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A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE
Adam Cranmer Photo
In an extended
meeting with
some driver/owners
at the Las Vegas NHRA Sport Compact event,
one of the drivers in attendance tells the
Agent that Gary Darcy, NHRA VP of Marketing,
assured them of the NHRA’s commitment
to their series. According to the driver,
Darcy
said, “We are not giving up on sport
compact even if it (attendance) gets worse
next year. We are still in it for at least
five years down the road. We are not in it
to make money right now, we are in it for the
long haul.”
When asked if the sport compact series would
end up the way Pro Stock Truck was handled,
Darcy allegedly replied testily, “This
is different.”
The burning questions for the Agent are, how
is it different and why? [8-17-2004]
SEAT TIME
Apparently one of the sticking points in the
current rift between Schumacher Racing and
Larry Morgan Racing is the length of time Larry
Morgan would stay behind wheel of the Mopar
Dodge Stratus contractually. According to one
scenario, Morgan would remain until the end
of the season, to be replaced by a younger
driver and a second car would then debut with
Sport Compact FWD pioneer Shaun Carlson at
the wheel. Since Carlson has had recent success
with his Pro FWD Mopar, he’d now be willing
to give up the seat for a hired driver or lease
his sport compact racing operation to another
team while he pursues his Pro Stock career.
[8-17-2004]
NHRA, GOODGUYS AND VRA PROPOSE NOSTALGIA FUNNY
CAR RULE CHANGES
 John Miller and Danny Gracia of the NHRA Tech
Dept. met with VRA National Technical Director,
Jeff Norton, and newly instated Director of
the Goodguys Vintage Drag Racing Association,
Larry Westervelt, at the Goodguys Pomona Nitro
Nationals June 25-26 to discuss proposed rule
changes for the new Nostalgia Funny Car class.
The rules for 2005 will be discussed during
a meeting with Nostalgia Funny Car teams at
an upcoming race, either the California Hot
Rod Reunion or the Fuel and Gas Finals.
The proposed changes include the following:
a reduction in max engine size to 470 cu. in.
(down from 500 cu. in.), Air intake limited
to 65 sq. in. (down from 75 sq. in.) with 16
nozzles maximum (down from 24), maximum supercharger
overdrive 18.99% (up from 18%), driver-controlled
mechanical or pneumatic mag retard allowed
(formerly only driver-controlled mechanical
allowed), data recorders allowed (formerly
no data recorders allowed), and tire size reduced
to 34 x 15.5 (down from 34.5 x 17).
When the rules are finalized, changes will
be effective January 1, 2005. (Zak
Hawthorne photo) [8-17-2004]
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