One more of those things
Discussion
A Chicago-style shootout is similar to how the Cannonball used to work; where you have for example 6 or 8 cars run 2 or 3 rounds and the 2 quickest cars meet for "the final". Whereas the Cannonball used to work on aggregate et's though, a true Chicago style shootout bases things on the 2 quickest individual et's. Usually in a Chicago shootout the boundary rules are ignored too, so that even if you bounce off the wall or cross the centre line....you get to the line first, you win (unsurprisingly a lot of the altered associations in the US follow these rules!).
A lot of the early Pro Mod exhibitions were run in this fashion too
A lot of the early Pro Mod exhibitions were run in this fashion too
Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 5th February 13:08
Rat_Fink_67 said:
A Chicago-style shootout is similar to how the Cannonball used to work; where you have for example 6 or 8 cars run 2 or 3 rounds and the 2 quickest cars meet for "the final". Whereas the Cannonball used to work on aggregate et's though, a true Chicago style shootout bases things on the 2 quickest individual et's. Usually in a Chicago shootout the boundary rules are ignored too, so that even if you bounce off the wall or cross the centre line....you get to the line first, you win (unsurprisingly a lot of the altered associations in the US follow these rules!).
A lot of the early Pro Mod exhibitions were run in this fashion too
Thats not really the whole story on how a true Chicago style elim. works...A lot of the early Pro Mod exhibitions were run in this fashion too
So that a full elimination could be held (with qualifying) in one day, there would be one round of qualifying only in the morning, then the top 8 (usually there were only 8 anyway and no dnq's as the whole point was it was a bought in show and all cars would run two rounds) would be paired in the IHRA/sportsman fashion 1-5, 2-6, 3-7, 4-8, these would then run the first round of racing in the early afternoon and the two quickest winners (as Lee said often with no boudary rules) would then come back for the final. If you lost in round 1 you were definitely out even if one pair was significantly quicker than all the others, only the winners of round one would be eligable for the final. Very often all four winning cars from the first round would come back at the end of the show so there was a 3rd/4th run off as well as the final which would mean they were all turned round in case of the need for an alternate being needed for the final which would close the night-time racing at the event.
Edited by TheMighty on Tuesday 5th February 13:39
Just discovered draglist's explanation...seems there are many variations on a similar theme, the long and short of it being that a Chicago shootout is a series of qualifying passes with the quickes pair being detemrined as finalists...................
A "Chicago Style" race is one where a number of cars run either one or two rounds, and then the two quickest cars come back for a final. Sometimes the other cars race in "consolation" matches; sometimes they don't. Chicago Style rules vary to some extent, but the above is the basic idea. In a TRUE Chicago Style event, the boundaries of each lane are ignored. That is to say, the race is "first to the finish line," regardless of whether a racer runs over the centerline or crosses the outer boundary. (The Hot Rods from Hell altered circuit observes this). Redlights are always observed, however.
A two round Chicago Style match happened recently at Capitol Raceway in Crofton, Maryland (which I reported as a Story of the Day). Six cars were booked in. They all made a first round run (with the pairings provided by the circuit director, Bunny Burkett). The two quickest cars from the first round were considered the "finalists." All six cars came back for a second round, with the four slower cars running each other first. Following that, the "final" was held between the two cars that were quickest in the first round.
Essentially, Chicago Style shootouts are simply qualifying efforts for a final. By the way, rules vary as well about who qualifies for a final round. Some say it has to be the two quickest cars. Some say it has to be the two quickest WINNING cars. In Bunny's organization, they go by strict performance. This meant that at MIR a few weeks ago, Sam Leland beat Mike Preslar on a holeshot, but Preslar still went to the final.
A three round Chicago Style race merely extends the qualifying time, if you will. The cars will race one round, with pairings determined by the circuit director. The circuit director then will mix and match the cars and run a second round. After two rounds, the quickest two cars return for the final. Usually, the other cars return for a third round as well, to compete in "consolation runs."
But this is all determined in advance (the number of runs each car will make). The promoter/track owner pays for the number of cars and the number of runs each car makes. The circuit director usually sets up how the show will go. This is always discussed with the promoter and the promoter might have some input as well...
A "Chicago Style" race is one where a number of cars run either one or two rounds, and then the two quickest cars come back for a final. Sometimes the other cars race in "consolation" matches; sometimes they don't. Chicago Style rules vary to some extent, but the above is the basic idea. In a TRUE Chicago Style event, the boundaries of each lane are ignored. That is to say, the race is "first to the finish line," regardless of whether a racer runs over the centerline or crosses the outer boundary. (The Hot Rods from Hell altered circuit observes this). Redlights are always observed, however.
A two round Chicago Style match happened recently at Capitol Raceway in Crofton, Maryland (which I reported as a Story of the Day). Six cars were booked in. They all made a first round run (with the pairings provided by the circuit director, Bunny Burkett). The two quickest cars from the first round were considered the "finalists." All six cars came back for a second round, with the four slower cars running each other first. Following that, the "final" was held between the two cars that were quickest in the first round.
Essentially, Chicago Style shootouts are simply qualifying efforts for a final. By the way, rules vary as well about who qualifies for a final round. Some say it has to be the two quickest cars. Some say it has to be the two quickest WINNING cars. In Bunny's organization, they go by strict performance. This meant that at MIR a few weeks ago, Sam Leland beat Mike Preslar on a holeshot, but Preslar still went to the final.
A three round Chicago Style race merely extends the qualifying time, if you will. The cars will race one round, with pairings determined by the circuit director. The circuit director then will mix and match the cars and run a second round. After two rounds, the quickest two cars return for the final. Usually, the other cars return for a third round as well, to compete in "consolation runs."
But this is all determined in advance (the number of runs each car will make). The promoter/track owner pays for the number of cars and the number of runs each car makes. The circuit director usually sets up how the show will go. This is always discussed with the promoter and the promoter might have some input as well...
Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 5th February 13:56
Lee, what I posted above is how a true Chicago Style Elimination works not how a modern "chicago style" event works. It has become bastardised over the years and now people seem to use it to cover anything that gives you two finalists just from qualifying passes, but this is not how it was back in the day of funny car match racing when this type of racing was big in the North and North East. NHRA run some Chicago style elims. at the Hot Rod Reunions, and they are always in the strict format that I explained above.
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