AND WHY NOT?
Just had my afternoon laugh re: your comment about "six deep at the fence" - if that isn’t a "wonderinger" I don't know what is.
Norm Porter
Southern California
ABOUT TIME
My goodness NHRA hired a triple major engineer for "future" developments. Common sense tells you these cars are going too fast, constantly blowing up! I am very nervous for this season. Slowwwwwww them down!
Rick Rzepka
Clinton Township, Michigan
RAINING MONEY
Great article about the need of more AHRA racers to be inducted... Harrell for sure. Mr. Lundberg was so great as the voice of the AHRA... he could make the sportsman sound so important. Believe it or not, many AHRA sportsman racers and Grand American Pros made a living in the 70’s and 80’s with the Tice family... Make every event, be a national record holder, win some eliminations, have a great press kit (pro or sportsman) hit up every sponsor... There was money falling from the sky!!
Donald A. Spencer
Houston, Texas
DON’T BE A DICK
Before the days of the factory lightweight Z11s, Dick Harrell was making a name for himself on local dragstrips with early stock dual quad 409s Chevies but began the funny car craze with his early altered wheelbase Novas, Topless Novas and then injected Camaros running gas then fuel funnies. Harrell was able to outtune and out drive most of his competition. Dick spanned the 1960’s with his stockers, modified and early funny cars later breaking 200mph in a ‘69 Camaro. There is no one in my opinion more deserving then Dick Harrell to be in the NHRA Hall of Fame. Whether he ran in AHRA or NHRA, he was a true legend of Drag racing and more important he was a good friend to many other racers. Go Mr. Chevrolet, go.
Mark DeSantis
Bethpage, New York
INTERNATIONALISM
Funny I saw Jon Lundberg’s name, I have a film from the fall 1970 Bristol race with segments both about Jon Lundberg and "Mr. Chevrolet" Dick Harrell. The only other segment was on Don "The Snake" Prudhomme! Three very influential figures in the sport of drag racing. Open up any major muscle car mag today and Dick is still being written about. It is the INTERNATIONAL DRAG RACING HALL OF FAME not the NHRA Hall of Fame?
Tim Lopata
Maryville, Tennessee
AND LOOK WHAT IT GETS HIM
Dick Harrell should be in the Hall of Fame, He did more for the high performance industry than most ever will.
He was a champion and a very well liked racer.
He paid the ultimate price doing what he loved and even 37 years later his name is still recognized in racing and the muscle car world... He deserves to be inducted in the Hall of Fame.
Bob Gibson
Springfield, Illinois
RIP
I met Al Hoffman at the last fall race he ran in Joilet Route 66. He was a class act. I got to talk with him at length and got his autograph. His is one of the few that you can actually read. Peace be with you Al Hoffman, you will be missed.
Jeffrey Kammes
Dekalb, Illinois
ON THE OTHER HAND...
John Tokash, I have had an opposite experience than you have. I have been to 4 top level NHRA events, but only once been to a local track to experience drag racing at a lower level. I'm going to fix that this summer, going to US 131 Dragway in Martin, MI in August. But I think you are assuming too much about the conditions at major NHRA events. The food is not expensive like at football/basketball venues. And the crowd may not be nearly as much of a crush as you think. NHRA wishes it were that way. You can sit in the Top Eliminator Club section at Indy, with about 2000 other people, and have bathrooms and food venues that are only accessible by those 2000 people. No crowd at all! I think you and your kids are really missing something by not attending a major NHRA event. The biggest names in drag racing are very accessible to fans throughout the weekend. They all come out to the entrance of their pit to chat and take pictures with fans. And it's not uncommon to come across a driver on a mini bike or golf cart, winding their way through the crowd to get to the staging lanes. If you take your kids to a major NHRA event, I'm sure you won't be disappointed. But I can guarantee you are missing out on one of the most awesome displays of power on the face of the earth. There's nothing like it!
David Smithers
Michigan