I have no idea why this group puts up with the things they are subjected to. They must truly love the sport. Why not create a circuit where they can shine, out from under the shadow of the nitro cars and away from the sportsman racers in Comp Eliminator and the Super classes, who resent the track time the Alcohol cars use at divisional races.
With their own event, more or less, the way would be clear to separate the blown cars from the injected nitro dragsters in Top Alcohol Dragster and to create an Injected Nitro Funny Car class to go along with the blown alky floppers. New setup, new rules that could benefit all involved and help out in the costs department.
The fly in the ointment, from a Top Alcohol viewpoint, would be my desire to include a new bunch of racers into this developmental league. Given the increasing numbers of nitro nostalgia cars being built around the country, why not throw Nostalgia Top Fuel and Nostalgia Nitro Funny cars into the mix? Since most cars in these two categories are located in the Western half of the country, scheduling might be a problem early on. But if the tour was limited to ten or twelve races, I think a sizeable number of racers would make the trip.
Other racers who could be included to round out this hard core drag racing show would be Outlaw 10.5 cars, Top Sportsman and Top Dragster. Don't know about you, but I would pay to see it!
NHRA DIVISIONAL RACES
Home of the true drag racer, NHRA divisional races are the one segment of the sport where NHRA has any chance of returning to its stated core values and performing its real mission. Make no mistake about it, there are compelling reasons to hope NHRA, or something like it, is around forever. One need only to reference the latest street racing tragedy on the evening news to be reminded of why NHRA came to be in the first place.
Would the current crop of NHRA sportsman racers be happy in a new landscape that precluded them from competing at national events? Maybe not, but at this point it seems an inevitability. At least they wouldn't have the alcohol racers taking up pit space.
More room in the pits at divisional races could lead to including the various factions in Import racing. It makes no sense for that group to have its own racing series. If they want to be seen as racers, then race. If they can't exist without the dog-and-pony show, NHRA needs to cut the ties and let them pose to their heart's content.
I know that's a lot to chew on, and it is all pretty much predicated on O. Bruton doing a deal with NHRA. But with the passing of Wally Parks, it seems only a matter of time until a deal is done with somebody, be he O. Bruton or merely someone like him. When it does happen, I hope it brings about profound change to the sport of drag racing.
