NHRA announces changes for online registration for 2006

NHRA announces changes for online registration for 2006 season

courtesy of NHRA.com
11/28/2006


NHRA’s online national event registration system, at www.nhraeventreg.com, offers many advantages to racers, including 24/7 access to entry information, a streamlined process (racers no longer have to request, then mail entries and wait for an acceptance letter), the ability to complete a tech card online, and real-time data that shows accepted entries against the event’s quota.

The online system will continue to accept entries eight weeks prior to each event for racers with a grade 6 and higher. Grade 5 racers can enter one week later, grade 4 is a week after that, and so on until the quota for that category is reached.

The online system will continue to accept entries until the quota is reached, but the incentive to obtain as many grade points as possible remains because a racer with a higher number of grade points can sign up sooner.

Event registration for the CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals begins at 8 a.m. Dec. 14, 2005, for racers with a grade 6 or higher.

No-show policy: When planning the pit layout of a national event, NHRA Pit Control personnel determine the amount of space necessary from the online registration numbers. For example, if 50 Comp entries are registered, 50 pit spaces are allocated for Comp; if only 45 entries attend, five spaces that could have been occupied by another class are left vacant. Due to a nearly 10 percent no-show rate at national events in 2005, NHRA has adjusted its policy regarding no-shows. Racers have until noon Pacific time on the Monday of the national event to withdraw (thus, a racer can withdraw from the Winternationals up until noon Monday, Feb. 6, 2006). If a racer withdraws from an event using the tools provided through the NHRA online national event registration system, the full entry fee (no penalty) will automatically be transferred to another national event within 12 months.

If a racer fails to withdraw prior to the deadline and does not show for the event, he or she will forfeit the event entry fee and will be withdrawn from all future events for which he or she has pre-entered. This new policy includes all Gold, Silver, and Bronze Card holders. Racers can re-enter for those events from which he or she was dropped if the class has not reached the quota or the event cutoff date has not been reached. Late fees, if applicable, will be applied to the entry.

Driver-change policy: NHRA is implementing the following policy to accommodate racers who experience an unforeseen circumstance that prevents him or her from continuing in competition at an event (i.e. medical problem, personal tragedy, etc.). Driver changes will not be accepted prior to an event; all driver changes must be completed at the site of the national event entered. The original registered entrant must present the vehicle for technical inspection. Should a driver be unable to continue in competition after completing the technical inspection, the original entrant must present the reason for the driver change to a division director or the event director, who will determine whether to allow the change.

Points-structure changes: To allow each division the flexibility of hosting a different number of Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series events without impacting the overall national and divisional points scenario, the NHRA competition department has adjusted how racers earn points in 2006.

In the past on the divisional level, each racer earned a different number of points for home-division events and out-of-division events. Racers could earn as many as five additional points at home-division events.

For 2006, racers at all divisional events, regardless of home division, will earn the same points, including all little-point bonuses, the same way national events are scored under the current points system.

“This change is designed to help simplify the points system and allows racers to clearly understand what points they will earn for each event,” said John Miller, manager of racing administration. “This will also allow a racer some flexibility in his or her racing schedule to attend a few more out-of-division events and earn points toward a divisional title.”