2025 15th Annual FABO NHRA "Pick 'Em" Game - I Can't Wait!!!

[Budnicks]

Nice qualifiers @alsant & @ocdart

I'm just hoping my "locked in" picks will race well in eliminations,
where it counts

 

[64BEL]

Nice qualifying picks, oc and alsant!

Not a good weekend to have picked a JFR funny car!

 

[ocdart]

Congratulations to '64BEL' (FBBO) for winning the "Top Picker Eliminator" title for the 2025 Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals with a very nice total of 139.5 points. He picked the class winner in Pro Stock, both his Top Fuel and Pro Stock Motorcycle picks lost in the final round of eliminations, and his Funny Car pick lost in the opening round of eliminations.
'cuda20' (FABO) was right behind with 130.0 points.
Way to go!

For the first time that I remember, all of the Funny Car picks lost in the opening round of eliminations.

Here's where the bonus points were earned if you picked the right drivers:

Top Fuel
E.T. - Tony Stewart, 3.755 during Round 1 of eliminations
Speed - Justin Ashley, 330.80 during qualifying

Funny Car
E.T. - Austin Prock, 3.931 during qualifying
Speed - Austin Prock, 328.30 during qualifying

Pro Stock
E.T. - Greg Anderson, 6.623 while winning the Final Round of eliminations
Speed - Dallas Glenn, 206.23 during both Round 2 and Round 3 of eliminations

Pro Stock Motorcycle
E.T. - Brayden Davis, 6.831 during Round 1 of eliminations
Speed - Matt Smith, 199.46 during qualifying

Here are the game point standings after the 8th event of the 2025 season:
878.0 - Budnicks (FBBO) no change in the point standings
876.0 - stroked340 (FABO) no change
874.0 -TT5.9mag (FABO) no change
874.0 - ocdart (FABO) no change
866.5 - alsant (FBBO) +1
863.0 - GTXDAN (FBBO) -1
782.5 - 64BEL (FBBO) +1
772.0 - johnnycuda (FABO) -1
760.0 - Yunick13 (FABO) no change
728.0 - Back in Time (FABO) no change
695.5 - Outlawd (FBBO) no change
670.0 - cuda20 (FABO) no change
634.5 - memike (FABO) no change
453.0 - Nick2317 (FBBO) no change
428.5 - MomsDuster (FABO) no change

Now we get a weekend off before the second round of back-to-back race events. The 5th annual American Rebel Light NHRA Virginia Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park in North Dinwiddie, VA, are scheduled for June 20-22.

As of this morning, nhra.com currently shows the following entries:
12 Top Fuel
15 Funny Car
13 Pro Stock Motorcycle

Pro Stock will not compete at this event.

As always, please check to verify your picks are participating before posting your picks.

GOOD LUCK!

 

[Budnicks]

Great eliminations picks @64BEL
you'll be gaining on US

+ @alsant up +1 too

lots of upsets in the Thunder Valley

 

[64BEL]

I didn't get to see who even won. The tv coverage cut out before the final rounds!

 

[alsant]

Nice Job Bel !

 

[Budnicks]

I didn't get to see who even won. The tv coverage cut out before the final rounds!

yeah you had to go to NHRATV.com to see it
another rain delay

the NASCRAP race 'preempting it', on FS1
race going long like 40+ min.s into NHRA time slot "again"/like normal
didn't help

 

[64BEL]

Plus, if you're watching it recorded, being told to change to another source is of no help.

 

[GTXDAN]

Miss piggy gets caught running rear wheels not to NHRA spec, and is docked 100 points and fined $5000. Sure they will appeal, as they say they asked at previous race about using these wheels and were told no issue.

 

[Budnicks]

Miss piggy gets caught running rear wheels not to NHRA spec, and is docked 100 points and fined $5000. Sure they will appeal, as they say they asked at previous race about using these wheels and were told no issue.

it was Running inner liners/bladders,
helps makes the side walls a tad bit stiffer
helps reaction times, also helps control tire shake, mostly NOW
they were widely used in all Pro-classes for decades
I could see why they used them if it wasn't against the NHRA P/S rules
with some slicks it helps the tires from slipping on the wheels too
but with bead locks it's not necessary, so I don't buy their excuses
I don't believe their crew chief either, I'd bet they've been used for a long time
they just now got caught
The filler is the same style 'Shrader valve' as a normal tubeless tire or tire tube

we all know, or we all should
the clutch, electronic $10k a piece shocks, w/traction control,
computer added timing/retard/EFI & controlling the tires is what wins

aside from the 1st off the line/reaction time
which the liners/bladders could arguably help 'a tiny bit' too

can hit the tires harder, not lose the sidewall, or roll over your own wrinkle less
& without 'as much shake'
the car reacts/recovers a tad bit faster/theoretically...
You can run lower air pressures
NHRA mandates 6psi min. now IIRC

Why I ran them in my T/S or pro-cars & my altered, they work
when you make over 1300+hp N/A especially
there was a time we ran 4# - 4.5#s & 25 in the liners/bladders

I ran liners in all my faster race cars, 1977-2007-ish
after that didn't use them much
but there wasn't a rule about using them back then either
the cars I didn't, I ran screws from the lip of the rims to the beads,
to hold them in place (longtime practices)
& some had a full tube in them too, mostly slower cars like street/strip cars
9 sec. or slower usually

Miss Piggy & her crew/chief, they broke the rules & they were cheating
they finally got caught, I don't buy the reason or excuses from them either

for god (she invokes him a lot) only knows 'how long',
that they were winning & cheating too

 

[ocdart]

Here's your 'Tuesday before the race' notice for the 5th annual American Rebel Light Virginia NHRA Nationals, June 20-22, at Virginia Motorsports Park in North Dinwiddie, VA.
Please check the driver entries and post your picks before Pro Stock and Nitro qualifying starts so you will be eligible for all event bonus points.

As of this morning nhra.com currently shows the following entries:
14 Top Fuel
16 Funny Car
17 Pro Stock Motorcycle

Pro Stock will not compete at this event.

I suggest you double-check to make sure your drivers are racing since there were some no-shows at recent race events of the season. If your posted driver skips the event and you do not select a replacement prior to the start of eliminations, I will use your posted driver from the most recent completed event. Unfortunately, any replacement driver after the start of qualifying will not be eligible for any event bonus points.
Also, several drivers will be making their 2025 NHRA season debut at the Virginia Nationals:
1 Top Fuel entry is making their season debut at this event
1 Pro Stock Motorcycle entry is making their season debut at this event

The current weekend weather forecast shows:
* Friday currently shows mostly sunny with a high of 87F and chance of some rain starting at 6:00pm on Friday for about an hour
* Saturday forecast is for mostly sunny with a high of 91F
* Sunday weather for Eliminations should be sunny a forecast high of 94F

The current television schedule for the New England Nationals...
* Qualifying Show 1: 2:00-4:00pm EDT (11:00am-1:00pm PDT), Sunday, June 22 on FS1
* Eliminations: 4:00-6:00pm EDT (1:00pm-3:00pm PDT), Sunday, June 23 on FOX
All television coverage will also re-air at later times. Check www.nhra.com.

Don't miss out!

 

[Budnicks]

I'll stick with my "locked in picks" please

rolling the dice, again
or
let em' ride, till the buck ya' off

good luck everyone

 

[GTXDAN]

Here we go for Richmond. Going to shake things up a bit and see what happens.

TF Smoke
FC Prock
PSM B Davis