An engine built to those specs would immediately obsolete their crankshafts and cylinder heads. They would need different cranks with a different stroke and, obviously, cylinder heads designed for maximum effectiveness on a 500 cubic inch engine won't be really effective on a 413 cubic inch engine. Plus, now they will be running an engine with one spark plug instead of two per cylinder, and apparently no electronic timing. The point is that this will not be a simple (read cheap) change for the teams regardless of whether they are well financed or just barely keeping racing.

I understand the issues that NHRA has to deal with. The NHRA and others believe current cars racing to the quarter-mile length are going too fast for the tracks.

The NHRA management believes in the attraction and history of quarter-mile racing and believes that a return to quarter-mile racing may sell more $60 single day tickets. I have to think that they believe a new spec engine is the answer to their problems. One thing is absolutely sure and that is NHRA fuel Funny Cars and dragsters have to be least three-quarters of second quicker and 40-mph faster than their alky-powered cousins; there is no option for fans or racers to that scenario. You can put me in the column that doubts the proposed new engine will do that.

Apparently most of the current teams (and especially the tuners) are not anxious to start from zero on a radically new engine program. I remember talking to Lee Beard last year at Denver when the first rumor of a new spec engine was circulating around the pits. He was livid about the possibility of a spec engine and he said at the time, "They (NHRA) have the capability of slowing the cars down if the want to without making us all spend a million dollars on a new engine program."

Is there another way to slow the cars down enough to safely return them to quarter-mile racing without costing the teams a lot of money? Yes, there is! One obvious way would be to simply turn down the rpm's with the rev-limiter that’s already installed on all Top Fuel and Funny Cars until the cars are slowed enough to satisfy everyone. The problem about that is that many of the tuners I’ve talked to are convinced that the rev-limiter program causes engine failure.

So, that leaves the two areas of the tuning matrix for current engines and chassis that most of the experts I have talked to agree could be changed without costing the teams a lot of money or make obsolete all of the tuning data many of the tuners now have. That would be to take away down force or to narrow the rear slicks.

The management of sanctioning bodies such as Formula One, Can-Am, NASCAR and Indy Car. All have a history of using tires and aero packages to control top speeds and “level the playing field" -- something the NHRA has always wanted to do. 

Many, many former and current drivers and team owners have advocated that the NHRA take away down force by limiting the area of the wings or requiring a single element.

NHRA's response to taking away down force is that it makes the cars harder to handle and not as safe. I've always believed that professional tuners and drivers were supposed to cope with ill-handling cars in order to win. Every time I’ve mentioned this solution to the NHRA they say the teams don't want this solution because it will make the cars less safe (harder to drive), but I haven't found any drivers or tuners -- except those that are dominant -- who are opposed to reducing down force. So, one of those two groups aren’t telling me the whole truth.  

I know this for a fact: It doesn't take much time or money to have a Top Fuel race team remove two of the three elements on the back wings or a Funny Car team remove a portion of the obscenely huge and ugly "pickup truck bed” currently attached to the Funny Cars. All it takes is a screwdriver and tin shears!

If the NHRA and teams are opposed to that as a possible solution, then why not ask Goodyear to make the Top Fuel tire narrower than it is now. Goodyear still has that old mold for the narrow tire, I'll bet. Besides, they have a monopoly so they don't care if the tire is narrower. I've interviewed the former Goodyear engineer who first added a couple of inches of width to the Top Fuel and Funny Car tires. He did that when Top Fuel and Funny Car was all 98% in the tank and points were given for breaking the speed record. Sadly, those days are long gone, so why not a narrower or harder tires?

History tells that spec engines have never, never, ever done anything for the racers and race teams but cost them huge amounts of money. A spec engine is an open invitation for someone to circumvent the specs. The sport already has a spec engine, so why go down that road again and make an expensive class even more so?

On the other hand, if the tires won't handle the horsepower or if there isn't enough down force to handle the horsepower, then the true professional will adjust and the fans will see who the best drivers really are.

Three things I know for sure: 1. NHRA's nitro cars have to be significantly quicker and faster than any other classes. 2. The last thing drag racing's premier classes need is another expensive change. 3. And someone at NHRA needs to study the history of racing to find solutions instead of ignoring the past as if it never happened.