My brother and I are relatively new to Comp, with a newer style engine, with some newer technology on it.... so maybe my thoughts come with a fresh look after being a fan for many years then starting to run our car.
To the main debate. My backing of the PI is only because I believe like many things in Comp, the rules were not really thought out well for the long term... so in F/Dragster with a 4-valve engine I am lumped together with 2-valve engines who have (in my option) much more potential to make ET improvements relative to the class index than I do.. and I carry a 1/2lb weight penalty. Plus.. the engines are quite different in architecture and components. The only way we have kept any hope of being competitive in the near future is by the personal index keeping the permanent index in check. I will advocate and recommend to the SRAC members that a new class (as terrible as it sounds to Comp racers and NHRA) be made for 4-valve engine dragsters and ideally altereds. They are the most common engines today... and unless you put a turbo on them... they are hard to race in Comp.
Do that... and I'm totally in agreement that the PI should go away. Its complicated... but more importantly... its contrary to the DNA of Comp. Indexes of classes of common combos should be relative to other combos.... not the individual. If another guys races a 4-valve in F/Dragster and kills the index... then I gotta go home and work on my shit (which we do that all the time anyway

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**** But ***** The main issue I see with Comp on the track will not truly be fixed with index changes or doing away with the PI. The real root cause is that there are too many classes in Comp and not enough full track races to make guys run to the finish... causing the CIC system to not really work quick enough. After the indexes are moved and the PI is done away with.. there will be some good racing... but shortly after guys will always get faster... and then start guarding their index. We will be back in the same boat. With the amount of classes in Comp today... most cars are on their own island (except B/DA... which is a class in itself to watch.. haha).. and unless someone makes you run a good race in eliminations it will not be touched. The more competitors in a single class almost always make the index adjust quicker.. and in tune... races get more competitive as all the indexes adjust to the proper levels. I say... combine all stick/auto classes right off the bat (with a weight break or whatever) and think of other "only slightly different" setups.
I know people will say.. hey.. you just said in the previous paragraph you want a class for yourself. I know. But also it shows you the inconsistent class structure in Comp. If I had a B/A... I could run B/A or B/AA or B/AP.... or I move weight and run A/A or A/AA or A/AP.... and that's just in Gas Altered... but a 4-valve engine layout that is probably the most manufactured engine today gets one dedicated class (H/EA) and two where they were lumped in as an afterthought (F/D and L/A). I hope having a good entry level class with engines most people my age can relate to... will make it easy to join Comp. I wouldn't mind having some company with 4-cylinder dragsters and maybe my brother can race an altered one day.

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Also... I know many of the old guard might not like this... but anything to make each an every round more competitive is better for everyone.. including competitors, fans, and the CIC system. Id like to try to .500 Pro Tree in Comp. I know people will say.. just get better driving the car... but if it makes less red-lights and less red-lights = more real races... I think that's a win. Plus... I think it would be kinda fun. Maybe we do it as a test at a race in one round of qualifying... or some non points situation to try... but I think it would be a good thing to try.
Also... Comp gets a bad rap for being complicated. I know many think this is unimportant... but I really think it deters people from the class. When we go test our car at local tracks... guys love coming up to us asking us about our car. They know it's a "real" racecar when we're in line testing with the other Super Pro's. They always say they love Comp... but they then they say they have no idea how it works. I don't think its that tough...but little things make it strange to the outsider.. and I say fix those cosmetic things so that it easier for fans to relate. Fans watch races. Then they walk in the staging lanes and see the cars. And next thing they may be the next guy getting the bug to race (like I did).
Make the indexs so that your index is the number where the CIC starts. For example (Im gonna use round numbers).
My class index is 9.00. If I run 8.99 I lose 0.01 next round. If I run 8.90... its permanent. No real change to performance... but shift everyone's index so we dont have to do math. It might sound dumb.. but every little bit counts.
Organize the classes alittle better and try to make less red-lights.. will mean better racing.
Make Comp alittle simpler where we can (indexes and doing away with the PI)... will make comp easier to the outsider... which is always good in the long haul.
FYI. I love Comp and I'm really happy to be here. People love to talk about the negatives... but Comp is still a very healthy class with really great racing.
Andrew Holt