To close, I think I'm going to start a little tradition. A little thing at the end of my column that will be from here-out deemed, a Jefty-ism. "Just what is a Jefty-ism?" you all are asking yourselves. It will be one simple gripe about something in Nostalgia Drag Racing. Something as trivial as this month's Jefty-ism or something as major as.well, I don't know yet.

So! Without futher ado, this month's Jefty-ism:

Falling skirts. Yes, you read that right. Falling skirts. And not the type you first visualize, you pulp-novel-cover-reading creep. While I am a big fan of those too, let's try to focus here. We are talking falling skirts on the sides of nostalgia Funny Car bodies.

Seems to me that since around 2006, virtually every pro chassis shop-mounted body has come to the starting line with skirts that run parallel to the ground as per NHRA's Big Show mandate, mentioned in their body mounting supplement.

Can someone tell me why? I have heard the safety arguments about a low-pressure area being generated somewhere south of the equator and forcing fire into the driver’s cockpit like the really pissed off Tiki "Kapuna" in Disney's hit 1966 film, Lt. Robin Crusoe U.S.N. I call "bullshit!" That pro chassis shop can seal the tin off properly to the chassis and not worry about having skirts 2" off of the ground behind the front wheels and dragging the ground at the hit, in front of the rear wheels.

Today in my shop, a customer and huge fan of nostalgia Funny Car commented how he and his girlfriend really love the "Stink-bug/Hot Wheels" stance of the cars and hope that some don't continue to try and look like the big show cars.

There you go. It's not just me. You guys have already ticked off another fan.

I propose a skirt rule of 3" off the ground behind the front wheel, running straight to 6" off the ground in front of the rear wheel. Larry Pettit (RIP) ran quick and fast without low skirts and Bucky Austin, among others, have run even quicker and faster. I know, another rule. Oh goody.

So gang, the first Jefty-ism. Like it or not, that's what you get. Next stop, the March Meet.

To close, I just read of Bob Gilbertson's loss of his wife. Wow! So sudden and so sad. Let's all send good thoughts out through the ether to the Gilbertson family.