On the Monday, Feb. 20th NBC broadcast of the Olympics there was mention during the ski jump competition that one of the contestants was a European drag racing record holder. I was not in the same room and did not catch the name or country. I was wondering if any of your alert readers or someone from "over there" might be able to give some information.
Thank you.
Tom Derry
Swansea, IL
HERE IS PART OF THE ANSWER
I finally got to see drag racing discussed on a major network (NBC) the only thing it was on the winter Olympics, during ski jumping and it was a guy from Finland. It's pretty bad that it has a racer/skier from another country.
The NHRA should be ashamed of itself; the last time I saw a drag race on a major network (ABC) Wide World of Sports in the '70s. That's pretty sad. I see NASCAR stuff everywhere: grocery stores, gas stations, truck stops, on the side of semi trailer. Seems like I see NASCAR stuff everywhere. And yet even major NHRA sponsors like POWERade do not say on their product that they even know who NHRA is much less a major sponsor. It's too bad NHRA doesn't get it.
Jeff Kammes
DeKalb, IL
AND SPEAKING OF THE OLYMPICS. . .
I think for the next winter Olympics, they should have bobsled ski jumping, two at a time. It could work. Just balance the bobsleds so they would glide gently to earth, have one racer in one bobsled instead of two in one, and run them like any ordinary Saturday night bracket race. And no audio starts either -- have a Christmas tree or Lions "Leavers Lose" starting system, and the racer's reaction time counts in the overall score. Tear-downs and protests should be kept to a minimum.
My idea follows one by a friend of mine, singer and songwriter Ronny Elliott, who once suggested that somebody should put on a bicycle figure-eight race. Let's have an ice-skating figure eight race, with eight countries competing.
I am sending my ideas right away to the Honorable Juan Samarach of Spain, the guy in charge of the past Atlanta Olympics, as soon as I can spell his last name correctly.
Dale "Lift Only When Necessary" Wilson
NO WORDS NECESSARY
Well, does this picture give you any idea how I feel about NHRA? That'll be the last membership sticker I'll get from them.
Dick Nichols
MORE HARM THAN GOOD?
Rather than shorten the race length in the nitro categories to harness the speed, what seems to be the problem with lowering the percentage of nitromethane in the fuel until the speeds are manageable for the tracks being used? It appears to me that the rev-limiter is causing more engine damage than it is worth. Does someone stand to lose too much money by the teams using less nitromethane?
Also, I believe that the Pro Stock category has reached its end and should be replaced with the Pro Mod category.
I apologize if I am rehashing an opinion others have already voiced - add this opinion to the poll results.
Thank you.
Lou Pappademos
Fort Wayne, IN
NOT QUITE SO FUNNY, PLEASE
Right on, on your blast. While I'm at it, watching the NHRA on tv, let's make funny cars look just a tad more like a real car.
Jim Hanna
Oconto, WI
PRO DRAG RACERS BETTER GO FISHING
See where the winner of a fishing tournament won a half million for catching fish? What's wrong with this picture. . .are drag racers using the wrong bait?
Jon Graves
Colchester, CT
