Well, I've been asking that question for a long time, and you're the only one that managed to post an answer. Ryan posted that over a year ago, I found the original. It's here. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=2888635&postcount=86 I see you missed posting the first sentence, "nothing ever stays the same". How can you post rules for a class and not have a car in that class? Or be involved in the threads? The threads were heated conversations rage about YOUR ideas. Ryan, busy guy that he is, has managed 2 posts in the HA/GR threads this year... 2 posts. And here we are debating "wildly" the concept and how it must be followed, almost to religious ends. By a rules maker that really doesn't appear to get involved in it. Basing that involvement on post count, as that's all I have to go on. "Here ya go guys, some stuff we whipped out, have at it", and that's it... There's no leadership on the topic, that's why all speculate and debate. The post from 2008 that Ryan made. Done deal for me, answers the questions. He doesn't care about growth or car count. I get it now. Thank you... I guess. Based on what I do for a living, it's hard for me to believe it... But I understand what I read. And can respect it. I wish I had read it sooner. Would have saved me a lot of typing and a lot of you guys from hitting the "ignore" button... The trend, as I see it, is that it's very complicated to do, and harder to find some parts. People are interested, but rather than give up on their personal dream, there's going to need to be a compromise now and again. If more have comprimsed than have not, some folks would read the handwriting on the wall, and a rules change would bring more people into the fold. But, as I read it. The powers that be are content with the car count as is. We have between 3-10 true HA/GR cars in 4+ years of building. As far as Ryan is concerned (based on the post), it's a success, so that ends a lot of the discussion. Enjoy it for what it is, but we're kind of all on our own, as I read it, and it's not gonna get any bigger. Just like Ryan and his surfing reference. Maybe that's how it should be.
Actually, Ryan originally only provided the sub-forum for it and didn't want to be involved past that as he wasn't a player. He stated the concept and left it up to those who were. It was later, amid the confusion on the new forum that many asked him to collect and consolidate some rules. He eventually relented and did as asked. These rules weren't his fiat, ex-cathedra his navel. They're what were worked out among the existing players at the time and tickled into shape. As proprietor of the site he accepted some speaker duties and thus the crosshairs. In an added respect I have to admire his effort. It takes backbone and serious stoicism to take such a stand without rancor or reprisal. I hold that thankless task of concept manager both at a model train club and in the construction of a Rose Parade float so I can verify how much a target a stone wall feels on occasion. Keeping so talented and intense a bunch herded in the desired direction is flat out a bitch at times. But for me at least, it's usually worth it in the results. The simple fact that it very likely wouldn't exist without the playing field he offered has to be a good feeling in spite of the incessant bickering so typical of these places. Would that some day it show him some return as well. As to change? It's as always, inevitable. The challenge is keeping it from displacing the goal.
As Drewfuss knows,Im A shit stirrer as well as the HAMBstirrer. My next build is in the truest form of keep it in the form of Nostalgia not so much the bug. it will conform more so to the rules set out than my first car, why? because I want to compete in HA/GR YEP! 13.5 break out you loose, I know cause I lost to a 29sec ET with a 13.2 break out. Thats fair & she was good looking to. So build what ever you like under the rules, Yeah I know who is the rule inforcer. I do race index with other cars, here I will even put on slicks cause I aint running in HA/GR. If it is HA/GR then the rules apply. One question to all concerned, when there are not the numbers to race HA/GR whose rules apply?
In our situation we're allowed to combine our HA/GR eliminations with (and in the process of running) qualifications for ANRA's Open Wheel class, the day before O/W eliminations. We do this by the simple expedient of staging together as allowed during qualifications. The next day we run O/W class normally (having concluded our HA/GR racing), staging as directed by the handlers. So we actually get to compete both days, HA/GR and Open Wheel. Their trophies are prettier'n ours though. Dragfest we do pretty much the same but fit into Flatheads/Inliners class. At other meets we just run in whatever class we fit, and don't compete for HA/GR.
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