NOT ENOUGH CARS
Your suggestion about having a 32-car field in either "funny" car or top fuel is not possible. NHRA has problems now filling a 16-car field without resorting to "filler" cars that cannot hope to win a single round (not going to mention names because I don't wish to embarrass any car owners/drivers). I remember seeing a few top fuel fields where 16 cars were qualifying for 16 spots. I wish it was like the old days at Lions when twice as many cars showed than there were spots for.
Mark Colonomos
New York
ADDING TO THE MIX
Jeff, I know you write your column to stir the sh**! Can you name 32 competitive TF or AA/FC's? Seems to me you get leakers and posers around 22-24 in either class. Pro Stock you might get 64!
Changes to fuel classes that make you go WTF! Make AA/FC an injected fuel class. It would create a noticeable ET and speed difference between them. The FC's would be 4.90 aprox, and the TF guys would be half a second faster, or they could run 1,000 foot.
Alright, stage the thing!
Hugh Munro
Missouri
VIEW FROM THE FAR SIDE OF THE ATLANTIC
On the subject of racer safety. First off, thanks for being one of the most informative, if not best racing websites on the planet!
Myself and my father traveled to the fall races at Rockingham and Vegas last season. Watching from the stands on Friday at Rockingham, I was APPAULED to see almost every S/C racer, bar none, burning out and leaving the line with their belts SO LOOSE that they could lean forward and look round the front of the cockpit!
I know they do this for a reason and as soon as they get to 60 feet they tighten them a little, but we all know if you’re not solidly strapped in by a crewman before the run then you aren’t
in properly at all! We watched pair after pair of cars and couldn’t believe what we were seeing!
After the weekend in NC we headed to Vegas, thinking that the NHRA maybe wouldn’t be so lax. Boy were we wrong! Same thing there! I know racers need to drive the finish line, but it was just plain stupid and dangerous! What was even more unbelievable was no one did anything about it!
Then late in the day on Sunday, I can’t recall the racer in question but they were in an SC car. Had a problem past the finish line and the car went over. Now I have never seen a racer in such a comparatively low speed incident get hurt until this and I am only guessing that loose belts were the cause. The poor guy in the car didn’t fare too well and needed to be cut out.
Just before anyone says 'well what does he know he’s from the other side of the world', well the drag racing world is small. We are all part of the same family and hate seeing anyone get hurt.
As solutions to dangerous racing situations go, this should be an easy fix! Maybe it has been fixed since we were there, as it was 6 months ago now, but if not then please get it done!
Thank you for the opportunity to voice my opinion and everyone have a safe, fun and happy summer racing!
Cheers.
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