LIMIT BLOWER PERCENTAGE
30% on the blowers would do the following: A. less engine damage; B. less fuel; C. more passes on tires; D. less oil downs; E. safer; F. crew chiefs will figure how to go fast, they always do; G. more passes on a set of rods
Don Gregory
La Palma, CA
AN AGREEABLE FELLOW
I agree that NHRA should test a device to help the oil situation. Also I to would like live TV of NHRA and IHRA on the same weekend. A diaper seems like that might work, with tests.
Jimmy Locklear
Fayetteville, NC
DON'T ASK; THEY WON'T TELL
NHRA definitely thinks it's above the law. Any release that is signed by the competitors should still require unsafe risks to be addressed and cured before going on with any event. Bad track conditions or equipment failures from existing known problems should not be allowed to endanger the competitors' safety.
Darrell Russell's death was, as I understand it, caused by a broken wing support going through his helmet. Was this wing support broken by a blown tire? If that is the case then I think the lady has a case as that would constitute negligence on the part of NHRA and Goodyear, if the unsafe condition was already known. By the way, was the P.S. Truck case settlement ever disclosed?
Harold Sutton
Oklahoma
The terms have never been revealed, which probably is part of the settlement agreement.
SOMEONE MUST BE RESPONSIBLE FOR SAFETY
To Julie Russell I say, "Go get 'em." The waiver argument by NHRA et al. is weak, yet it is the only defense available to them, as transparent as it is. That the tires were unsafe, as
clearly shown by widely published crew chief/driver interviews and other obvious evidence, is indisputable. NHRA is clearly guilty of willfully continuing to risk lives in trade for gate receipts. Goodyear, I feel also bears guilt by not having the courage to simply stop the supply of tires when it was clear that the speeds exceeded safe parameters. In the absence of NHRA's moral obligation to slow the cars down, Goodyear should have forced the issue by saying "slow 'em down or we'll cut you off."
What's done is done, but the defendants need to fess up. Is racing dangerous? You bet it is. Should "somebody" have to pay when a driver dies? Nope...they knew the deal when they strapped in, but, and it's an important but, when the guys who put on the race absolutely know that the hardware they force you to use is unsafe, that's a whole different pail of nitro.
Phil Nedham
Ajax, Ontario
LET'S TRY SOME ALTERNATIVE FUELS
With gasoline in my area now averaging right at $3.00/gal, and every so-called expert saying the gasoline internal combustion engine is on borrowed time, why don't the heads of organized drag racing get ahead of the curve! Let's make Top Fuel what it used to be, unlimited. If you can make your dragster competitive with compressed air, propane, bacon grease, electric, or maybe a diesel, and it passes safety tech, let it run. If the sanctioning body has to give a weight brake or handicap start, go ahead just rule that the car has to be able to run within 1/10 of the national record. Same for F/C and Pro Stock. Plenty of people would love to see some turbo 4's & 6's against the V8's. Because folks, like it or not, we aren't going to be able to sustain petroleum fuel forever.
Jerry Miles
Richmond, VA
BEEN THERE, DONE THAT
Uhhmm, didn't the last NHRA pay per view event end that discussion? It rained all day at Virginia like five years ago, me thinks. Or was it some other race?
Arthur Bichsel
New York
