps and bounds from it's first season. You have to have a truck that will run the number and you have to be good on the .4 protree to really have a chance to win that class. A true driver's race with very low probability of breaking. Selfishly I'd like to see it a little quicker, but I understand if you go quicker than 11.50 you many other safety factors to consider.
Dock boy has long advocated index racing and I think if we had more trucks in the quicker classes it would be a good thing. 10.9 index, 9.9 index and 8.9 index. No electronics allowed. (i.e. delay boxes mainly). Since we don't and the fact that requirements change drastically at 10.0, I don't see that happening anytime soon.
Super Street is the class that rules out west. Way more trucks and interest in that class v/s prostreet. I think people more closely identify with that class as it has a more street truck feel. Trucks can go rounds, are driven to the starting line and back to the pits and can hot lap much more readily than most of the prostreet trucks, especially the really quick ones.
I know for a fact that guys have built and are building Superstreet trucks to come after Rob and Max'd Out. That is good for the sport, creates a ton of interest and definitely grows the sport.
My street truck was originally built to be a Superstreet truck. It will run mid to high 10's but at a cost, usually a new tranny every few passes. I got very tired of that and we lobbied for and got the 11.90 class. I run it on it's lowest hp setting and if launched correctly will run pretty close to 11.9 on that tune. I have 4 more higher hp setting if I need them, but turning it up has cost me a number of races do to breaking out.
I have driven it from Oregon to Brainerd MN to race, and also I drove it from Oregon to Edmonton AB and raced. I am not worried about breaking it and the 11.90 index is a ton of fun, and is a hell of a lot more difficult then SuperStreet or Prostreet for that matter since almost no one breaks and you have to go a lot of rounds to win. Plus if you look at who cuts most of the best lights on the .4 tree it's guys in the Super Diesel class.
I don't buy the argument guys don't enter Superstreet class because if Rob shows up they don't have a chance to win. Then those same guys won't enter Super Diesel because it's too slow. That is a bunch of hog wash. If they really wanted to race they'd race. Those are just lame excuses. Rob sometimes double and triple classes just so there is someone for the one or two real entries in that classes will have someone to race. He wins his share with a slower truck because he is a great racer. Having more classes to fit everyone's needs isn't the answer and is not going to work.
The gap from 11.9 to SS isn't that bad. Moving it to anything quicker than 11.5, (which I personally would love) means to be competitive you have to have a roll bar. There are a lot of guys who don't want to put a roll bar in their street truck. I say leave it where it is, and those guys who think they have a high 10, low 11 sec truck, tune it back and come run 11.90 and once you start dominating that class then move on up if you want.$.02
