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That’s a wrap

Channel 7 in Los Angeles had a camera and reporter at Pomona on Tuesday for Top Fuel and Funny Car... Then they left.

Larry Gale
San Diego County

Following the Benjamins

Just wondering: Why do NHRA championships pay so little? Don’t the nitro champs get $400,000 and the pro stock cars and bikes get way less? I was reading an article in the sports section of the local paper the day after the Daytona 500 and they listed the payout. Bear in mind this payout is just for one race: the winner took home $1,536,388, the guy that came in second took home $1,114,724 and the guy that came in dead last, the number 43 position, took home $317,720 and he only ran 80 laps.

I realize the NHRA can’t pay out this type of money, but they could at least up the ante to make it more appealing to run for a championship, considering the money that NHRA rakes in and has such a huge surplus at the end of the year, considering they are a non profit organization. Does the brass split up the rest?

David Pierce
Little Rock, Arkansas

The Grass Roots are withering

I've let my yearly subscription to National Dragster run out, and no, I am not renewing it. Tom Compton and his group have totally turned their backs on Sportsman drag racing, and treat the racers as if they were an afterthought, and an inconvenient one at that.

I don't like reading about Top Fuel and Funny Car, and very little else is in ND, which is why I let my subscription go, and I like the TV coverage even less. I admire John Force for everything he's done, which is a lot, but I don't need to see any more driver interviews with Funny Car and Top Fuel drivers.

There is no TV coverage whatsoever anymore for Sportsman racers, not even a mention, and I don't like it. Having been a Sportsman racer in the seventies, I know how hard these guys work for very little, if any, glory and almost no money, which is pretty sad. NHRA has seen the last dollar from me; I'm real glad I'm a has-been, and no longer an active racer. When NHRA ceases to exist, they will only have themselves to blame.

Bob Small
Costa Mesa, California

Keep the ‘old look’ in Nostalgia cars

Damn glad to see more and more NF/C's coming into being. I'm thinking of spending more, if not all, of my spectator dollars traveling the Midwest in search of "old school" shows! Screw the "Big Show". However, I'm disappointed by the current trend with the F/C bodies. While it's nice to see the variety of fiberglass out there, some people are taking liberties with the rocker panel extensions. PLEASE, let's keep with the spirit of the class and not get to far away from what used to be. Besides, they look just plain ugly!

Mike Downham
Indiana