My Opinion - bumping the sled for points August 21, 2012 10:39AM
After watching the Unl. Mod class at Bowling Green I started to wonder why a puller has to hook to the sled to get credit for the pull if their vehicle is broke. My issue is that in the Unl. Mod class Brian Shramek had to hook the “Young Blood Unleashed” to the sled and bump it to get credit for the hook, why,

Link to My Opinion Article - bumping the sled for points


Dick Morgan

www.PULLOFF.com
Independent Pulling News
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Re: My Opinion - bumping the sled for points August 21, 2012 11:40AM
Absolutely, but let's take this one step further. If there is a pulloff and only one competitor is able to come back he should be the winner. At Mt. Sterling Jeff Sapp and The Schmuckers were in a pulloff. Jeff was last hook and made the pulloff. Immediately the Schmuckers informed tech services that they were not coming back for the pulloff. Rather than starting the next class the crowd had to wait for Jeff's tractor to be pulled around so he could bump the sled. It took at least 5 minutes to do so.
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Re: My Opinion - bumping the sled for points August 21, 2012 11:56AM
I have witnessed this personally! confuse the heck out of the crowd! huge time waster too! seen one fellow travel over 2 hours to limp on the track,bump then shut down and get pulled off just to get last place points! I like the idea of allowing a mulligan, eg. if there is 20 events in the season, then you only count your best 19 just a thought
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Re: My Opinion - bumping the sled for points August 21, 2012 02:02PM
This is the kind of stuff that just confuses the spectator, The show must move, most of those in the stands have short attention spans, any break in the pace of the show gives him or her a chance to wander off and decide that next time the show is in town maybe just stay home. Without a audience there is no pull..
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Re: My Opinion - bumping the sled for points August 21, 2012 02:06PM
Quote
gonzo 1066
Without a audience there is no pull..

I am not sure on that, I have been to a lot of antique pulls where there wasn't a person in the stands, who wasn't just there waiting to hook.
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Re: My Opinion - bumping the sled for points August 21, 2012 03:58PM
Quote
FordPuller9000
Quote
gonzo 1066
Without a audience there is no pull..

I am not sure on that, I have been to a lot of antique pulls where there wasn't a person in the stands, who wasn't just there waiting to hook.
I know that there are quite a few pulls that operate that way. As mentioned in another post, it is very hard to draw a urban audience to attend a rural sport. A well attended (by spectators) pull usually has a fast pace maybe two tracks and a crew that knows how to keep the show moving. This should be the goal of all pulls in my opinion.
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Re: My Opinion - bumping the sled for points August 21, 2012 04:18PM
As a promotor, have to keep a fast pace, the crowd will hang in there to the very last pull, you can't drag a show out, the fans will leave, prob won't be back.
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Re: My Opinion - bumping the sled for points August 22, 2012 09:43AM
Why would you give points to someone who scratches from the class? If a puller at least attempts to move the sled then they should get points. But there is no reason to give a puller points who doesn't do anything....
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Re: My Opinion - bumping the sled for points August 22, 2012 11:10AM
I think that the point system is unfair to the vehicle that impairs damage on the first night of a multiday day pull and can not return for the second night. In the classes with large numbers it is not as detremental as to the ones with small numbers (less than 15). For the Modifieds, Super Stock Diesels, Open Super Stocks, and Semis that miss a 2nd day hook only get 15 points when last place points if they were ABLE to hook to the sled would possible be 20-24 points in most circumstances. So what is the difference between the tractor that can't run do to severe breakage and the guy that broke the first night but can still limp his tractor to the line to bump the sled. Should that guy be rewarded the (lets say 24 points for 7th place) while the guy who had to drive home (many miles) to fix and get ready for the next weekend only get 15. That 8 points will be very hard to make up in a small class size. If this were to happen 2-3 times during the season it makes a huge difference. I don't think the puller should get money for not hooking, but they should at least get last place points for that specific class for the second day of the event.

Just my opinion and what I think would be fair.
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Re: My Opinion - bumping the sled for points August 22, 2012 12:05PM
This happened to me. Got 25 show up pionts
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Re: My Opinion - bumping the sled for points August 22, 2012 04:09PM
Dick-

I think this is a very interesting topic for discussion and experienced this firsthand this summer on the Champions Tour. In the Pro Stock class, both Brad Moss and Mike Linder suffered breakage at Freeport. Moss actually won the pull but cracked the block in the process. Brad and the Linder's were forced to make a decision. They both chose to leave Freeport and tow to Henry, Illinois where they coincidentally drew back to back numbers to bump the sled. As the announcer, I did my best to inform the crowd that it was solely for the points that they were doing this and that it was unfortunate that we had, had the breakage. After bumping the sled in Henry, the Linders and Moss towed to Knoxville, Iowa to do the same. Coincidentally they were back to back again at this event that I announced at the Knoxville Raceway.

As an announcer I was glad that I was able to speak to both the Linders and Moss about the problems so that I could do my best to portray the situation to the fans. It is a big detriment to the show when two of the tough runners are unable to run and when they fire and come to the sled it also excites the fans. The Champions Tour points would be even more interesting had Moss been able to run the Youngbuck at both Henry and Knoxville.

I understand why the pullers bump the sled as it is impossible to make up the points loss if you get 0, but in the case of the Linders and Moss, they may not have lost a full 25 points to the leaders. In this case, the Stones currently 2nd in the points won Henry and Steve Boyd currently 1st won Knoxville.


Miles Krieger

My Blog:
Miles Beyond 300
[www.facebook.com]
milesbeyond300@gmail
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Re: My Opinion - bumping the sled for points August 23, 2012 07:05AM
Outlaws did away with this years ago. Roberts said there is no entertainment value in it and a waste of time. Outlaws also lets competitiors at a 2 or 3 day event or sweep go home if they break before the end of the event or sweep and fix it for the next weekend instead of bumping sled. They recieve last place points and this has made for many a puller staying in the points race and helps keep the numbers up at these late season pulls.
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Re: My Opinion - bumping the sled for points August 23, 2012 08:15AM
I don't know that they need to bump, but they do need to be at the drivers meeting just like at a rain-out. Doesn't matter if it's a two-day pull or not. You don't get an extra day to fix it when the guy who breaks on Saturday night doesn't. No one has a gun to your head to run the points - you're either in or your out.

On a parallel note...can a tractor with a cracked block pass tech inspection and hook to bump anyway???
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