NATIONAL CLASS PERFORMER AWARDS UP FOR GRABS
GLENDORA, Calif. (Jan. 24, 2011) – After reviewing feedback from the Performance Aftermarket Advisory Council (PAAC) and a majority of NHRA contingency sponsors, NHRA officials announced today the creation of an innovative program for Super Stock and Stock class eliminations, which will be introduced at select NHRA national events during the 2011 NHRA Lucas Oil Series season.
The new program will feature a 12-race class-eliminations schedule for Super Stock and Stock that will offer double contingency payouts at four of those events. A new bonus-points program will be instituted for the eight non-paying class-eliminations events, and season-ending contingency payouts will be awarded to two National Class Performers (stick and automatic divisions) in each category. Finally, to enhance competition in class eliminations, new stick and automatic combo classes will be created in Super Stock and Stock to group those classes that are represented by only one car.
“Comp Cams has been a strong supporter of Sportsman racing since the early ’70s,” said Scooter Brothers, chairman-elect, SEMA board of directors, and president, Comp Cams. “Class racing was very different than it is today, and contingency support of class racing was on track to diminish to the point of extinction. For at least a year, the NHRA has worked closely with a group of manufacturers to find a way to save the financial support of class racing. Everyone agreed that the new program would help class racing as we know it survive and even flourish. It should put the pride and competitiveness back into being the class winner as well as creates a program that works for the manufacturers, NHRA and especially the racers.”
A more complete review of the new program follows:
• Class eliminations for Super Stock and Stock will be contested at 12 events: nine NHRA national events and three JEGS NHRA SPORTSnationals events. Trophies will be awarded to each class winner at all 12 events. Contingency payouts will be awarded at four events only: the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil in Indianapolis and the three JEGS NHRA SPORTSnationals events. The payouts at those four events will be a minimum of $100 per posting, double the minimum postings in 2010.
• Bonus points will be awarded during the eight class-eliminations events that do not offer NHRA contingency money. National Class Performer Awards will be presented following the eight-race class-eliminations series to the drivers who earn the most points in one of four class groupings: Super Stock-Stick, Super Stock-Automatic, Stock-Stick and Stock-Automatic. All Super Stock and Stock class-eliminations participants will be eligible for the National Class Performer Awards in one of the four groupings. Participants will earn points (10 for each class round-win and an additional five for winning the class-eliminations title) toward the season title by claiming their best three results from their first five starts in the eight-race non-contingency-paying class-eliminations series. Each of the four National Class Performer Award winners will earn a special Wally trophy and a minimum of $500 per posting from each contingency sponsor represented on his or her car.
• One significant change to increase the level of competition in class eliminations is the creation of combo classes in Super Stock and Stock for those classes that are represented by a single car. The four combo classes will be Super Stock Combo-Stick, Super Stock Combo-Automatic, Stock Combo-Stick and Stock Combo-Automatic. Eliminations for the combo classes will utilize a handicap start with no breakout. The car that crosses the finish line first in each combo class-eliminations run will be declared the winner. Only one Wally trophy (and contingency payout at the four eligible events) will be presented to the winner of each of the four combo classes during the 12 class-eliminations events. Those classes in Super Stock and Stock that include two or more cars will continue to have class eliminations conducted as in the past.
