Slow Progress?

5/7/04

few years ago, while contracting work for the not-for-profit organization on the West Coast, I had a conversation with someone way up (and I mean Way Up) on the decision-making chain. Given my station within the organization, this wasn’t something that happened with any sort of regularity, so it definitely captured my attention. The topic? Top Stock. I was (and still am) very much on the Top Stock bandwagon. Aside from the obligatory small talk, the fundamental question presented to me was this: “Is it really necessary to have such a category?” My response was pretty clear: “Do it as fast as you can.” Truthfully, “fast” isn’t in the vocabulary of most bureaucracies (and the Glendora bunch is no exception). I didn’t think much more of it.

Turn the pages forward to today, and guess what? Top Stock appears at the reborn Sportsnationals, and is now a regular fixture in NHRA Division One “National Opens”. The progress might be slow, but at least it’s progress. What’s intriguing to me though, is the rules structure used by Division One:

TOP STOCK

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One Class:

• A. NHRA A, B, C, class Stock Cars
• B. 8.25 lb. weight break + 170 lbs. for driver
• C. NO FUEL INJECTED CARS
• D. .500 Pro Tree will be utilized

Modifications:

• A. NHRA STOCK ELIMINATOR rules and guidelines will be enforced.
• B. The ONLY modification allowed will be the removal of the front passenger seat to make minimum weight.

Time trials/Eliminations:

• A. All cars must be entered in the open race to be eligible to race Top Stock.
• B. After the entrants complete their initial qualifying for the open race, they will be given a time run using the .500 Pro Tree.
• C. First round will be random pairing, a ladder will be generated for all other rounds.
• D. A turnaround time will be instituted based on time restraints of the track.
• E. Random fuel and weight checks will be instituted

Entry Fee:

• A. Initial entry fee will be $50.00

Horsepower:

• A. Horsepower is based on the NHRA factor.