Sportsman Rules

[Rancher Boy]

Raced against both Jeff (green 'stang) and Pat (blue chevelle) good racers cut good lites. Raced sportsman class with a 2 step and trans-brake since I started with anra in I think 2007. as for 3 .00 lites, I've gone .001, 000, .005 in a row (just lucky). Butch runs a good series and racers will run it because it's fun, not to get rich or win every time (just Josh! lol!) Anra is fair as it gets I believe.

Richard Lillo car# R774 '64 Ranchero orange &cream

[Steve Gonzales]

I won a season championship in ANRA Sportsman in 2008 and...... I footbraked the car every single run I made that season. I cut lights anywhere from a .000 to .100. Like Richard said, "good racers cut good lights" I agree whether that is on the footbrake or on a 2 step or transbrake.

[Eric]

Apr 30, 2015 18:36:05 GMT -5 racerb said:

Apr 30, 2015 16:59:49 GMT -5 flatire said:

I dont see the Sportsman rules in Heritage...unless i missed it again.

To me ANRA is a great series cause we all love nostalgic racing and cars.
So Sportsman being the entry level racing where you will find the street/strip low dollar cars and
grassroots people that just want to race foot-braking.

i think we want to avoid cars from other classes dropping down to sportsman and cleaning up cause they
brought a gun to a knife fight.

When you think of all the people that can not be competitive against a 2-step or trans brake
that race Sportsman and may decide to stay home.

so it comes down to the class is either
"bottom-bulb"=electronics permitted, NO delay-box
"Foot-brake"= NO electronics
or something else.

BTW-
BOB at NHRA said, NHRA does not make the rules for individual tracks or series, that is the tracks discretion.

they do provide the rules for the finals in Pomona.

It's like I said before Sportsman class is an off shoot of Hot Rod same rules just slower cars. I guess it's like you say Sportsman racers may decide to stay home. I would hope not but thats there choice.

I know a number of Hot Rod class racers that win a lot of rounds that have no trans brake or 2 steps. I try to let a lot of racers that don't get to run other nostalgia series run with us.

Hey Flatire,
Take a look at 2014 ANRA Hot Rod and E Gas Champion Josh Wagner's car - No trans brake no 2 step and he beat all those guys with a trans brake and a 2 step which is LEGAL to run in NHRA Heritage series and ANRA Series in all classes and most Non electronics categories I have raced in over the last 30 years or so. These items are not necessarily an advantage for a driver but merely a choice that works for some people and does not for others. It doesn't seem to be a dis advantage for Josh Wagner. He cuts .00 lights often with his footbrake car . You seem to be mis informed that these items magically make you a better racer and that just is not true. A talented driver wins with what he is used to

[flatire]

That clears it up, same rules as Hotrod. Done!

[metermatch]

I'm the guy with the green car in Sportsman. It is a 1979 Mustang, a pretty stock 2 bbl 302/C4/transbrake/ford 8.8/3.08 gears mutt of a car. I normally only use 1st and 2nd gears.

I don't particularily like being called a cheater. Any time someone wants to inspect my car, just come right up. It has happened before. I have NEVER used a delay box, ever, in any of my cars. I don't really know how to use them, have no interest in them, and personally don't think they have any place in racing, but thats just me. I have my car set up to just leave on the 3rd bulb. I see 3rd amber, and release the transbrake, just like a delay box user would do, leaving on the first bulb. I have made mechanical changes to the car to react appropriately at that time. I was just dicussing this with Tom Featherstone at the Finals on Sunday, as he had just installed a transbrake on his 66 Mustang, and was learning how to use it.

Car has a front line lock for burnout only. You can see it while doing a burnout, 1st gear rev to 5000 rpm for 3 seconds, shift to second for 3 seconds at 4500 rpm, release line lock and pull forward, release throttle before tires grab and toast the converter.

There is NO two step in use. I don't recall if there is one stuffed under the dash by previous car owner, but if so, it is disconnected. There is a RPM activated switch that operates 2nd shift light on dash. First shift light is erratic due to heat on dash. No automatic shifter, I manually shift at 5400 RPM by shift light.

Car uses a transbrake to launch. The reason people may think there is a two step, is because I floor it on the transbrake, and the converter stalls at 2600 rpm. Listen to the motor, it is NOT popping and banging like it would on a two step. I am at full stall for a few seconds before leaving the line.

Nothing rocket science here.

Been doing it the same way for 8 years with this car. Motor was built in 1992, and has thousands of drag strip passes, so I guess you could say it is sorted out. It makes a whopping 220hp to the wheels.

80% of my reactions over the last 3 years are between .020 and .045. I had my first red light in 2 years on Saturday, only because my first qualification run was a .017 reaction, and I was intentionally trying to kill the tree for a double oh light. It didn't work.

I probably have 100+ time slips in the trailer right now to back this up. Me getting a .008 in the Sportsman final was fast but not overly unusual. I've done it many times before.

Incidentially, I was stopped in staging by Jody George about 3-4 years ago at a Summit race #1 at Famoso, in the Sportsman class. I was not aware of the new at that time Sportsman rule outlawing transbrakes. That was the reason I stopped racing Sportsman in the Summit series, as I don't have the car set up to footbrake. I have not raced Summit Sportsman since that day, only running PRO in Summit. That will change next year, as this winters project is to make the Mustang a footbrake, 12.2 second 110+ mph car on alcohol, to race Summit Sportsman and Pro, and ANRA Sportsman.


Come check out my car anytime, if you really want to see a nearly stock Mustang.

Jeff Follin

[Don Taros]

Hey meter match, please don't take my post about cheaters seriously. It was total sarcasm aimed at those who think people are bending the rules just because they know how to race and have figured out how to make there cars perform well. I just get so annoyed by the finger pointers that have no evidence, that I made that ridiculous post just to mock them.

[sparks]

this is the same old gripe of which I am also guilty of. the bottom line is there are many ways to " cheat " from a 10 dollar relay tagged on your shift lite to a hi dollar ignition which alters timing and adds power adders during a run. the folks that do that are missing the point. to my of thinking I spend somewhere around 300 bucks to make 3 passes ( lately ) and have a great time b s ing with what I call dragstrip friends. I know people at the races that I have known for 25 years and still don't know their phone number. if what were doing was truly nostalgia, no shift lites , pushbutton shifting. transbrakes and a spec ignition but that's just me. what I saying is look at the whole picture and have some fun

[johnrod]

so for 100% clarification...
can use a front wheel line lock?
can you use a 2 step with a manual trans?
if I come to Bakersfield, it will be a 360+ mile trip. I dont want any surprises!
Rod

[Ron Gribble]

Yes, you can use a line lock. Yes you can use a two step with a manual trans as long as its not for on track et control. For example I use a two step to limit rpm when staged with clutch in. Then higher limit once clutch out. If you are using it as a stutter box going down track that is specifically prohibited.
This is family friendly racing, if you need to cheat stay home. The rules are sparse & easy to meet. Spirit of rules is driver in control, not computer in control. Come on out & have fun.
Ron

[johnrod]

Thanks Ron. just wanted to be sure. the 2 step makes it a lot easier with a stick. hard to watch the tree, tach. and be old all at the same time.
Rod in AZ

[rick]

I WANT TO RACE MY CAR I DONT CARE WHAT CLASS IM IN AS LONG AS I CAN RUN UN CAPED WIN OR LOOSE NO MATTER

[RICK]

I LIKED THE 9.0 TO 13.99 HOT ROD CLASS. MY FREINDS AND I WOULD GO OUT AND IT WAS FUN TO RUN IN THIS CLASS. I DO NOT LIKE THE SPLIT.SOME OF MY FRIENDS HAVE TWELVE second cars. they do not want to chase 19.00 second cars. this two class split makes even less sense when you let the slower class run trans brakes and two step ignitions. I have no idea what you are thinking here.

[racerb]

Oct 4, 2020 17:33:30 GMT -5 RICK said:

I LIKED THE 9.0 TO 13.99 HOT ROD CLASS. MY FREINDS AND I WOULD GO OUT AND IT WAS FUN TO RUN IN THIS CLASS. I DO NOT LIKE THE SPLIT.SOME OF MY FRIENDS HAVE TWELVE second cars. they do not want to chase 19.00 second cars. this two class split makes even less sense when you let the slower class run trans brakes and two step ignitions. I have no idea what you are thinking here.

Sorry it is what it is. Trying to make a place for everyone to race. Guess I can't please everyone.