A ‘SECRET SHOPPER’
Your poll about drag racing execs getting a license brought to mind an idea I floated years ago to at a track operators meeting. Believing that most track operators wouldn't pay hard cash out of their pockets to attend an event, I thought it's pretty damn hard for them to evaluate or empathize with the spectator's experience going to an event.
My proposition, at each year end meeting, the owners of each NHRA national event facility would make a blind draw to choose an event that they would have to attend the following year as "Joe/Jane Spectator". They would have to call the track to order tickets, get local information, etc. Each would evaluate their experience much like a "secret shopper" and they would submit it to NHRA, which would then be presented in a compilation report to given to the track operators at the next season ending meetings.
I think it is still a viable proposition to this day. Just my $0.02 to stir things up.
Mitch Cooper
Tacoma, WA
DON’T BLOW IT
It's the supercharger folks. You will never convince the masses (after 50 years of marketing) to shorten or abandon the quarter mile.
The supercharger is what makes the pro fuel cars so volatile. It's what pushes the pieces out of the engine, and makes this class so expensive.
Eliminating the supercharger (and increasing engine volume) would slow the cars down and make them more affordable to new teams to continue the class. The motors might be a little bigger cubic inch wise, but more dependable, and safer.
Bill Pinkston
SoCal
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IS ALL OF THIS NECESSARY?
In response to Austin Coil about too much downtime, I think that they could do their part by reducing the time it take the pro cars to make a complete run. It's awfully long when they start to lift the body, check everything, then stage. I would also stop the crew chief walk down the lanes. It would speed up things.
Gilles Pruneau
Laval, Canada
A LITTLE ALCOHOL, PLEASE
Re: AMS adding alky to the nitrous entries. This is great! With an 800" motor and alky, I think the performances should come very close to the blower cars. I'm very interested in seeing what will happen. I sure hope that IHRA follows suit.
Cliff Morgan
Phoenix, AZ
TALENT WILL OUT
Jok: Just a short note on the delay button topic. My brother and I provided a car for Dan Fletcher to race at this year’s Winternationals and the following Phoenix national event. We have raced against Dan for several years including a heads up race or two since we ran in the same class, SS/EA, but didn't know him very well. Let me tell you, it was an education for us to see how he raced! When he arrived at Pomona he had a bag of several trans brake buttons, none of which were the "delay" type. His first pass in the car (a GT/AA 1998 Firebird)was a -.016, next .003 and then was no worse than the .030s from there on out. He went 4 rounds at Pomona and 5 in Phoenix. Including time trials he never once ran the car a full 1/4 mile pass. Although he did run exactly on the dial once or twice and was extremely close to it on every other pass.
My point? Well, he is just that good! I don't think the delay button will make a bad racer good or a good racer great. Both my brother and I have won national and divisional events, but Dan made us look like rank amateurs. Good will always be good.
I enjoyed your article and wish there were more of them regarding Stock and Super Stock!
Bryan Broaddus
SS/EA 1971 Monte Carlo