Proposed Open Pro class for OSN

[Muddytalker]

A proposal has been put forward by APIRA’s Glenn Stockton to run an Open Pro Class at Shakespeare County Raceway’s forthcoming APIRA Open Sport Nationals on August 25th/27th 2012. The class is designed to cater for blown or normally aspirated front or rear engine Dragsters, Funny Cars, Altereds and Doorslammers capable of running between 8.49s and 6.00s running heads up on a Pro Tree.

Since early discussions at an MSA Sub Committee meeting just a few weeks ago there has been a tremendous amount of feedback and interest expressed from teams wishing to race who would not normally be competitive in the Pro or Super class categories of the UK National Championship series. But by opening up a class like Open Pro could provide teams with an equal chance of racing at a UK National event as long as cars comply with current MSA Drag Race Rulebook GSRs carry an MSA tag and logbook and have all the driver safety standards appropriate to the speed of the vehicle. The use of nitro will not be permitted.

If this trial event in August is successful then the Open Pro class may well be run as an APIRA championship in 2013 with further thought to adding the class to the National Championship in 2013/14!

Any team or driver wishing to know more about the proposed Open Pro Class concept can call Glenn Stockton on 01159 817701 or e-mail: [e-mail].

[37chevy]

Sounds like a great class in principle, be great to see fuel altereds and funnies running side by side with super pro cars

[trackday addict]

Great idea - shame it's on at the same time as the big event in Tierp which we are already committed to. Be interested to see how it goes & hope it grows into something a lot bigger for 2013.

[Miss Information]

I don't get it, why would I take my 8.49 second Super Pro car out of the class to race JB (for instance) and get my arse kicked every time as he runs 2 seconds quicker than I do, when I can stay in Super Pro and have a realistic chance of beating him? Not the class for me I'm afraid, although I would leave if Top Sportsman kicked off properly.

[Tet]

Miss Information said:

get my arse kicked every time as he runs 2 seconds quicker than I do

That's why for me, heads up sportsman classes just don't work. The money needed to get those extra two seconds (or maybe more if some of the NFAA cars are going to be involved) just isn't realistic for many people. SuMo is an interesting attempt to solve that problem, but for whatever reason, it has never really taken off. I'm not sure why Top Sportsman is seen as an appealing class either, though. The heads up component surely suffers from the same thing and the bracket race part doesn't seem like an improvement on the existing ET classes to me.

[eurodragpics]

already footnoted that the use of nitro not allowed, seems a shame to eliminate some 6 second cars already.

[MotorPsycho]

Tet said:

That's why for me, heads up sportsman classes just don't work. The money needed to get those extra two seconds (or maybe more if some of the NFAA cars are going to be involved) just isn't realistic for many people. SuMo is an interesting attempt to solve that problem, but for whatever reason, it has never really taken off. I'm not sure why Top Sportsman is seen as an appealing class either, though. The heads up component surely suffers from the same thing and the bracket race part doesn't seem like an improvement on the existing ET classes to me.

With you 100% on that Tet. It's basiclly heads up with a 6 flat cut off, running in an 8second car would be like bringing our NFAA altered to race against a fuel dragster. Why would you?

Plus we wouldn't turn our backs on the NFAA and I'd like to hope others are the same.

[Turbobird1]

eurodragpics said:

already footnoted that the use of nitro not allowed, seems a shame to eliminate some 6 second cars already.

theres NO place for nitro outside of a very controlled series,
the danger of someone who knows nothing about it "tipping the can" in a hope of some performance and killing themselves or worse still others can never be allowed,

@ Tet super mod is scarey because you may have to race some clever people and all the money in the world wont help you,

and unusual i agree with your assessment of top sportsman, its just open pro one day (albeit called something else) and pro et or similar the other.... with a chance of a buy back??? is that for bad loosers??

Edited by Turbobird1 on Thursday 14th June 19:42

[dont know]

Interesting comments, but I have had a lot of interest and open to sensible discussion.

Think a 6.7 sec altered against an 8 second supro car 50% of the altreds runs get aborted early in the run due to shake or the thing just wanting to go the wrong way. Whilst the ever reliable 8 second car just gets on with the run and takes the win. Plus this is about getting cars back on the track who have no one to race etc the supercharged outlaws for instance.

[37chevy]

What about top sportsman, outlaw anglia, street eliminator, super mod etc ,people haven't compained about the fact that's heads up and you could end up with pro mod style cars against super pro cars, or 6 second anglias against 12 second Anglias etc isn't open pro the same deal?!

over the last few months people have been complaining bracket racing is ruining the sport and there is no development so you want to see more heads up Racing, but now theres a class available you don't want heads up racing lol!

Edited by 37chevy on Thursday 14th June 20:37

[trackday addict]

Hope this doesnt turn into another 30 page slagging match - be good to see how many cars turn up & what the general feedback turns out like post the event - fair play to the guys for at least looking to be different

[MotorPsycho]

It is an interesting concept but not sure we have room for another class especially a quite vague one. Supercharged outlaws have quite a big class due to outlaw status and wouldn't be able to do msa sanctioned events due to rules/tagging

[37chevy]

MotorPsycho said:

It is an interesting concept but not sure we have room for another class especially a quite vague one. Supercharged outlaws have quite a big class due to outlaw status and wouldn't be able to do msa sanctioned events due to rules/tagging

Don't see what's vague about it. Bring any car that runs between 6.0 and 8.49, is msa legal and doesn't run nitro. I kind of agree with you though that there are already a lot of classes out there, however without trying to sound rude there are some weak fields of cars out there at the moment for what ever reason, maybe they can all find a happy home together to make one big kick ass class?!

[anonymous-user]

Tet said:

SuMo is an interesting attempt to solve that problem, but for whatever reason, it has never really taken off.

Because unfortunately, most people write off the class as "too expensive" or "too complicated" without actually bothering to read the rules. Couple that to the fact that the majority of doorslammer racers in this country don't want to learn to "tune" a race car and you get the net result of a severely depleted class that could potentially be massive.

[trackday addict]

excuse my ignorance but what are the rules around sumo ?

[anonymous-user]

trackday addict said:

excuse my ignorance but what are the rules around sumo ?

Here mate CLICK

Turbo's are a no go so it's not suitable for you, but as you can see, it's all pretty straightforward and doesn't take a massive amount of money to be competitive.

[MotorPsycho]

Agree again with you Lee, shame because sumo is a great class. But it doesn't involve dropping a 600ci big block in with a throttle stop so it's not off the shelf easy. As Graham's said numerous times there's a severe lacking of thinking, tuning and progression in sportsman ranks.

[anonymous-user]

MotorPsycho said:

Agree again with you Lee, shame because sumo is a great class. But it doesn't involve dropping a 600ci big block in with a throttle stop so it's not off the shelf easy. As Graham's said numerous times there's a severe lacking of thinking, tuning and progression in sportsman ranks.

Exactly.

[Turbobird1]

i think if i was going to make rules for that class id limit it to dragsters and altereds and econo funny cars, id also stipulate no screw blowers,
make it a class to showcase ingenuity not Another class for fast door cars with crate motors from sonnys or someone similar,

lets see some home built stuff out there or stuff that looks like real competition machinery
if the equipment is similar the ets should be closer, and if the racers care about winning they may just invest some time and effort into tuning their stuff and it will get closer still.....


ok so what about a nostalgia comp motorcycle class
wheres all the home built blown triunphs and nortons of yesteryear, the real back garden shed engineering that was the backbone of all british drag racing was no where more evident than in the comp bike fields of the 70s and 80s
id pay good money to see that show.....

Edited by Turbobird1 on Friday 15th June 00:49

[BennettRacing]

Turbobird1 said:

i think if i was going to make rules for that class id limit it to dragsters and altereds and econo funny cars, id also stipulate no screw blowers,
make it a class to showcase ingenuity not Another class for fast door cars with crate motors from sonnys or someone similar,

lets see some home built stuff out there or stuff that looks like real competition machinery
if the equipment is similar the ets should be closer, and if the racers care about winning they may just invest some time and effort into tuning their stuff and it will get closer still.....

Edited by Turbobird1 on Friday 15th June 00:49

Totally agree, there needs to be limits. I am quite up for entering mine in this class, OK I won't be a front runner at low 7's but hay ho, this is called DRAG RACING where the main objective is to get FASTER.

All I keep reading is people saying why would I enter an 8 second car? Get faster my friend...its quite simple. You don't need £££ to go faster, its called skill - being innovative - and using your BRAIN.