pro class ET cut off

[jbarrett]

Central Illinois DragwayHome of the Alan Hutto Memorial.HomeNews and UpdatesScheduleRacing FeesResultsPointsPhotosRulesSponsorsDirectionsContact Us.Racing Fees2011 RACING FEES
Super Pro - $50 (7.75 ET and quicker)
Pro - $50 (7.75 ET and quicker)
Sportsman - $35 (7.76 and slower)
True Street - $20 (Licensed vehicle, no drag tires)
Junior Dragster - $20
Bike - $40 (Full class based on 10 bikes)
Test and Tune - $25 (Car and driver)



FIRST ROUND BUY BACKS
Super Pro - $25
Pro - $25
Sportsman - $20
True Street - $5

This is on the Racing Fee's page Clint

[stevemaas]

At least buy-backs went down $5.00.

[clintstine]

Didn't see that, Jimmy. Thanks.

[bobgibson]

I don't have a problem with keeping the ET the same as it was in the past... several people have asked about it, but I there will be no cap on the ET in pro just like Super Pro.
Correct me if I'm wrong but the difference between S/P and Pro is box and no box.

Why should a guy with a 4.50 dragster with no delay box or electronics be forced to run Super Pro?

[bobgibson]

I can make the change to Pro 8.50 and faster and sportsman 8.51 and slower if that will be better.

[johnperko]

on another note with all this rain,when does points start

[jbarrett]

Apr 28, 2011 21:37:06 GMT -6 bobgibson said:

I can make the change to Pro 8.50 and faster and sportsman 8.51 and slower if that will be better.

Sounds Perfect

[stevedisselhorst]

Alot of guys run both pro and sportsman. How is that going to work with these e.t. cutoffs? There needs to be some overlap for this to work. You are going to hurt the number of entries in these classes like this. JMO

[wood338P]

I agree 100% with steve. My personal experience and opinion ( take it for what its worth ) is that there needs to be a slower top to pro, to allow for double entries for the drivers that want to do it, and for the track that can use the entries. On any given week at Havana there are a handful that do it, and some weeks even more. With times the way they are now, the track cant really afford to lose entries, and the racers ( myself included ) who dont have fast cars, but dont want to get stuck running for $200 in sportsman. I have always thought there needed to be a low cap on sportsman to keep it honest and true to the entry level guys with moderate cars. No 6 second racecars. ALso the big difference in sportsman is no transbrakes, and no electric, or air shifters unless factory equipped. This keeps it from being just a "slow" pro class. obviously there are ways to manipulate most rules, and you can only do so much to keep street car friendly. My biggest beef with having like a 7.75 minimum in pro is, i take myself for example.. Ive been racing my lemans for 10+ years. It just two years ago made it into the 7's with a 7.93. Normally, its 8.0's or 8.10s. It takes a pretty decent street car to run 7.75, but if a guy wants to step up to the challenge of doing it with a lesser car, i think he should have the opportunity to pay the extra money and run for the extra money. The only season I ran in pro, was 2009 and i did it part of the year in my car, and the last part in a borrowed 7.90-8.0 car after mine broke. I still managed to finish 3rd place, a couple rds out of 2nd, and won sportsman. Having finished 3rd, i proved that i legitamately belonged in pro class, even though neither of the two cars would be allowed in pro with a 7.75 cap. I think sportsman needs a bottom, whether it be 7.76, or 8.00 or 7.50, but i needs a modest bottom to keep it honest and as the rules intend it to be, but i feel there needs to be some overlap for the guys who want to run pro, but maybe cant afford to with there street cars. If they are a quality racer, they deserve the oportunity, not to be punished because their car is slow, and maybe they cant afford, or just dont want to make it go x.xx I remember a few years ago, robby easton from charleston won pro and sportsman wallys in the same day in a fiero.. A top shelf driver like that deserves a choice. Its taken me 10 years to get my street car in the 7's, not every kid can afford a 500 hp car to go 7.75 but most street cars can go 9 flat pretty easy.. Theres a big difference in the jump from say 9.00 to 7.75 in a street car.. Its a $2000 set of aluminum heads and so on and so on.. If it were up to me, i would propose that the pro cutoff be 8.99. That keeps the really really slow cars like my 1998 bonneville that people hate running out, but it would put a lot of street cars in. I think its a win/win for the track and the racers. Thats my .02
thanks -adam

[stevedisselhorst]

Thanks Adam, WOW, That was alot of typing....LMFAO

[wood338P]

i was actually just sitting at home and didnt have anything else better to do.. LOL

[vaultonburg]

At the meeting the whole time change was for safety. If a pro car running in the 6's crashes into the back of a sportsman car that has a lot less safety equipment running in the 8's or slower someone could be seriously injured or worse. If the times are going to be over lapping the sportsman car that is racing in pro should be have to have the same safety equipment that the pro cars are required to have. Just my two cents on the situation, if we are not doing it for the safety then we should just leave the times how they have always been.

[brandonbergschneid]

I do believe the whole idea off having et cutoffs is about safety. A 4.50 car at 150 + mph coming on a 8 second car at 70mph could be terrible if someone loses control

[wood338P]

your average fastest pro car is 5.90/6.00 @ 113-115 my bonneville runs 10.40s @ 67-68. I just looked at a log book. My lemans runs 8.00 @ 83-84 A 4.50 car will run 150 plus. So does anybody think a 150 mph 4.50/4.60 super pro or pro car hitting a theoritcal 76-77 mph 9.00 car is that much more dangerous than hitting a 87-88 mph 7.75 car? Realistically, Is the saftety in that 10 mph difference that much, enough to lose 5-8 $50 entry fees? thats the difference between the track losing money, or being able to break even. I think safety is important, but i also think its easy to look past the reality of the situation.. If a 140-150, or even a common 130 mph 5.20 dragster hits a 7.75 car, or a 9.00 car going 8-10 mph slower, its going to be dangerous either way. Thats a chance we take. NHRA allows a guy in an all out 9.90 super gas car to go 136 mph against a guys going 195 on the stop.

[wood338P]

if anything , its more dangerous for the slow guy who has to usually wait till the last second and smack the brakes.. If im spotting a guy the whole way down the track, i usually have a pretty good idea of whether im getting there or not way before the mph clocks and i can lift or drag the brakes lightly or whop the throttle. When im running rick shofner in his wicked firebird at 5.99, and im running 7.99, i will usually have to wait till the last second to make a decision because you lose some of that perception when look forward and then looking back and back and forth. Those are the times you sometimes have to hit the brakes harder than you want to and where the real danger is.. but that wont change whether the cutoff is 7.75 or 8.99. That is a situation that will always exist as long as there is bracket racing.

Again, these are just my feelings.. take them for what theyre worth.. not much. HAHA And some of you may think im lobbying for this just because i have been one of the cars that would benefit from the slower side of pro.. In years past this has been true, but I expect my new motor to be faster than the sportsman cutoff, so it really shouldnt effect me in any way now. Its just my opinion, and what i think is best for track and racers.