9/1/06
IS THE END NEAR?
I am coming to the point in my drag racing experience after having been a spectator, racer, chassis builder, crew chief, track management and electronics expert, and again spectator with a few times since all this of helping crew a car, to where I am getting bored with the whole thing. As you said, there is now a penalty for going too fast, or quick, and the regulating stuff they are making the racers carry on the cars, like retard rev limiters, is just stupid. I guess it is better to spend millions on fat cat suites on top of the bleachers than it is to lengthen the shut down area. It is better to get involved with racers sponsors than it is to improve the track. And one should never want to improve the timing equipment since the one man in his garage timing equipment they use "because they get a deal," works okay most of the time.
I remember when Nitro cars were unlimited with rules for safety stuff only. Now the guys have as many rules as a pure stock racer in most regards.
Yes, I am getting bored with the same cast of characters, but not bored enough to turn my back after 48 years! I hope something comes along to put some spice back into racing. I also think there are too many little racing circuits that are pulling down the car counts from the big guys that are keeping racing alive.
Sincerely yours for better racing,
Richard Burbick
LOWER THE TEAM LIMITS
Hope you are as outraged as I am over this rule that limits each owner to 4 entries per class. Why wasn't the limit placed at 3, OR LESS? Two in 2008 for example.
We are not NASCAR with 43 car fields. Four cars is 25% of the field in drag racing for Gods sake! How can a single car team hope to compete?
Jeff Garvin
ENJOY WHAT YOU CAN
I've noticed a lot of mail that bashes NHRA pro events. I guess I have to agree. I'm like a lot of other people; I miss "the old daze.” Well, I thought I'd point out to folks who don't want to make an NHRA national event that there are alternatives. Die-hard Top Fuel lover that I am, I also enjoy watching the sportsmen racers at NHRA Divisionals. These guys put on a great show and you'd be amazed at how few people are in the stands. You can walk
around the pits to your heart’s content and then always find a good seat to watch the races. The T/AD and TA/FC guys put on a great show. Comp Elim I love just cuz it's almost the only thing left from the old days - 4 cyl dragsters, V-6's, altereds, door cars, turbo cars, straight 6's, you name it. This class is how it used to be years ago.
I know a lot of people don't like the Super classes, but it sure is fun just to walk around and look at the Super Gas and Super Street cars. Talk about a mix - you can find almost any kind of car here. Henry J's, Vegas, Pintos, Anglias, old cars, new cars - and almost all of them are cars you could enter into a car show. The 7.90 classes are fun to watch as they're fast. Top Comp and Top Sportsmen are fun to watch also. If you like the older cars, Stock & Super Stock have a bunch of great machinery to look at. Plus, even the Stock classes are doing those neat wheelies and you can get some great wheelie photos from those cars.
Anyhoo, just my 2 cents. A divisional race is a good race to go to. No problem with seating and it doesn't cost you a million bucks for tickets and food. If ya can't make it to a Divisional, try a circuit race. Everything from CIFCA to the Fuel Altereds from the Midwest - there are classes for everyone and they put on a good show. Not a national event, but sometimes these circuit cars really remind you of the old days and how much fun it is to watch a Saturday night race.
Cliff Morgan
Phoenix, AZ
