Would nostalgia Pinks be a faded rose?

I think the guy who created Pinks, Rich Christensen, should look at a show depicting these old school AA/FCs! I think the drag fans are ready for a change....

Jack W. Smith
Phoenix, Arizona

We’re shining now

I agree wholeheartedly with (Michael Knight’s) comments, and would like to add some more. ESPN2 has picked those that are their favorites and focus attention almost entirely on those racers. During this last event at Virginia, numerous upsets occurred in the early rounds. So whose faces do Gary Gerould and Dave Reiff stick microphones in? You got it... the losers to ask, "How did that feel?" Kind of like the question "Other than that Mrs. Lincoln... etc."

Also, another show of bias on the part of NHRA against the "budget" racer with the disqualification from all remaining events of Terry Haddock for a technical violation concerning spark plug covers. This should have been caught BEFORE his run by the NHRA tech guys who are all over the pits of the BIG GUYS, socializing and getting their opinions on things; not after the racing and then meting out draconian punishment to a guy who should have been a lead story. His struggles the last few events have been heroic to say the least (again, no comprehensive story by ESPN2).

ESPN2 did do a better job on the ongoing chapter of As the World Turns Around JFR when they asked "Ace" what he thought. His take on the problems of overlapping sponsorship on team cars was very interesting and incisive. DSR has to race as separate entities and not show public concern for what other cars in the group are doing, standings-wise.

Love your "non-paper" magazine. The pages are all glossy!

Jeff Merrell
Garland, Texas

On the outside looking in

I think drag racing is doomed if NHRA, IHRA don't put a limit on corporate sponsorship as it relates to individual teams. There is no room for an independent to perform at the levels currently being set. Drag racing was a sport for the little guy, the inventor. Now it’s a place for corporations to plow in hundreds of tens of millions of dollars to advertise their product. The same people win, the mid-budget racer is on the outside with no air time and no chance to show what they can do. If you want to see fair racing, let the #1 qualifier go out first when the track is not at its best and let the non-qualifiers go out last to take advantage of the better track conditions.

NHRA is like the Super Bowl, unless you bring big money to them, you’re on the outside.

Ray Benza
Naples, Florida

Give Feld a chance

The bitching has started about Feld and the IHRA. Nothing is official and the crabbing is here.

Feld took a close to dead Ringling Bros. circus and made it pay. They took a very dead Ice Capades and made that pay. They got Super Cross and Monster trucks from Clear Channel. They could just walk away from drag racing and make millions with those two. If they run a series that is viable without a series sponsor, if they run a series that is customized for each locale, they may just save major event drag racing from being a one-venue sport. These people are experienced, skilled promoters. They have knowledge, organization, and money.

Save the complaining until the events start. 

Norman Hechtkoff

Bye-bye

So long IHRA, it was great while it lasted.

O. Bradburn
Elkhart, Indiana