11/14/06
TWO ‘BIG BOYS’ NOT ALLOWED?
All the big boys do race in the good lane.
Leslie Edmo
Idaho
SHOULD THINK BEFORE THEY SCHEDULE
Will, I find myself agreeing with you about 100% of the time, especially with this scheduling deal. In fact, I’m now content with picking and choosing the races I attend. Screw chasing divisional points where there’s no pay back at the end of the season. I now just hit the races that are conveniently located close to home. The rest of the time I’m out showing the car.
I’ve been bitching for years about the constant rainouts at the Mission Canada Divisional and finally stopped going as a result. Yet they still insist on running it in May regardless of
the constant rain. And they wonder why they never get a big crowd any more. They say it’s for the good air but if it’s wet you can’t get down the track anyway.
Here in the northwest there are five or six races in the wettest part of the season (from April to the beginning of July) and then nothing during the driest part of the Summer until mid-September unless you go clear to Acton which is half way to Omaha from here. Since I race Top Comp I can’t run the National events, which is one reason for the long void.
As a result of all this madness I now do one race per month (two in June) and have begun going to at least one Independent event in August such as the race in Spokane, Yakama or Boise.
Keep up the great work.
Rich Bailey
MUSTANG DADDY
Jay: I live at the other end of NHRA Div 5 and am starting to build an NHRA SS ‘85 Mustang. I am going to run it as a GT car so I can play with a motor that comes from a car I cannot afford. I am putting together a ‘65 Shelby Mustang 289 not because I think it will be a super competitive car but because I just want to drive the car. The horsepower on that engine is too high but it will be a blast to drive. 725 CFM carb on a 289 with 14 to 1 compression will let it run like a comp engine.
Enough of my rambling, I just wanted to let you know that I have enjoyed your Muscrate articles and hope you enjoy fatherhood as much as I have.
Best wishes on your future endeavors.
John Quinn
TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT
Thanks for the words on stupid pit crew tricks, Ian.
I've always been distressed with crew who walk down the inside of the guardrail to back up their driver after a burnout. Drives me nuts. Attached is a photo recently shot of a six second dragster and the crew guy maybe two feet away before he moved...he almost did not make it as he stuck to the ground. Worst part was I could see this coming well before it happened, providing me plenty of time to frame the shot and click the shutter at the last second. My view is that NOBODY should be allowed inside the guard wall when a car is moving forward, burnout or run.
Thanks again for saying what needed to be said. Keep it up.
Larry Pfister
