March Madness Time

4/7/03

fter just returning from the finest racing facility in Las Vegas, the Strip, a lot of my questions were kind of answered. The event was the PSCA/ West Coast Pro Mods, and Top Eliminator West. Basically, this race was a "racers' race," not depending on a large crowd to survive. Mel, of the Pacific Street Car Association, has a huge turnout of the fastest and quickest street cars ever! They run like nine different classes, so any muscle car can find a place to race. It's a mixture of both nostalgia type cars 1955-57 Chevys, older Mustangs, Mopars, and new 5.0 Mustangs, too. By putting their show with a couple of other groups like this, no one loses. Everyone gets paid. Very few racers go home upset and it's a great time and good racing, too.

For a show like this, the fan is usually pretty hard core. There isn't any John Force or Kenny Bernstein element about this group. Yes, they have their heroes but basically they are hard core racers and the limited crowd they draw are not the average fan. I truly feel that if a West Coast Nostalgia Funny Car Nationals was run out here, it would be a "home run"...Depending on the amount of Nostalgia Funny Cars that ran, of course, and if you let not only the Nostalgia Fuel Funny Cars and Alcohol Funny Cars run, but add CIFCA, and couple of older wheelstanders like Richard Schroeders' "Emergency One" crew cab Dualie, and Ed Jones' Stagecoach. A few jet dragsters too, and maybe add the PSCA guys, that would be one hell of a show.

Now the question is where to run this type of event. Too bad OCIR isn't around. . .too bad the strips at Irwindale or California Speedways have so many restrictions. Bakersfield or maybe Tucson. . .maybe. . .Sacramento too. Las Vegas is by far the best track around, but it just doesn't draw big crowds except for the NHRA National events, and NASCAR, IRL too. Firebird, maybe. If it works, try a race like this in Boise or Spokane. Banning could be the right place, but its taking a long time to get that place built and people are starting to be a little impatient. I know the guys just got Mopar, but let's see some progress soon please. LACR could work too, but Bernie Longjohn has got a winner with the Imports and bracket races, so why take a chance?

Things have got to change for the other nostalgia groups, before they are gone. No one has heard a word from Gary Sprinzl and the ARHRA. Are we still in business or what, guys? Pro Nitro had such a disaster at Las Vegas in February that I'm still not sure if anyone has been paid. I will go to their race in Phoenix (end of May), but things have got to improve. What's up with ANRA? Is it a go or what? Wayne Steves and friend bought ANRA, but there supposedly was a payment problem and it was supposed to go back to the original owners.

Now I hate to say it, but it might be a good idea to slow down the nostalgia Top Fuel cars a bit. It seems like every other race someone is getting hurt severely. Most of the drivers are older than I am and I just qualified as a senior citizen. Over 60, your reactions just aren't as good as they once were. Yes, there are some exceptions. Honestly, this class started out as a "fun class" and now its full-on racing!

Case in point, Rance McDaniel in the Champion Speed Shop entry at Boise. That car was "on kill" each and every run. Next Davey Uyehara, who has finally hung it up and will just build them and work on a few instead of driving. Wise move Davey. Jimmy Boyd in his low-buck Red Turkey didn't get hurt but that's a fine line. Butch Blair, in a couple of Fugowies. Now Butch has got a great shoe, Howard Haight. (Congrats on that 5-second run, on a positive note.)

Finally, the Gerry Steiner incident. Yes, Gerry drove the car too far, we all know that, even Gerry knows it, but if they just didn't have to go so fast, maybe it would be just a little safer for everyone. Gerry is in his 60s and was in pretty good health but this is going to take a long time to recover, and my guess is that Gerry's days as a "shoe" are over.

If the cars just went, say, 225 to 230 I truly believe that the racing would be just as good, and much safer. I love fast cars as much as the next guy, but I'm saying now that I'm really tired of hearing about another bad accident in the nostalgia Top Fuel class. Please NHRA, Goodguys, Pro Nitro, Outlaw Nitro Alliance, or anyone putting on a Nostalgia Top Fuel race: No more bad crashes, please!

I admit I'd love to still drive one of the front engine dragsters, even at age 56, but I think about 200-210 mph would be just fine. Andy and Ron Marocco of Mopar Drag have indicated that the Top Fuel cars should be limited to one engine. That's not a bad idea, and might make it possible for some good racers to still compete. When you see guys like the Circuit Breaker and Bob Richardson having to more or less "sell" their driver's spot, something needs to be done to control the cost of racing. Otherwise we who live for nostalgia racing will get to see nothing but a few cars last, and a huge "cacklefest." The cacklefest are great, but I want to see side by side racing, too!

I received a call from John Dearmore, head honcho at ONA (OutlawNitroAlliance) out of Texas and they have been invited to the NHRA Midwest Reunion in Beech Bend, Kentucky. This is a great opportunity for all of you in the Midwest to see a "page out of the past" with part of the present and future there, too.

Rumor is FED or AA/FA in IHRA competition for 2004?

Off to Vegas for the third weekend in a row -- gotta watch those really fast guys and gals, too.

If anyone has any comments on the safety issue or economics of racing please reply at tmarshall29@hotmail.com or marshall@racingnetsource.com or just write to our letters column at response@racingnetsource.com. This magazine is for our readers and we want to know what you think.

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