SEPARATED AT BIRTH?

NHRA President Tom Compton (left) and NASCAR President Mike Helton (right) joined Formula One, SCCA and Indy Racing League leaders in addressing the challenges faced within the racing industry during the opening session of the SAE Motorsports Engineering Conference and Exhibition in New York City.

In a copyrighted article in the Detroit Free Press, writer Mike Brudenell said that Compton spoke of NHRA's need to pay more attention to protecting the entertainment benefit of the sport.

"Our job is to produce close racing, exciting racing, side-by-side racing," the article quotes Compton. "We don't need to be going 400 miles per hour to provide great racing."

For the complete article go to www.freep.com/sports/othersports/autosle_20041201.htm.   (Compton photo by Jeff Burk, Helton photo courtesy NASCAR) [12-2-2004]

BURK'S GETTING BLASTED EVERY WEEK

With the racing season slowing down for a while, DRO Editor Jeff Burk has some free time on his hands. He has promised that he will write a weekly Burk's Blast at least until the season gets back in full swing next spring. So, look for a new Blast every Friday, beginning tomorrow.  [12-2-2004]

SWAMP RAT ON SPEEDCHANNEL

SPEED Channel's "Behind the Headlights" documentary series will feature Don Garlits' famous 1971 Swamp Rat 14, the first successful rear-engine dragster, on Dec. 1 at 8 p.m. ET. [11-30-2004]

IHRA INCREASES FUNNY CAR AND PRO STOCK PURSES

The IHRA has announced changes to the Funny Car and Pro Stock purse structures for 2005. The purse increases will move both categories closer to the Torco Race Fuels Pro Modified purse. Both Torco Race Fuels Pro Modified and Top Fuel categories will remain as they were in 2004. The increase in Funny Car's purse comes with the restructuring of

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the class' qualifying field, changing to an eight-car qualified field instead of 16.

The 2005 Funny Car purse will pay out $10,000 to the winner; $5,000 to the runner-up; $2,000 for semi-finals; and $1,750 for quarter-finals. The 2005 Torco Race Fuels Pro Stock purse will pay out $10,000 to the winner; $5,000 to the runner-up; $2,000 for semi-finals; $1,750 for quarter-finals; and $1,500 for eighths.

"I'd like to deal with the restructured eight car field in Funny Car head on," stated IHRA President Aaron Polburn. "If we had left the class alone as it was, it was going to die. Thisconclusion wasn't based on opinion, but on a five year, on-going study of the class.
Funny Car is too important a class in our effort to grow our business to let it go away. We felt this was the best direction to go in for a permanent solution, to help the class flourish." [11-30-2004]