NHRA News: Comp class, index adjustments for 2002 (11/26/2001)

Comp class, index adjustments for 2002

11/26/2001

The NHRA tech department has finalized changes to be made in Comp for the 2002 drag racing season. Prior to establishing new indexes for the new categories, the following adjustments have been made with regard to the description of some of the classes and weight breaks:

Beginning in 2002, the A/Truck category will now be called Pro/Stock Truck (PST).

In the altered classes, a second 7.50-pound classification will be added to accommodate the splayed-valve V-8-engine combination. The splayed-valve classes will be D/A and D/AA, and the inline-valve 7.50-pound class will become E/A and E/AA. Subsequently, the remaining altered categories will shift down by one letter classification (i.e., E becomes F, F becomes G, and so on). Therefore, splayed-valve V-8s will now be limited to A through D/Altered rather than A through C as previously outlined.

With the addition of 9.50 and 10.50 weight breaks in the Super Modified categories, the letter classifications will be realigned to follow the pounds-per-cubic-inch factoring and carburetor usage (dual four-barrel and single four-barrel) as follows:

7.50 pounds dual four-barrel A/SM and A/SMA

8.50 pounds dual four-barrel B/SM and B/SMA

8.50 pounds single four-barrel C/SM and C/SMA

9.50 pounds dual four-barrel D/SM and D/SMA

9.50 pounds single four-barrel E/SM and E/SMA

10.50 pounds dual four-barrel F/SM and F/SMA

10.50 pounds single four-barrel G/SM and G/SMA

11.50 pounds dual four-barrel H/SM and H/SMA

11.50 pounds dual four-barrel (V-6) I/SM and I/SMA

In the A/AA and B/AA categories, racers have lobbied for the acceptance of a planetary-type transmission with a torque converter in the automatic categories. As a compromise for the 2002 season, two new weight breaks will be added for such a style of transmission under A and B/Altered. The classes will be referred to as A/AP and B/AP.

The new C/Truck weight break, reserved for V-6s only, will now be set at 8.50 pounds per cubic inch with a minimum weight of 2,100 pounds rather than the originally determined 9.00 pounds per cubic inch and minimum of 2,300 pounds. This revision was made after reviewing racer input regarding the V-6-only class.

Indexes for all the new classes outlined above have been established as follows:

Pro/Stock Truck 8.12

Pro/Stock Truck Automatic 8.27

B/Truck 8.95

B/Truck Automatic 9.10

C/Truck 8.97

C/Truck Automatic 9.12

D/SM (9.50 weight break) 9.30

D/SMA (9.50 weight break) 9.40

F/SM (10.50 weight break) 9.55

F/SMA (10.50 weight break) 9.60

AA/AM (methanol) 7.15

BB/AM (methanol) 7.94

A/AP (planetary) 7.43

B/AP (planetary) 7.82

Current class indexes were also reviewed for possible adjustments for the 2002 season. After reviewing all current indexes in relation to the classes' averages, five classes were found to have variances between the index and the average that were greater than .20-second. Therefore, the following classes will receive index adjustments accordingly:

Class old index adjustment new index

C/ED 7.91 +.10 8.01

F/AA (old E/AA) 8.73 +.10 8.83

A/A 7.28 +.05 7.33

E/A (old D/A) 8.36 +.05 8.41

G/A (old F/A) 9.21 +.05 9.26

The NHRA tech department would like to thank the many Comp racers who provided their input on the newly created classes and changes as outlined above. Suggestions for new classes are continually being reviewed as a result of racer input and must be studied based on the amount of interest that exists for any prospective class being considered.

Conversely, the tech department will monitor activity in classes with little or no participation and, in an effort to maintain only classes which racers will support, may phase out any classes that have no activity for a period of 24 consecutive months or more.

Comp is one of NHRA's most colorful categories, and its continued growth is an important element of NHRA's Sportsman drag racing.

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