Hypothetical Bowling Green modified question September 29, 2020 03:14AM
The NTPA Light Unlimited class seemed like a good idea, and there are several impressive vehicles, but that's the problem. The rules have made it a class with only "several" vehicles.

What if Bowling Green (or NTPA) tried this: Substitute a Pro National level (w/Super National purse) 7500 Regional mod class for the Light Unlimited class. My thinking is, within Region II, there are probably at least 15 mods if all the OSTPA guys showed up, plus you may get a few guys like Randy Davis and Len Burkart from the east, perhaps a NY mod or 2 (yes, I know Pike is that weekend), and maybe a couple more. Heck, if the border gets reopened post-Covid, maybe someone like Truax that runs the Ontario circuit may come down. I could see a class of 20ish RN mods instead of 7 or 8 light unlimiteds.

And lets face it, the last batch of BG Light Unlimiteds: Simon x 2 no longer run that class; if they brought mods along with TWD they may run the 4 engine class or unlimiteds like Leischner and Bunnage do; Wayson has put on a 3rd with 14-71s and run the 7500 GN class, and both Theobold and Corzine ran at Louisville. They would have the option of adding a 3rd with 14-71s for the 7500 GN class, or putting on the 18-71s/screws if they wanted to run the unlimited. Maybe a bit under powered with 3 18-71s/screws in the unlimited, but I bet they would beat a few tractors. Sno' Farmer could run his twin setup with the RN rules and add a 3rd for the GN rule 7500 class.

In other words, every single one of the NTPA Light Unlimited guys that ran in 2019 has options. Besides, with a RN rules mod class, you may see allison and turbine tractors also, adding a healthy bit of variety.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/29/2020 04:22AM by The Original Michael.
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Re: Hypothetical Bowling Green modified question September 29, 2020 03:43AM
Wayson, Corzine, & Theobold also have the option of running 2 engines with the 14/71's in the regional class as well. I've never been to BG, always somewhere else with a sled that weekend every year, but I like this idea.
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Re: Hypothetical Bowling Green modified question September 29, 2020 09:58AM
I think your idea would get,tremendous support on the pullers (RN) side but likley not so much on the political side of the argument.

Most that don't like the idea will say that this class at BG would just be a watered down 7500 mod class and would not deserve to be at BG. I would say that the big difference would be in the numbers, it would very likely have big numbers and would help the numbers in the GN Mod class as many would run both classes. At this point in time there are a lot of tractors around the country that could run two engines with 14-71 blowers then add a third engine with a 14-71 and be very competitive in both classes.

One advantage for the folks at BG is that they would have two very competitive mod classes. The disadvantage would be hearing a lot of people complaining about cookie cutter mod tractors as well as not liking the RN tractors at Super National event.

S'no Farmer
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Re: Hypothetical Bowling Green modified question September 29, 2020 10:50AM
Quote
S'no Farmer
One advantage for the folks at BG is that they would have two very competitive mod classes. The disadvantage would be hearing a lot of people complaining about cookie cutter mod tractors as well as not liking the RN tractors at Super National event.

S'no Farmer

Hi Todd. I actually think the RN mod class would reduce the cookie cutter naysayers for this reason: Whereas the Light Unlimited class is now exclusively twin v8s, a RN mod class would have allisons, turbines, a radial, and both twin big blower and triple smaller blower v8s.
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Re: Hypothetical Bowling Green modified question September 29, 2020 12:57PM
The Original Michael
As far as the RN class yes there are more diverse tractors in the region but the ones that would step up to the GN class are pretty much all twin Hemi tractors.

S'no Farmer
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Re: Hypothetical Bowling Green modified question September 29, 2020 10:52AM
The lack of any foresight on the part of the NTPA is going to kill the class. Why would they allow screw blowers is beyond any reasonable or logical thinking. It just never made any sense. The track is still 340 or so and the speed going down the track will be the same. Can one person please tell me what was the reasoning behind the screw blower rule? So for me, there was no gain in allowing screw blowers, nothing.


Dick Morgan

www.PULLOFF.com
Independent Pulling News



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/29/2020 10:57AM by Dick Morgan.
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Re: Hypothetical Bowling Green modified question September 30, 2020 04:05AM
If you think about it, back when they first started light unlimiteds in 2012, it was basically a regional mod class. Bauer and doc christensen had the three engine mods, jeremy schindler had the allison, and simons and sullivans had the twin hemis.
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Re: Hypothetical Bowling Green modified question September 30, 2020 06:00AM
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Tomah winner
If you think about it, back when they first started light unlimiteds in 2012, it was basically a regional mod class. Bauer and doc christensen had the three engine mods, jeremy schindler had the allison, and simons and sullivans had the twin hemis.

Yep. The problem was Bauer spent the $$ to get three hemis in the class, I think with 14-71s (someone can correct that if not right), and nobody else wanted to spend that much. Consequently, the #s started to shrink because everyone else had twin hemis except Christensen, and his triple really wasn't any more potent than the twin hemi tractors.. I am not blaming the Bauer team, they took advantage of the rules that NTPA adopted.

Also, there never was that many hooks for the class. Allowing the screws/18-71s temporarily stabilized the class at around 7-8 vehicles (if that number can be called stable). Limiting to 14-71s would probably have been a better move, as would allowing turbines. Now, most of the pullers in that class have moved on and the class is pretty much dead whether NTPA runs it or not, at least with current rules.

I think NTPA really did not have a good grasp of what they wanted the class to be, or they didn't think through the ramifications of their rules (ie- would enough pullers build a triple 14-71 tractor for the class). NHRA is going through the exact same thing now with their relatively new Factory Stock Eliminator class that's in the process of imploding.

Back to the original premise of the thread: Come on Blue Shirts. Add a PN Regional Rules mod class and drop the Light Unlimiteds, and you will get a good number of enthusiastic pullers to run at your pull for the first time... and as Sno' Farmer pointed out, some would also run the GN 4 engine class as well.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 09/30/2020 06:04AM by The Original Michael.
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Re: Hypothetical Bowling Green modified question September 30, 2020 12:30PM
I was at Tomah for the maiden pull for this class and it was cool as heck, lots of excitement a good number for the first time, But when Bauer put 50+ feet on everyone else both sessions, I figured that class wont last long. To bad too. I wanted it to be a good class.
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Re: Hypothetical Bowling Green modified question September 30, 2020 02:41PM
I think a point that needs to be made is that during the NTPA Mod meetings there was a lot of discussion about the limits for Lt. Unlimited class. At the end of all of the discussion it was decided by the NTPA board that the blower rules would remain the way they were written.

A few of the tractors that run the class were upgraded with bigger blowers at substantial expense. This is very similar to what happened to Adam but on a smaller dollar scale. Whether his tractor was good for the class or bad for the class is and has been up for debate. The same could be said for the big blowers, the debate goes on but the rules are still set for a couple more years.

As much as I would love to have a chance to run heads up at BG in a RN class as well as the GN Mod class (as well as a LOT of other RN level tractors) it does not feel right to advocate taking away the BG hook from the Lt. Unlimited tractors that have made these changes whether we like the rules or not.

Ultimately the blue shirts would make this type decision (I doubt it's even of their radar). One class with a few very awesome Lt tractors or a lot of pretty awesome tractors plus adding more tractors to the GN Mod class...decisions decisions.

S'no Farmer
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