Cruz and Rahn Tobler went 4.36/286 in just three hits and you know with a little testing they will get quicker and faster. Crew chiefs could actually use their ingenuity for a change

Maybe take the rev-limiter off too for Pete’s sake. Throttle stops have no place in nitro racing when we are only racing 1000ft and they don’t seem to be slowing anyone down.

Top Fuel cars went past 320 mph for the 1,000 feet at Pomona and they are going to go faster next year. Funny Cars aren’t far behind them. Am I the only one who noticed how many engine explosions we’ve had recently, even with rev-limiters? Single mags and fuel pumps will slow the cars down from 320 mph, which supposedly was the reason for the 1,000-foot track.

Take away a mag and mandate a single smaller pump and make fuel less expensive, dammit, or the only guys who will ever win another Top Fuel or Funny Car championship will work for Schumacher, Force, Al-Anabi or Kalitta. WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR, MR. COMPTON?!

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It’s way past time to acknowledge Tony Schumacher as one of the best drivers in the history of the sport, ever. Only John Force has driven to more consecutive World Championships than Tony, and just for the record, Force did it with the same guy, Austin Coil, as his crew chief. Schumacher has won championships driving for three different tuners. That accomplishment requires some serious driving skills, brother.

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I noticed the other day that the Nationwide Series, NASCAR’s junior circuit, has decided to allow their teams to have three distinctly different body styles. Ford racers can use a new Mustang body, Chrysler racers a Dodge Challenger and so on. Maybe NHRA should be pro-active and demand that the new Pro Stock bodies for 2011 (not 2010) be much more stock appearing then what we have currently.

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I think it’s time for the NHRA or any of the major drag racing sanctioning bodies to quit romancing and courting the mainstream print and electronic media. It’s been just a huge waste of time, effort, and money in my opinion. Case in point: NHRA’s Tom Compton installed the new “Countdown” points program three years ago to encourage a more dramatic championship. The “Countdown” has delivered drama in spades in at least one of the professional classes every year with a championship being decided on the last race, if not the last lap of the season.

Yet the straight press, generally speaking, ignores the NHRA championship series no matter how much drama it delivers. The same press outlets that covered drag racing before the big push are still the only ones. Few new markets have been opened up. Many major dailies that used to have a motorsports beat writer who cared about drag racing have fired them due to the economy and shrinking ad revenues. It seems that TV only cares when someone is on fire or upside down. Drag racing is getting less attention from mainstream media now than at any time I can remember.

Here’s an idea: instead of paying ESPN to cover the sport, just buy the space or air time in every major market media and cut out the middleman. It’s more efficient, effective and probably cheaper than the high road.

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IHRA President Aaron Polburn and his staff are going to prove or disprove something about the business of drag racing for sure in 2010. Just as Kenny Nowling has proved that a free admission series will work, Polburn has convinced his boss, Ken Feld, and his track owner/partners that IHRA fans will pay national event money for tickets to see “invitational only” fields of nitro cars make laps for two days with points awarded at the end of two days. The premise reminds me of a modified NHRA pre-season test session event like those held at Las Vegas and Phoenix except without the marquee racers.