A couple of dozen

Having gone to AFX/Funny Car match races and open competition races since 1964 when three out of five match races were the practice, I’m actually glad for once that here in the northeast, we don’t have as many top dog Nitro Nostalgia cars to warrant A and B fields. The Funny Car Reunion at E-Town and the US 30 Reunion are short on nitro cars, but we make up for it with doorslammers and F/Xers.

My question is why not have twenty-four car fields much like we had in the old days? Hell, at one time there were thirty-two nitro fields, that may be a little too much, just an opinion from the right coast. But twenty-four car fields shouldn’t be a problem if you have that many cars in attendance!

Gene Cistaro
Jersey

How about a consolation race

Pertaining to the A/B Fuel fields: It seems to me the racers are more interested in not looking foolish when they can't keep up with the quick cars in the field. Some of the bottom half can be as much as two seconds off the pole sitter. Hence the A/B split fields. I guess some would rather be the best of the slowest than the slowest of the whole field.

Starting with a 16-car field, how's about the four quickest first round losers, then, in oval track language, run a concie?

The fans get to see three more runs as the two pairs go down the track for a semi and then the concie race winner. The racers get more round money and the fans see more racing.

Jeff, you and I are both old enough to remember when the quickest loser would be put back in the show if one of the winners from the prior round was unable to continue. Does this practice still exist? I've not noticed it in the Nostalgia shows, and we all know it hasn't been a part of the BIG show for decades.

Rich Venza
Suwanee, Georgia

Buy-back alternative

(Burk was) right and wrong on what has happened to drag racers. The buy back is not that big a deal, but could be solved easily. Have a buy back after first round only, but don't let those racers back in, take the money and create a losers bracket with one winner and runner-up splitting that money 60/40.

What has ruined racers is electronics. It is not how good you are, but how much can you afford to spend on gadgets. Have you also noticed what happens to the stands at an event when the "super" classes come up? Everyone leaves! The ONLY two electronics that should be allowed are a rev limiter, because it helps save engines, and a retard, to gain speed on the top end and to make for better starting. Bracket racing did not ruin racers.

Joe Rakoczy
Texas

Bob Hesser RIP

I am very sorry to read that Bob Hesser passed away. I like to attend the NHRA Divisional races and had many chances to talk with him. I found it interesting that he was involved in so many forms of racing photography. Whenever Bob saw me at the track he always took time to see what races I had been to or to talk about cameras and the cars. I always appreciated that.

Tom Derry
Swansea, Illinois