CamaroKid813169

well this up comming season is my last in a jr anyways, so I'm going to finish it out in the jr. and I think start running the camaro on street nights, but after this season i'm stepping up into a full size car

Projectz28

something just doesnt sound right here. I can understand why they would ask you to leave if you in fact went too fast. 99% of the tracks know who their regular racers are. If you have been running Jr's for a long time and been consistant, then they know who you are. The track doesnt just consider you a number. You are the reason they are in business. I started in the Summit series this year in Heavy Eliminator. I made it to 7 races total and I know they already know me and my car at my local track.

Now if you did indeed run that fast and it wasnt a timing error, you need to slow it down. Most of the time you need to back it up before the track officials with kindly ask you to leave. But "banned" for the season? Are you sure you heard them correctly? I just find that very hard to belive that you were banned for the rest of the season for 1 pass just a bit too fast. Maybe you should go talk to the officials and find out why and what their reason is. You get more honey with sugar you know...

Maybe they are just trying to force you to step up in classes but I somehow belive this was not an isolated incident. Something else must of happened for the track to come down that harsh on you.

My suggestion is to go talk to them and see "what you can do to help" the situation. 99% of the time they are just looking out for you and if you ask them for some clarification they will be more than happy to give it to you.

Just MHO....

CamaroKid813169

Well IHRA sent a certified letter to me saying that we were suspended indefinatly until august 15 2005(one calendar year from the time it happened), So it's not a mistake they're serious about it and no mistakes were made, and also, the 14-17 year old age class is one of the most competitve classes, and it's not like they want to get rid of us and have us move up or they would just get rid of the class, it's just that i supose rules are rules and they suck and there's nothing to do about it now except go along with it and run NHRA

JordonMusser

race something that you actually have to turn the steering wheel :-D

http://www.fastblackcar.com/me/03worlds2.jpg

83mph trap? try 110mph on the straights.. or faster (fast guys @ Laguna and other "long tracks" can do 170mph!)

Projectz28

I dont doubt that it happened, but you have to understand the way alot of guys are looking at it. You posted this in a fourm that is full of veteran drag racers. Guys that have been running NHRA and IHRA race events for a long time. I know in my experiences that I have never heard of NHRA sending an official letter suspending someone from an entire race series just because they went a couple tenths faster than they are allowed. My gut is telling me that there is more to the story here. You are just telling your side of it. It wasnt the track that banned you, it was the NHRA... again I am not saying it didnt happen and I understand why you would be upset. But there has to be more to it than just going too fast on a run that was possibly a timing error. I have to believe that you may have been warned several times before or you did something else before to provoke the reaction and this was just the last straw.

You dont loose your licence for 5 mph over the speed limit Get caught too many times and you will eventually loose it because you are considered a habitual offender.

Good luck in starting out with a clean slate next year and I hope you do well in the next class.

CamaroKid813169

It's not like I'm trying to hide anything here, we were issued no prior warnings, I mean hell I wish I had that might make a little more sense, But I'm just starting to lean towards, when this occured the director of liscensing was going through that litle thing that happens once every month and I was on the wrong end of it, ya know? But thanks alot for your feedback, and let's hope this kinda thing doesnt happen next season, and i finish my last season in a Jr off on a good note

Raptor1

I haven't bothered to read this entire thread, so this may already have been mentioned. But don't you have the option to file an appeal to their decission?

From what I've read I have to agree with some of the others. There has to be more to it than what we are hearing here. And I don't believe it has anything to do with someone's "time of the month". If a driver is suspended from National competition for an entire season, the decission making process would involve more than one person - for obvious reasons.

If you want an unbiased opinion from your peers here, which seems to be what you are after, why don't you scan the actual letter you received and post it here?

CamaroKid813169

Well there was a conference held in Norwalk Ohio where we met with all the major officials and directors of liscensing and competition, When it came down to a vote some sided with us and the rest were opposed to us. They came to the conclusion that from running consitantly 8.0's and 7.90's we intentionally tried to run a 7.62, however I still dont believe the car ran that fast because the car didnt launch any different than it normally did.

GreenDemon

Don't sweat it. For being 16 you have a lot going for you. There will be some roadblocks in your life, sometimes you can go around them, sometimes you have to wait...

CamaroKid813169

well thanks alot for everyone's feedback, ill be sure to let you all know if anything happens

techinspector1

Maybe I can help with the revised NHRA rules for 2005.

ADJUSTMENTS TO E.T. REQUIREMENTS

In a move designed to encourage more street vehicles to compete on the quarter-mile, NHRA has revised its requirements for roll bars, SFI spec clutches, driveshaft loops, driver restraints and certain protective clothing. Beginning Jan. 1, 2005, a roll bar (5-point minimum: 2 points at the B-bar, 2 points at the diagonal rear down-bars and 1 point at the driver's side bar) and SFI 16.1 driver restraint system (minimum 3" belts with a 5-point hookup)will be mandatory on any vehicle running 11.49 or quicker and for convertibles running 13.49 or quicker. An SFI 3.2A/1 jacket will be mandatory for all drivers in vehicles running between 10.00 and 11.49 seconds. On any manual transmission car running 11.49 or quicker, a flywheel and clutch meeting SFI spec 1.1 or 1.2 and a flywheel shield meeting SFI spec 6.1, 6.2, 6.3 or 9.1 will be mandatory. A driveshaft loop will be required on all cars with slicks running 13.99 or quicker and all cars with street tires running 11.49 or quicker.

I don't have a rulebook here in front of me, but I seem to remember that a minimum 6-point cage with halo is required in convertibles at 10.99, unless that has been changed also for 2005. I don't have info on that yet.

5SPDCHK, this is just an observation after viewing the bar that Rick installed in the convertible, but the crossbar seems a little low. NHRA calls for the shoulder belts to be installed "even with the driver's shoulders, to a maximum of 4" below the driver's shoulders". The idea is that if they are installed higher than the shoulders, the driver could "fall-up" into the belts in the event of a rollover and bump his noggin. If they are installed too low, the line of pull is all wrong and can result in severe compression of the spinal vertebrae . You might suggest to him that he should not tack the crossbar into the car until the driver is seated in his/her normal driving position, with the shoulder belts connected at the lap belts and the loose ends looped over the crossbar to confirm this "even with/4" below" rule.

I've turned away quite a few cars for this infraction. The absolute WORST is the racer who shows up with shoulder belts mounted to the floor behind the seat. That is an absolute recipe for disaster.

CamaroKid813169

This just brought to my attention in this months edition of NHRA's Jr. Dragster Magazine, Rules and revisions for 2005:
NHRA has STIFFENED the penalty and disciplinary action for drivers who exceed set E.T. and speed limits. JDRL (junior drag racing league) rules still outline that any racer who runs quicker than 7.70 seconds or faster than 85.00 mph at any time during an event will be disqualified from that event. However, beginning in 2005, any racer who runs quicker than 7.50 seconds or faster than 89.00 mph will not only be disqualified from the event, but he or she will also be subject to additional disciplinary action by the NHRA.


running faster than 7.70 in the NHRA only results in disqualification from the event, and faster than 7.50 then you get spoken to by the NHRA? and in the IHRA faster than 7.70 your out for one calendar year?? something just doesnt make sense to me here.

Calculated Risk

Enter Rick.

Actually the driver in this case is about 5'6" and about 150 lbs. the bar was installed 3 inches below his shoulder in his driving postion. He has since raced at 3 local tracks and has had no problem with tech.

Additionally the bar in question has two addtional points connecting it to the cars subframe connectors which go through the floor.

And I never build a car with out the Holy Bible in Hand (NHRA Rule Book).

Joe 97RA

After careful consideration, I've come to the conclusion that the sanctioning organization is entirely justified. Why? For the saftey of the other competetors. Obviously your times and your quest for speed have placed you between a rock and a hard place. You can't expect to run with the kids anymore if you want to go that fast. It's a very difficult position, but if you plan on building something that is going to have the capability to flirt with crossing the line, you have to expect to pay the price. The extreme example would be to take a comp eliminator dragster and dial it back for use at the junior drags. Just because it is detuned and dialed to run an 8.0 doesn't mean it's entirely legal. Unfortunately when you start splitting hairs, unless you are the ruling body, you lose. My advice is to take the season off and prepare to step up into the adult world.

darrens99formul

10? Did you get a fake drivers license and sit on a few of phone books to see over the dash board? But then how did you reach the pedals? Or were these not regular passenger cars?

At 16 you have a lot of life and time ahead of you. Soon enough you'll be legal to race at any speed assuming you have the required safety equipment. Then the real fun begins. I commend you for racing at the track. Most kids that race do it on the street risking thier lives as well as innocent motorists caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. You sound like you got a good head on your shoulders and I wish you luck with your appeal to IHRA.

Now cut your hair, get a job and stop being so lazy. What didn't everyone hear that on a daily basis at 16? I know I did