12/3/2008
 |
Where beer’s a bargain
If beer was $9.00 for a 12 oz. cup at the World Finals, that must be a West Coast thing. I attended eight National Events this year and the most I paid was $6.00 for a 16 oz. can or 16 oz. plastic bottle at all events except Atlanta and Reading where I paid $6.00 for a 20 oz. cup; that included seven events because they don't sell beer at Gainesville.
Bill Seabrooks
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Is there a car on the track?
Re: photographer cartoon
I think this cartoon is right on the money. The only element being treated worse than the sportsman racers are the fans. NHRA is managing to kill the golden goose.
Bill West
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Just to let all the fans know, NHRA is working on cutting down the number of photographers on the starting line next year. That’s good news for fans at the track, but it makes it a bit harder for the journalists just trying to do their jobs. There are plenty of other people on the starting line that really have no business being there.
It’s not as bad as it used to be
In response to Dale Vogel's observation on the team orders at Hines racing; I hope you aren't a Force fan.
As I have said here before, I don't believe it happens any more (or as often), but in the 90's, if you watched every race coverage on ESPN closely and not just final rounds, JFR always had funny business going on in favor of JF when meeting teammates. The $4.00 part breaks (don’t hundreds of dollars of parts get changed on every run?) After Densham outperforms the boss all weekend, T-Ped's car mysteriously slows after running strong all weekend, launches strong then slows slightly at the top end for the boss to go by? Coil is such a good crew chief this is not unbelievable. My favorite was the one where Tony faced JF and left first, was pulling away, then slowly moves to centerline and back for the DQ! Augghhhh!
Mike Dunn during replay of the run, hinted at “team orders” by saying that Ped's car did not smoke the tires nor miss cylinders, and there were no other signs of engine failure or loss of control by the driver. The race coverage in National Dragster said that afterward there was an obvious secret discussion between Force, Dunn and NHRA, but was denied when NHRA was asked about it and no other mention of the run was ever made.
Yes, I'm not the biggest JF fan around; he is a great racer and champ, but over the years, teammates have had to take a backseat to the check writer. At least in the alleged Hines Racing “TO” it wasn't the boss or boss’s son that benefitted...
Thank you for your time.
Jon Mikola
Dayton, Ohio