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YEE HAA, IT'S BACK TO THE GRIND TIME!
I am always glad to see the start of a new drag racing season. There's
nothing like the sound of nitro motors (although muted by modern TV
technology) to get the creative juices flowing. Besides, with real action
to feed off of, I can quit making up stuff and react to real current
events!
The 2001 NHRA Winternationals served up all sorts of news, on all sorts
of different fronts. We'll keep it positive for a moment, and congratulate
Darrell Russell on his win in Top Fuel. New faces in the nitro ranks
don't come along every day, much less do they win at first asking. True,
Russell's team was tried and mostly true, but such a beginning is a
rarity, to say the least. Now if Uncle Joe can just find the magic bullet
(major sponsor) that will keep Darrell properly armed for the whole
campaign. Stay tuned.
And that was a nice cross-the-seasons double served up by Bruce Sarver
in Nitro Funny Car. Two straight is stout in any eliminator, and at
any fairgrounds for that matter. If this team has any real money behind
it in 2001, they could make it tough on all other parties intent on
being champs. Sarver can drive better than most, and the Alan Johnson
power is a given. What's not to like?
Now to the other branch of the Johnson high performance family tree.
Gary Scelzi lost in the second round of Top Fuel, but won the postponed
Top Fuel bonus shootout, Big Bud clone, whatever they're calling it
race within a race. So, is Gary happy or is he sad? The TV folks didn't
do an exit interview, but I'm going with the Gary is not happy option.
You see, when he won the Shootout finals on Saturday, he believed he
had just pocketed a cool $50,000! Which is what he THOUGHT NHRA had
told him would take place should that transpire.
Heck, one of the talking heads on TV even said so as Scelzi crossed
the finish line. But something must have gone awry in Glendora. Some
time after exiting his car, Scelzi was informed that he would have to
win THIS year's Winternationals to get the bonus bucks. Since this all
blew out, all parties concerned have advanced any number of timelines
that would support their own positions. But the REAL bottom line is
this. Why in the world would NHRA do anything to get on the bad side
of arguably their premier spokesman? When all is said and done, the
most prominent signage on Scelzi's car says Winston and NHRA. Is $50,000
that big a number for them to swallow? It will be interesting to see
how long this deal festers.
For the last year or so I have ragged NHRA pretty hard about almost
every aspect of their television "presence." But in Y2001, I have decided
to give it up for Lent, as they say. I think I may have been proceeding
on a false assumption in my past criticisms. I believed NHRA was intent
on taking drag racing to, or at least towards prime time, major network
territory. I don't think that anymore.
In truth, I don't think drag racing can ever get to that place on the
map. Please realize I'm talking about a three hour time block, ala NFL
football type coverage. That, my friends is what prime time major network
coverage really is. Until someone figures out how to hot lap the nitro
cars (and I'm not talking 75 minutes here), it ain't gonna happen! And
I'm not sure it should at that. After all, what's so terrible about
trudging over to the nitro pits and watching the between-rounds thrash?
Not much in my book.
No, I believe NHRA is headed in a whole 'nother direction. Witness
their sudden embrace of Pro Mod, and Import cars for that matter. New
eliminators, new source of entries (and fees), and new potential fans
-- all of which must look pretty good to the bean counters. Hey, maybe
there is something in there for us race fans too! All kidding aside,
oval tracks have long since gone the way of the back gate, in search
of operating profitably. More cars in the pits spells a healthier bottom
line. And every mother's son loves diversity in this day and age!
That's it for now. A fella can only get so much juice from one national
event, ya know. No odds on who the next round's winners will be, but
I make it a 3 to 5 mortal lock that Gary Scelzi will still be pissed
of at the Powers That Be come time for Phoenix! Later!
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