This article on NHRA Import really pissed me off http://nhraimport.com/2003/news/september/090401.html
My email to them makes very clear why this is a crock of $hit. Leslie stated that she knew Ken would be ahead of her at the start of the season but she did not let that get to her head. It sure helped out though that they made the weight difference between the RWD's and FWD's even greater. If you agree or disagree with me please take the time to email them and voice your thoughts.

Here is what I wrote to the NHRA:

It was brought to my attention that mid season changes have been made in this class. The FWD’s have been given an even greater weight advantage. So when you post an article about how the rear wheel drives have apparently lost their domination of the class why do you mention that you restacked the deck?

It is not at all fair to the RWD people to write an article that appears as those the FWD’s have actually narrowed this gap on their own because they have not. New rules narrowed the gap and for you to not clarify that in every article that brings up the subject is not being fair to the drivers.

Common sense says that if you keep stacking the odds against the rear wheel drives that eventually they will be winning.

Common sense also says that you should have your ducks in a row before the start of the season and live with them. Changing rules as you go is lame. I am not sure of any other sport doing that. Either make two separate classes or make these people all run at the same weights.

It is very discouraging and expensive to those that have worked hard to make their cars meet your preseason qualifications. Jesus Padilla running a 3 rotor was changed. So he switches to a two. Then you make him add weight again. Now the guy is not even showing up at the events.

You guys are pretty lame the more I think about it.



Sincerely, Mike Roberts

 

I agree with everything you said. That article is a bunch of crap. What is the minimum weight for a FWD car vs RWD?

It is all political, none of the sponsors want to see an old Mazda win. It is afterall the "Honda Tuning" All Motor class.

 

Now the minumum weight is 1650 for FWD's, 1950 for RWD add 200 lbs for non-oem tranny.

 

The weight change is not only responsible for the performance the FWD's have been enjoying as of late but the NHRA have also allowed the FWD's to run Dry-sump oiling systems and Air-Pumps. Anyone in the buisness of modifying or building piston motors know the added benefits of what those two can do especialy when you're dealing with high rpm and high compression motors.
The only thing I don't agree with the NHRA for doing is making substantial rule changes during the racing season especialy one that's going to hamper with one's fight for a championship. I believe the rules should be made before the season starts there by allowing the racers to decide which particular racing organisation they want to race with. If there are going to be any rule changes made later in the season then all the racers have to be in agreement with it.
As mention before about what rule changes have done to Jesus(Kilo) Padilla when he was running his 3-rotor car is one of the reasons why we don't race our all-motor car in the NHRA. It's very difficult especialy financialy when you build a car to suit the rules at that present time only to have the rules change mid-season making all your work and efforts basicaly go down the drain.
It may seem that the NHRA is catering to needs of the big teams or corperates.
The sad part is that there are many sides to the story in this buisness. Racing has been and will always never be equal or fair to every individual.
The NHRA is just trying to make a level field in their opinion. Remember they also have a loyal commitment to their sponsors the ones in my opinion that realy have the last say! Without sponsors there would be no NHRA to race with.
If there's anything one should be pissed off at is that there're not enough real sponsors supporting the RWD's may it be the auto manufacturers or the performance after-market. Probably everyone should write letters to them.

 

I'll give you a Inside info!

Padilla told me! He was told
by unnamed NHRA officials
they would make sure he would not "dominate again"
This year

Think about it who is the title sponser this year for the ALL-MOTOR class? ---> "Honda"

 

That's all part of the buisness!
Mopar told the same too Honda also so did GM to Mopar.

 

I haven't talked to Ken Scheepers in awhile. I want to know his take on all this. One thing that is for sure is that there is more politics to this than anything. (politics=business=people like Ken Lay )

 

Leslie's performance is not due to the rule changes in her favor but due to the hard work of her team. It's true that the rule changes help a little but that's not responsible for the performance they have extracted out of the race car.
I happened to know Leslie and her dad personaly and have race with or against them many times before. They are just about the coolest team out there presently. They come to the track and do what ever it takes to win. They don't get involved in the politics or the BS. that's present at the track for every racer to face. Even when they are cheated against they don't protest or complain. They just take their lost and do whatever it takes to win next time.
Just about every successful racer out there can't do it on thier own. There are always a group of individuals involved. It takes a certain level of knowledge and dedication by every team member to win at that level.
From what I've seen at the track as both a racer/crewchief is that both Jesus(Kilo) and Ken are lacking in that department. It's not that their teams are not doing their best but they are lacking the individuals neccessary to have all the advantages to win.
Just an example of what I've seen at the last NHRA race at Ennis in Texas would be that both Jesus(Kilo) and Ken were lost at their tune-ups neccessary for the conditions present at the track that day. On the other hand Leslie's team and so did every other team took the neccessary steps to make their car perform at it's best. Now if both Jesus(Kilo) and Ken did make the neccessary steps also, the outcome would have been a lot different at least in the performance department

 

I would not suggest that Leslie and them approve of what happened but when rules are changed to give you and advantage that is just a fact. She is allowed to run a lighter car and other things the the RWD people cannot do.
Toss 350 lbs and take the extra restrictions off the RWD's and see what happens. She'd get it handed to her if they ran even.
It's like they are going to make sure that the FWD's win. Once they set the rules and the FWD's were getting their *** kicked by those lowly RWD's they had to change the rules to be sure of it.
The writing is on the wall there. Tuning won't compete with rule changes, they just keep changing the rules.
But I do take issue that the article does not mention the rule changes. Leslie and the rest of the FWD's got a lot of extra horses given to them. But that would not look too politically correct to put in the article.

 

I wish there were more support for the RWD's. The funny thing is that most of the RWD people just live with the rule changes and do what it takes to win.
Do you think if all the RWD's were to boycott the class the NHRA would care. I'll bet they would take notice if the FWD's were to do so.
I do think all of the racers should come to an agreement about mid-season rule changes though. The last rule change in my opinion was not done to make it equal but to handicap the RWD's. Why did they have to change the rules for the RWD's and put them at a disadvantage. I'm sure the RWD people would have agreed to giving the FWD less weight and use of the air pump and dry sump without adding weight to the RWD's. It's so obvious the rule change targeted both Jesus and Ken. Soon both Ken and Jesus's cars are going to be heavier than what they weighed in factory form!
It's always about the $$$$$$$$$.

 

At least Abel is doing a lot better than he was doing at the start of the season. Take a look at how close this final Pro RWD race was http://www.nhraimport.com/2003/event...ufinal3results

 

Here is the response from the NHRA:

Mr. Roberts,

Thank you for your interest in NHRA Sport Compact Drag Racing. Please allow me to respond to some points of your email.

The 25 pound weight reduction for FWD did NOT account for Leslie Durst's incredible increase in performance. Prior to mid-season the quickest FWD's were running in the 40's and 50's, including Leslie. Twenty five pounds did not get her all the way to a 10.13, so she and her team deserve the credit for their performance as the article points out.

Likewise, the quickest RWD this year ran as quick as a 10.29 at Moroso. Fifty pounds did NOT slow him down all the way to his current performance level. (By the way, he got back into the 50's this past weekend at Sonoma, and still has the points lead.)

Lastly, every viable racing organization in the world makes running changes to rules throughout the year in the interest of competition. Some have a reputation for doing after every race, or even during a race. We have been very stable in that regard, making only mid-year changes thus far in 2003.

As for Mr. Padilla, I speak with him on a regular basis. He switched from carburetors to fuel injection this year, and is sorting out performance issues with his car before coming back out. That's why he has not been to the last few races, it has nothing to do with the weight.

Hope I've been able to clarify a few issues for you. Thank you again for your input, and for your interest in NHRA Sport Compact Drag Racing.

Regards,

Jim Skelly,
Racing Competition Director


So now I need to write him another note pointing out that Leslie's hard work has proven that an FWD can contend with an RWD. So there is no reason there should be 500 lb. differences between the two classes. When you consider that the FWD's are running hardened shafts and other things to hop up their trannies it is not like they are running something that cannot hold up as Leslie has proven.
He had some good points but now the same points he made has become my argument for changing the rules yet again.
The same hard work that Ken and Jesus spent getting their cars more competetive led to rule changes like elimininating 3 rotors, etc. so I don't think this should be any different.
When someone is running that much quicker than the rest they should have to run the same weight.

 

It's actually a 75 pound wieght penalty on RWD cars
when you think of it

25 less for FWD and 50 more for RWD=75 pounds against RWD

I do also agree with Chris and NHRA to some extent
Les and some others in the FWD camp
have been consistant due to hard work


Ken started to change things instead of leaving his 10.2 setup alone
and has cost him Big

I saw on Mazdacomp a new Dry Sump system
yet they(Ken,Valentine and Kilo) have not taken advantage of that

I takes money something the FWD camp has
especially in the R&D department "or" have benifited from others with $$$ in proven parts and setups

It would be great to have a engine dyno
and try out diffrent length headers, Intake Manifold design, TB size etc and see results right there with out having to 1st put the motor in the car and then dyno it
and quess what setup does what

and lastly theres alot of ego among the rotary camp
they don't like sharing with others there setups
I.E Siguel etc

 

minumum weight is 1650 for FWD's, 1950 for RWD and 200 lbs more for aftermarket tranny.
So it just starts with a 300lb. disadvantage and gets worse from there. The 75 lbs. in just in changes but that is not to be confused with the actual rules. They just let FWD's take off 25 and made RWD's put on an additional 50.
But Leslie has proven that they can be more competitive to RWD's and to me that should mean that the cars should be the same weight to start with. A minimum 300 lb. difference?

 

Here is my response to the NHRA guy:

The minimum weight for the FWD's is 1650 lbs. The minimum on the RWD's is 1950. Mr. Padilla had to switch out more than just a fuel system this year. His motor was outlawed. Every rule I read was not to the advantage of the RWD's.
The big question is now that Leslie has proven that the FWD's trannies and running gear will hold up to those kind of times is there going to be a rule change for the weights to be evened out more?
It would seem to me that all the arguments that gained the weight advantage and every other option advantage for FWD's are now obsolete.
I am not knocking the hard work that is put into these cars. Hard work goes into all the cars.
Surely the reason that the rules were set the way they were was not to compensate for the FWD owners lack of work before but more that the NHRA seen them as having less potential.
I am very curious to see what changes we will see in the "interest of competition".
All the FWD's whined for rule changes because they could not compete. I guess it's the RWD's turn to make their argument.

 

the nhra has to even out the disadvantages of fwd w/ a weight handicap for rwd. the issue really is, what is a fair handicap. no one really knows cause this is new to everyone, their biggest mistake was not waiting until the next year to implelement the weight changes and letting the teams work things out on their own until then. btw, the nhra can't make separate fields for fwd and rwd because their are not enough rwd all motor cars to fill an entire field. w/ more cars in the future they might be able to do so.

 

You know what would be awsome? What if the RX7club.com sponsored some Mazda rotary cars by setting up an acct in each of the racers names then the forum members can donate money to whichever they choose???

That would be pretty cool, hell there are sooooo many of us if everyone pitched in a couple dollars that would be a ton of money!!!

STEPHEN

 

That's a great idea. The guys representing RX7's at least in the All-Motor class get some sponsorship but not the kind of money some of the others get.
That chicken $hit at the NHRA did not respond to my second email. I am under the impression that they are not planning on adjusting any rules when it favors FWD's. If Ken or Jesus did something that got them in the 9's you could bet a rule change would come up real quick.
A separate class would be great but as mentioned before there are not enough RWD's to justify it.

 

Sorry, double post

 

Does something like that sound like a good idea to people???

STEPHEN

 

I'll donate $10 to Crispeed

 

I donate beer when they come to town (DFW)

 

it does to me... but i will donate money to almost anything. some people hold onto their money like they will never see that money again EVER!! money comes and goes...

 

I like the idea as long as it is structured in a way that the results would both be seen and appreciated.
This is not so much a way of accounting as much as being able to monitor how much impact it would have for the cause.
I'd be clueless as far as how something like that would have to be setup though.

 

Probably we could organise and form our own class of racing with only Mazda powered vechicles. Kinda like an import challenge for only Mazdas! How about a Mazda challenge every other month and an annual 'World Mazda Challenge'!